Inclusive Campus Research Articles

Fostering educational equity through leadership and policy innovations for sustainable development in higher education

This paper explores leadership strategies and policy innovations aimed at fostering educational equity in higher education, particularly for underserved and marginalized communities. It emphasizes the crucial role of institutional leadership in aligning strategic goals with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), to ensure inclusivity, access, retention, and long-term success for disadvantaged students. The analysis includes a discussion of key leadership approaches, such as inclusive leadership and mentorship programs, and policy innovations that address financial, academic, and social barriers to equity. The integration of specific SDGs into educational policies is also examined, highlighting the importance of comprehensive support services, diverse curricula, and community partnerships. Recommendations for higher education leaders and policymakers focus on expanding financial aid, promoting inclusive campus environments, and strengthening collaborative efforts with government and community stakeholders. Ultimately, this paper advocates for a proactive and strategic approach to embedding equity within the core functions of higher education institutions, ensuring that they contribute to sustainable development and social justice.

The associations among racial and ethnic identity and perceptions of professors, support, and mental wellbeing in schools of social work

ABSTRACT In the summer of 2020, the United States witnessed unprecedented unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. The reckoning with racial injustice stimulated discussions throughout colleges and universities in the country – particularly within schools of social work – about systemic racism, power, privilege, bias, and inequity. Current political and racial climate have caused tremendous emotional stress for many BIPOC (Black Indigenous people of color) students. In response to national political concerns, scholarships addressing racial justice and higher education emerged, pivoting their efforts toward developing new initiatives to promote diverse and inclusive campus environments. This pilot study recruited a convenience sample (N = 33) from social work programs from 20 different universities throughout the country to complete quantitative surveys. Participants were primarily women (82.9%), and white (65.9%), with some students identifying as non-binary gender, and some with learning or physical disabilities. The study explored student characteristics on their perceptions of their sense of feeling supported, connected to the university, experience of diversity initiatives, and overall mental health. Regression models indicate that BIPOC students were more likely to disagree that their social work programs focused on diversity. Similarly, women students reported a lack of new commitment to diversity among their campuses. Although the CSWE has committed to diversity and inclusion in social work programs and the profession for 40 years, this pilot study suggests that social work students still do not consistently perceive a focus on diversity and race discussions as adequate. This study can help social work schools and administrators research their curriculum, faculty, and students while adopting the new EPAS competencies.

Gender Differences in Coping with Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and College Stress Among International Chinese Students in the United States

Chinese students represent the largest group of international students in the United States and have been reported to experience various challenges and stressors including transitional stress, academic stress, language barriers, financial difficulties, perceived discrimination, loss of social support, and homesickness. This study drew from intersectionality theory to examine how Chinese international students coped by gender (through problem-solving, avoidance, and social support) with perceived discrimination, psychological distress, and college student stress (e.g. academic and social stress). Study participants were self-identified Chinese individuals over the age of 18 who studied in the United States as international students (N = 98). Participants completed measures of perceived discrimination, psychological distress, college student stress, coping, and demographic characteristics. Results showed that women reported higher rates of psychological distress and college student stress than men. Problem-solving coping and seeking social support were significantly and positively related to psychological distress for both men and women. Results also showed that women who perceived high discrimination used problem-solving coping to a greater extent than men. Surprisingly, coping approaches were unrelated to college student stress. The findings indicate that examining intersecting identities by gender, in line with intersectionality theory, produced a more nuanced understanding of the experiences and needs of Chinese international students and highlights the importance for colleges and universities of creating inclusive campus climates. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Analyzing In-Depth Study of Southeast Asian Graduate Students: A Qualitative Approach

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience, but it often presents significant challenges. Southeast Asian international graduate students, in particular, face considerable academic and cultural hurdles when transitioning to U.S. higher education. These stressors, including language barriers, financial difficulties, and academic adjustments, can negatively impact their mental health and academic performance. This study aims to illuminate these challenges and identify effective support strategies. It is essential to recognize the diverse experiences of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students, who are included in this study. The SEAA community is rich in culture and heritage, contributing significantly to the U.S. landscape. This research seeks to understand the unique challenges faced by SEAAs and to foster a more inclusive academic environment. This study has identified key academic and cultural stressors by examining the experiences of Southeast Asian international graduate students. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted support services to enhance student well-being and academic success. It is crucial to shift from a deficit-oriented perspective to one that centers on the voices and experiences of SEAA students. By listening to their stories, higher education institutions can develop effective strategies to support their academic journeys and create a more inclusive campus community.

Mental health help-seeking among Latina/o/x undocumented college students.

Informed by a social-ecological framework, this study nested undocumented students' individual mental health needs within micro-level campus factors and the macro-level immigration policy context to examine how these are associated with undocumented Latina/o/x college students' use of on-campus mental health services. A large-scale survey was administered to 1,277 undocumented college students attending 4-year public universities in California. Only Latina/o/x respondents were included in this study (N = 1,181). Fifty percent of students attended a UC system (n = 589). On average, students were 21.84 years old (SE = .15), and most were women (75.3%, n = 890). Greater level of mental health symptoms and perceived mental health need, and greater use of campus-wide resources and undocumented student services predicted greater likelihood of using on-campus mental health services. Greater perceptions of social exclusion due to the immigration policy context predicted lower use of mental health services. Results indicate that a greater use of resources and an inclusive campus environment, as well as efforts to minimize policy-related feelings of social exclusion, may facilitate undocumented students' professional mental health help-seeking. These findings emphasize the need to take multiple and multi-level ecological factors into account when considering mental health service use, particularly in the case of undocumented immigrants and likely other structurally marginalized groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Optimalisasi Kuliah Perdana Dalam Upaya Pencegahan Perundungan Di Pendidikan Tinggi

Bullying in the Higher Education environment, also known as campus, has become an increasingly pressing issue in recent years. This phenomenon not only includes verbal and physical bullying but also reaches the digital dimension through cyberbullying. Students who are victims of bullying face a range of serious harms, including negative impacts on their emotional and mental well-being. These impacts can include increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression, which in turn can impair their academic performance and threaten long-term psychological health. In addition, bullying can also lead to significant social isolation and even jeopardise the physical safety of the victim in certain cases. The importance of creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive campus environment is crucial in effectively and preventively addressing this bullying issue. This socialisation was held in the inaugural lecture at Stifera Semarang online. Overall, the inaugural lecture on anti-bullying prevention is an important first step in shaping mindsets and practices that support a campus culture free from bullying. The inaugural lecture can be a platform to build a safe campus culture, where every member of the community is prepared to recognise, report, and prevent bullying.

Inclusive Islamic Education: The Role of Religious Moderation in Transformation of Islamic Education Institutions in Riau

The transformation of Islamic Higher Education Institutions (hereafter, PTKIS) towards quality education with a religious moderation approach in the Indragiri Hulu District, Riau Province, is crucial for meeting contemporary challenges and fostering socio-economic development. This article explores the integration of religious moderation within the PTKIS environment in the Indragiri Hulu District and the developmental direction of private PTKIS in the region adopting a religious moderation approach. Research outcomes emphasize key transformational aspects, including curriculum adjustments to incorporate religious moderation content into every lecture. This aligns with moderate Islamic values and reflects the latest developments in science and technology, aiming to enhance accessibility and educational quality, creating an innovative learning environment. PTKIS in the Indragiri Hulu District is dedicated to creating an inclusive campus that respects diversity, promotes critical thinking, and instills tolerance. Emphasizing the improvement of teaching and research quality involves applying religious moderation values in all academic activities. Modernizing campus facilities, including digital libraries and state-of-the-art laboratories, is prioritized to meet contemporary educational standards. A hidden curriculum is implemented for broad student participation. Additionally, PTKIS collaborates with local governments, communities, and the industrial sector to establish close links between education and employment, preparing graduates with practical skills for a competitive job market. The transformation of PTKIS in the Indragiri Hulu District establishes a holistic, modern educational foundation aligned with religious moderation values, contributing positively to character formation, intellectual development, and active engagement in a diverse society.

Inclusive Campus Design in Islamic Institution

Designing an inclusive campus is an evolving process. Each educational institution has varying levels of awareness of the importance of inclusive campus design. As the highest public educational institution that follow Islamic values, Islamic University has a strategic function to serve as a benchmark for providing more inclusive facilities. This study will explore the process and challenges to implement inclusive design in its buildings in Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) Yogyakarta. To understand how inclusive design has been implemented in the UII Main Campus facilities, qualitative methodologies were employed, including field observations, access audits, and interviews with key stakeholders. The results indicate that awareness of the implementation of inclusive design at the UII Main Campus develops gradually alongside the availability of universal technical accessibility and design standards and the growth of an understanding of their significance. The finding shows that the younger the generation of buildings, the more inclusive the designs.

A campus far removed: affect, genders, and space at Argentina’s largest public university

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the ways of inhabiting the university from the affective experience of those who spend time there daily, using the University of Buenos Aires campus as a case study. The article focuses specifically on what places make students or professors feel unsafe and what relationship that perception has with their gender identity. A second aim was to analyse what spaces the university community would like to modify to produce a more inclusive campus. Specifically, this article explores the affective experiences of using non-binary, gender-neutral bathrooms, what emotions people experience when walking around the campus at night, what places need improvements according to students and professors, and how gender influences what places are experienced as a source of pleasure or fear. Findings showed that different spaces generate a wide arc of emotions that range from comfort and pleasure to discomfort and fear, and that gender influences these emotions. The data obtained indicate that spaces such as bathrooms, outdoor spaces, and rest areas are experienced in terms of gender identity, topophilias – place attachment, and topophobias – place rejection, and they organise the everyday life of the university community.

Campus Culture Construction of Colleges and Universities Based on Virtual Reality Technology

This paper presents a novel approach to campus culture construction in colleges and universities utilizing virtual reality (VR) technology enhanced by Cartesian point Probabilistic LSTM (CPP-LSTM). The study aims to enhance campus culture by creating immersive virtual environments that promote engagement, collaboration, and learning among students and faculty members. Through simulated experiments and empirical validations, the efficacy of the CPP-LSTM-enhanced VR technology is evaluated in creating realistic and interactive virtual campus environments. Results demonstrate significant improvements in user engagement and satisfaction compared to traditional methods. For instance, users interacting with the CPP-LSTM-enhanced VR platform reported a 30% increase in perceived sense of belonging and a 25% improvement in overall satisfaction ratings. Additionally, the CPP-LSTM model enables the generation of personalized virtual experiences based on user preferences and feedback, leading to more immersive and impactful campus culture construction. These findings underscore the potential of VR technology with CPP-LSTM in revolutionizing campus culture construction and fostering a vibrant and inclusive campus community.

Examining College Student Attitudes Toward Individuals with Disabilities: Implications for College Adaptive Sports Development

Attitudes toward students with disabilities play a crucial role in creating an inclusive and supportive campus environment. This study investigated college students’ attitudes toward peers with disabilities and explored the factors that influence these attitudes. Data from 457 students were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that students’ attitudes toward peers with disabilities were moderately positive overall, with room for improvement. Specifically, the findings highlighted several key factors that positively influenced attitudes including presence of a family member or friend with a disability and students’ involvement in disability-related programming. However, the study also identified areas that require attention including limited exposure to disability-related coursework among students, and low involvement in disability-related programming on campus. Implications highlight the significance of creating a supportive and inclusive campus climate for students with disabilities. Recommendations include various academic focused strategies, but focus on one social opportunity, namely intercollegiate adaptive sports.

Developing an inclusive campus for autistic students.

Developing an inclusive campus for autistic students.

Drinking, Diversity, and Discrimination: Campus-Level Factors that Influence Students' Risk of Experiencing Sexual Assault.

College students' individual-level risk factors for sexual assault victimization have been studied for decades, but fewer studies have looked at whether and how campus-level factors, such as campus-level rates of discrimination and campus diversity, might also influence student victimization risk. Identifying these broader factors can inform efforts to develop more effective campus-level sexual assault preventive interventions. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a large, multi-campus health and well-being survey (N = 309,171 students across 474 US campuses) to explore how campus-level factors shape students' risk of experiencing sexual assault after accounting for students' individual-level risk factors. Using mixed-effects logistic regression, we examined the influence of campus-level factors (e.g., campus sexual orientation demographics and gender diversity) on students' odds of experiencing sexual assault, after accounting for individual risk factors (e.g., sexual and gender minority status). Although some campus characteristics, such as enrollment size, had small significant effects on students' odds of experiencing sexual assault, we found larger significant effects from aggregated campus-level rates of binge drinking, campus diversity (particularly regarding sexual orientation and gender), and discrimination. These findings suggest that comprehensive campus sexual violence prevention would benefit from strategies that promote safe and inclusive campuses, especially for students with marginalized sexual and gender identities.

Queerating (Creating) Harmony: Intentional and Inclusive Campus Queer Academic and Social Spaces

The creation of affirming spaces is imperative because queer students must find affinity to unpack and deconstruct the various intersections of sexuality, gender, race, and other intersectional identities that are a part of their transformational lives. This article discusses the use of the word queerating, which is an action that focuses on agency (self-identity), advocacy (self-empowerment), action (self-engagement), and actualization (self-efficacy). As ethno-autobiographers, the authors share their administrative and teaching journeys through personal vignettes, research on the history of queer spaces, and the psycho-social development of queer college students. The articles also discuss the practices, procedures, protocols, and policies necessary to queerate college spaces.

Opportunities for tackling sexual harassment in Zimbabwe: Lessons from the Global North

This article employs content analysis to explore lessons that can be drawn from the Global North to confront sexual harassment in higher education (HE) in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular. The slow progress in both the formulation and implementation of policies directed at mitigating sexual harassment in Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions is a slow and worrisome journey despite a well-crafted roadmap. This article, using appreciative inquiry (AI) as a lens, presents what developed countries have put in place to deal with sexual harassment. Proposals show that policies and guidelines on sexual harassment remain paper exercise in the developing countries, and are not backed by fair reporting mechanisms and education on how to deal with sexual abuse. The study suggests that policies must not remain paper exercise and therefore have to be implemented. Universities in the Global South may partner with those from the Global North and share notes and best practices on how sexual harassment can be mitigated.Contribution: The article provides insights on how universities can improve sexual harassment policy frameworks and practices to create safe and inclusive campus environments for females so as to protect students’ well-being for sustainable development.

The relation between barrier-free environment perception and campus commuting satisfaction.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in the last quarter of 2019, has had a significant impact on urban transportation. With increasing demand for urban transport, the internal roads and public spaces of university campuses play an important role in facilitating commuting and communication between various functional zones. While considerable research has been conducted on route planning, pedestrian-vehicle segregation, and safety management in the internal transportation environment of university campuses, empirical investigations exploring barrier-free inclusive campus environment design and the subjective evaluation of road and public space users in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking. Recent developments in travel behavior models and positive psychology have led to an increased focus on the correlation among subjective perceptions, attitudes, emotions, and commuting satisfaction in urban transportation and planning design. To elucidate this relationship, a study was conducted on the new campus of Central South University in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Using 312 valid samples, a structural equation model was constructed to analyse the relationship between commuting satisfaction and the barrier-free environment perception of university students regarding the internal transportation environment of the campus. The results revealed that individuals' instantaneous barrier-free environment perceptions and long-term established positive emotions had a significant positive effect on commuting satisfaction. Furthermore, positive emotions were found to mediate the relationship between commuting attitudes induced by COVID-19, barrier-free environment perceptions, and commuting satisfaction. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the necessity of accessibility design in the post-COVID era. In addition, this study considers the perspective of users to provide ideas for the planning and construction of barrier-free campus environments that are based on convenient and inclusive design.

Analysis of Marginal Discourse: Identity Construction in Campus Wall Graffiti

Campus wall graffiti plays a significant role in the identity construction of graffiti artists as a form of marginal discourse. However, due to its long-standing perception as a destructive activity and the unique cultural environment, graffiti research in China has been relatively underdeveloped, with a focus on theoretical investigations. This study collected a total of 391 textual and pictorial graffiti samples from a language university in China as the corpus. From the perspective of identity construction, this study analyzed the characteristics of campus wall graffiti, as well as the methods and content of identity construction. The findings revealed that campus graffiti exhibits characteristics such as informality, anonymity, and counter-culturality. The language behaviors and symbol usage in graffiti include both one-way output and two-way interaction, the employment of textual and pictorial symbols, and the use of metaphors and symbolism. The construction of identity in graffiti primarily involves cultural identity, social identity, and creative identity among others. Lastly, in terms of campus graffiti management, this paper proposes effective strategies from the aspects of discourse power allocation and management, as well as feedback and reconstruction of identity construction. These strategies aim to transform disorder into order and foster an open and inclusive campus culture.

“Bisexuality’s never enough…”: using composite narratives to explore bisexual students’ experiences within LGBTQ campus spaces

Despite ongoing efforts to improve campus climate for marginalized students, queer- and trans-spectrum students continue to experience their college campuses as hostile and unwelcoming spaces. Bisexual students in particular face unique challenges and struggle to fully engage in campus communities that did not fully recognize their bisexual identity. To create safer and more inclusive campuses, colleges and universities often rely on LGBTQ campus spaces, like resource centers and student organizations, to offer affirmation, support, resources, and education for and about queer- and trans-spectrum students, but these spaces are not always inclusive of and affirming to bisexual students despite their mission. Using first-person composite narratives composed of interviews with nine bisexual college students, this study highlights bisexual students’ experiences within LGBTQ campus spaces. The findings can deepen higher education professionals’ understanding of these unique intracommunity dynamics to cultivate more welcoming, affirming, and supportive LGBTQ campus spaces for bisexual students.

“Setting Down Roots”—Developing Formerly Incarcerated Student Programs Through Advocacy and Network Building

ABSTRACT This study examines formerly incarcerated student programming from practitioner perspectives at California community colleges. The following research questions guide the study: 1) How has the pandemic and concurrent sociopolitical contexts influence the way staff, faculty, and administrators approach their work? 2) How do practitioners describe their experiences supporting formerly incarcerated students? 3) How are challenges and opportunities toward sustaining their programs described? I used a basic qualitative approach to collect interview data with 15 staff, faculty, and administrators. Once data were transcribed, I engaged in open and axial coding to capture participants’ words, which developed into categories and emergent themes. Faculty and staff expressed profound care for students and their programs and acted on this care by challenging deficit-perspectives and advocating for students’ needs. Despite many programs’ funding concerns, participants shared how they gain support for currently and formerly incarcerated students by developing webs of support toward a more inclusive campus environment. Findings reveal how practitioners respond to and meet students’ personal and academic needs by allocating and sharing relevant resources like housing support and advising services. Staff often assume a case management role for students and advocate for their programs’ needs such as funding and physical meeting spaces. Findings affirm the need for colleges to expand their support for formerly incarcerated students and develop intentional spaces toward empowerment and desistance.

Development of Indonesian Sign Language System (SIBI) Dictionary Application for Students with Special Needs

The process of communication for deaf persons needs to be facilitated by a particular language. Friends who are deaf want language that is appropriate for everyday requirements in order to communicate and comprehend communications. The objectives of developing assistive technology for the Indonesian Sign Language System (SIBI) dictionary application are to optimize services, create friendly assistive technology, improve the language skills of students with hearing impairments by utilizing technology, and create an inclusive campus that is friendly for students with special needs. The model used in research and development (RD) is Borg Gall. The development stage of the SIBI dictionary application goes through 10 stages, from collecting vocabulary information to the resulting product in the form of an application embedded on a smartphone. Product testing was carried out in two stages to identify constraints in the application and use of the available features. The population was 17 students with special needs at various semester levels, including eight students with hearing impairments (deaf), students with visual impairment (blind/low vision) as many as eight students, then there is one student with obstacles to the function of mobility. The results of this study are that the SIBI Dictionary Application is a dictionary in the form of sign language videos equipped with sound and text as well as word meanings. The video also has a tutorial. This tool can help hearing-impaired pupils study after utilising a digital dictionary. Increasing hearing-impaired kids' vocabularies (value indicator assessment). Deaf community "GERKATIN" and special education students. Thus, the SIBI Dictionary Application with sign language movies with sound, text, and word definitions can better aid kids with special needs and can be downloaded from smartphone app services. All UNM students receive volunteer instruction from special needs classmates.