University Survey Research Articles

Embedded Therapists: Who Do They Serve? How are They Funded? And Where are They Housed? A Foundational Survey of Emerging Models

ABSTRACT With the rise in demand for mental health services on college and university campuses, counseling centers have engaged in numerous creative methods to expand services to meet these increasing demands. One approach within campus counseling centers, with promise, is embedded therapists. Despite the increasing application of embedded therapists, there is a paucity of research to inform the development and implementation of this innovative service method on college and university campuses. This study serves as a foundational survey of college and university counseling centers’ embedded therapists to establish foundational data on defining features of emerging embedded models. Data for this study consisted of 39 college and university counseling center directors who provided information on 105 embedded therapists via a Qaultrics survey. Embedded therapists differed regarding who they served, where they were housed, source of funding, and various other system-level factors. The results of this study are discussed regarding commonalities and differences across emerging models of embedded programs.

Welcoming Ain’t Belonging: A Case Study that Explores How Two-year Predominantly White Colleges Can Foster an Environment of Validation and Mattering for Men of Color

The qualitative case study explored the factors that foster an atmosphere of belonging for men of color (MOC) attending a 2-year Predominantly White Institution. The pressing issue is the PWI colleges make the erroneous assumption that an extension or invitation of welcome is the same as fostering a sense of belonging for men of color (MOC). This led colleges to construct policies and practices that do not intentionally and deliberately create an atmosphere where MOC feel valued, validated, and visible. According to Maestas, Vaquera, and Zehr (2007), fostering a sense of belonging is paramount to the retention and graduation of students of color. The study surfaced three central themes: (a) experiencing an atmosphere of welcome, (b) desire for cultural representation and celebration (c) importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training. Though most colleges boast of creating a sense of belonging, the National Center for Education Statistics (2019) reports 25% of men of color graduate from a community college within 150 % or three-years of normal time. Additionally, the Community College Survey of Men (CCSM) reports a lack of validation, engagement, and high attrition rate for men of color attending these institutions (Harris & Wood, 2013). This can be problematic considering the majority of men of color began their academic journey by attending 2-year colleges. Community and 2-year colleges are critical to the educational system and positioned to improve access and equity for students of color, particularly males (Bailey, Jaggars, & Jenkins, 2015).

The Long-Term Impact of Mobilization and Repression on Political Trust

Authoritarian regimes respond to threatening student movements with repression and censorship. In many cases, failed movements are effectively erased from public memory. Do such movements affect long-term attitudes? We use a survey of college graduates to measure the impact of a failed student movement. Some of our respondents began college immediately before a major protest; others started after the movement had been suppressed. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity, we find that individuals who attended college during the movement are significantly less likely to trust the government, more than 25 years later, than individuals who enrolled after the protests. The effects are strongest for trust in the central government, and weakest for local government. These results are robust to a range of specifications, and show that the experience of mass mobilization and state repression can have a long-term impact on public attitudes, even if the event in question remains taboo.

Reconceptualizing Student Engagement

International students in the United States have been increasingly attracted to community colleges as a starting point to higher education. Recently, their enrollment has been dropping. Research highlights the importance of student engagement to international students. However, few studies investigate their engagement experiences in community colleges. This study investigated the validity of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) benchmarks as proxies for international student engagement in community colleges. The original CCSSE benchmarks were a poor fit for international students. Resulting constructs and underlying items differed significantly from the original benchmarks and demonstrated poor reliability. Findings highlight the inapplicability of CCSSE benchmarks in representing international student engagement. Recommendations include adding culturally relevant variables to the CCSSE structure more applicable to international student populations, and accompanying the survey with qualitative input for in-depth knowledge of international student experiences.

The Effect of Title IX on Gender Disparity in Graduate Education

AbstractThis paper examines whether Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which banned sex discrimination in admissions, was successful in reducing gender disparity in graduate education. Using school‐level survey data and a national survey of college degree‐holders, I find that female enrollment at graduate schools increased by an average of 18.7 percent following Title IX's passage. This phenomenon was mainly driven by schools that had greater incentive to comply with the new law. I also find evidence that Title IX reduced gender disparities across degree fields; the female‐male gap in traditionally male fields closed by 3.2 to 8.5 percentage points after Title IX. These results are robust to alternative explanations, such as the end of the Vietnam War draft, law changes related to fertility, and other events that occurred between the late 1960s and early 1970s that may also have affected female educational decisions.

Adaptions and perceptions on histology and embryology teaching practice in China during the Covid-19 pandemic

BackgroudUnder the circumstance of school closures caused by the coronavirus outbreak, medical schools in China began implementing online teaching, including histology and embryology (HE) beginning in the middle of February 2020. The changes in HE education in responding to the pandemic in China needs to be determined, for further adaption of online teaching delivery or blended learning. MethodsA nationwide survey of the major medical colleges was conducted via WeChat. ResultsIn total, 83 medical schools (one respondent per school) were invited to survey, 78 medical schools responded which represented most medical schools across all the provinces in mainland China, as well as Hong Kong and Macao. The results revealed that 77% (n = 60) and 58% (n = 45) of the responding schools had conducted HE theoretical and practical online teaching, respectively, prior to the pandemic; however, 27% (n = 21) of the medical schools had temporally suspended practical sessions at the time the survey was completed. During the pandemic, 73% (n = 57) and 29% (n = 23) of the medical schools delivered HE theoretical and practical sessions by synchronous live broadcasting, respectively; 65% (n = 51) of the medical schools increased virtual microscopy using during practical sessions. During the pandemic, 54% (n = 42) of the medical schools implemented teaching activities promoting active learning; meanwhile, online assessment was implemented in 84% (n = 66) of the responding medical schools. With regard to the satisfaction with the effectiveness of online teaching during the pandemic, 64% (n = 50) of the medical schools gave positive answers and considered that it was a good opportunity to develop novel and diversified teaching methods. Despite various difficulties such as work overload and unstable online teaching environments, most medical schools are willing to continue or increase theoretical online teaching after the pandemic. ConclusionsMedical institutes in China were the earliest of closing campuses and having complete online teaching experience during the pandemic. This paper presents overall HE teaching situation extracted from the survey, to assist other medical schools optimizing the transitions to quality online teaching within a short time, and to serve as reference for schools that demand essential knowledge in online teaching methods, infrastructure construction, and platform integrations.

Managing College Students’ COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

With nearly half of students in one university's survey saying they would not get vaccinated or aren't sure if they would because they feared the unknown and needed more information, a marketing professor offers ideas for administrators to help more students make the best decision for public health.

Understanding the Factors That Influence Information System Effectiveness in Higher Education

ABSTRACT Facing a more competitive environment, institutions in the higher education sector increasingly deploy enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to facilitate better decision making. Of more recent origin, business analytics approaches are supplementing this technology. However, based on anecdotal accounts, many of these organizations have not reaped the advantages that were sought from these advances. The current research explores this conundrum by proposing and testing a model of perceived ERP effectiveness. Using data collected in a survey of colleges in the U.S., the results show that although distinctions between information quality and systems quality tend not to be made, overall perceived input quality is associated with ERP effectiveness. ERP effectiveness is only indirectly affected by general information technology competence. Here, perceived organizational support exists as an important mediating construct, but business analytics are not perceived to play a consequential role. JEL Classifications: C3; L3; I22. Data Availability: Survey data available upon request.

An Exploratory Study on the Resumption of Student Exchange after Containment of COVID-19 (Based on a Questionnaire Survey of Japanese, U.S. and South Korean Universities)

An Exploratory Study on the Resumption of Student Exchange after Containment of COVID-19 (Based on a Questionnaire Survey of Japanese, U.S. and South Korean Universities)

Student Adaptation to College Survey: The Role of Self-Compassion in College Adjustment

The transition from high school to college can be a difficult adjustment for many students. Self-compassion, however, has been found to be associated with a range of positive psychosocial outcomes, and may also be associated with college adjustment. The goal of the present study was to examine the relationship between self-compassion and overall college adjustment. Fifty-seven female college students (M = 19.20 years, SD = 1.05) recruited from psychology classes participated in the study. Students completed the Self-Compassion Scale and Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire and responded to open-ended questions about their adjustment to college. Pearson’s correlations revealed significant linear associations between total self-compassion and overall college adjustment, r(57) = .28, p = .04, and between various subscales of self-compassion and college adjustment. Multiple regression analysis found that first-generation and commuter student status significantly predicted mindfulness, measured as a component of self-compassion, F(3, 52) = 3.47, p = .02, R2 = .17. Finally, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that, after controlling for student group status, higher levels of self-compassion were significantly associated with higher college adjustment scores, F(4,51) = 3.18, p = .02, R2 = .20. Analysis of the open-ended questions revealed 3 overarching themes regarding students’ beliefs about college adjustment: (a) the importance of friends, (b) the importance of parental support, and (c) the importance of self-kindness. Overall, this study contributed to the understanding of college adjustment by looking at the role of self-compassion. Preliminary considerations for interventions and resources aimed at promoting self-compassion and improving college adjustment are discussed.

Optimizing Intent to Transfer: Engagement and Community College English Learners.

Researchers have long struggled to accurately identify the needs of English learner (EL) students and the factors that facilitate their postsecondary success. Although prior research suggests that EL students disproportionately select into community colleges, there is a dearth research that examines transfer to four-year schools among community college English learner (CCEL) students. In this study, we examined whether and to what extent community college students' linguistic status shapes the relationship between engagement and intent to transfer to a four-year institution. Using data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, we used logistic regression to examine how, if at all, the relationships between the multiple forms of student engagement and intent to transfer might differ by linguistic status, net of various student and school-level controls. Ultimately, our findings suggest that students' returns to engagement do differ by linguistic status, with CCEL students experiencing the greatest gains relative to their intent to transfer. Not only are CCEL students are more likely to engage in academic discourse, internalize teachers' pedagogical offerings, and recognize institutional supports than their non-CCEL peers, but they appear to derive greater benefits from both academic engagement and instruction in the use critical thinking skills than their non-CCEL peers. We conclude with recommendations for educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking to improve CCEL students' educational attainment and engagement.

Financial difficulties and student health: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Survey of Norwegian college and university students

To examine financial circumstances among Norwegian higher education students and investigate associations between financial difficulties and health, academic outcomes and self-destructive behaviours, we used data from a recent national health survey from 2018 for higher education in Norway (the SHoT study). 50,054 full-time students (69.1% women; 30.9% men) aged 18–35 years participated and reported work status, income and experience of financial difficulties, self-reported mental health problems, deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts, somatic health complaints and exam failures in higher education. Students often experiencing financial difficulties (n = 3933, 7.9%) reported more mental health problems (HSCL-25; M = 2.1 vs 1.6), depression (24% vs 7.2%), anxiety (20.8% vs 6.7%), deliberate self-harm (12.2% vs 4.9%), attempted suicide (3.1% vs 0.5%), somatic health complaints (SSS8; M = 13.1 vs 7.4), having ever failed exams (45.5% vs 28.4%) and higher average number of failed exams (M = 1.1 vs 0.6) compared to peers not experiencing financial difficulties. These associations were robust to adjustments for age, gender, relationship status, immigrant background and study program. Strategies to alleviate problems associated with financial difficulties may be to improve the existing financial support to students, strengthen student mental health services, and expand services for financial counselling and guidance.

The Effect of Learning Community Participation on Community College Students’ Perceptions of Learning Gains and Engagement

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationship learning community participation has with community college students’ perceived learning gains and engagement in educationally purposeful activities. Study data were sourced from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) with a total of 694 institutions and over 107,000 participants. To control for differences between community colleges, fixed-effects regressions were conducted. Findings indicate that learning community participation was significantly related with increased perceived learning gains and four of the CSSSE engagement benchmarks: active/collaborative learning, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, and support for learners. Implications for community college policymakers and administrators are discussed.

Exploring Sense of Belonging, Socioacademic Integrative Moments, and Learning Communities Related to ELs’ Persistence Based on Reenrollment Decisions in Community Colleges

Objective: The objective of this study was to create a model of English learners’ (ELs) persistence based on theory and empirical research. Findings from this research informs community college educators in helping ELs persist and guide future research regarding this important student population. Method: We examined ELs’ persistence using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) among a U.S. national sample of 6,872 ELs. SEM was informed through the means of measurement models for latent variables. Reliability and validity were assessed through Cronbach’s alpha, principal component analysis, and fit indices. Results: Our results show that (a) sense of belonging had significant and positive direct effects on ELs’ persistence based on reenrollment decisions, (b) socioacademic integrative moments had significant and positive direct effects on ELs’ sense of belonging, and (c) learning communities had significant and positive direct effects on ELs’ socioacademic integrative moments and sense of belonging. Contributions: Community colleges offer broad access to postsecondary education for ELs, or students in the process of learning English as a second or other language. As a whole, our study contributes to a better understanding of how ELs may persist in their academic studies. We further discuss the implications of our findings in light of policy, practice, and future research.

The Peer Victimization in College Survey: Construction and validation.

Colleges and universities are increasingly concerned about respect for diversity and tolerance of individual differences on their campuses. Nevertheless, no comprehensive measure of peer victimization has been developed and validated for use with college student populations. The Peer Victimization in College Survey (PVIC) is the first such measure. Study 1 (N = 733) reports how PVIC items were empirically derived to ensure construct coverage. Study 2 (N = 100) reports how intuitive PVIC subscales were established to distinguish between subtypes of college peer victimization. Study 3 (N = 520) provides evidence of convergent, discriminant, and construct validity for the PVIC, including its relations to risk factors and to outcomes such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, and college sense of belonging. Study 4 (N = 633) validates several PVIC scaling methods and provides evidence of incremental validity of the measure over current (unvalidated) measures. The PVIC can assess subtypes of peer victimization on college campuses, evaluate the effectiveness of campus intervention efforts, and test hypotheses about the causes and effects of peer victimization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessment of sleep health in collegiate athletes using the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire

The objective of this study was to characterize sleep health in a large, diverse population of college athletes. The study utilized the Athletic Sleep Screening Questionnaire, a clinically validated questionnaire, designed to screen athletes for a clinically significant degree of poor sleep health, and to determine if they require intervention. College athletes from 4 different National College Athletic Association institutions were surveyed using the Athletic Sleep Screening Questionnaire. Descriptive information including sex, sport, and college year was also collected. The Athletic Sleep Screening Questionnaire was scored according to prior clinically validated methods to determine a sleep difficulty score, clinical sleep problem category (none, mild, moderate, or severe), and need for assessment by a physician due to poor sleep health. A total of 1055 surveys were collected with a 95% response rate. Respondents were 36% female, 64% male, and included athletes competing in 15 different sports. Approximately 25% of participants were found to have a clinically meaningful problem with their sleep. Athletes entering their second or higher year of college were more likely to report worse sleep compared to those entering their first year (one-way analysis of variance, Kruskall-Wallis P < .001). A substantial portion of college athletes experience poor sleep health and would benefit from interventions aimed at improving sleep. The Athletic Sleep Screening Questionnaire appears to be a cost- and time-efficient way to evaluate sleep health in a large athletic population.

Corrigendum: Online Mental Health Survey in a Medical College in China During the COVID-19 Outbreak

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00459.].

Determinants of Faculty-Student Engagement for Southeast Asian Men in Community College: An Exploratory Analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine determinants of faculty-student engagement for Southeast Asian men in community colleges. Using data derived from the Community College Survey of Men (CCSM), this study investigated faculty-student engagement for 140 Southeast Asian men attending community colleges in the United States. Five groupings of predictor variables were examined: background/defining, campus ethos, environmental, academic, and non-cognitive factors. Backwards multiple linear regression was employed to identify variables with significant contributions to the model. The final model converged on the eighth iteration and significantly predicted the outcome, accounting for 38% of the variance in faculty-student engagement. Findings indicated that faculty validation, stressful life events, action control, and use of academic advising and career counseling services were significant predictors of faculty-student engagement. Implications for community college practice and research are discussed.

Public Opinion, Crisis, and Vulnerable Populations: The Case of Title IX and COVID-19

AbstractA central function of democratic institutions is to protect vulnerable populations. The stability and success of these institutions depends, in part, on popular support. Times of crisis can introduce novel dynamics that alter popular support for protective institutions, particularly among those who do not benefit from those protections. We explore this possibility in the context of Title IX's gender equality requirements and infrastructure to address sexual harassment in college sports. We conduct a large survey of college student-athletes to study their attitudes on these issues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant financial challenges affecting college sports. We find that male student-athletes and those with sexist attitudes exhibit alarmingly low levels of support for ensuring the maintenance of equality and sexual harassment policy under Title IX during the COVID-19 crisis and eventual recovery. The results accentuate the vulnerability of certain populations during crises and the importance of maintaining strong institutional policy support during such times.

(Re)Measuring Community College Student Engagement: Testing a Seven-Factor CCSSE Model

Objective: Despite the popularity of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), this instrument has been criticized regarding its development, theoretical basis, validity, and connection to practice. In light of these concerns, this article reframes the survey by employing Chickering and Gamson’s seven principles, one of the survey’s original theoretical frameworks. A robust discussion of the new measure and its implications for research and practice is presented. Method: Chickering and Gamson’s theory was used to motivate, create, and evaluate a seven-factor model using items from the CCSSE. Drawing on responses from two community colleges ( N = 1,076), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test this model. Results: Findings provide support for a seven-factor model with high model fit and moderate-to-strong factor reliability. Contributions: This study offers a valid alternative approach to considering CCSSE data that may influence future work in the area of community college student engagement. We also consider how institutional research practitioners and other stakeholders can leverage study insights to promote student success across community college contexts.