Examining Individualism in College Student Retention Theory and Practice

College student retention and completion rates correlate with the production of societal benefits such as community engagement, human capital, diverse campus communities, and social mobility. While ideas vary, most contemporary retention practices and strategies rely on foundational studies that focus on individualism, the student-institution relationship, and inhibiting factors to student integration into a collegiate environment. This meta-synthesis examines the individualistic nature of foundational historic and contemporary retention theories and practices as well as recommends a collectivist, culturally-responsive alternative paradigm for retention theory and strategy development moving forward.

Manifestations of Athletic Identity in Black Male Collegiate Student-Athletes: Introduction of a Model

The socialization of Black males into athletics leads to a heightened attention placed on their athletic identity. Once these student-athletes enter the collegiate environment, the institutions of higher education and associated athletic departments have neglected to holistically develop identity within Black male student-athletes. With this population representing less than 3% of the entire student-body population on college campuses (Harper, 2018), the support that they receive also does not help to counter the negative experiences that they have. Negative experiences then lead to negative outcomes such as becoming susceptible to stereotype threat and identity foreclosure. This paper presents a conceptual model to center race while connecting athletic identity within Black male student-athletes to their experiences on campus and the outcomes related to this identity.

Indicators for Success for African-American Male College Students

This chapter will review the repercussion of the exodus of African-American families migrating to suburban areas and the impact it had on African-American male students in urban areas that transition from high school into the collegiate environment. The importance of what impact do dual credit programs have on college preparedness and higher wages for African-American males be a cornerstone of emphasis. There is a concern that African-American males in urban areas have been marginalized and do not have resources that allow for corridors to be built that could promote college success whereas their suburban counterparts may have direct access to specific information and platforms supporting collegiate success. This chapter will include components centered on higher education success readiness in comparison of two school districts within a large metropolitan area and reference to Evans' developmental intervention model.

Recovery-Informed Education as a Means of Institutional Sustainability for CRPs

CRPs are uniquely positioned to be valuable assets for universities to address substance-related issues in the collegiate environment. Utilizing the experience of students and staff members engaged in recovery support services empowers CRPs to implement alcohol and other drug (AOD) programming for the general student population. This presentation will outline how CRPs can implement education programs within their university in order to provide wider support and resources as well as challenge injunctive norms on campus. By employing various education initiatives, CRPs can reach a broader range of students while also attaining sustainability within the university structure.

Leadership and Followership in Post-1992 University Business Schools in England

The research reflects on how academics interact as leaders and followers in Post-1992 University Business Schools. The study was cognisant of the tensions experienced by knowledge workers, such as academics, whereby a person may have leadership responsibilities, whilst working within as a collegiate environment. The research explores leadership through qualitative methodology and constructivist discourse within three cases studies. The selection of case studies included two business schools which had experienced numerous restructures and one where the management team was more stable. The key outcomes of the research indicate that the respondents are dissatisfied by their leaders and reported an absence of consultation as well as almost yearly disruptive restructuring. Consequently, the research reported minimal followership or distributed leadership. Instead, disengagement was reported by academics in both management and non-management posts. In two of the business schools, successive sets of new externally hired management teams had imposed reorganisations and redundancies. Consequently, academics expressed disengagement and reported systemic failures to develop and promote internal candidates to senior management and departmental leadership posts.

Factors that Contribute to the Adjustment of International Students

Leaving home to attend college is an important milestone for college students. However, the transition from home to college can be challenging, especially for students studying abroad. In this article, the authors explore factors that contribute to the academic, cultural, social, and psychological adjustments of international students. Adjustment issues include psychological distress such as homesick, depression, and anxiety. This article seeks to increase the reader’s understanding of some of the issues faced by international students during the process of adjusting to a new collegiate environment. More specifically, the article discusses factors that contribute to adjustment and different phases of cultural adjustment. This article may help the students, educational institutions, and policy makers to provide the resources necessary for a seamless transition for international students to overcome the issues.

Building an Inclusive Community for International Students

Many institutions of higher education have worked toward increasing international student enrollment with an ultimate goal of enhancing global perspectives and enriching the collegiate environment for the entire campus community. However, these increasing numbers often come without adequate consideration for how to serve and provide services that support an inclusive community for students. This article emphasizes the importance of international student support services and a positive international student co-curricular experience as essential for the successful creation of an inclusive institutional community.