Critical whiteness scholars have described whiteness as a system of oppression that privileges White identities above others and perpetuates White supremacy. On the college campus, institutional, social, and historical norms reinforce the educational status quo and work together to maintain a system of whiteness that marginalizes Black students.…

Instructors can play an important role in students' transitions to college by explaining academic expectations and offering support. Yet, less is known about college instructors' beliefs about "what" students should do and why. In addition, students' beliefs and experiences regarding what students should do to succeed may not align with…

This study investigates the impacts of the decisions made by administrators of color on students of color that attend secondary campuses in the Jefferson Independent School District (JISD). In this school district, administrators discipline students of color at a higher rate than students of other races in the school district. This qualitative…

This study examined one instance of College Republicans sharing harmful rhetoric that aligns with the white power movement (WPM). Through a restorative justice (RJ) framework, the College Republican's rhetoric was found to be harmful to the University of Maine community. In this study, the University of Maine relied exclusively on legal approaches…

Sociologists of education have a longstanding interest in studying the relationship between schooling and inequality in society. While we know education matters for who gets ahead, we still know relatively less about the processes and mechanisms behind this relationship. In my dissertation, I focus on higher education as a key site where…

Whiteness fits the broad historical concept of property as it represents a social and material value as well as historical legal rights (Harris, 1993). Harris (1993) traced the history of racialization as justification for which people were legally citizens with the ability of self-possession and which people were relegated as the property of…

This study aims to present a synoptic content analysis of school disciplinary policies and administrative practices. This study is grounded in the theoretical perspective of Michel Foucault and his work on power and social institutions focusing on how power is interwoven into social institutions and works through and on those within it. The unit…

Graduate students are often overlooked as a critical audience when universities strategically communicate scientific research, and few resources are traditionally dedicated to graduate student recruitment. Graduate students additionally possess a myriad of characteristics -- including cultural -- that contribute to their decision to enroll in a…

This qualitative case study explores Ghanaian graduate students' social and cultural experiences in a technology-mediated learning environment at a southwestern university. Whereas most studies predominantly focus holistically on international students' experiences in the US, and researchers give little attention to nationals from sub-Saharan…

This exploratory qualitative study examines teacher candidate and student interactions in response to verbal threats of harm. This study uses existing data: a single set of 16 clinical simulations and four post-simulation debriefing sessions. Participants include eight female and eight male teacher candidates (n = 16) who interact with one of six…

The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact anti-bullying programs have on a school's climate. According to the National School Climate Center (2016), the school climate reflects the school's values, goals, norms, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures. The overall research…

Educational equity programs have been created to provide opportunities and resources for upward social mobility to low-SES individuals and students, students of color, historically marginalized students, and first-generation college students. This research study focused on educational equity programs recognized as the federally funded TRIO…

Sexual violence is a substantial problem on college campuses, particularly for undergraduate women who consistently report higher rates of nonconsensual sexual contact and sexual harassment during their college careers when compared to the general student population. A wide range of mental and behavioral health concerns are associated with sexual…

Amidst the growing trend toward the use of yoga and mindfulness in K-12 classrooms, there has been an emphasis in research on the use of mindfulness as a tool for supporting the learning and behavioral needs of children. Educators, school leaders, school counselors and mental health workers are implementing mindfulness and yoga as activities and…

Underreporting of college sexual assaults remains a problem in the United States. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate which factors, that are commonly identified with the feelings of shame, are associated with college sexual assault reporting. Accordingly, this research aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Which shame…