The recruitment and retention of international students in academic institutions in the United States has become more complicated and more competitive than ever before given the current political climate and governmental policies. This article discusses some of the specific challenges international students face and what a small- to medium-sized…

This study evaluated the impact of a First-Year Experience (FYE) program on student success at a small, private, faith-based distance learning university serving a predominantly nontraditional student population. Student data (N = 399) from two groups were compared to determine if the FYE made a difference in student success as measured by…

Student employees fulfill an essential role at all academic libraries, but budget and staffing cuts have made student work even more imperative at small, public institutions. This article examines a reference service redesign at Adams State University through the lens of the student circulation employees. Student employee feedback was directly…

Much of existing assessment and instructional design strategies revolve around the use of learning objectives. Learning objectives are used by faculty, by instructional designers, by accreditors, by assessment offices, and by students. But even as the use of learning objectives becomes more widespread, the definition and purpose have remained…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what impact, if any, a spiritually-focused Living-Learning Community (LLC) had on the spiritual development of 16 student participants at a small, faith-based college. LLCs are considered a high impact practice (HIP) because they promote a high level of student engagement (Kuh, 2008). College in…

The purpose of this study was to gain essence of understanding of the phenomena of the influence of culture on the change process at small, private colleges. Research questions included cultural characteristics of a campus, the impact of policy and procedure on shaping culture, the role of leadership in shaping culture, and contextual conditions…

Two years ago, Community College Research Center (CCRC) published a guide to help college leaders understand the costs involved in implementing guided pathways reforms. The guide was based on research at six community colleges, but only one of these was a smaller college. Small colleges lack economies of scale that can generate revenue to support…

This study examined the relative contributions of peer teasing, relational aggression, and body image disturbance on subclinical maladaptive eating patterns among female college students. One hundred and two female college students completed self-report online surveys on peer teasing, relational aggression, body image disturbance, and eating…

Leah Schweitzer is the director of a de-centered writing center. A de-centered writing center is very much what it sounds like: quite literally, it has no actual location, no one space on campus that anyone can point to and say, "that's the writing center." It was an idea born out of necessity, but it's one that poses a challenge and an…

A participatory framework in conducting research and implementing decisions can engage multiple constituents throughout a college community. At a small college, it is especially relevant, because nonmajority groups are especially vulnerable because of a smaller critical mass.

Strong relationships with senior administrators, effective cross-campus collaboration, and efficient use of technology are central to impactful IR in small colleges.

The higher education industry uses the very latest technologies to effectively prepare students for their careers, but these technologies often contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited via their connection to the Internet. The complex task of securing information and computing systems is made more difficult at institutions of higher education…

This report explores the financial resilience of independent colleges and universities through an analysis of 14 years (fiscal years 2001-2014) of financial data from 559 private nondoctoral institutions. Through analysis of financial performance in several domains, the data reveal that the majority of independent baccalaureate and master's-level…

Male survivors of sexual assault face increased mental health concerns due to commonly held beliefs and lack of quality services. College and university administrators, under guidance provided by the Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Education, must respond to all incidents of sexual misconduct, no matter the gender identity of the…

The importance of change to any organization is essential to growth, and it is the responsibility of leadership to explain both why change is required and how the change will take place to the organizational culture. Leaders should always be available and should seek out those essential methods of communication with the culture around them in…