We are living through unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although the consequences and impacts of structural violence upon historically marginalized and excluded communities remain the same- inhumane and inequitable. Intersectional factors related to identity perpetuate this disparity; overwhelmingly, these divisions are at racial…

The problem addressed by this basic qualitative study was that recent college graduates may lack the soft skills needed for success in the job market. This gap may cause graduates to lack the skills required for employability. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore faculty perceptions of soft skill gaps in components of emotional…

Music educators and clinicians from Ohio and across the country gather annually for the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Professional Development Conference. Dr. Sarah J. Bartolome, Associate Professor of Music Education at Northwestern University, was the featured keynote speaker of the Graduate Research Forum in February 2024. In addition…

This article examines the level of support provided to assist international graduate students with the use of small talk to facilitate their social interaction and integration, with a specific focus on the gap between the help they need and the help they get. It is based on a larger phenomenological inquiry which examined the challenges faced by…

Withdrawal from doctoral education has been recognized as a problem with negative consequences for different actors, leading researchers worldwide to explore its underlying factors and processes. However, even if many PhD candidates who withdrew intend to re-enrol, there is a gap in the literature regarding the factors and processes related to…

HBCUs have contributed to the formation of strong leaders who have challenged many assumptions of our nation's founders, defended our sovereignty when attacked by internal and external enemies, and sacrificed for the betterment of their communities. HBCU campuses include opportunities for Black students to engage in religious and community service…

This study was designed to analyze the perceptions of required college admissions testing by graduates in the state of Oklahoma. Students in the state of Oklahoma were required to take the ACT or SAT to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act, following the adoption by the state in 2017. This study was conducted to determine: whether graduates…

The primary objective of this study was to examine the differences between historically black colleges and universities and predominately white institutions, and their effectiveness on minimizing depression, stress, and anxiety for African American first-generation graduates. The second objective was to examine the unique advantages that HBCUs…

First Generation College Students (FGCS) account for one third of all doctoral degree recipients in the USA, however, very little is known about their educational experiences. Using a narrative inquiry approach, this study employed a Cultural Proficient framework to explore the barriers that prevent FGCS from pursuing post-undergraduate…

This dissertation addressed the underrepresentation of African American women attaining doctoral degrees at universities across the nation. It also explored the McNair Scholars Program, and the role the program played in preparing African American female students for graduate school and completion of the doctoral degree. In line with the…

This article aims to address the research question of which educational strategies are employed by upper milieus to establish or maintain the 'structure of distances' in the field of higher education in late modernity. Inspired by Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction and conflict, the study examined 95 qualitative interviews conducted with…

Purpose: PhD graduates are entering an increasing range of careers, but past research has highlighted a lack of preparation for these careers. This study aims to explore the reflections of PhD graduates from science and humanities and social science disciplines regarding support for career development (CD) during their study.…

Previous scholars investigating the effects of student loan debt have conducted survey analyses involving large samples to examine the relationships among debt forgiveness, loan repayment behavior, income earnings, and returning home. Fewer works have explored the outcomes of student loan elimination in a qualitative study. In 2019, Robert Smith…

This case study examined the transdisciplinarity and complementarity of a double degree program in undergraduate chemistry and computer engineering, based on the perspectives of its graduates. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen graduates to explore how well the program integrated both disciplines and prepared them for the job…

Little is known about what influences high-achieving, low-income students' persistence in higher education, despite extensive work on their enrolment decision. This paper investigates the role of credit constraints. Using exhaustive administrative data for France, I estimate the impact of automatically granting generous additional aid to enrolled…