Journal of College Student Development最新文献

• Test-Free Admissions at Selective Institutions:Perspectives From Admissions Professionals
• Julie J. Park (bio), Nancy Wong (bio), Pearl Lo (bio), Jia Zheng (bio), OiYan Poon (bio), and Kelly Rosinger (bio)

As of fall 2023, more than 1,900 U.S. colleges and universities no longer required standardized tests, representing a major change in college admissions (Fairtest, n.d.). The vast majority of these schools use test-optional policies, meaning that students have the choice to submit scores or not.¹ While test-optional admissions is linked to modest increases in racial and ethnic diversity (Bennett, 2022), it is no panacea for a deeply inequitable system. While preferable over requiring standardized tests, test-optional policies also have some unintended consequences. For example, low-income, first-generation, and racially minoritized students may experience confusion over whether or not to submit test scores (Camacho et al., 2022; Park, 2023). Another concern is that the testing percentile range (i.e., the 25th to 75th percentile of scores) has increased at many institutions because higher-scoring students are more likely to submit test scores. Although institutions may enjoy the prestige associated with higher test scores, such increases may make institutions seem out of reach to historically underrepresented students, even if they have the option not to submit scores (Park, 2023).

The limitations of test-optional policies do not warrant a return to required standardized testing, which is even more counterproductive to equity given that race and class are substantial predictors of performance on such tests (Geiser, 2015). However, these limitations signal a need to explore other options regarding testing. Consideration of alternatives is essential in light of the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina ruling, which severely curtailed race-conscious admissions as of summer 2023.

One alternative is test-free admissions. Currently, 85 institutions use test-free admissions, meaning they do not allow students to submit SAT or ACT scores for consideration. Test-free schools range from public institutions like the University of California system [End Page 438] to STEM-focused private institutions. Given the desire to promote equity in admissions post-SFFA, more colleges may consider going test-free in the future. Some admissions leaders have spoken enthusiastically about test-free policy adoption (e.g., Clark, 2021). Still, little is known about the ramifications of test-free policies at selective institutions, including the perspectives of admissions professionals who now evaluate applicants without test scores.

To help fill this gap, we asked: "What are the p

Abstract:

This research shares testimonios from 11 Latina undergraduates attending a 4-year PWI in the Western US to better understand how they defined and measured their success in higher education. Traditional success measures, like graduation and persistence rates, are based on the institution's values and do not fully represent Latine values. While Latina undergraduates embraced dominant measures of student success, such as academic achievement and career attainment, they also shared student success beliefs that closely aligned with their Latine values, as well as emphasizing well-being. Drawing from Anzaldua's pathway to conocimiento, this study demonstrated how Latina undergraduates were on the path to becoming exitosas (successful) on their own terms by balancing both dominant measures of success and those that honored their Latine values. A better understanding of Latina undergraduates' beliefs about student success will assist higher education and student affairs professionals in supporting Latinas' success in all the ways they define it. This article provides recommendations for practice and research with the goal of enhancing the Latina undergraduate student experience.

Abstract:

National movements, including Black Lives Matter and Abolish Greek Life, have resurfaced attention to racial dynamics within sorority and fraternity life (SFL) communities. Often, these discussions frame SFL as a homogenous entity and ignore crucial distinctions among organizations, such as the fact that historically white sororities and fraternities were not originally created to serve Students of Color, while culturally based sororities and fraternities were intentionally created to center and celebrate People of Color. Furthermore, some historically white sororities and fraternities have been more intentional than others in implementing race-conscious initiatives and addressing their exclusionary roots. However, research has yet to explore ways (inter)national sorority and fraternity leadership across organizational types attend to matters of race and racism in organizational messaging. This qualitative critical discourse analysis explored these dynamics, examining social media messaging on topics connected to race/ethnicity by (inter)national SFL organizations. Using data drawn from 37 culturally based and historically white sororities and fraternities over a four-year span, this study examined racial messaging using critical race theory.

Abstract:

This qualitative study explored how Black men made sense of their college years. Specifically, using Museus's (2014) culturally engaging campus environments model as the study's framework, I analyzed 41 Black men's experiences in and perceptions of the campus environment at two different Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs). Findings revealed that the HSI campus environment can play a critical role in enhancing Black men's college experiences by providing an enriching campus environment that helps meet students' academic, cultural, social, and relational needs. While students credited the campus culture and student diversity as important aspects that initially attracted them to their respective institutions, they also used their agency to identify and seek out meaningful, culturally engaging opportunities within the campus environment. Most prominently, the cultural relevance of diverse and affirming programming, learning, and peer relationships, along with the cultural responsiveness of institutional agents' praxis through mentorship, guidance, and teaching, helped the men feel valued and validated and reflected a commitment to these Black men. Being enmeshed in a culturally engaging environment not only helps meet the diverse needs of Black men collegians, but it also contributes to their belonging, persistence, and success in college.

Abstract:

Black men's experiences in education are often marked by isolation, imposter syndrome, and racial microaggressions. This qualitative case study, guided by the five enactments of Cross and Fhagen Smith's (2001) model of Black identity development, explored the experiences of 20 Black men doctoral students as they navigated and continually redefined their racial identity in response to campus perceptions of their identity. Findings and implications include new theoretical framings for Cross and Fhagen-Smith's model and practical considerations for student affairs practitioners, faculty, and students. Additionally, these findings expand the use of Cross and Fhagen-Smith's model to include concepts of masculinity. We provide broader implications for practice and suggestions for theory and future research.

Abstract:

Despite the growth of attention on racial engagement in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), limited studies have examined Latinx college athletes' participation in activism. Guided by the student leader activist identity continuum framework, this qualitative study interviewed seven NCAA Division I Latinx college athletes to explore factors that encouraged or discouraged them from participating in activism. The findings revealed that athletic departments and families influenced students' decisions to engage in activism, as well as concerns about image. Participants also pointed to a lack of conversation on Latinx issues in the NCAA and college campuses. The article concludes with recommendations for academic and athletic stakeholders.

Abstract:

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other minoritized genders and sexualities) and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities contend with oppressive realities on and off college campuses. Family relationships—families of origin and chosen families—have garnered attention for how they support and/or marginalize LGBTQ+ BIPOC college students. Informed by intersectionality as a theoretical framework, this narrative inquiry study centered on nine LGBTQ+ BIPOC students as they described the influence of families of origin and chosen families during college. Findings revealed the contexts that informed their negotiation of family relationships, how they discussed connection to family of origin based on family members' adherence to oppressive beliefs, and how chosen family served as a powerful mediator to oppressive realities. Shaped by these findings, we provide implications for research and practice relevant to higher education and student affairs.

Abstract:

While biographical sketches of many publicly elected leaders in the US exist, little is known about the connection between serving in college student government and running for or serving in elected public office after college. This phenomenological study explored the experiences of 19 former college student government officers in elected, post-college public office. Notably, former college student government officers felt like they were in public office all along and that student government was a microcosm of post-college public life. College campaigns and elections were preparatory experiences, and college student government was a "training ground" for later elected office and representational leadership.