The Review of Higher Education 

About: The Review of Higher Education is an academic journal published by Johns Hopkins University Press. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Higher education & Scholarship. It has an ISSN identifier of 0162-5748. Over the lifetime, 1706 publications have been published receiving 54630 citations. The journal is also known as: Review of Higher Education.

Colleges as Communities: Taking Research on Student Persistence Seriously

Abstract: What would our colleges and universities look like if we took seriously the research on student persistence? What reforms in organization and pedagogy would we pursue if we used the findings on the impacts on college on students' persistence as a guide for our thinking? This paper argues that colleges and universities would be best served by reorganizing themselves in ways that promote greater educational community among students, faculty, and staff.

Enhancing Campus Climates for Racial/Ethnic Diversity: Educational Policy and Practice

Abstract: Probably few policy areas of higher education have received more recent attention than the issue of race on campus. Evidence appears in policies and programs related to college admissions, financial aid, affirmative action, discrimination and harassment, and desegregation. Yet, at the same time, probably no area of campus life has been so devoid of policy initiatives as the racial climate at individual institutions. Until recently, there has been no common framework for understanding the campus racial climate in a way that helps develop policies and practices that can be used to enhance the campus climate. We pose four possible explanations for this phenomenon. First, higher education leaders and higher education institutions have taken the laissez-faire [End Page 279] approach that people will (should) work things out interactively and that it is wrong to intervene too closely in student interactions (Horowitz, 1987). The second explanation involves ambiguity in the role that colleges and universities perform as agents of socialization. Administrators and faculty recognize that students bring with them to college a sense of identity and purpose shaped by their parents, their communities, their religions, etc., and that these influences are critically important to students' growth and development. The quandary lies in just how much of a resocializing agent higher education institutions wish to be. Higher education has not decided whether it should merely reflect our society or whether it should try to consciously shape the society. Third, while research findings document the important role that faculty serve as the "designated socializing agents" in higher education (Feldman & Newcomb, 1969, p. 227), policy initiatives that address faculty attitudes and behaviors have been implemented only with great hesitation and caution. Until now, it seems that only the most problematic discriminatory behaviors of faculty have been addressed. Finally, the situation has been exacerbated by neglect. A rich history of research on issues that affect the campus racial climate has existed for some time. However, this research has not always been valued by the higher education community. A study analyzing the major paradigms used in manuscripts published in "major" higher education journals found that fewer than 2% used paradigms that addressed issues of race from a critical perspective with the goal of producing meaningful change (Milam, 1989). Attorneys, policy-makers, and institutional leaders across the country are searching for research evidence that demonstrates the benefits of diversity and documents persistent discrimination and inequality in higher education. Perhaps at no other time in our history have higher education scholars had the opportunity to provide evidence of the educational outcomes of diversity in a way that puts the benefits of diversity at the center of the educational enterprise. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how research on issues related to campus racial climate can be used to enhance educational policy and practice. Both classic and contemporary research can inform national policy and debates surrounding affirmative action and other policies to create diverse [P [S [J [Thi [ Ct

Delphi: A Versatile Methodology for Conducting Qualitative Research

Abstract: This article describes the Delphi method, how it is used, its underlying assumptions, its strengths and limitations, its potential benefits to higher education research, and some key considerations in its use. The authors illustrate the Delphi method by discussing a recent national study to develop a set of management audit assessment criteria. Their focus is on often overlooked and unique aspects of this versatile qualitative research methodology.

Undergraduate Student-Faculty Research Partnerships Affect Student Retention

Abstract: This article evaluates the impact of a program promoting student-faculty research partnerships on college student retention. The program, built on the premise that successful retention efforts integrate students into the core academic mission of the university, targets first-year and sophomore undergraduates. Findings of a participant-control group design show that the research partnerships are most effective in promoting the retention of students at greater risk for college attrition-African American students and students with low GPAs.

The effects of student-faculty interaction in the 1990s.

Abstract: This study examined the effects of student-faculty interaction on student satisfaction and on a range of self-reported learning and personal development gains associated with attending college of 5,409 full-time undergraduates from 126 four-year colleges and universities. Findings show that the frequency of student-faculty interaction increased from first year through the senior year. Although its net effects were trivial, such interactions had substantial positive effects on studentsO efforts in other educationally purposeful activities, which had non-trivial effects on their estimated gains and satisfaction.