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Challenges persist in creating a diverse pipeline of STEM professionals. This study aims to understand the multifaceted experiences and needs of Underrepresented Minority (URM) college students as they navigate STEM environments and career choices. Utilizing social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this qualitative, multi-institutional study explored the varied experiences and barriers that 44 URM STEM students negotiated at two Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Implications for practice, research, and policy focus on interventions aimed at increasing persistence and fostering STEM career decision-making.

Significant world events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have shifted the way that people of all ages view their careers and the meaning of work in their lives. While campus career services hold a mandate to facilitate student career readiness and success, it cannot accomplish this ambitious goal alone. "Career influencers" are student affairs educators, administrators, and faculty members who regularly interact with students on campus and can initiate meaningful career-related conversations--even if they do not hold career development expertise. The authors discuss the value of "purpose narratives" that students can construct to describe their experiences and help build resiliency during times of uncertainty. The conclusion provides recommendations for post-secondary educators to consider to effectively frame every student conversation as a career conversation.

This essay explores the journey college men face as they negotiate the formation and development of their digital and masculine identities from first year to senior year. Several objectives guide this article: (1) to provide insight into how and why the landscape of identity development has shifted for men; (2) to offer recommendations for practitioners who are charged with supporting these men in their development; and (3) to share data highlights from a qualitative study that was conducted to explore how masculine and digital identities were articulated by first-year men and senior-year men. The research study focused on examining how social media use influenced the gender identity and gendered performance of first-year and senior college men on a predominately White institution (PWI), residential campus in the Midwestern United States. By the time men become seniors, they often have shifted to become more thoughtful and reflective in their online presence, choosing to align their digital values with their in-person values while putting on the best forward-facing image to attract future employers and partners. Challenging men to unmask themselves in physical spaces and on social media--and supporting them to understand that both spaces carry equal weight in the digital age--remain critical steps in dismantling hegemonic cultures and perceptions of hypermasculinity that create challenges for men.

Evidence suggests that rising mental health concerns represent a critical issue in higher education. This issue takes on particular importance among first-year students as they transition to college and attempt to form meaningful relationships with their new peers. Social media interaction now represents a primary means of communication for students, and researchers must understand the effects of social media on college students' sense of belonging, identity, and mental health. This study explores the intersection of social media use, mental health, and sense of belonging among first-year students at a large, public university. Using a Giorgian phenomenological approach, we analyzed 26 qualitative interviews with first-year students during their first semester of college. Three main themes are explored: seeking belonging through in-person interactions; seeking belonging through social media use; and experiencing negative mental health impacts of social media. Findings illuminate the role of social media in the transition to college and the potential impacts on sense of belonging and mental health. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Stories and storytelling provide meaning and build connections between individuals. Using various narrative frameworks developed in the medical and career development disciplines, the author makes the case that narrative approaches can be applied to higher education and student affairs contexts. The use and misuse of technology can serve as a barrier when it disrupts the interactions and objectives between educator and student. An overview of narrative competencies--a collection of skills that educators can use with students--is provided in an attempt to more fully listen and honor students' voices. Students can learn to develop "authoring" and "re-authoring" skills to highlight competencies they developed during times of crisis and transition. Two students' stories of how they negotiated a harrowing study abroad experience during the beginning of COVID-19 are shared. The author highlights several examples of narrative-based curriculum and encourages student affairs educators to integrate narrative models into existing and new training programs.

This "Practices from the Field" article describes the rationale and operationalization of an interdisciplinary team-taught first-year inquiry seminar and learning community program at a large predominantly White research institution. The authors both serve as faculty members in the College of Education and Human Development and teach in the program. This initiative is unique in that we employ a micro-learning community model with students and faculty teaching teams within a single course. Using the frameworks of high-impact and effective educational practices (Kuh, 2008), the authors describe the seminar and the selected practices that are intentionally integrated into the curriculum (e.g., common book, writing intensive, experiences with diversity, and others). We discuss specific pedagogical practices and course activities, including use of iPad in design of small group projects. Another feature of this curriculum is its focus on engaging all students, including a growing number of first-generation and immigrant students, comprising approximately 40% of the entering class. Additionally, we include assessment data based on student survey responses focused on key practices. Discussion and implications conclude the article where we provide recommendations for higher education professionals and student affairs practitioners who are involved in learning community initiatives.

This essay highlights the interconnected nature of social media use and mental health challenges for women college students and provides recommendations to practitioners for supporting healthy social media use through efforts to disrupt perceptions of social media norms. Vignettes of three students who participated in a qualitative study the authors conducted that explored the relationships between social media use and perceptions of mental health are shared. The study not only captured the complexity of these relationships, it also allowed the authors to recognize students' own awareness of the issues they face and the role of social norms on students' social media use. Applying a social norms framework, the authors advocate for student affairs educators and other higher education professionals to integrate discussions of social media into their practice, empowering students to create their own healthy social media habits and free time away from social media.

This quantitative study examined the link between food insecurity and mental health concerns among a sample of 1,229 undergraduate students at a large, public university. Using logistic regression, we found that depression and perceived stress were significantly associated with both short- and long-term food insecurity. African American students, students with concerns about paying for college, and LGBTQ students were also more likely to be food insecure. Implications for student affairs practitioners are explored.

This article explores the complex future of work and how projected changes in the workplace will inevitably influence college students. We examine workforce trends and predictions with a focus on the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, including how an increasing reliance on machines will replace and reshape millions of jobs. In response, we argue that higher education professionals need to initiate conversations with students about how to deal with "the end of work." In particular, if students possess a strong self-understanding of the meaning and values they assign to work, they will be in a better position to prevail against the constant unpredictability of the future workplace. We discuss recommendations for students and workers in an attempt to re-frame the necessary skills to thrive in the future workplace and provide several suggestions for higher education professionals to facilitate the learning and relearning of these skills. We conclude with student self-reflections from an undergraduate course focused on technology, ethics, and the future of work. Student narratives emphasize the importance of meaning as it relates to work and career planning.

This qualitative study explores the career-life experiences of foreign-born immigrant women pursuing undergraduate degrees. Two conceptual frameworks guided this study: life role salience and systems theory framework. We interviewed 18 women studying at a regional comprehensive university in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Two categories emerged from our analysis, which used constructivist grounded theory methods: (a) managing multiple roles, expectations, and options and (b) mediating the contexts that influence career-life decisions. Each category is organized by two subcategories. Our findings led to two theoretical propositions as well as suggestions for career development practitioners and implications for practice, policy, and research.

Study abroad opportunities continue to be a popular choice for U.S. college students looking to expand their undergraduate education. In response to the increasing demand for international opportunities, campuses have diversified their study abroad program models. On many campuses, students not only have opportunities to study abroad during academic year, semester, and short-term programs, they can also elect to participate in non-credit volunteer, internship, and work abroad programs. In addition to university organized international opportunities, students often have access to informal and recreational travel experiences through connections with student groups, religious organizations, friends, and family. In conjunction with the myriad international opportunities in which students participate, there are also fundamental differences in the cultural experiences offered by each (Engle & Engle, 2003). This multi-institutional study attempts to discover whether different international activities in which students participate yield different outcomes for the development of students' global and intercultural competencies. The research question that guides this inquiry is as follows: controlling for other factors, is participation in these five types of international travel activities associated with different outcomes in students' development of global and intercultural competencies? The five international travel and study abroad measures analyzed include students' participation in a university study abroad program; study abroad program affiliated with another college or university; travel abroad for cross-cultural experiences or informal education; travel abroad for a service learning, volunteer, or work experience; and travel abroad for recreation. The five outcome variables used to measure students' development in global and intercultural competencies include self-reported gains in students' understanding of the complexities of global issues, ability to apply disciplinary knowledge in a global context, linguistic or cultural competency in another language, ability to work with people from other cultures, and comfort working with people from other cultures. This research paper contributes to the scholarly literature related to students' international and study abroad experiences because it examines the differential effects participation in several types of programs has on the development of students' global and intercultural competencies; as such, it provides student affairs practitioners, faculty members, and institutional decision-makers with insights into the types of international and study abroad experiences that provide students with the greatest opportunities for development and engagement.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived academic obstacles of first-generation students in comparison to non-first-generation students. Using the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) completed by approximately 58,000 students from six research universities, the researchers used nonparametric bootstrapping to analyze differences between first-generation and non-first-generation students' obstacles to academic success. The results suggest that first-generation students more frequently encounter obstacles that compromise their academic success as compared to non-first-generation students, such as job responsibilities, family responsibilities, perceived weak English and math skills, inadequate study skills, and feelings of depression. Implications for learning assistance professionals are outlined. (Contains 1 table.)

This qualitative study examines the experiences of undergraduate, foreign-born immigrant women pursuing STEM careers. Eighteen students from two different institutions were interviewed. Employing a science identity framework, we explored how internal and external recognition influenced women's identities as future STEM professionals. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory approaches. Results include three main categories: identifying positive sources of external recognition and support, encountering discriminatory classroom environments, and incorporating altruistic and familial goals. We synthesized our findings in an emerging grounded theory model of science identity development for foreign-born immigrant women in undergraduate STEM programs. This model leads to several implications for how student affairs professionals can support immigrant women in STEM.

College students receive countless messages about "following passion" and "doing what you love" (DWYL). What happens when these repeated messages ultimately do a disservice to some students? Although pursuing one's interests is strongly encouraged, the author explores the limitations of the DWYL advice at all costs, including the privilege that is often tied to Western-oriented career development concepts. Rather than focus solely on passion, career-related discussions with students should include authentic conversations about purpose, meaning, and the shifting future of work--and how students might best prepare for these changes. Several examples of institutional programs are highlighted. Suggestions and implications are provided for higher education professionals and student affairs practitioners.

First-year students enter college with significant concerns about career and major decision-making, including questions about purpose, vocation, and meaning. Some students have opportunities to actively explore and engage in the reflection process--yet many do not. Higher education professionals will need to identify and expand resources to provide these career development initiatives for new students. The authors advocate that career development, exploration, and vocational reflection during the first year should be viewed as a potential high-impact practice. To meet this goal, the authors outline three strategies to extend opportunities to more students, including historically marginalized student populations. The strategies include (a) expanding options for career planning opportunities, including for-credit and non-credit courses, (b) continuing to re-imagine the role of career services for a wider range of student populations, and (c) embedding career exploration initiatives into the first-year experience. Finally, the authors contend that the work of educating first-year students around career development and exploration is a collective one, and efforts should involve multiple stakeholders.

This multi-institutional qualitative study included an examination of foreign-born, undergraduate, immigrant college students' interactions with faculty members and student affairs professionals. Individual interviews with 103 immigrant students--representing over 40 countries--were collected across three U.S.-based institutions. Using Bronfenbrenner as a guiding framework and Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory, three main theoretical categories that impact students' sense of belonging emerged: navigating the system, encountering injustices, and seeking validating relationships. Implications for student affairs practice are highlighted.

There is a large gap in college access and success for undocumented students. This emergent population remains uniquely and precariously situated within campus environments, despite the passage of Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Acts in some states. These inequities have sparked activism for DREAMers associated with the undocumented youth movement. Using data from interviews of 16 undocumented students at a selective California research institution, this study explores the ways in which DREAMers constructed an empowered undocumented identity through activism. Constructivist grounded theory was used as a frame to guide data interpretation and analysis with the aim of uncovering invisible societal processes and power dynamics affecting this population. Three categories were saturated: coming to activism, pushing for existence, and inscribing power. These categories reveal the way in which DREAMers derive power through their activism, sustain that activism despite oppressive societal conditions, and embrace tenets reflective of global social justice. Implications for institutions and policymakers that support success for this student population are drawn.

A growing number of college-age Blacks in the United States are Black African immigrants. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, the researchers interviewed 12 undergraduate Black African immigrant college students attending a predominately White institution (PWI) about their experiences and perceptions of belonging. Findings suggest their of belonging sense shaped by interactions with the contextual factors of their environment (i.e., interactions with faculty members, institutional agents, and peers on campus). Physical and symbolic spaces on campus also impacted students' overall experiences of belonging and transition to college. Implications for practice include creating spaces to foster community and engagement.

The authors contend that many undergraduate students lack the ability to deftly articulate the value of their college degree, including the competencies they acquire through classroom learning and extracurricular activities. Despite the positive impact of experiential education opportunities such as service learning and internships, there is a significant gap between what students have learned and how well they are able to articulate the meaning of these experiences. Advocating for a collaborative campus effort to address the problem, the authors offer their own perspectives based on their experiences as faculty members and student affairs practitioners.

This study explored the experiences of nine undocumented Latino/a students and their perception of interactions with faculty and institutional agents at a predominantly White institution (PWI). Using Charmaz as a lens to analyze individual student interviews, three main findings resulted: sharing one's story, encountering barriers to full participation, and experiencing significant interactions. Students described numerous obstacles that prevented them from developing validating relationships with faculty and institutional agents, primarily due to their undocumented status.

This multi-institutional study examines differences between working-class and middle/upper-class students at large, public research universities. Significant differences in factors related to working-class students' social integration (including satisfaction, campus climate, and sense of belonging) and academic integration (including collaborative work with peers, academic involvement and initiative, and time spent employed or in academic activities), in addition to students' perceived obstacles to academic success, were found through non-parametric bootstrapping. Using Tinto's (1993) theory of student departure as a framework, it is hypothesized that these differences may negatively impact working-class students' persistence and retention.

The research on learning communities has focused primarily on students at four-year colleges and universities. There is a dearth of studies that examine learning communities in community colleges. The purpose of this comparative study was to conduct an analysis of learning community and nonlearning community students in a community college located in the upper Midwest. An online survey instrument was developed to collect data on a number of dimensions including background characteristics, perception of the community college environment, academic experience and level of engagement, academic involvement, overall knowledge, and satisfaction. This article reports quantitative findings that are the first phase of a multiphase study. The descriptive comparative study highlights results of learning community and nonlearning community students. The findings suggest differences between the two groups on a number of dimensions. The authors conclude the article by addressing implications for practice, policy, and future research. (Contains 6 tables.)

A study was undertaken to determine how teaching in learning communities (i.e., courses that are linked or intentionally integrated in terms of learning objectives and shared assignments) affects the perspectives and work of community college faculty members. Interviews with 14 faculty members who taught in learning communities at a Midwestern community college indicated that the benefits of participation included greater empathy for and awareness of students, the development of authentic relationships with students, enhanced engagement in the larger campus community, and active collaboration and professional development with faculty colleagues across disciplines. Study limitations and implications are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

This study examined student-faculty interactions and peer interactions among immigrant college students attending 4-year research universities in the United States. Using the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey completed by 58,000 undergraduate students from six large, public research universities, the researchers used analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analyses to explore differences between immigrant populations. The results suggest that there are significant differences between immigrant and non-immigrant college students with regard to their sense of belonging, faculty interactions, and peer interactions. There are also differences within immigrant waves and generational status. Implications and recommendations for educators in multicultural learning and teaching contexts are outlined.

This article describes an initiative that integrated a strengths-base curriculum into a first-year experience program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Using a positive psychology framework, students completed the StrengthsQuest and participated in activities designed to help them learn and apply their signature talent themes. A pre- and postsurvey were included to assess measures related to students' self-awareness. The results suggest that a curriculum based on strengths positively impacts students' awareness of their strengths, a factor that, in turn, has positive implications for students' major/career choices and future decision-making. Strategies for practice and guidelines for future research are highlighted. (Contains 1 table.)

The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning of work for Black, sub-Saharan African immigrant adult students pursuing a 4-year college degree. Career development practitioners are in a unique position to help these students make significant life-career decisions. Seven students enrolled at an urban university located in the Midwest were interviewed. Emphasis was placed on sociocultural, historical, political, and other contextual factors that affected life-work choices. Work was viewed holistically as a combination of both paid and unpaid roles. Work narratives were collected and interpreted using Gadamerian hermeneutics grounded in a constructivism paradigm. An analysis of narrative approach was used. Three main findings emerged as themes: Meaning of work was shaped by contextual factors; work experiences were closely connected to family and community; and students' identities and work roles evolved over time. Theoretical implications and practical strategies for career counselors, with a focus on social justice, are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

This introductory article to the special issue on immigrants and work provides a historical context of the career development profession. Beginning with Parsons and the early reformers of the 1900s, the authors contend that the field was founded on principles of social justice and multiculturalism with an aim toward societal change. Just as helping professionals assisted the new immigrants of the previous century, there is a need and opportunity to be of service to the immigrants of the 21st century. Unique career-related issues for immigrant clients are discussed. An overview of the six pieces in this volume is briefly described along with common themes.

This study investigates differences in academic engagement and retention between first-generation and non-first-generation undergraduate students. Utilizing the Student Experience in the Research University survey of 1864 first-year students at a large, public research university located in the United States, this study finds that first-generation students have lower academic engagement (as measured by the frequency with which students interacted with faculty, contributed to class discussions, brought up ideas from different courses during class discussions, and asked insightful questions in class) and lower retention as compared to non-first-generation students. Recommendations that higher education faculty can follow to promote the academic engagement and retention of first-generation students are addressed. (Contains 5 tables.)

Immigrant college student populations continue to grow, but the complexity of their unique needs and issues remain relatively unknown. To gain a better understanding of the multiple contextual factors impacting immigrant students from a systems-based approach, I applied Bronfenbrenner's (1977) human ecology framework to the study. Students interact with the environment, including exchanges with academic advisors, that influence student development, success, and retention. In this theory-based essay, I contend that the philosophy of a developmental ecology approach parallels the foundational tenets of developmental academic advising, mainly through an emphasis on context and working with the whole student. I offer strategies for practice and ideas for future application as well as use an adapted human-ecological model to illustrate immigrant issues. (Contains 1 figure.)

Community colleges face struggles in helping students meet their academic, career, and personal goals. Student affairs practitioners can be innovators by creating initiatives to engage students. Practitioners can act as a bridge between student and academic affairs. This article explores how a group of counselors redefined their roles by designing a first-year experience effort. A program implemented at Inver Hills Community College focused on student success is highlighted. Features, outcomes, and lessons learned are outlined.

The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to explore the career development needs and issues that are unique to Black sub-Saharan African immigrants, with an emphasis on college students, and (b) to discuss how career development professionals can implement strategies to better serve these students. The number of Black immigrants from sub-Saharan African countries has increased recently. Many immigrants are confronted with complex life decisions. Career counselors are in a unique position to assist. Theoretical approaches, with a focus on contextual factors, are discussed. Six strategies for a career counseling practice, suggestions for their application, and implications for practice are highlighted.