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Public schools in America are experiencing a massive decline in student enrollment, resulting in school consolidations and closures across the nation. (Dee, 2023). This decline has many implications, particularly in rural areas, such as Northeast Tennessee. These implications and the public pressure to maintain high graduation rates and academic outcomes, require school leaders and policymakers to reflect on who is leaving public schools and why. This phenomenological study explored the school experiences and perceptions of individuals who left the traditional high school prior to graduation. In-depth interviews were conducted one-on-one with 13 participants via an online video conferencing platform who were formerly enrolled in traditional public high schools in Northeast Tennessee and either dropped out or enrolled in a nontraditional option prior to graduation. Nontraditional options included brick-and-mortar alternative schools offered by a public school district, separate credit recovery and graduation programs housed within the traditional high school, and online public schools. Dropping out was defined as leaving the traditional high school permanently and without obtaining a high school diploma, regardless of if the participant received a high school equivalency credential, such as a GED. Through the amplification of voices of those who left the traditional public high school, the findings of this study revealed themes of personal and familial barriers, negative associations with the school culture and environment, systemic and procedural barriers, and elements of positive teacher-student relationships. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For institutions offering multiple sections of Calculus 1, course coordination allows for consistency among the sections through the reduction of variation of material and/or instructional approaches. Studies on course coordination have shown that a coordinated system can bring benefits to instructors and promote equality for students across multi-section course so they can expect the same instructional treatment as their peers. The benefits to students are often left implicit in current research and usually measured through academic success while the benefits to instructors are well documented. Past studies have also stressed the importance of consistency and fairness across sections brought by course coordination, linking equal treatment with coordination. This study aims to address gaps in the current literature by explicitly examining the benefit of course coordination on student experiences through equitable classroom practices in multi-section math courses and viewings its impact through the lens of mathematical identities. Furthermore, given the underrepresentation and attrition of women and gender fluid students in mathematics, we choose to center these identities in the research. As such, this study answers what aspects of course coordination influenced students' experiences in their math course and how did those experiences impact their math identity, specifically for women and gender fluid students. The research design for this study draws on a qualitative multiple exploratory case study with a phenomenological lens rooted in positioning theory. It was conducted at a southeastern research-intensive university that included two calculus courses, business calculus and long calculus. Data were collected from ten student participants through periodic video journals, math identity surveys, and individual interviews with students. Individual interviews with course coordinators and instructors as well as artifacts and classroom observations were also done to contextualize the student data. Thematic analysis was performed to analyze the data. When it came to uniform elements, participants reported that coordinated policies around timing provided structure and engagement but instructor agency to adjust these policies, such as flexibility with due dates, accommodated their needs and promoted their content understanding. Furthermore, participants reported that their instructors' ability to facilitate interactive lessons supported developing relationships and that their instructors' encouragement of resources assisted in the utilization of resources which contributed to positive views of mathematical ability. We found that participants reported that instructor pedagogy was more salient in their described experiences than their awareness of uniform elements. Of the ten participants involved, three of them described a change in their math identity from their experiences in the course. Two of them, both identified as cisgender women, had their math relationship strengthen due to their ability to be positioned as mathematical explainers and mathematical inquires over the semester through their instructors' utilization of embedded resources, facilitating interactive lessons, and student-centered pedagogy. One participant, who identified as a transgender woman, had her math relationship weaken due to the absence of being positioned as a mathematical explainer throughout the semester. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) show promise in improving access to mental health care for college students suffering from depression and anxiety symptoms. Nonetheless, the usefulness of DMHIs is limited by high user attrition. Leveraging peer support among college populations may be a feasible and cost-effective option to improve DMHI engagement and improve mental health outcomes. This open pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a skill-based peer support group in enhancing user engagement in a DMHI for depression and anxiety symptoms. Participants were 20 undergraduate students at a university in New Jersey with elevated depression and anxiety levels. Each week, they were asked to attend a peer support group and complete one to three modules of Therapy Assistance Online (TAO), a DMHI providing psychoeducation and coping strategies for depression and anxiety. Of the 233 students deemed eligible by the screening survey, 20 participants enrolled in the program and attended at least one group meeting. Nineteen participants completed at least 50% of the TAO modules, with an overall adherence rate of 87%. The average attendance rate of peer support groups was 83%. Participants were relatively satisfied with the program, and anxiety and depression symptoms significantly decreased from baseline to seven weeks. The integration of a peer support group fostered a sense of accountability and solidarity among participants, while also serving as a platform for addressing questions and sharing insights. Future research can focus on efforts to improve scalability of TAO with peer support by evaluating the feasibility of recruiting and training undergraduate students to assume the role of peer leaders for the support groups. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Although graduate-educated engineers are essential for the professoriate, technological advancement, and the growth of the U.S. economy, there is concern about the shortage of future PhD-holding engineers pursuing careers in academia and industry. This shortage relates, in part, to high levels of attrition among engineering graduate students. It is important to explore why these students are departing from their graduate programs before receiving their intended degrees. This dissertation examines graduate-level engineering attrition through psychological, sociological, and structural lenses through a series of mixed methods and qualitative methods. The first study, published in the "International Journal of Engineering Education (IJEE)" characterizes the stressors students experience as they persist through their programs and the coping mechanisms they use to mitigate those stressors. The second study, published in the "Journal of Engineering Education (JEE)" explores the costs that students associate with persistence and how those costs factor into decisions to persist or depart from graduate engineering programs. The final study, in review for "JEE," examines underlying structural factors beyond students' control that influence attrition. These studies use semi-structured interviews and multiple qualitative data analysis methods to interpret engineering graduate student attrition. Results demonstrate that students experience negative mental health and questioning departure stress and try to cope agentically using multiple coping strategies. They also associate mental health and identity-informed opportunity costs with persisting but use the sunk cost fallacy to minimize their attrition considerations. Finally, advisors' benign negligence and departmental policies and practices related to degree requirements significantly contribute to students' attrition. Implications for multiple stakeholders and opportunities for future work are presented in chapters corresponding to each study. As a collection of work, this research provides a more holistic and in-depth understanding of engineering graduate attrition and emphasizes the importance of reflection and considerations of structural reform for students, faculty, and administrators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Despite research and advances in hybrid learning in the field of education, the gap lies in the lack of research focusing on community college students' perceptions of which elements of hybrid classes significantly impact their academic achievement. This problem, often leading to lower completion rates and higher attrition, was particularly important to community colleges supporting rural populations. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to determine community college students' perceptions of hybrid class elements that affected their academic achievement. Cognitive load theory served as the foundation for a conceptual framework, enabling the interpretation of student perceptions as manifestations of cognitive overload and its effect on performance. The research question that guided this study focused on community college students' perceptions of hybrid class elements that affected their academic achievement to better determine the lack of student academic performance in hybrid classes. Data collection consisted of eight individual semi-structured interviews with adult students at a Southeastern North Carolina community college. Criterion-based purposeful sampling was used to ensure the participants were (a) students enrolled at the study site community college, (b) currently or previously enrolled in a hybrid class, and (c) at least 18 years of age. Descriptive and values coding were used for data analysis. The results revealed recommendations about changes needed in hybrid classes. Based on their experiences, the participants perceived that community colleges need to prioritize improvements focusing on the technology used, teacher presence, and providing training for hybrid classes. The positive social change implication for this study is to enable course designers to create hybrid classes that are engaging and conducive to learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The test-optional movement in American college admissions emerged as a response to the challenged notion that standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, predict student success. Research has shown that the tests may be discriminatory towards students from disadvantaged racial and ethnic backgrounds. This study examined two cohorts of incoming first-time, full-time, undergraduate, under-represented minority (URM) students from a 4-year, public, research university in New Jersey; one cohort was test-required, and one was test-optional. The study examined whether there were significant differences in the persistence, academic standing, and cumulative grade point average (GPA) from Year 1 to Year 2 of the students admitted with test scores, compared to those admitted without test scores. Both the persisting and the non-persisting students from each cohort were compared. The results of the analysis indicated no significant differences in persistence, two of the four categories of academic standing, and the cumulative GPA of the persisting URM students from the test-required cohort, compared to those from the test-optional cohort. Also, there were no significant differences in attrition, all categories of academic standing, and the cumulative GPA of the disenrolled URM students from the test-required cohort, compared to those from the test-optional cohort. Furthermore, a test-optional college admission policy, in combination with gender, race/ethnicity, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) enrollment, or dormitory living, had no impact on the cumulative GPA of either persisting or disenrolled students. Lastly, consistent with the literature, the study found that the test-optional cohort had a higher percentage of female students and first-generation students, compared to the test-required cohort. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation investigates first-year college students' academic, personal, and spiritual expectations at a Utah university, focusing on the available resources to help them meet these expectations. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study highlights the gap between students' anticipated and actual experiences, significantly contributing to higher attrition rates. It explores three main questions: students' perceptions of their expectations, the resources that assist them in navigating these expectations, and ways to enhance support systems to improve persistence and reduce attrition. Data collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with twelve participants aged 18-24 undergo thematic analysis. The findings reveal that discrepancies between expected roles and actual experiences significantly affect students' academic performance, social integration, and spiritual health. The study urges educational leaders to create comprehensive support systems addressing the holistic needs of first-year students, providing valuable strategies to enhance their experience and improve retention and success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Nontraditional students make up a majority of post-secondary online learners in the United States. The development of online learning modalities continues to grow and transform the educational landscape, providing expansive options and vastly improving student access to completing an undergraduate program. Unfortunately, with this growth, online degree programs continue to experience rates of attrition significantly higher than those of classroom-based programs. This qualitative general inductive analysis study explores the lived experiences of eleven adult learners who attempted to complete an online undergraduate degree at one or more higher education institutions. These students were enrolled in an online undergraduate degree and dropped out before completing their first year. Participants were interviewed in face-to-face video meetings, with each sharing a recollection of their lived experience as they explored degree options, enrolled in their program, completed required coursework, and ultimately withdrew from a degree. The theoretical framework used for this study is Rovai's (2003) Composite Persistence Model (CPM). The stories told by each participant reveal a diverse and expansive set of challenges encountered by undergraduate online adult learners. The student stories show the ongoing struggle to balance the costs and benefits associated with persistence in an online degree program. The variety of challenges and support systems present in each student's life illuminates the critical importance of focused institutional engagement and involvement in the student's journey. This support is crucial to a student's ability to successfully manage their coursework with other life priorities and maintain motivation to persist in an online undergraduate degree program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The problem addressed in this study was the high rate of student nursing attrition. The purpose of this qualitative single case research study was to identify perceived barriers to program completion for registered nursing pre-licensure students to determine ways to help students overcome these challenges. The conceptual framework for this research study was based on the Nontraditional Undergraduate Student Attrition Model developed by Bean and Metzner. This model focused on the nontraditional commuter student believing that, generally, this type of student is less connected to the college and environmental or social determinants, which, along with the student's level of self-efficacy as described by Bandura, could be contributing factors to student attrition. Using purposive sampling, 11 former nursing students who enrolled in, but did not complete, the registered nursing pre-licensure program, were interviewed using in-person or Zoom interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, member checked to verify accuracy, and then the transcripts were uploaded into Dedoose. Through the application of Braun and Clarke's six steps for reflexive thematic analysis, six themes emerged related to the two research questions. The findings indicated there were social determinants and self-efficacy barriers to completion for some registered nursing students. The implication of these finding could be used by registered nursing pre-licensure programs to develop ways to assist students in overcoming these barriers, thereby, lowing their nursing student attrition rate. The three recommendations for future practice are based on the six themes that emerged during this study and from existing literature: (a) create an in-depth nursing-specific orientation class, (b) design a more stringent nursing student screening process, and (c) establish a nursing step-down program. This study contributed to the existing body of literature by examining and adding to the knowledge base regarding registered nursing students' perceived barriers to completion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Community colleges face enrollment declines, student performance, and accountability metrics, the need to support nontraditional students' career paths, and constraints imposed by limited resources. Community college leadership would benefit from empirical data on students with nontraditional GED credentials and the effects of remedial education on the time required to complete an associate degree. This information is crucial for administrators to make informed decisions to implement targeted strategies to support students, improve time to degree completion, and enhance cost-effectiveness measures for the college. This study investigates the relationship between students in Arkansas with traditional and nontraditional secondary credentials and the impact of college and career readiness on the time to complete an associate degree. Two research questions were pursued: "Do nontraditional students in Arkansas with GEDs complete their associate degree in more time than traditional students with high school diplomas after controlling for student characteristics?" and "Does being college and career ready decrease the time to completion of an associate degree after controlling for student characteristics?" Employing Bean and Metzner's (1985) model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition as a theoretical basis, this study conducts a cross-sectional regression analysis using Arkansas Higher Education Information System (AHEIS) data. Specifically, the study looks at Arkansas community college graduates who completed an associate degree in 2021-2023 to determine if a relationship exists between secondary credential type, college and career ready status, and time to associate degree completion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Despite increasing interest in broadening diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in engineering, its student population remains relatively homogenous. Across higher education, disabled people continue to be a largely ignored and marginalized population. The experiences of the disabled community are notably absent from DEI efforts in engineering education, with existing research often treating this group as a monolith and overlooking the complex, individualized ways that disabled individuals navigate their educational environment. This dissertation explores the experiences of disabled students in their undergraduate engineering degree programs and systemically examines the perpetuation of institutional harm on disabled students. A multi-phase, three-study qualitative research approach was taken for this dissertation. The first study focuses on how intentionally crafted power structures in higher education and the culture of engineering coincide to impact disabled students' navigation of their engineering degree pathway. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten disabled students enrolled in engineering degree programs at a single institution. Findings reveal the breadth of marginalizing experiences that disabled students encounter along their engineering degree pathways, suggesting that disabled student attrition cannot be linked to a marginalizing single event, but the culmination of experiences. The second study uses narrative inquiry and semi-structured interview data to better understand the intersectional perspectives within the disabled community. The stories of two disabled, Black international women are shared, highlighting the complex interplay of disability, race, gender, and nationality within the engineering education landscape. The third study leverages content analysis to analyze the current state of disability-related policies and practices across five U.S. higher education institutions with high engineering enrollments. The findings help elucidate the state of public-facing, disability-related policies and practices at large U.S. higher education institutions with high engineering enrollment and graduation rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Although there is a growing body of research on retention of higher education students, there is a constant need for more because of ever-changing variables that affect attrition. With dynamic retention issues changing, new empirical research such as this study can be used to keep up with higher education attrition. The specific purpose of this study is to investigate how factors of belongingness included with being a scholarly Division I athlete can lead to higher graduation rates compared to non-athletes. The positive descriptive analysis of graduation success for student athletes will be measured by using retrospective public survey and interview results comparing them to students that do not participate in scholarly sports. Both quantitative and qualitative data are used in this study to formulate a Grounded Convergent Mixed Methods analysis study that leads to useful empirical data. It was found that the graduation rates were overall equal despite the scholarly athletes engaging in many characteristics of belongingness. However, there are certain subgroups of student athletes found to have higher graduation rates than those not involved. One example is the fact that female athletes are more likely to graduate than females included in the general student body, particularly reflected by the characteristics of well-being. While minority athletes also seem more likely to graduate than other minority students not involved. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The Texas community college systems served culturally diverse students in asynchronous courses. However, attrition rates remained low for culturally diverse students. Instructors had the potential to increase attrition rates of culturally diverse students. However, there was limited research exploring the implementation of such approaches by community college instructors. This qualitative exploratory case study aimed to identify factors contributing to improved attrition rates for culturally diverse students in asynchronous Texas community college courses. Piaget's constructivist learning theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. The study used a qualitative approach and collected data through interviews with 9 Texas community college instructors who taught asynchronous online courses. Data analysis involved thematic analysis to identify common strategies employed by instructors. The findings included a significant relationship between professional development training opportunities for Texas community college instructors and their preparedness to implement student-centered approaches effectively. The findings also indicated that instructors could enhance attrition rates and promote student success in asynchronous college courses by addressing the unique needs of culturally diverse students. These findings suggest further research to determine other variables that might influence such outcomes. The study contributes to the understanding of strategies employed by Texas community college instructors to improve attrition rates among culturally diverse students. The results underscore the significance of implementing student-centered approaches and highlight the need for instructor training and professional development to support the success of culturally diverse students in asynchronous Texas community college courses. Future research should be conducted on the kinds of instructional strategies that can improve attrition rates for culturally diverse students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Higher education is experiencing a mental health epidemic (Venit, 2022). There is unprecedented student demand for psychological services that colleges are unable to meet (Lipson et al., 2019a), leading to high rates of mental illness-related attrition (Koch et al., 2018). Two groups of students at particularly high risk of mental illness-related attrition are students with historically marginalized identities, whether by race, gender, income, or another factor (Eisenberg et al., 2013), and music majors, a group that has been shown to have greater rates of mental illness than students in other majors (Lipson et al., 2016; Spahn et al., 2004). While many quantitative studies have captured the widespread prevalence of mental illness in music majors (e.g., Koops & Kuebel, 2019; Payne, 2023; etc.), the existing literature cannot adequately explain why mental health problems are more common in music students, or how these mental health challenges connect to and intersect with other identities that may also be held by music majors. To address this gap, this study sought to investigate: 1) music majors' experiences with mental health prior to, as well as during, college; 2) aspects of college most challenging for music majors' mental health; and 3) supports that successfully reduce music majors' mental health challenges. Using intersectionality as critical social theory as a framework (Collins, 2019), this study centered the voices of diverse music majors with mental illness through arts-based and qualitative participatory action research methods--specifically, photovoice (Wang & Burris, 1997) and narrative inquiry (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990). Eight diverse undergraduate music majors who have experienced mental health challenges at two different postsecondary research institutions were recruited to participate in this multi-institutional study. Data was collected via: 1) two separate focus group interviews with each institution-specific cohort; 2) participant-created photographs/art and participant-written commentaries; and 3) one individual interview with each willing participant. Co-construction of themes during focus group interviews contributed to data analysis of participants' photographs/art (Wang, 1999), and focus group interview transcripts were also analyzed by the researcher using multiple thematic coding strategies (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The three-dimensional space approach to restorying (Ollerenshaw & Creswell, 2002; Connelly & Clandinin, 2000), combined with member checks, supported the development of participant narratives, and convergences and divergences across participant narratives were then explored. Findings suggest a possible link between childhood histories of mental health challenges or trauma and music majors' mental health concerns in college. Findings also highlighted a frequent student distrust of university counseling services and showed specific areas within postsecondary music spaces that contribute negatively to mental health, such as oppressive policies, curriculum, and social hierarchies. Conversely, participants also cited interpersonal support, an enduring love for music, and optimism for the future as factors contributing positively to their mental health. This research has meaningful practical implications for higher education policy through the development of strategies that can support greater retention of marginalized students and students in a high-attrition major, leading to better graduation rates and a more prosperous future for higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For nearly 60 years, doctoral student attrition has been a cause for concern (Berelson, 1960; Council of Graduate Schools, 2010; 2015). Studies have shown that approximately 40-70% of doctoral students do not finish their degree, and 20% of those who advance to candidacy do not complete the dissertation phase (Lovelace, 2016). Additionally, retention rates for online students are another 10 to 20 % lower than students who attend in-person (Rovai & Wighting, 2005; Patterson, 2009). While previous research exists on the topic of doctoral student retention or doctoral student persistence, those studies have been mostly quantitative in nature, used a deficit mindset when examining the problems rather than potential, or approached the study from the perspective of benefiting the university, not necessarily the student. In addition, those studies were missing the story of an important population of doctoral students, a population whose voice is often left out of the story -- Black women. To fill the gap in research, the purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to understand and illuminate the story of persistence of four Black women in an online doctoral program. In this study, four women shared their unique experiences in their early educational endeavors, the motivation to pursue a doctoral degree, and ultimately, how they were able to persist through to graduate with a doctorate. I aligned my interview questions with the three zones of the student motivation and persistence framework (a) self-efficacy, (b) sense of belonging, and (c) the curriculum (Tinto, 2017) and applied the lens of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) as a method of investigation, centering the participants as the storyteller of their own lived experiences (Cho et al., 2013). The narrative analysis of the data highlighted several themes that connected directly to the framework across all four participant's stories including self-efficacy, motivation, sense of belonging, persistence, and intersectionality. In addition, several emerging themes were identified. This study provides the opportunity to not only learn about the motivational influences necessary for student persistence but also to better understand the lived experiences of Black female doctoral students in online doctoral programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation investigates the influence of racialization on the attrition rates of African American male students in predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The study examines whether these students experience cultural shock or face more profound systemic challenges. The research explores how African American men navigate and perceive their college environments by employing Critical Race Theory and DuBois' double consciousness. The research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews, demographic surveys, and document analysis to view these students' experiences comprehensively. The study focuses on four religiously affiliated universities, highlighting the intersection of race, identity, and institutional culture and revealing patterns of isolation, resilience, and the pursuit of belonging. The findings indicate that systemic racism and cultural misunderstandings significantly marginalize African American male students, affecting their academic performance and overall college experience. This dissertation emphasizes the need for higher education institutions to address racial biases and foster more inclusive environments. By amplifying the voices of these students, the research aims to inspire actionable strategies to improve retention and success rates among African American male students in PWIs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]