http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/higher-education Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sat, 09 May 2026 10:23:50 -0400 Sat, 09 May 2026 10:23:50 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1827/exploring-the-role-of-skin-tone-among-low-income-black-college-students By Chelsea G. Gardner - Light-skinned slaves, who were often the children of Black female slaves who were raped by their White masters, received slightly privileged treatment in comparison to their dark-skinned counterparts. For example, light-skinned slaves were allowed to work in the house of the master instead of working on the field. They also had more access to learning trade skills and received some schooling (Hunter 2007). During slavery, there was a small class of freed people who were early business and community leaders; these individuals were more likely to be light-skinned. After slavery, light-skinned Blacks... Tue, 27 Oct 2020 08:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1827/exploring-the-role-of-skin-tone-among-low-income-black-college-students http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1735/on-the-necessity-of-developing-general-education-for-undergraduates-in-chinese-higher-institutions By Songchen Ma - The promotion of general education is a matter of ongoing debate owing to the pressing question of how to improve higher education in China. However, the available analytical material still remains somewhat experiential and emotion-oriented.In this paper the author—an undergraduate student of engineering who has received professional education at a prestigious top 10 university in China—reviews the origins of and literature pertaining to general education in the West. Subsequently in its literature review and cultural criticism study,this paper demonstrates the importance of developing... Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:42 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1735/on-the-necessity-of-developing-general-education-for-undergraduates-in-chinese-higher-institutions http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1588/choosing-a-dissertation-adviser-challenges-and-strategies-for-doctoral-students By John M. Hineman - The process of selecting a dissertation adviser can be accomplished in a number of ways. The importance, however, of this process should not be understated. This relationship between adviser and advisee often can be the difference between completing or not completing the dissertation. This research study looked at the selection process of a dissertation adviser from both a theoretical as well as practical perspective in a fast-track three-year doctoral leadership program at a medium size university in the United States.The methodological approach utilized a single focus group along with follow... Wed, 22 Mar 2017 12:07 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1588/choosing-a-dissertation-adviser-challenges-and-strategies-for-doctoral-students http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1522/linguistic-hegemony-in-academia-and-the-devaluation-of-minority-identity-in-higher-education By Joe Henao - A commonly observed trend among American universities is the relative underperformance of minorities in the academic arena. The usual, often lazily regurgitated explanation for this phenomenon revolves around socioeconomic situations that minority groups find themselves in, contributing to their academic plight. While this deserves some credit, this fails to tell the entire story. Apart from the general socioeconomic status of many social groups, minorities often engage in academic communities that do not even remotely mirror their cultural upbringing, values, or habitus. Institutions of higher... Mon, 30 Jan 2017 06:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1522/linguistic-hegemony-in-academia-and-the-devaluation-of-minority-identity-in-higher-education http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1573/the-american-dream-discourses-of-equality-and-achievability-for-black-americans By Emily Dalgo - What is the meaning of the American Dream for educated black Americans? How do perceptions of the equality and the achievability of the American Dream among educated black Americans correlate with the dominant discourse on the subject? This research project determines the dominant discourses of perceived equality and opportunity on the American Dream for educated black Americans, taking into account the current context and historical context of black Americans. Throughout history, the American Dream has been central to the American value system and has helped to define the essence of American... Tue, 31 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1573/the-american-dream-discourses-of-equality-and-achievability-for-black-americans http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1407/an-econometric-analysis-of-the-major-choice-of-first-generation-college-students By Sam Trejo - Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, I estimate a multinomial logit choice model for the college major decisions of first-generation college students|students who are the first in the families to attend college|and non-first-generation students. The model controls for other factors such as sex, race, ability, and family income to isolate the effect of first-generation status on major choice for two otherwise identical students. I find that first-generation college students do make statistically different college major selections than otherwise identical students. I then... Tue, 03 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1407/an-econometric-analysis-of-the-major-choice-of-first-generation-college-students http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1377/todays-non-traditional-student-challenges-to-academic-success-and-degree-completion By Karen M. Watkins-Lewis - Nontraditional students represent a substantial proportion of those enrolled in higher education institutions. The purpose of this literature review is to identify (1) distinctions between traditional and nontraditional students and (2) factors that impact retention among nontraditional students. Age, selection of major among females, socio-culture, environmental factors and enrollment status were identified as barriers to degree completion. Proactive intervention as a possible strategy for improving academic success, and implications for higher education institutions are discussed. Higher education... Tue, 15 Mar 2016 11:17 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1377/todays-non-traditional-student-challenges-to-academic-success-and-degree-completion http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1346/responsiveness-in-american-higher-education-the-evolution-of-institutional-governance-structures By Jonathan W. Stoessel - Building a framework to understand a complex system, such as American Higher Education, requires a focused approach. The richness of history behind colleges and universities in the United States can lead analysts in any number of directions. From economics to governance, to curriculum and accreditation, approaches to analyzing the system have grown exponentially as more stakeholders have been brought into the conversation. As the demand for higher education has become an international imperative, perhaps it is more fitting to analyze what makes the American system unique. In his work, the &ldquo... Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1346/responsiveness-in-american-higher-education-the-evolution-of-institutional-governance-structures http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1325/updating-academia-rethinking-the-methodology-of-academic-discourse By Nick D. Piron - Academic writing retains myriad formal and informal conventions that can include awkward citation-structures, the use of complex phrasing and jargon, definitions inside text, and arcane writing customs specific to each sub-genre, among other things. These cumbersome norms serve as hurdles that demonstrate an author's credibility. However, such conventions form a secondary discourse that do not weigh on the quality of the idea while nevertheless serving as gatekeepers to the publication and distribution of ideas. Furthermore, this focus on establishing credible ethos has the tendency to delay and... Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1325/updating-academia-rethinking-the-methodology-of-academic-discourse http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1357/how-university-websites-portray-study-abroad By Gina Apperson - Study abroad has become an important aspect in higher education in the United States, as the phenomenon of globalization has grown increasingly important to how universities equip students for the professional and social world. In 2014, the Institute of International Education proposed the Generation Study Abroad campaign to provide more study abroad opportunities, with the goal of reaching 600,000 students studying abroad by 2019, more than a twofold increase from the 2013-2014 academic year ("Generation Study Abroad," 2014). As study abroad becomes more relevant and timely for university students... Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1357/how-university-websites-portray-study-abroad http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1366/an-analysis-of-successful-student-run-public-relations-and-advertising-agencies By Amanda Limoges - Across the nation, student enrollment in journalism and mass communication programs has continued to rise in recent years (Becker, Vlad, Tucker, and Pelton, 2006). Notably, enrollment in strategic communications has experienced a significant increase in recent years. Correspondingly, the majority of strategic communications students at Elon University, and those in similar majors at other schools, work at communications agencies after they graduate. While internships can prepare students for work in an agency, most internships are hard to get without prior experience. Like other communication-... Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1366/an-analysis-of-successful-student-run-public-relations-and-advertising-agencies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1023/higher-education-reform-in-florida-considering-senate-bill-1720-remedial-education-and-college-readiness By Pascal Roubides - Senate Bill 1720 took effect in the state of Florida in 2014. This new education policy makes college placement tests and remedial courses voluntary for many students preparing to enter college, with the aim of providing better access to college for a large number of students in the state. The bill also attempts to alleviate budgetary concerns and enable quicker access to college-level work for students. However, the law fails to address the preparation gap that exists between secondary and post-secondary levels of education in the state and, as a result, it may have little or no effect on its... Wed, 08 Apr 2015 07:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1023/higher-education-reform-in-florida-considering-senate-bill-1720-remedial-education-and-college-readiness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1004/the-cost-of-for-profit-education-how-much-is-your-degree-really-worth By Pascal Roubides - This paper examines the latest attempt by the United States Department of Education to enact new regulations for addressing the issue of whether many post-secondary educational program offerings are appropriate in preparing students for gainful employment and under which conditions these programs can remain eligible for federal student financial aid. The proposed regulations are expected to affect mostly programs at for-profit educational institutions, though many state-supported institutions may be affected as well, thus making this a crucial issue for students and their equal opportunity access... Wed, 04 Mar 2015 05:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1004/the-cost-of-for-profit-education-how-much-is-your-degree-really-worth http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/818/conceptualizing-the-shared-governance-model-in-american-higher-education-considering-the-governing-board-president-and-faculty By Jonathan W. Stoessel - The ideal conception of “shared governance” models was not to serve a dominant group while simply considering the ideas of others. It should consider the input and concerns of the three groups identified in this paper – the governing board, president, and faculty – while ultimately serving the needs of the broader society. Void of this principle, colleges and universities would not achieve their ultimate mission of disseminating knowledge and preparing students to become productive citizens (Gerber, 2001). Although the model has undergone many changes, and will continue... Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:11 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/818/conceptualizing-the-shared-governance-model-in-american-higher-education-considering-the-governing-board-president-and-faculty http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/726/race-in-elite-american-universities-diversity-as-distraction By Katherine J. Wolfenden - From elite universities’ admissions publications and demographic data, an otherwise uninformed observer might conclude that race is now a problem of the past.[1] And because these institutions are considered to be ‘gatekeepers’ of economic mobility and cultural capital, their multicolored compositions are often viewed as evidence of the equality of opportunity supposedly available in the United States. Unfortunately, if we dig a little deeper, we find that racism has not disappeared, but has simply taken on a new form. An analysis of higher education reveals a larger truth about... Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:05 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/726/race-in-elite-american-universities-diversity-as-distraction http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/552/free-play-unmasking-and-ending-the-exploitation-of-ncaa-student-athletes By Gerald D. Higginbotham - The current system of collegiate football and basketball in America’s universities is littered with corruption caused by the nationwide popularity of “big time” college sports. The positive effects that student-athlete performance can have on a university leads outside sources to offer benefits to these athletes outside of their athletic scholarships, which is illegal. Talented college athletes are the targets of corrupt agents who offer financial benefits, such as money, cars, or even apartments because of the players’ future professional potential. Repeatedly, the National... Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/552/free-play-unmasking-and-ending-the-exploitation-of-ncaa-student-athletes http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/207/learning-to-put-morals-on-the-backburner-at-film-school By William K. Boland - At the University of Southern California Film School, there are two main goals: to foster creativity and encourage technical growth. As the Cinema-Television School website states, “This is an environment in which the flow of creativity and shared information crosses disciplinary and technological lines. It is this cross-disciplinary, cross-technology flow of thought and resources that makes the School unique” (USC School of Cinema-Television). The school, one of the top film schools in the nation, prepares students for the growing market of film production in Hollywood and... Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:50 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/207/learning-to-put-morals-on-the-backburner-at-film-school http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1288/global-outreach-plan-for-colleges By David J. Skorton - Dr. David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University, first introduced the idea of a new initiative emphasizing the international development of human capacity through the dissemination of university research, teaching and outreach at his first commencement address to the graduating class of 2007. Since then, the idea has inspired several conversations between Dr. Skorton and other academic leaders and institutions looking to effect change, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. He is also participating... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1288/global-outreach-plan-for-colleges http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1098/can-you-live-on-two-grand-a-year By Claire Bradford - On Thursday 25th November, over 15,000 students gathered in London for a march and rally against tuition fees and student loans. Since the New Labour government announced they would implement the Dearing report’s recommendation to charge people to go to university, most of the student population has suffered financially. In the last year, mature student applications to UCAS have dropped by 26% and many school leavers have had to choose full time employment over a degree because they just can’t afford to come to university. Labour say that they’re trying to get 50% of people to... Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1098/can-you-live-on-two-grand-a-year