Date of Award

Summer 8-1-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

College

College of Education and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Sheena Kauppila

Second Advisor

Jennifer Schlosser

Third Advisor

Olivia Enders

Abstract

Many higher education institutions review the disciplinary and criminal history of applicants to assess potential threats and ensure a safe learning community in the college admissions process. This review is often criticized for exacerbating the opportunity gap and racial disparities for marginalized populations and creating barriers to college admission. This study explores the institutional processes for community standards review at four public regionally accredited 4-year institutions and how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) influence the community standards review process. Three research questions guided the study: How do college administrators at 4-year public universities describe their perceptions of the community standards review process at their institution? What is the relationship between institutional values related to DEI and the community standards review process? How does isomorphism influence the community standards review process? This exploratory mixed methods study utilizes a comparative case study approach for an in-depth understanding of how institutional values and beliefs translate to a formal community standards review policy. The four research sites are located in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions of the United States. Enrollment size varies between 10,000-45,000 students. Data collection involved interviews with college administrators, a survey, and an analysis of various institutional artifacts, enrollment data, and Clery data. Results reveal that overall, administrators believe a fair and equitable process is in place, but all institutions recognize the process needs improvement. Some institutions provide evidence that DEI remains a top priority for this review process. Lastly, state laws and federal policies significantly influence the review process, primarily for compliance but also, in some cases, efforts to include formerly and currently incarcerated individuals. Since there is limited research that explores processes for community standards review in college admissions, this research could inform the development of a formal assessment process for these reviews. Suggested future research includes measuring conduct outcomes with student conduct data to measure if students that interface with this review process are the same population with conduct cases during enrollment. Additionally, a longitudinal study of institutional enrollment outcomes from Ban the Box states are influenced under state legislation of where the review process occurs in the enrollment cycle.

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