Dr. Cole is an Associate Professor of Education with an emphasis in higher education and education psychology. His areas of research include race/ ethnicity, diversity, college student experiences, and learning. Previously he served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Hawaii, Manoa (Honolulu). He was also a faculty member at Marquette University. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina, at Charlotte and received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is on the review board of the Journal of College Student Development.
He has published over 25 articles and book chapters and is featured in the major journals for higher education and other related fields including The Journal of Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, NASPA Journal, Journal of Classroom Behavior, and Journal of Creative Behavior. One of his most recent articles is "Constructive Criticism: The Role of Faculty Feedback on African American and Hispanic Students' Educational Gains" appears in the Journal of College Student Development.
Comprend des références bibliographiques et un index.Is the data available on your college campus... more Comprend des références bibliographiques et un index.Is the data available on your college campus fully utilized? Analyzing data does not have to be a complex process, but there can be obstacles to putting data to good use: overworked staff or understaffed departments; silos that prevent crossing institutional boundaries; lack of research training; or simply being overwhelmed by the possibilities. Addressing these obstacles, this volume presents pragmatic ideas for implementing data-informed decision making to improve student affairs practice. It first illustrates how to easily analyze quantitative data and read assessment reports - demonstrating that advanced research knowledge is not necessary to make meaning of survey findings. It then provides suggestions for utilizing findings from large data sets typically available on campus and gives practical guidance for making sense of and using quantitative data to inform practice. Also included is how to use data to understand the experiences of non-dominant populations on campus, which is especially relevant given the diversity of today's college students. Several chapters speak directly to using data to understand marginalized groups based on race, religion, and sexual orientation, while others focus on using data to understand campus diversity experiences
Abstract:National discourse about STEM careers has dominated conversations about the need to meet... more Abstract:National discourse about STEM careers has dominated conversations about the need to meet the demands of the labor market. The ever increasing population diversity requires the participation of underrepresented groups, including women and individuals from racially minoritized backgrounds. However, for those at the intersections of historical and persistent marginality, such as Black female students, access to STEM majors, programs, and careers are particularly limited. This article uses observations, four student focus groups, document analysis, and survey data from a Black science conference to understand the experiences of Black women student attendees. Through an intersectional lens, we find that professional conferences can better serve Black female student participants by considering their nuanced experiences, barriers, and contributions to the field.We thank the National Science Foundation for supporting the conference and data collection used in this project.
This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and ... more This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and collegiate experi- ences as triggers for the cognitive disequilibrium that fos- ters critical thinking (CT). With the assumption that CT is both a general and a discipline-specific facility, this longitu- dinal, single-institution study of 447 students examines the effects of both diversity and collegiate experiences on self- perceived gains in critical thinking among white and ethnic minority students. Implications for institutional policy and further empirical research are discussed.
In this chapter, the authors provide (a) succinct synopsis of the scholarship on international st... more In this chapter, the authors provide (a) succinct synopsis of the scholarship on international students’ college learning in the United States, and (b) detailed report of a study comparing international and American students’ learning and academic self-concept. The study reveals greater involvement in college learning among international than American students. Regarding what contributes to academic self-concept, there are more similarities than differences between international and American students. Controlling for academic self-concept at college entry, students who are more involved in learning (e.g., more interactions with faculty, more time spent studying alone or with peers) report higher academic self-concept at graduation. Females, international and American students alike, report lower academic self-concept despite greater involvement in college learning. Institutional selectivity has a negative influence on international students. Implications for research and practice ar...
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. —Willia... more Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. —William Bruce Cameron (1963) The strength of a college lies in its capacity to nurture ideas and individuals. Central to this strength is the concept of diversity. Creativity, innovation, and learning stagnate without true diversity of perspectives, born from a multiplicity of individuals' identities (Miller & Katz, 2002). This chapter is about using campus diversity data to inform student affairs work. For the purposes of this chapter, diversity is defined on two levels. The first is compositional—the degree to which the community being refer-enced is representative, in all of its characteristics, of the larger population. The second is the degree to which members of that community experience a culture of inclusion and engagement within that community, such that each member feels a sense of belonging and respect. This definition, therefore, combines numerical representation with organizational culture. The guidance provided in this chapter is intended to complement earlier syntheses of research on improving the campus climate, most notably Griffin' s (2017) discussion on campus climate and diversity, and Pope and Mueller' s (2017) discussion of multicultural competence and change on college campuses. These writers have outlined the definitions, models, and key outcomes for campuses, and have identified how campuses could assess progress on those outcomes. This chapter focuses on three topics to help you use those data to inform your practice: (1) identifying the scope of your inquiry; (2) using data to improve program design, and therefore (3) program impact and student outcomes, particularly for diverse student communities.
This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and ... more This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and collegiate experiences as triggers for the cognitive disequilibrium that fosters critical thinking (CT). With the assumption that CT is both a general and a discipline-specific facility, this longitudinal, single-institution study of 447 students examines the effects of both diversity and collegiate experiences on self-perceived gains in critical thinking among white and ethnic minority students. Implications for institutional policy and further empirical research are discussed.
Comprend des références bibliographiques et un index.Is the data available on your college campus... more Comprend des références bibliographiques et un index.Is the data available on your college campus fully utilized? Analyzing data does not have to be a complex process, but there can be obstacles to putting data to good use: overworked staff or understaffed departments; silos that prevent crossing institutional boundaries; lack of research training; or simply being overwhelmed by the possibilities. Addressing these obstacles, this volume presents pragmatic ideas for implementing data-informed decision making to improve student affairs practice. It first illustrates how to easily analyze quantitative data and read assessment reports - demonstrating that advanced research knowledge is not necessary to make meaning of survey findings. It then provides suggestions for utilizing findings from large data sets typically available on campus and gives practical guidance for making sense of and using quantitative data to inform practice. Also included is how to use data to understand the experiences of non-dominant populations on campus, which is especially relevant given the diversity of today's college students. Several chapters speak directly to using data to understand marginalized groups based on race, religion, and sexual orientation, while others focus on using data to understand campus diversity experiences
Abstract:National discourse about STEM careers has dominated conversations about the need to meet... more Abstract:National discourse about STEM careers has dominated conversations about the need to meet the demands of the labor market. The ever increasing population diversity requires the participation of underrepresented groups, including women and individuals from racially minoritized backgrounds. However, for those at the intersections of historical and persistent marginality, such as Black female students, access to STEM majors, programs, and careers are particularly limited. This article uses observations, four student focus groups, document analysis, and survey data from a Black science conference to understand the experiences of Black women student attendees. Through an intersectional lens, we find that professional conferences can better serve Black female student participants by considering their nuanced experiences, barriers, and contributions to the field.We thank the National Science Foundation for supporting the conference and data collection used in this project.
This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and ... more This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and collegiate experi- ences as triggers for the cognitive disequilibrium that fos- ters critical thinking (CT). With the assumption that CT is both a general and a discipline-specific facility, this longitu- dinal, single-institution study of 447 students examines the effects of both diversity and collegiate experiences on self- perceived gains in critical thinking among white and ethnic minority students. Implications for institutional policy and further empirical research are discussed.
In this chapter, the authors provide (a) succinct synopsis of the scholarship on international st... more In this chapter, the authors provide (a) succinct synopsis of the scholarship on international students’ college learning in the United States, and (b) detailed report of a study comparing international and American students’ learning and academic self-concept. The study reveals greater involvement in college learning among international than American students. Regarding what contributes to academic self-concept, there are more similarities than differences between international and American students. Controlling for academic self-concept at college entry, students who are more involved in learning (e.g., more interactions with faculty, more time spent studying alone or with peers) report higher academic self-concept at graduation. Females, international and American students alike, report lower academic self-concept despite greater involvement in college learning. Institutional selectivity has a negative influence on international students. Implications for research and practice ar...
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. —Willia... more Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. —William Bruce Cameron (1963) The strength of a college lies in its capacity to nurture ideas and individuals. Central to this strength is the concept of diversity. Creativity, innovation, and learning stagnate without true diversity of perspectives, born from a multiplicity of individuals' identities (Miller & Katz, 2002). This chapter is about using campus diversity data to inform student affairs work. For the purposes of this chapter, diversity is defined on two levels. The first is compositional—the degree to which the community being refer-enced is representative, in all of its characteristics, of the larger population. The second is the degree to which members of that community experience a culture of inclusion and engagement within that community, such that each member feels a sense of belonging and respect. This definition, therefore, combines numerical representation with organizational culture. The guidance provided in this chapter is intended to complement earlier syntheses of research on improving the campus climate, most notably Griffin' s (2017) discussion on campus climate and diversity, and Pope and Mueller' s (2017) discussion of multicultural competence and change on college campuses. These writers have outlined the definitions, models, and key outcomes for campuses, and have identified how campuses could assess progress on those outcomes. This chapter focuses on three topics to help you use those data to inform your practice: (1) identifying the scope of your inquiry; (2) using data to improve program design, and therefore (3) program impact and student outcomes, particularly for diverse student communities.
This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and ... more This study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that postulate diversity and collegiate experiences as triggers for the cognitive disequilibrium that fosters critical thinking (CT). With the assumption that CT is both a general and a discipline-specific facility, this longitudinal, single-institution study of 447 students examines the effects of both diversity and collegiate experiences on self-perceived gains in critical thinking among white and ethnic minority students. Implications for institutional policy and further empirical research are discussed.
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