Jarrett Gupton, PhD, joins the College of Education as an assistant professor of higher education and student affairs. Dr. Gupton most recently served as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. He earned his PhD at the Rosier School of Education at the University of Southern California. His research interests include educational equity and opportunity in higher education, and much of his scholarship has focused on building an evidentiary platform to study issues of access, engagement, and completion for homeless students. His research has also focused on examining institutional capacity to support housing and food insecure students in postsecondary education.
Education plays a critical role in how adolescents mature into adults. A vulnerable, and often fo... more Education plays a critical role in how adolescents mature into adults. A vulnerable, and often forgotten, sub-population of the poor is homeless youth, for whom lack of a stable or adequate residence creates a unique set of educational barriers. The Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA) spent 18 months documenting the experiences of homeless adolescents in Los Angeles, deriving data from 123 interviews with homeless adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19, and an additional 45 interviews with shelter staff, social workers, parents, teachers, and school district administrators. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 of the youth to understand their experiences in greater depth. Over 400 hours were dedicated to observing the daily lives of homeless youth. The project had two primary goals: (1) To give a voice to homeless youth who are frequently powerless and invisible; and (2) To initiate a dialog with policymakers and practitioners concerning the improvement of ...
This scholarly paper provides a critical synthesis on the utility of structuration theory in the ... more This scholarly paper provides a critical synthesis on the utility of structuration theory in the study of higher education. The benefit of structuration theory is that it allows scholars of higher education to examine the relationship between structures (physical, mental, or social) in relationship to individual action. As such, structuration is a powerful analytic tool for studying the organizational change process. Further, structuration might be viewed as a process of legitimizing or routinizing social structures, for example creating an institutional culture. Finally, this scholarly paper offers a critique on the ways in which structuration theory has been utilized in higher education and what might be done to broaden its utility.
ABSTRACT College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population,... more ABSTRACT College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, which has been found to be directly and indirectly associated with poor mental and physical health in addition to academic success. Since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting evidence has demonstrated an increase in food insecurity rates in the U.S. The current study assessed food insecurity and its associated impacts on health and academic success among college students at a large urban university (n = 1743). Results revealed 46.8% of students as food insecure with statistically significant differences in race/ethnicity, GPA, and hours worked per week. Students who were observed with any level of food insecurity were more likely to also experience challenges with academics, careers, procrastination, and faculty as compared to their food secure counterparts. Analysis of differences in well-being indicators by food insecurity status revealed that students with any level of food insecurity were observed with statistically significantly higher mean scores for psychological distress, loneliness, and suicide behavior, with reduced scores for flourishing and resiliency as compared to their food secure counterparts. Implications for post-COVID-19 programming to mitigate food insecurity and associated public health issues associated with the COVID-19 and future pandemics are discussed.
College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, which ha... more College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, which has been found to be directly and indirectly associated with poor mental and physical health in addition to academic success. Since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting evidence has demonstrated an increase in food insecurity rates in the U.S. The current study assessed food insecurity and its associated impacts on health and academic success among college students at a large urban university (n = 1743). Results revealed 46.8% of students as food insecure with statistically significant differences in race/ethnicity, GPA, and hours worked per week. Students who were observed with any level of food insecurity were more likely to also experience challenges with academics, careers, procrastination, and faculty as compared to their food-secure counterparts. Analysis of differences in well-being indicators by food insecurity status revealed that students with any level of food insecurity were observed with statistically significantly higher mean scores for psychological distress, loneliness, and suicide behavior, with reduced scores for flourishing and resiliency as compared to their food-secure counterparts. Implications for post-COVID-19 programming to mitigate food insecurity and associated public health issues associated with the COVID-19 and future pandemics are discussed.
This conceptual article proposes the use of ethical mindfulness (EM) as a framework to promote mo... more This conceptual article proposes the use of ethical mindfulness (EM) as a framework to promote more ethical practices among faculty, which can be especially important during times of uncertainty and volatility. First, we address some of the ethical challenges specific to faculty, focusing on the context surrounding academic work. Second, we highlight ethical sensemaking and the reasons why it may be difficult to change our ethical behavior. Finally, we describe the EM framework in further detail using our own experience as examples, and we argue this practice is one way we can try to change our behavior for the better.
Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresente... more Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresented students. One group that has received little attention in the community college research literature is homeless youth. The objective of this research is to address the following research questions: (a) What might be learned from the narratives of homeless youth and their experiences in postsecondary education? and (b) How might community colleges promote interpersonal and institutional resilience for homeless students? Method: Utilizing qualitative research techniques, this article reviews the experiences’ of homeless youth attending community college and explores the ways in which community colleges might serve as sites for fostering resilience and stability in the lives of homeless students. Results: The results of this empirical work suggest that although homeless students do benefit from enrolling in community college, some of the benefits are not salient to them and they are unabl...
Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresente... more Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresented students. One group that has received little attention in the community college research literature is homeless youth. The objective of this research is to address the following research questions: (a) What might be learned from the narratives of homeless youth and their experiences in postsecondary education? and (b) How might community colleges promote interpersonal and institutional resilience for homeless students? Method: Utilizing qualitative research techniques, this article reviews the experiences' of homeless youth attending community college and explores the ways in which community colleges might serve as sites for fostering resilience and stability in the lives of homeless students. Results: The results of this empirical work suggest that although homeless students do benefit from enrolling in community college, some of the benefits are not salient to them and they are unable to take full advantage of institutional resources. Contributions: The findings from this study contribute to the literature on low-income students' experiences in community college and add the voices and experiences of homeless youth.
Education plays a critical role in how adolescents mature into adults. A vulnerable, and often fo... more Education plays a critical role in how adolescents mature into adults. A vulnerable, and often forgotten, sub-population of the poor is homeless youth, for whom lack of a stable or adequate residence creates a unique set of educational barriers. The Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA) spent 18 months documenting the experiences of homeless adolescents in Los Angeles, deriving data from 123 interviews with homeless adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19, and an additional 45 interviews with shelter staff, social workers, parents, teachers, and school district administrators. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 of the youth to understand their experiences in greater depth. Over 400 hours were dedicated to observing the daily lives of homeless youth. The project had two primary goals: (1) To give a voice to homeless youth who are frequently powerless and invisible; and (2) To initiate a dialog with policymakers and practitioners concerning the improvement of ...
This scholarly paper provides a critical synthesis on the utility of structuration theory in the ... more This scholarly paper provides a critical synthesis on the utility of structuration theory in the study of higher education. The benefit of structuration theory is that it allows scholars of higher education to examine the relationship between structures (physical, mental, or social) in relationship to individual action. As such, structuration is a powerful analytic tool for studying the organizational change process. Further, structuration might be viewed as a process of legitimizing or routinizing social structures, for example creating an institutional culture. Finally, this scholarly paper offers a critique on the ways in which structuration theory has been utilized in higher education and what might be done to broaden its utility.
ABSTRACT College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population,... more ABSTRACT College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, which has been found to be directly and indirectly associated with poor mental and physical health in addition to academic success. Since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting evidence has demonstrated an increase in food insecurity rates in the U.S. The current study assessed food insecurity and its associated impacts on health and academic success among college students at a large urban university (n = 1743). Results revealed 46.8% of students as food insecure with statistically significant differences in race/ethnicity, GPA, and hours worked per week. Students who were observed with any level of food insecurity were more likely to also experience challenges with academics, careers, procrastination, and faculty as compared to their food secure counterparts. Analysis of differences in well-being indicators by food insecurity status revealed that students with any level of food insecurity were observed with statistically significantly higher mean scores for psychological distress, loneliness, and suicide behavior, with reduced scores for flourishing and resiliency as compared to their food secure counterparts. Implications for post-COVID-19 programming to mitigate food insecurity and associated public health issues associated with the COVID-19 and future pandemics are discussed.
College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, which ha... more College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, which has been found to be directly and indirectly associated with poor mental and physical health in addition to academic success. Since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting evidence has demonstrated an increase in food insecurity rates in the U.S. The current study assessed food insecurity and its associated impacts on health and academic success among college students at a large urban university (n = 1743). Results revealed 46.8% of students as food insecure with statistically significant differences in race/ethnicity, GPA, and hours worked per week. Students who were observed with any level of food insecurity were more likely to also experience challenges with academics, careers, procrastination, and faculty as compared to their food-secure counterparts. Analysis of differences in well-being indicators by food insecurity status revealed that students with any level of food insecurity were observed with statistically significantly higher mean scores for psychological distress, loneliness, and suicide behavior, with reduced scores for flourishing and resiliency as compared to their food-secure counterparts. Implications for post-COVID-19 programming to mitigate food insecurity and associated public health issues associated with the COVID-19 and future pandemics are discussed.
This conceptual article proposes the use of ethical mindfulness (EM) as a framework to promote mo... more This conceptual article proposes the use of ethical mindfulness (EM) as a framework to promote more ethical practices among faculty, which can be especially important during times of uncertainty and volatility. First, we address some of the ethical challenges specific to faculty, focusing on the context surrounding academic work. Second, we highlight ethical sensemaking and the reasons why it may be difficult to change our ethical behavior. Finally, we describe the EM framework in further detail using our own experience as examples, and we argue this practice is one way we can try to change our behavior for the better.
Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresente... more Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresented students. One group that has received little attention in the community college research literature is homeless youth. The objective of this research is to address the following research questions: (a) What might be learned from the narratives of homeless youth and their experiences in postsecondary education? and (b) How might community colleges promote interpersonal and institutional resilience for homeless students? Method: Utilizing qualitative research techniques, this article reviews the experiences’ of homeless youth attending community college and explores the ways in which community colleges might serve as sites for fostering resilience and stability in the lives of homeless students. Results: The results of this empirical work suggest that although homeless students do benefit from enrolling in community college, some of the benefits are not salient to them and they are unabl...
Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresente... more Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresented students. One group that has received little attention in the community college research literature is homeless youth. The objective of this research is to address the following research questions: (a) What might be learned from the narratives of homeless youth and their experiences in postsecondary education? and (b) How might community colleges promote interpersonal and institutional resilience for homeless students? Method: Utilizing qualitative research techniques, this article reviews the experiences' of homeless youth attending community college and explores the ways in which community colleges might serve as sites for fostering resilience and stability in the lives of homeless students. Results: The results of this empirical work suggest that although homeless students do benefit from enrolling in community college, some of the benefits are not salient to them and they are unable to take full advantage of institutional resources. Contributions: The findings from this study contribute to the literature on low-income students' experiences in community college and add the voices and experiences of homeless youth.
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