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This four-year study describes the assessment of a bifurcated laboratory curriculum designed to provide upper-division undergraduate majors in two life science departments meaningful exposure to authentic research. The timing is critical as it provides a pathway for both directly admitted and transfer students to enter research. To fulfill their degree requirements, all majors complete one of two paths in the laboratory program. One path immerses students in scientific discovery experienced through team research projects (course-based undergraduate research experiences, or CUREs) and the other path through a mentored, independent research project (apprentice-based research experiences, or AREs). The bifurcated laboratory curriculum was structured using backwards design to help all students, irrespective of path, achieve specific learning outcomes. Over 1,000 undergraduates enrolled in the curriculum. Self-report survey results indicate that there were no significant differences in affective gains by path. Students conveyed which aspects of the curriculum were critical to their learning and development of research-oriented skills. Students' interests in biology increased upon completion of the curriculum, inspiring a subset of CURE participants to subsequently pursue further research. A rubric-guided performance evaluation, employed to directly measure learning, revealed differences in learning gains for CURE versus ARE participants, with evidence suggesting a CURE can reduce the achievement gap between high-performing students and their peers.

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Despite the positive effects of cross-racial interactions for students, predominantly White sororities remain segregated. Utilizing focus group methods, this study investigates the racial attitudes of White sorority women to understand the influence of sororities on racial attitudes. Findings revealed that participants in this study minimized race, thought about diversity within context, and perceived barriers to cross-racial interactions. These findings have important implications for campus professionals who work with sorority women. With the changing racial composition of college campuses, scholars and (Chang, Astin, & Kim, 2004), practitioners have continued to make efforts to understand more about how race and racism influence student experiences and shape institutional environments (Harper, 2012). Differing views have emerged regarding the outcomes of a racially diverse student body. Some believe structural racial diversity leads to cross-racial interactions that have "positive effects on students' intellectual, social, and civic development" (Chang, Astin, & Kim, 2004, p. 529). Others point out that even with a diverse student body, "students from different ethnic groups remain relatively segregated and isolated" (Sidanius, Laar, Levin, & Sinclair, 2004, p. 96). This line of reasoning goes on to conclude that the intended positive interracial interactions on college campuses do not occur or keep pace with the increase in the number of Students of Color on campuses (

In this study, we interviewed victims of bias incidents and members of a bias response team to investigate the process the team used to respond to incidents. Incidents included acts of sexism, homophobia, and racism on a large, predominantly White research university in the Midwest. Data were analyzed using a 4-stage coding process. The emergent model focused on the way the bias response team members connected to students, other team members, and colleagues from across campus to respond to the bias incidents. Important tensions that team members navigate also became evident and are depicted in the model. Findings from this study inform practice by illuminating the complexity of how educators carry out social justice work on a campus. Furthermore, this study expands diversity scholarship by examining the intersection between individuals, campus climate, and their environment.

Broadening participation in computer science for women and underrepresented minority students remains an area of concern for many colleges and universities. Yet, little is known about the role of department chairs in initiating and leading efforts to recruit and retain women and students of color. Interviews with 15 department chairs participating in a nationwide effort to diversify computer science provide greater understanding about the change process and reveal insights about the barriers to and challenges in broadening participation. The findings illuminate the ways that department chairs grapple with both internal and external factors that impact their ability to diversify their departments.

This manuscript considers the political attitudes of Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities using a 2015 sample of first-year respondents. In response to this special issue's call to consider issues of student protest at Minority Serving Institutions, our manuscript offers empirical evidence on students' political dispositions at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Indeed, understanding the civic dispositions and political ideologies of Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities is not only a timely topic, but also a necessary one if we are to understand the future political engagement of an increasingly diverse nation (Lefever, 2005; Williamson, 2008).