We investigate which characteristics of websites provide the best support of communication, information, content creation, and how these reinforce a positive learning environment and increased efficiency in student engagement. We define a methodology to establish web platforms based on departmental and student surveys. We then introduce a plan for a website for the Preston F. Gott Skyview Observatory, which serves multiple courses at Texas Tech. This website will serve as the primary communication for the status of labs, history and gallery for exemplary students and alumni astroimagining and research, as well as a hub to attract funding for observatory upgrades. The gallery provides students with a platform to show off their works, and later reference them. The gallery also serves to support the efforts to increase funding from donors and foundations. We have seen that any increase in communication supports both the department and Observatory, and we believe that establishing educational content provides a multitude of opportunities for student and teachers alike. The gallery also supports the efforts to increase funding. By further analyzing stakeholder opinions via surveys, we expand our Observatory and program efficiency.

The General Record Exam (GRE) is a standardized test used to measure a student’s preparedness for graduate school. Educational Testing Service (ETS) identifies a student’s preparedness as the ability to make a significant scholarly contribution and pass all their graduate courses. Ultimately, the GRE is a tool to distinguish who is ready for graduate school and who is not. The strongest evidence to support validity of the prediction capabilities of the GRE is in the students first year of graduate school, validity after that the evidence is unclear. Minority applicants tend to score lower on the exam than white and Asian applicants and this disparity in scores means that minority applicants are systematically disadvantaged in graduate school acceptance. The aim of our study is to determine if the GRE is a useful tool for predicting graduate school success for Communication students. We are in the process of collecting data on undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, graduation rate, race, age and gender from all the institutions listed in the National Communication Association (NCA) Doctoral Program Guide who grant PhDs in Communication within the United States. Once all the data are gathered, we will assess if the GRE scores predict graduate school success in Communication PhD programs. If the GRE scores prove to be valid predictors of success, then graduate schools should continue to use them. If the GRE is not a good predictor, then graduate schools may be more supportive of minorities by adopting more holistic forms of application review.

There is existing research on racial inequalities in higher education as a whole that highlights “a complex racial hierarchy [that] exists on campus for students to navigate with segregation, isolation, and some levels of integration found among student interactions” (Byrd). There have also been previous research on specific marginalized groups, in this case, First-Generation students, and how “First-Generation college students (FGCS) reported significantly less belongingness with their family and college environments suggesting that they are in fact more likely to experience marginalization in the higher education setting than continuing-generation college students (CGCS)” (Phillippe). However, there has not been substantive research on students of color who are actively or recently experiencing events that contribute to feelings of isolation, alienation, and/ or imposter syndrome, through survey and interview-based narrative analysis. To fill the gap in the literature, our study will focus on experiences of students of color that contribute to these feelings, specifically during their time at Boston College. I want to focus on Boston College as it is a primarily-white-institution (PWI) with students of color who have expressed discontent from the administration with its handling of racist events on campus and to focus on the mental health of the students of color affected by attending this institution.

As society has evolved over the decades, so has higher education, specifically in the realm of post-baccalaureate education. Enrollment patterns have mirrored that evolutionary process. However, few research studies have investigated the different factors that have been theorized to be impactful on where students choose to pursue their degrees. Specifically graduate degrees. Previous literature has deemed that certain demographic factors can influence one’s decision in selecting a graduate school. Other studies have investigated factors such as financial aid, program reputation, faculty, location, housing availability, etc. to determine their effects on one’s decision. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between one demographic characteristic, race/ethnicity, and those sets of factors. In other words, how does the emphasis placed on various factors differ between White students and Hispanic/Latinx/Mixed students. Results indicate that there are different existing patterns between the two groups observed in this study, with Hispanic/Latinx/Mixed students placing more emphasis only on location and housing availability. Whereas White students were more concerned with the importance of financial aid, student: teacher ratio, location, faculty, and housing availability.