"This study examines how college students navigate their identity presentation, disclosure, and concealment across both institutional and social settings, as well as under the current U.S. political climate. Identity-related behaviors are understood as context-dependent processes shaped by perceived safety, stigma, institutional climate, and broader sociopolitical conditions instead of fixed personal traits. Drawing on the Big 8 social identity categories (disability, age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion/spiritual beliefs) this study investigates how students manage identity visibility across settings and how these behaviors have changed under the current U.S. administration. The study also incorporates measures of identity centrality and participant-defined identities in order to capture variation in how identities are integrated into self-concept and the resulting behavior. Using a mixed-methods, cross-sectional design with a retrospective comparative component, data will be collected through anonymous online surveys distributed to college students currently enrolled in higher education within the United States. Quantitative measures will examine identity centrality, presentation comfort, disclosure frequency, perceived safety, hesitation to express identity, and perceived political influence across both institutional and social context before and during the current U.S. administration. Qualitative responses will further explore participants’ experiences with identity management, concealment, self-censorship, and perceived environmental risk. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive and comparative analysis, while qualitative responses will be examined through thematic coding procedures. This study seeks to address limitations in existing literature by examining multiple identities simultaneously, comparing identity-related behaviors across settings, and incorporating temporal comparison within a shifting sociopolitical climate. By integrating intersectional contextual, and political dimensions of identity behavior, this research aims to contribute to sociological understandings of disclosure, presentation, and perceived safety within current higher education environments."

Student support programs are an important part of higher education because they help students overcome barriers that can prevent academic success and persistence. These programs are designed to provide academic, social, emotional and financial support to under-served populations, including first generation students, low-income students, veterans, foster youth, and formerly incarcerated individuals. This paper examines the effects of student support programs in higher education through a study of the Phoenix Project at San Joaquin Delta College and Project Rebound at Stanislaus State University. Both programs were created to support justice- impacted and formerly incarcerated students as they transition into higher education and work toward academic and personal success. The purpose of the study is to explore how students support programs contribute to student success and persistence. A mixed-methods case study methodology is employed to examine the experiences of students participating in these programs. Data is collected through semi-structured interviews designed to identify barriers, support systems, and perceptions of program effectiveness. Existing research suggests that educational opportunities reduce recidivism, increase employment prospects, and promote successful reintegration into society. The literature also indicates that mentoring, counseling, academic advising, and peer support are critical components of successful student support programs. The findings in this paper suggest that the Phoenix Project and Project Rebound play a significant role in helping formerly incarcerated students overcome challenges associated with re-entry and higher education. These programs provide resources, guidance, and community connections that support academic persistence and personal growth.

"Alternative education remains an understudied component of secondary education despite serving students who often experience academic, behavioral, and personal challenges within traditional school settings. This narrative inquiry explores the experiences and reflections of an educator who spent over forty years working in continuation and credit recovery programs. Through three semi-structured interviews, the participant reflected on his entry into alternative education, innovative teaching practices, observations of students, and the meaning he associated with a career spent working with marginalized youth. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and used to construct a narrative account of the participant's professional journey. Several narrative threads emerged from the participant's experiences, including an unexpected entry into alternative education, changing perceptions of students enrolled in continuation schools, and the importance of fostering belonging through experiential learning and community building. Despite changes in educational policies and student demographics over time, the participant believed many challenges faced by students remained consistent across decades. He emphasized that alternative education offered opportunities for students to rediscover optimism, develop confidence, and pursue futures that may not have otherwise been possible. By documenting the reflections of a long-serving educator, this study contributes to a greater understanding of alternative education and highlights the lasting impact educators can have on students whose needs are not adequately met within traditional school settings."

"Anti-DEI policies are legislative or organizational measures designed to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These policies prohibit the use of race, gender, or identity in hiring, admissions, and funding, advocating instead for the myth of colorblind fairness. Anti-DEI policies also reduce scholarships, grants, and contracts that favor underrepresented groups. Studies also indicate that anti-DEI policies limit affordability, reduce sense of belonging, and negatively impact retention and graduation rates for students of color. In the state of Utah, H.B. 261 was designed to prohibit the use of any personal identifying characteristics in education and employment. However, few studies have examined how this new law impacts students of colors' ability to afford college in Utah and how they experience the college campus climate. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how institutions are responding to anti-DEI policies, sustaining affordability, and helping students of color feel supported in the wake of anti-DEI policies within the state. Semi-structures interviews will be conducted with students of color and university administrators in the state of Utah to compare how administrators believe they are supporting students in the wake of anti-DEI policy legislations, and how students are actually experiencing college (i.e., affordability, belonging, and climate). The findings from this study will highlight how higher education professionals can better serve students of color in regard to affordability, support, and creating an inclusive climate despite harmful anti-DEI policies being in place in the state of Utah. Keywords: anti-DEI, students of color, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), H.B.261, funding, campus climate, retention, graduation rates, affordability, private and public institutions"