Z.W. Taylor

University of Southern Mississippi | USM · College of Education and Human Sciences

In November 2024, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor interviewed Dr. Tanja Stampfl, a tenured professor at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX, USA. They discussed the first-year experience course, or a structured class offered by colleges and universities, typically designed to support new students in successfully transitioning to...

In the past two decades, both technology and financial wellness programming has changed the landscape of higher education in the United States. As financial wellness continues to grow as a student service in higher education (Taylor & Ray, 2023), it is critical to understand what financial wellness resources are being made available on institutiona...

As a phenomenon of being on the academic job market, many applicants may feel ‘ghosted’ by prospective employers after submitting their application and receiving little if any communication from the employer. To date, no studies have explored the concept of ‘ghosting’ on the academic job market and whether applicants should anticipate communication...

Discussing personal finance is commonly viewed as taboo among friends, family, and peers. However, as institutions of higher education adopt financial wellness programs and build peer-to-peer mentoring models within these programs, it is critical to understand which financial discussions may be considered taboo, causing potential disruptions to the...

Evaluating grant-funded programs is essential for ensuring both their success and sustainability. Assessing the impact of the program's objectives is crucial to demonstrate its value, monitor progress toward goals, and identify best practices and lessons learned. Evaluation results can also be used to refine and improve program performance. This in...

Evaluating grant-funded programs is essential for ensuring both their success and sustainability. Assessing the impact of the program's objectives is crucial to demonstrate its value, monitor progress toward goals, and identify best practices and lessons learned. Evaluation results are also used to refine and improve program performance. The purpos...

Over the past 20 years, there has been a concentrated effort on expanding K–12 pathways, experiences, and access in computer science education (CSEd). Computer science (CS) is a multifaceted discipline within education, and the current emphasis in education policy has focused on how to expand access for K–12 students in CSEd that will lead to incre...

Recruiting and retaining high quality college students to work on campus as part-time student workers has remained a persistent, problematic issue (Black & Taylor, 2018; Kim, 2023; Taylor & Black, 2018). Especially difficult is staffing peer financial wellness mentoring programs, which require college students to demonstrate both soft skills and ha...

Although many studies have explored mentoring in higher education (Black & Taylor, 2017; Nuis et al., 2023), no studies have explored how peer financial wellness mentors conceptualize their work and view good financial wellness mentorship. It is especially important to understand the perspectives of these particular types of mentors, as colleges an...

As technology continues to advance, more institutions of higher education are integrating artificially intelligent chatbots within their websites to increase customer service efficiency and disseminate information more effectively. However, to date, no studies have explored when institutions of higher education have adopted these technologies, and...

In September 2024, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor spoke with Dr. Emily Roberts. Dr. Roberts' mission is to inspire and empower early-career PhDs to make the most of their finances. She engages with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars through her Personal Finance for PhDs seminars, coaching, and websites, Personal Finance for PhDs and PhD St...

Although research has explored what college students struggle to understand about financial aid, no research has investigated how at-risk students on financial aid probation articulate their financial aid knowledge and the gaps in that knowledge. As a result, this content analysis investigates online discussion board posts from a credit-bearing stu...

Although many studies have explored mentoring in higher education, no studies have explored how peer financial wellness mentors conceptualize their work and view good financial wellness mentorship. It is especially important to understand the perspectives of these particular types of mentors, as colleges and universities continue to develop financi...

Recruiting and retaining high-quality college students to work on campus as part-time student workers has remained a persistent, problematic issue. Especially difficult is staffing peer financial wellness mentoring programs, which require college students to demonstrate both soft skills and hard, financial skills related to financial wellness. This...

Although institutions of higher education in the United States have published websites since the late 1990s, little is known regarding whether institutions publish financial wellness-related content on their websites and specifically where this information resides. Many institutions of higher education have provided their students with access to re...

Background: For decades, researchers have explored how college students participate in experiential learning, yet sparse work has engaged with Undergraduates of Color ¹ in these spaces or Graduates of Color after they leave campus. Purpose: This study engaged with 13 Graduates of Color (bachelor's degree holders) to understand their experiential le...

As enrollment in higher education continues to decrease in U.S. institutions, enrollment managers need to explore every opportunity to retain the students they have. One process embedded within the academic and financial units of every institution of higher education are academic standing and satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies that dicta...

No research has explored where U.S. postsecondary students enroll through quantitative methods over extended periods of time. In this five-year panel study, data suggested urban, public, and bachelor’s-level institutions enrolled more students with disabilities than peers, while enrollment has steadily increased since 2013. Implications for researc...

Sexual violence on college campuses continues to be a problematic, persistent issue facing institutions of higher education and their Title IX offices. Varied attempts have been made to increase student reporting of sexual violence to Title IX staff, but research continues to suggest that sexual violence remains underreported on college campuses. A...

This chapter describes a study that validates a novel mentorability scale, or, a survey measuring first-year college students' ability to be mentorable. The scale was developed after two pilot studies across three years and was administered in Fall 2019 to 84 first-year students at a large, Hispanic-serving institution in the U.S. South. The scale...

Yearly, thousands of college students do not make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and lose eligibility for federal student aid (John Burton Advocates for Youth, 2023). Answering calls of prior literature, this practitioner-led case study applies a Critical Race Theory framework to understand how Desert Alpine Community College changed their in...

This presentation provides an overview of over 900 websites/pages of financial wellness and/or literacy resources on higher education (.edu) websites. Implications for best practices and HEFWA recommendations are addressed.

Extant literature about the history and impact of federal financial aid is robust, however, financial aid eligibility and its connection to persistence for continuing students is an area less understood. As a result, this study describes how at-promise students articulate their knowledge of federal financial aid policy during COVID-19. We interview...

This database is a list of financial wellness websites in United States higher education as of July 13, 2024. Included in the database is IPEDS unit ID, institution name, URL, and institutional sector.

Although student loan forgiveness continues to remain in the headlines within United States higher education contexts, relatively little is known about the origins of the public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) program, federal policy that has shaped the borrowing patterns of public servants for decades. Moreover, as one of the largest student loan...

As enrollment in higher education continues to decrease in U.S. institutions, enrollment managers need to explore every opportunity to retain the students they have. One process embedded within the academic and financial units of every institution of higher education are academic standing and satisfactory academic progress policies that dictate how...

On-campus employment is a high-impact practice for student retention, postgraduate success, and employability. This study engaged with twelve years (2007-2019) of student employment data from a large R-1 university to determine who has access to this high-impact practice and explore which types of students become on-campus employees. Aggregate tota...

To date, no empirical studies have investigated whether requiring student services program participation for a certain college student population actually results in increased student participation. As a result, this brief leverages institutional data (n=57) from the 2023 HEFWA Survey of Financial Wellness Programs in Higher Education to answer the...

Across many language backgrounds, a consistent hurdle to accessing United States higher education is understanding the basic information necessary to apply for admission and financial aid and complete the many enrollment management processes necessary to begin one’s college career (applybfor housing, receive and submit vaccinations, register for cl...

Background or Context Although many scholars have evaluated how Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) serve and can better serve Latinx students and their communities, scant research has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology within this evaluation of diversity and servingness. With institutions of higher education continuing to explore...

This brief provides an overview of how financial wellness programs in higher education (n=61) are budgeted and from where they receive financial support.

One of the major inefficiencies in qualitative research is the accuracy and timeliness of transcribing audio files into analyzable text. However, researchers may now have the ability to leverage artificial intelligence to increase research efficiency through Chat GPT. As a result, this study performs feasibility and accuracy testing of Chat GPT ver...

Every year, thousands of college students do not make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and lose eligibility for federal student aid (John Burton Advocates for Youth, 2023). Answering calls of prior literature, this practitioner-led case study applies a Critical Race Theory framework to understand how one California community college changed the...

Many faculty perform work as public intellectuals, producing essays, op-eds, interviews, and other forms of media to amplify their academic work. However, educational research has not examined how faculty conceptualize non-academic audiences, influencing who faculty address in their public scholarship and what they work on as public intellectuals....

Sparse research has explored how students of Color working in on-campus student affairs positions develop marketable skills to gain employment upon graduation. Filling this critical gap, this study explored the student affairs employment experiences of students of Color (n=12) to learn how these students benefited from on-campus employment, develop...

Perhaps no other time in United States higher education’s history did institutional policies change as quickly as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no studies have emerged from the pandemic era that address how faculty members navigated these changing policies, many of which were meant to increase safety and student success. This stud...

Objective/Research Questions: Extending Garcia’s (2017) notion of servingness, our study explored the prevalence and usability of artificially intelligent (AI) chatbots within all 234 HSI community colleges according to the most recent HACU list. The research questions for our study are: 1) Do HSI community colleges embed artificial intelligence in...

This study examines weekly meetings of seven instructors teaching a course for students on academic probation or financial aid warning during spring 2021. The students in their classes needed to improve their grades and credit hours to be eligible to return to college the next semester. This study examined how faculty supported each other and how t...

As enrollment in higher education continues to decrease in U.S. institutions, enrollment managers need to explore every opportunity to retain the students they have. One process embedded within the academic and financial units of every institution of higher education are academic standing and satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies that dicta...

This session provided an overview of how generative artificial intelligence can be used for educational research and capstone projects, adhering to the University of Southern Mississippi's academic integrity policies.

This brief provides a snapshot into when financial wellness programs (n=61) were founded and what campus units they report to (ex: financial aid, student affairs, etc.).

Perhaps no other time in United States higher education’s history did institutional policies change as quickly as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no studies have emerged from the pandemic era that address how faculty members navigated these changing policies, many of which were meant to increase safety and student success. This stud...

This presentation provides an overview of the public service loan forgiveness program and a qualitative study of 30 higher education professionals who have also participated in that program. Implications for research, policy, and practice are addressed.

Institutions of higher education desire their faculty members to be high-quality researchers while also acting as engaged academic citizens who produce public scholarship. However, traditional promotion and tenure processes do not reward public-facing academic citizenship, instead valuing peer-reviewed publications and grant dollars. Therefore, a p...

The process of applying for and receiving student financial aid is an incredibly complex process involving multiple stakeholders (students, institutions, parents, counselors), levels of information (federal, state, institutional, personal), and modes of communication (print, email, text message, social media, phone calls). Moreover, first-generatio...

In February 2024, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor spoke with Sarah Pauter, Senior Project Manager with John Burton Advocates for Youth, where she works to improve the college retention and graduation rates of homeless and foster youth through legislative advocacy, policy implementation, technical assistance, and training. After spending 17 years in...

This brief provides a snapshot into whether financial wellness programs (n=55) in higher education have established internal and external partnerships and who those partners are.

Although decades of scholarship have documented how institutions of higher education fundraise and conduct philanthropic programs and campaigns, no research has addressed how an institution's digital headquarters—the institutional website hosting the philanthropic campaign—communicates with the public and functions before, during, and after the cam...

Decades of research have found African Americans to be unfairly marginalized by healthcare systems. As U.S. colleges released their plans to re-open for in-person classes for the Fall 2021 semester and beyond, research is needed into how African American students view vaccine mandates, such as the one levied in March 2021 by Rutgers University and...

It is critical for college students to develop a sense of financial literacy before they enter the workforce (Durband & Britt, 2012; Goetz et al., 2011). However, financial literacy programs on college campuses are sparse (Britt et al., 2015), and those campuses with programs often do not utilize a peer financial mentoring model. As a result, this...

This presentation was delivered on February 6, 2024. The presentation focuses on a longitudinal data collection and analysis project focused on admissions and financial aid texts published by institutions of higher education. Results suggest the COVID-19 pandemic did influence how institutions wrote admissions and financial aid information, potenti...

In January 2024, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor spoke with Dr. Nathan Cost, Director of Vocational Life and Formation at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University (Georgia, USA). The two discuss a study by Dr. Cost on the lived experiences of vocational calling among non-denominational graduate seminary students training for ministry and n...

This brief provides a snapshot into how financial wellness programs in higher education operate different service modalities (in-person, virtual, hybrid). This brief is based on a larger survey of financial wellness programs in higher education.

Although United States (U.S.) higher education has increased its enrollment of students of Color, English learners, often students of Color, do not access U.S. higher education at the same level as their Englishfluent (or English L1 peers). As a result, English learners—disproportionately low-income and of Color—still navigate barriers rooted in An...

This brief provides a snapshot into how financial wellness programs are staffed and which, if any, certifications staff hold. This data will allow emerging programs insight into how programs are staffed and what professional training they may seek.

In December 2023, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor spoke with Wu Xie, a fifth year PhD candidate in the Higher Education Student Affairs program at The Ohio State University in Ohio, USA. In this Conversation, Wu discusses her research interests, including how organizations in the higher education landscape can work collaboratively to promote the res...

In December 2023, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor spoke with Mallorie Smith, the Financial Wellness Coordinator for Mississippi State University and the Student Money Management Center. In this Conversation, Mallorie discusses how her background in psychology, business, and instructional technology informs her current role educating students on pers...

Many faculty perform work as public intellectuals, producing essays, op-eds, interviews, and other forms of media to amplify their academic work. However, educational research has not examined how faculty conceptualize non-academic audiences, influencing who faculty address in their public scholarship and what they work on as public intellectuals....

Although involvement in recreational sports has been found to be beneficial for college students, sparse research has explored how recreational sports student employment has benefitted college graduates who are now active in the professional workforce. Filling this critical gap, this study explored how former recreational sports student employees (...

Despite a robust body of literature related to how institutions of higher education help prepare students for the workforce after graduation, little research has explored the lived experiences of Students of Color as they reflect on their undergraduate employment as it relates to their development of marketable skills. Moreover, no studies have eng...

Although the United States Census Bureau conducts a decennial census and provides in-depth reporting on that census, it also conducts yearly analyses of national population projections. This program, called the Population Estimates Program (PEP), works to predict the United States’ population growth and diversification. In 2020, the PEP found that...

This study provides an overview of the hurdles that students with ADHD face when attempting to document their ADHD and receive accommodations at the college/postsecondary/higher education level. Results suggest that institutional ADHD documentation guidelines are written above the 16th grade level and are often years old, signaling that these guide...

PhD students have consistently identified writing ability and productivity as hurdles toward PhD completion, yet no studies have engaged with higher education PhD students and recent higher education PhD graduates to explore their experiences with writing instruction and support within the context of their PhD program. Findings suggest students rec...

Although many scholars have evaluated how Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) serve and can better serve Latinx students and their communities, scant research has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology within this evaluation of diversity and servingness. As a result, this study analyzes all 558 Hispanic-Serving Institution (.edu) websi...

Research related to how students apply for and receive financial aid has overwhelmingly focused on difficulties with the financial aid application process and to the extent of how financial aid helps students persist through their postsecondary career. Inversely, sparse research has explored how students actively communicate with institutional fina...

It is critical for college students to develop a sense of financial literacy before they enter the workforce (Durband & Britt, 2012; Goetz et al., 2011). However, financial literacy programs on college campuses are sparse (Britt et al., 2015), and those campuses with programs often do not utilize a peer financial mentoring model. As a result, this...

As an emerging field in higher education, institutions have adopted financial mentoring programs to help college students understand their finances (Goetz et al., 2011). However, little guidance exists to help these programs anticipate student needs and facilitate student-friendly programming (Taylor, 2022). As a result, this study engaged with 54...

Colleges and universities have struggled to recruit and retain student workers (Zahneis, 2022), and numerous institutions have created financial mentoring programs, that employ peer mentors (Britt et al., 2015). However, these programs also struggle to staff these positions, which require high levels of financial knowledge. As a result, this study...

Student employment has been found to be a key driver of postgraduate student success (Burnside et al., 2019), specifically gaining professional employment upon graduation. However, little research has addressed which student employment experiences best prepare college students for the labor market (Burnett, 2021). Subsequently, this study seeks to...

Although many studies have examined the role of student employment on postgraduate outcomes (Helyer et al., 2014), few have explored the role of professional mentoring as it impacts a college student's ability to develop marketable skills and gain employment after graduation. As a result, this study seeks to answer this question: How do student emp...

Although a wealth of literature has focused on the student employment experiences of White college students , sparse work has focused on the lived experiences of students of Color in student employment positions on college campuses. Moreover, students of Color face persistent structural racism both in education (Ladson-Billings, 2006) and employmen...

This qualitative study used interviews investigated how at-risk students students articulated their successes, struggles, and knowledge of financial aid as the pandemic was happening. “At-risk” students on warning or probationary financial aid status (GPA < 2.00 or below a 67% completed over attempted credit hours ratio). Use “at-risk” term to prov...

The Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA) is a network of professionals and institutions driven to advancing student success through financial wellness. The Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance was created as a result of the success of the annual Higher Education Financial Wellness Summit (originally known as the National Sum...

In October 2023, JPHE Senior Editor Z.W. Taylor spoke with Marleen Whiteley, a Senior Project Manager working for the Swedish Council for Higher Education. In this Conversation, Marleen described the Swedish-English higher education dictionary she helps manage, which provides standardized terminology translations to help international students and...

It is critical for college students to develop a sense of financial literacy before they enter the workforce (Durband & Britt, 2012; Goetz et al., 2011). However, financial literacy programs on college campuses are sparse (Britt et al., 2015), and those campuses with programs often do not utilize a peer financial mentoring model. As a result, this...

Colleges and universities have struggled to recruit and retain student workers (Zahneis, 2022), and numerous institutions have created financial mentoring programs, which employ peer mentors (Britt et al., 2015). However, these programs also struggle to staff these positions, which require high levels of financial knowledge. As a result, this study...

As an emerging field in higher education, institutions have adopted financial mentoring programs to help college students understand their finances (Goetz et al., 2011). However, little guidance exists to help these programs anticipate student needs and facilitate student-friendly programming (Taylor, 2022). As a result, this study engaged with 54...

Colleges and universities have struggled to recruit and retain student workers (Zahneis, 2022), and numerous institutions have created financial mentoring programs, which employ peer mentors (Britt et al., 2015). However, these programs also struggle to staff these positions, which require high levels of financial knowledge. As a result, this study...

It is critical for college students to develop a sense of financial literacy before they enter the workforce (Durband & Britt, 2012; Goetz et al., 2011). However, financial literacy programs on college campuses are sparse (Britt et al., 2015), and those campuses with programs often do not utilize a peer financial mentoring model. As a result, this...

As an emerging field in higher education, institutions have adopted financial mentoring programs to help college students understand their finances (Goetz et al., 2011). However, little guidance exists to help these programs anticipate student needs and facilitate student-friendly programming (Taylor, 2022). As a result, this study engaged with 54...

Student employment has been found to be a key driver of postgraduate student success (Burnside et al., 2019), specifically gaining professional employment upon graduation. However, little research has addressed which student employment experiences best prepare college students for the labor market (Burnett, 2021). Subsequently, this study seeks to...

Although many studies have examined the role of student employment on postgraduate outcomes (Helyer et al., 2014), few have explored the role of professional mentoring as it impacts a college student's ability to develop marketable skills and gain employment after graduation. As a result, this study seeks to answer this question: How do student emp...

Although a wealth of literature has focused on the student employment experiences of White college students, sparse work has focused on the lived experiences of students of Color in student employment positions on college campuses. Moreover, students of Color face persistent structural racism both in education (Ladson-Billings, 2006) and employment...

One major issue with improving college student financial wellness is that nearly all financial wellness programming is voluntary. Moreover, many college students do not participate in financial wellness programming, even if it is free and on-campus. Filling a critical research gap, this study sought to understand why community college students part...

Although there is a wealth of literature focused on how and why college students persist, less is known about a subpopulation of college students: students on academic probation and/or financial aid warning status, i.e., students who are potentially one semester away from academic suspension and/or lost financial aid eligibility. This study seeks t...

This brief outlines how many institutions of higher education facilitate financial wellness programs that include online financial education modules or courses. Results suggest only 78% of programs include an online component, with nearly 50% of these online components being provided by third-party vendors. There were also large discrepancies regar...

Although many studies have examined the role of student employment on postgraduate outcomes (Helyer et al., 2014), few have explored the role of professional mentoring as it impacts a college student's ability to develop marketable skills and gain employment after graduation. As a result, this study seeks to answer this question: How do student emp...

Although a wealth of literature has focused on the student employment experiences of White college students, sparse work has focused on the lived experiences of students of Color in student employment positions on college campuses. Moreover, students of Color face persistent structural racism both in education (Ladson-Billings, 2006) and employment...

Student employment has been found to be a key driver of postgraduate student success (Burnside et al., 2019), specifically gaining professional employment upon graduation. However, little research has addressed which student employment experiences best prepare college students for the labor market (Burnett, 2021). Subsequently, this study seeks to...

As community college students often come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, report greater financial challenges, and experience higher cohort default rates on student loans compared to peers attending four-year institutions, it is important to understand how community college students develop a sense of financial wellness. Moreover, research has...

This brief outlines how many virtual workshops that financial wellness programs in higher education facilitate, along with attendance rates, topics covered, and involved stakeholders. Results suggest institutions on average held 10.2 virtual workshops, averaged 116 students across all workshops, and largely focused on budgeting, student loans, debt...