Students with disabilities are increasingly enrolling in colleges and universities. However, many institutions are still unprepared to support them beyond the basic federal mandate of equal access and reasonable accommodations. This qualitative study utilized a nontraditional media of reflective journaling to capture the anecdotal experiences of 16 college students with disabilities for a 10-week period. Four major themes emerged concerning barriers and frustrations these students encountered on a daily basis: (a) faculty perception, (b) fit of advisors, (c) college stressors, and (d) quality of support services. Recommendations for higher education administrators and disability personnel to become more vigilant in improving support for this population are discussed.

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The literature on higher education supports the assumption that the integration of environmental and psychological factors are critical in influencing the intents of students to stay in college. Yet, questions exist on the impact faculty may have on student retention. This exploratory study examines perceptions of students about faculty in terms of relatedness, responsiveness, teaching quality, and treatment of students and how those perceptions impact students' own perceptions of their self-efficacy, locus of control, persistence, and commitment. Results yielded positive and significant correlations. Respondents identified specific attributes of faculty which could potentially enhance or frustrate their intentions to stay in college. Recommendations for promoting quality faculty-student interactions in and out of the classroom and the ethics of caring are discussed.