Doing the Same (or More) With Less: The Challenges Regional Public Universities Face in Serving Rural Populations

Abstract

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, nearly 60 million Americans live in rural places, which represents approximately one-fifth of the total national population (United States Census Bureau, 2015). These communities are home to unique cultures, and they are the lifeblood of critical infrastructures that provide food, energy, and transit for the rest of the country. Despite playing an essential role in national prosperity, rural communities have faced persistent social and economic challenges. Postsecondary education is a central issue for rural communities, especially given the connection between educational attainment and economic opportunity, yet this is a topic that remains understudied. This chapter highlights existing research on rural students' college choices, as well as how living in an education desert, defined below, impacts postsecondary options and outcomes. Next, federal data are used to demonstrate disparities in the types of institutions

Rural Latinx Students’ Spatial Imaginations of Their College Choices: Toward a Student Understanding of “Rural-Serving Institutions” in California’s San Joaquin Valley

“…Researchers, especially those concerned with rural-serving institutions' role in the success, well-being, and vitality of rural students and communities, must acknowledge the limitations of solely relying on quantitative measures of geography and population to determine "servingness". While these measures have provided a preliminary metric that defines which institutions are "rural-serving" [4], they ignore the voices and experiences of rural community members who may have disparate understandings of which institutions truly serve them. For example, the students in this study did not reference institutions that conferred degrees in agriculture, natural resources, and parks and recreation as outlined by Koricich et al's [15] rural-serving institution definition.…”

“…Rural students attend high schools that are often under-resourced and do not receive adequate college preparation, negatively impacting their college access [1][2][3]. Rural students also face geographic barriers when accessing higher education [2,4] as they are more likely to reside in "education deserts," which are communities that lack higher education institutions nearby [5]. Limited access to nearby and quality higher education institutions has been found to negatively impact rural student college access and enrollment, as proximity to colleges significantly affects the likelihood of college application, especially at four-year colleges [6].…”

Exploring Economic Returns Across Rural-Serving Colleges

“…Education deserts, broadly defined as regions with little to no nearby colleges, are found more frequently in rural areas (Hillman & Weichman, 2016). Fewer nearby postsecondary options can reduce the likelihood of rural students completing bachelor's degrees (Koricich et al, 2020), potentially resulting in lower earnings in these areas. However, rural colleges can often be one of the largest employers in a region, potentially resulting in jobs and opportunities (McClure et al, 2021).…”

Stress, Sleep, and Resilience Among Rural BSN Students in a New Nursing Program

“…These stressors may be compounded in the senior year of their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, as they try to balance school requirements for graduation, struggle with lack of recreational time, and experience fear of making mistakes, all of which can interfere with sleep quality and resilience 1,3–5. Students in rural settings may face additional barriers, including attending regional divisions of universities with limited financial resources compared with their nonrural counterparts, limited funding for academic support services, and challenges with home internet access to complete assignments 6. These stressors, collectively, can result in decreased well-being, negative physical and mental health outcomes, and burnout 7,8.…”

“…1,[3][4][5] Students in rural settings may face additional barriers, including attending regional divisions of universities with limited financial resources compared with their nonrural counterparts, limited funding for academic support services, and challenges with home internet access to complete assignments. 6 These stressors, collectively, can result in decreased well-being, negative physical and mental health outcomes, and burnout. 7,8 Faculty are obligated to promote students' academic success and facilitate a smooth transition from student to practicing nurse, but these negative impacts may prevent this from occurring, especially among students on smaller, rural campuses with potentially limited resources and disparities.…”