John Aubrey Douglass is Senior Research Fellow - Public Policy and Higher Education at the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE), and is a faculty member in the Goldman School of Public Policy, at the University of California - Berkeley. His research focuses on the forces and politics of globalization, the future of Democracy, the role of universities in economic development and socioeconomic mobility, the student experience and...
A recent report by the Inside Higher Education entitled "Beyond Tuition: The Hidden Costs of College and Their Disproportionate Impact" cited CSHE ROPS Editor and External Relations Specialist Shanshan Jiang-Brittan's research on the affordable student housing crisis.
"'High-rise, high-amenity private developments near campuses may be attractive, but affordable they’re not. Often occupied by affluent international and out-of-state domestic students, these properties can also drive up the entire local housing market.' That’s what Shanshan Jiang-Brittan of UC Berkeley, who...
Food insecurity is widespread among college students in the United States. CalFresh food benefits, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can help students in California pay for food, but may not reach all eligible students. CalFresh enrollment rates among students have been difficult to estimate due to incomplete data on California students’ eligibility for and enrollment in the CalFresh...
BERKELEY, CA – The Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) today announced the release of a new paper in the Research and Occasional Paper Series (ROPS) that critically examines the escalating student housing crisis. The paper, titled "Crisis by Design," delves into how the proliferation of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and the financialization of student housing are reshaping access and equity in higher education.
Authored by Dr. Shanshan Jiang-Brittan, the paper asserts that fast enrollment growths, coupled with insufficient...
Berkeley, CA – The UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) is delighted to feature the impactful work of the Possibility Lab, a fellow research lab under the Goldman School of Public Policy, in their recent project: "Stories of Resilience and Transformation."
This compelling initiative centers on a collection of student narratives, offering invaluable insights into the lived experiences of students as well as capturing the nuanced realities of navigating higher education today.
Senior Researcher and Visiting Scholars Coordinator
Anne J. MacLachlan is a retired senior researcher at CSHE who continues to be devoted to increasing access, persistence, and success in postsecondary education for underrepresented groups (URM) including domestic minorities, women, and those from uneducated/poor families with an emphasis on those in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Her research areas cover the spectrum of postsecondary populations including community college and transfer students, undergraduates in general, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty. Among these, doctoral...
CSHE's Igor Chirikov and John Aubrey Douglass published an article at University World News entitled "Study finds lingering impact of COVID on student experience," featuring the recently released SERU Multi-Engagement Report.
Student Success at Risk: New Study Finds Lasting Post-Pandemic Declines in Student Engagement in American Public Universities —Proposed Federal Funding Cuts Could Slow Recovery
March 18, 2025 – A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, finds that student engagement across key areas of research university experience – academics, research, extracurriculars, civic engagement, and career...
