Digital Commons Network^™

Recommendations For Generation Z Civic Engagement On College Campuses, Grace A. Edwards

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Because there is little existing research specifically about Generation Z civic engagement in higher education in the United States, comparisons must be made with research about different generations’ voting and civic engagement patterns, specifically Millennials, since they share many similarities with Gen Z, and Gen Z civic engagement in different countries. This, paired with survey data and statistics about Gen Z civic engagement, provide a strong foundation for this project. To supplement this literature review, interviews with industry professionals were held to learn more about the environment of Gen Z civic engagement on college campuses. From these different sources of …

Developing An Lgbtqia2+ Affirming Curriculum And Testing Its Impact On Allyship, Tausif Karim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why are some conversations considered more difficult in learning spaces than others? What is the potential for educational interventions strengthen our capacities for such challenging conversations and for allyship? Guided by these broad questions, the present thesis focused on LGBTQIA2+ affirming education and sought to specifically test how an intentionally queer online learning experiences impacted the participants’ self-perceived allyship efficacies.

In my thesis, I draw on literature exploring how the “civility, teacher immediacy, or teacher credibility” (Chen & Lawless, 2018, p. 376) of Western education has prevented instructors from bringing topics related to race, gender, immigration, sexuality, and others in …

Deconstructing The University: Contemporary Dei, Neoliberal Rationalities, And The Abolition Of The Administrative Apparatus, Jonah Henkle

Media and Cultural Studies Honors Projects

The following chapters attempt to develop some working theories to combat capitalist exploitation and racist and gendered oppression in the university, culminating in a call for the abolition of the university’s administrative apparatus. The project is divided broadly into two parts, which are referential to each other, but maintain slightly different areas of focus. Part 1 details a preliminary critique of the political-economy of the contemporary neoliberal university, drawing influence from Marxian economics and structuralist theories of ideology, critiquing contemporary discourses of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI). Part 2 focuses more directly on issues pertaining to oppression and difference, maintaining …

The Image Of Jordanian Universities Among Arab Students, Ali Yahya Al Hadeed, Muna Saleh Al Tubishat

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education (مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية (للبحوث في التعليم العالي

The study aims to identify the image of the Jordanian universities among Arab students, this study is considered of a descriptive studies that used the survey approach to obtain its results by applying the questionnaire tool to an purposive sample of (366) Arab students studying in the Jordanian universities. The results of the study were as follows: that the level of factors that contribute to the formation of the image of the Jordanian universities was high from the point of view of Arab students, and that the security and safety enjoyed by the Jordanian universities is one of the most …

Higher Education Social Media: Student Perceptions Of University’S Covid-19 Crisis Communication, Bailey Cormier

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This study, as stated, is aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of full-time undergraduate students of the university’s social media crisis communication. These students, the stakeholders of BSU, have followed Instagram accounts and have both accessed and been the audience of during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is a novel health crisis, the findings of this study have significance and can provide insights into effective crisis communication strategies that organizations and crisis communicators can implement in the current pandemic and future health crises. Experiences with different aspects during the pandemic such as participating in education online during …

Mapping Governmental Engagement With Community Engaged Learning In Canadian Higher Education: An Environmental Scan Of Key Trends, Hannah R. Argiloff

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This is an environmental survey my supervisor and I conducted pertaining to the landscape of government engagement with Community Engaged Learning in Canadian Universities.

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is a valuable type of experiential learning characterized by collaboration between student and community partner/ stakeholder for the creation of a mutual outcome.

Given the relations between provincial governments and their influence over publicly funded universities, compounded by a recent uptick in CEL programs across Canada, we wanted to survey government rhetoric, policy, and legislation across the country to create a picture of the interactions between provincial governments and CEL in the …

Colloquium, Or The Argument For A New School Of Architecture..., Austin Turner

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Colloquium, or an argument for the new school of Architecture... is an interrogation on the power of Architectural discourse and its impact on the built environment.

The research begins by analyzing the works and theories of four distinct architects: Peter Eisenman, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, and Bjarke Ingels. During my investigation, I ask myself, “What happened in their school environment that made them great,” or in other words, “What can a student, like me, do to be like these people?”

To answer this question, I found the best way to analyze this would be to look back on their own …

Creating Flexibility With A New Faculty Classification, Louis K. Falk, Kelly B. Smith, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years Institutions of Higher Education have refocused their instructional methods toward online or remote options. This rearrangement has brought challenges to many universities and colleges, the likes of which have not been seen before. Preparing, encouraging, and converting faculty to online instructors has been one of the core issues. Within Higher Education at major colleges and universities a professor whose primary responsibility is teaching strictly online has not been widely accepted. This paper explores the relatively recent changes in Higher Education, types of instruction, the traditional faculty structure, and calls for the addition of an online faculty rank, …

The Importance Of Health Literacy: A Student-Led Workshop On Lay Communication, Sarah Jean Kamp, Jafra D. Thomas

Kinesiology and Public Health

The purpose of this experiential senior project workshop was to advance the knowledge and practice of health communication by (a) delivering a training workshop to Cal Poly undergraduate students and (b) by exploring the relationship between health literacy and effective communication through completion of a rapid review of the literature. The reviewed literature served the purpose of helping the student further design the workshop to elicit a foundational understanding of the elements of effective communication of health information as well as the history and evolution of health literacy as a concept. The workshop revised and delivered by the student was …

Social Media Preferences Of Individuals Seeking Graduate Business Degrees, Peyton N. Boxberger, Hannah C. Lee

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide actionable insight to the Walton MBA Programs Office for a cohesive social media strategy that is inclusive of all audiences. This research hopes to help the Walton MBA program better understand potential and current students based on their social media behavior and learn how social media use has changed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This report will analyze the results of a survey crafted to better understand the social media preferences of individuals seeking graduate business degrees. From these, a social media marketing strategy can be created to tailor content to …

Into The College Classroom, Another Tour Of Duty: A Guide For Instructors Of Veteran Students In Higher Education, Steven Dewalden

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Concepts found in organizational socialization and culturally responsive pedagogy, were used in this project. The focus was on the veteran population who are leaving the unique organizations of the military to transition into higher education. Differences in socialization techniques used by the military and higher education are vastly different and contribute to unique outcomes for the new members. In this project, veterans were represented as a unique culture to consider in the classrooms of higher education as instructors prepare to use a culturally responsive approach to teaching. This project was created using an autoethnographic process using self-reflection through a narrative …

Best Practices For Voter Engagement Within Higher Education, Alyssa Tomins

Honors Projects

It is imperative that higher education institutions learn more about how to recruit members of younger generations to participate in future elections. Young people have historically voted at low rates, but that trend has started to change in recent years as more resources are being devoted to voter engagement among young people. This leads to the interest of understanding what best practices and strategies have academic institutions utilized to advance voter engagement on their campuses. This qualitative study analyzes these best practices and strategies at 84 colleges and universities, all of whom are members of The Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote …

Examining Natural Resource Conservation: In The Classroom, Through Collaborative Conservation, And Across Public Communication Platforms, Shauni Seccombe

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Covid-19'S Impact On Higher Education Communication, Abigail L. Sanders

Masters Theses

The following study was intended to contribute qualitative research on the impact that the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) global outbreak has had on higher education communication. A qualitative study was conducted using questionnaires given to professors and students at a private university in the United States. Through this study, three primary research questions were answered. First, among university students, what was the academic impact of COVID-19? Specifically, how did the transition into virtual learning affect student academics during the spring 2020 academic semester? Second, did university students experience professors with poor digital literacy, and did this illiteracy impact professor-student rapport? Third, …

Integrating Persuasive Messaging Strategies Into Higher Education Early Alert Interventions To Improve Student Academic Behaviors, Joseph Gayheart

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Higher Education is at a critical juncture as both public and private institutions seek to attract, retain, and graduate students. Institutions of higher education have traditionally developed communication and engagement strategies that become part of early warning/alert systems intended to increase student positive academic behaviors and improve student success. Persuasion can be a powerful tool in improving communication—especially when persuasive messages are deployed within the complex and ever-changing media landscape. Communication and persuasion scholars, for example, have applied persuasive messaging interventions in a variety of contexts but have yet to substantially apply these persuasive tactics in a higher education setting. …

Higher Education And The Dei Climate: Exploring And Understanding The Role Of Social Media, Self Esteem, And Intercultural Communication In Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Initiatives On The College Campus, Christian T. Cardona

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the effects and levels of impact that a university student’s intercultural communication competence, social media usage, and self-esteem have on the students’ attitudes towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts implemented by institutions of higher education. By studying these three independent variables, this research seeks to improve the understanding of the university students’ attitudes on DEI efforts for leaders and change agents in higher education, providing an inspiration for leaders, administrators, and change agents of higher education to continue collaborating to innovate methods and avenues towards creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus climate, as …

Determining Critical Success Factors For Realizing Innovative It Solutions In Higher Education, Anton Meijer

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

There is much research on Critical Success Factors when implementing novel IT solutions in different industries and contexts. However, for the domain of higher education the amount of studies is limited. This is partially due to the fact that what is considered higher education is different across countries. Universities, Universities of Applied Science, Vocational Universities, Polytechnics and related (research) institutes both have similarities and differences. However, one commonality is that institutions in higher education are not sufficiently capable of supporting the development(s) and requirements of educational processes with adequate (innovative) IT. Therefore the purpose of this study is to determine …

Student-Run Agencies: A Guideline For Agency Survival, Brooke Borgognoni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to study 110 student-run agencies (including advertising, public relations, integrated/digital marketing, communications, and graphics and/or design) in the U.S. by analyzing how they currently operate, what practices exist in the agencies for learning, growth, and continuation and how leadership roles of students and advisors influence the agency. This project built upon past studies of student-run agencies and expanded on the topic using the evolutionary theory of a firm by analyzing factors that determine whether it appears that a student-run agency might dissolve or last. This was determined by measuring the faculty advisor involvement level, …

Increasing Engagement With Student Government Associations: An Examination Of Student Publics, Viraj Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Student Government Associations (SGAs) are campus organizations comprised of student leaders which advocate on behalf of the student population. Participation in SGAs have proven academic, professional, and social benefits, yet the engagement in the organization has declined. This study employs Daft and Lengel’s (1986) Media Richness Theory to examine if different media affect the composition of student publics. These publics are defined using Grunig’s (1979) Situational Theory of Publics (STP). Additionally, the impact of self-efficacy, response efficacy, and perceptions of social norms on the variables in STP is also examined.

A Gift From God: An Analysis Of Social Media Policies Adopted By Catholic Institutions Of Higher Education And How They Cover Faculty, Mckenna L. Schray

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This dissertation investigates the development of social media policies in higher education. This study differentiates itself from existing social media policy research by analyzing the content of social media policies themselves, focusing on how social media policies cover faculty, and examining policies at Catholic higher education institutions. Using multiple data sources and quantitative content analysis, this study found 28.7 percent of Catholic higher education institutions have a published social media policy and 27.5 percent of Catholic higher education institutions have a social media policy that covers faculty.

Related to social media policies at Catholic higher education institutions, this study revealed …

Communication Goals Of American Universities: A Social Media Content Analysis, Travis Ryan

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Social media is a key communication tool for American universities. This research project is an exploratory look at how universities communicate with stakeholders via social media. In particular, the primary purpose is to explore potential emphasis on academic programs relative to the promotion of athletics as a marketing tool to bolster identity and recruit students. 3000 tweets were collected from 130 NCAA Division 1 American universities. In total, roughly 500,000 tweets have been scraped and classified using an automated script to assess tweet content. Particular emphasis was given to the concept of university rebranding as a broader marketing strategy for …

Assessing A Peer Mentor Program In An Honors College Of Agriculture, Isabel Whitehead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to assess mentees’ experiences in a peer mentor program in an honors college of agriculture and to determine which factors impact mentees’ ability to relate to their peer mentor based on the theory of homophily and interpersonal attraction. Colleges of agriculture are encouraged to examine which determinants impact students’ decisions to enter agri-science programs, what draws students to postsecondary agricultural programs, and to try recruiting underserved individuals into higher education to fulfill open employment opportunities for diverse, skilled, and globally competent individuals (Goeker, et al., 2015; Stripling & Ricketts, 2017). Peer mentoring is often …

Making ‘The Ask’ To Internal Stakeholders: The Influence Of Organizational Identification On University Faculty And Staff Giving, Lora Haley Ashley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore faculty/staff identification with their employing university and how that, in turn, may influence their decision to financially support the institution, or not. This study employed a case study approach and a mixed methods research design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data. An online survey using Cheney’s (1982) Organizational Identification Questionnaire measured faculty/staff members’ identification with the organization and with their specific departments. The survey also collected data on faculty/staff past charitable giving. Following the survey, qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted with faculty/staff members to explore what factors contributed to their …

Looking At Innovation Dialogically: Teaching Communication And (Social) Change In The Innovation Engineering Program At The University Of Maine, Mark J. Congdon Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions face two concurrent demands: preparing students for the job-market, while also developing informed and engaged citizens (Frey & Palmer, 2014; Gould, 2003). How universities reconcile these demands varies. The Innovation Engineering program (IE) at the University of Maine strives to both, “change the world by enabling innovation” (concern for social issues) and educate entrepreneurs (students) whose innovations reach markets quicker and at a decreased risk (capitalist orientation) (Hall, 2013; Kelly, 2014). The program uses a systems approach to innovation by teaching tools and methods for creating, communicating, and commercializing meaningfully unique ideas. Processes and contexts are important …

How College Campuses Are Using Social Media During Severe Weather Events, Emmale Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how college campuses are using social media during severe weather events. This topic surfaced after a tornado devastated Moore, Oklahoma in May 2013 and those displaced flocked to the University of Oklahoma campus after a post made on Twitter went viral prior to an official message being sent out by the university. In order to further explore this topic, a qualitative phenomenological case study was conducted at the following sites: University of Alabama, Missouri Southern State University, University of Oklahoma, and Florida State University. This study included observations of social media posts on Facebook and Twitter on …

Gander Thinks We Need More Civility In Public Discourse, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

“I became a professor of communication studies because I like talking about public arguments.” That’s how Dr. Eric Gander explains why he is what he is today. And in this era of public discussions of free speech and the First Amendment, his interests seem more relevant than ever.

Gander is a native of Tallahassee, Florida. He received a bachelor’s in economics a master’s in communication from the University of Virginia, and a doctorate in communication studies from Northwestern University. Today he is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at …

Digital Literacy Among Sriwijaya University Lecturers, Alamsyah Alamsyah

Informasi

This article aims to describe patterns of digital literacy among Sriwijaya University (SU) lecturer and its contribution to the implementation of eLearning. We used a mixed approach. Our population is 635 subjects who have been running and organizing through the e-learning plat-form of SU. We, then, selected 30 lecturers randomly as our samples. Data were collected through offline and online questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and secondary data collection. Likert Scale is used to measure digital literacy among respondents and e-learning implementation is explained using the SIMPLE model. We find that digital literacy competence among SU lecturers is in a high position. …

Hahn Teaches, Studies The Ways People Communicate, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

“When I was in middle school, I joined the policy debate team, and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the research process, but I also enjoyed the ways we were taught to examine multiple opinions and to use what’s called ‘dissoi logoi,’ or the ability to examine standpoints that you don’t understand and to defend them so that you understand your own standpoint much better.”

That is how Dr. Allison Hahn, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College, explains how she became interested in communication studies. This …

Access Denied: Ending The Exclusion Of Disabled Students From Media Production Courses In Higher Education, Jayne Cubbage

Journal of Media Literacy Education

As the acceptance of media literacy increases among educators, media producers and consumers, one group is often missing from the dialogue—persons with disabilities. This absence is witnessed in the marginalized media depictions of the disabled. To gain entry into the media professions, some form of higher education is required. Using muted group theory as a backdrop, this work, a narrative analysis of the author’s experience with students with disabilities in media production courses, explores the de facto exclusion of persons with disabilities in such classes, due to the poorly outfitted and non-compliant nature of audio and video production facilities.

Goodman Teaches How Corporations Should Communicate, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Michael Goodman never thought he would become an expert in corporate communication. In fact, his degrees are all in English, from his bachelor’s at the University of Texas in Austin to his master’s and doctorate in literature from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook. “I like to tell people that anyone who can read and understand, interpret, analyze and then comment on Moby Dick and the novels of Mark Twain and Faulkner should be able to figure out annual reports and memos and things like that,” he says.

Before he obtained his doctorate, Goodman did some …