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Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Program Assessment Practices And Institutional Performance, Nicholas T. Christian

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Researchers (Stanny & Bryan, 2021; Tinto, 2012) have claimed without empirical evidence that academic program assessment is important to student success. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the relationships between academic program assessment practices and institutional performance based on responses from faculty at U.S.-located four-year institutions of higher education. The theoretical foundations of best practices in program assessment, organizational learning, faculty motivation, and institutional performance were examined and included as the primary variables. Assessment practices in higher education are best summarized by the assessment loop: articulating the intended learning outcomes; selecting appropriate assessment measures; developing curriculum and …

Man & Machine: A Narrative Of The Relationship Between World War Ii Fighter Advancement And Pilot Skill, Brian Burnett Ii

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From 1938 until the end of World War II, the Curtiss P-40 fighter participated in the European, North Africa, and Pacific theaters of war. An aircraft’s success depends primarily upon the pilot’s expertise. Without skilled pilots, technology alone cannot win a war. Technological innovation still plays a crucial role in the success of a nation’s air force. Relative to technological developments, how impactful is a pilot’s skill on a fighter plane’s performance? My thesis structure is a deep look into each pilot’s experience and how victory was achieved with a plane that most military writings say is inferior. I investigate …

Examining The Influence Of Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Advising On Student-Institution Relationship Quality, Student Loyalty, And Enrollment Intentions: An Application Of Relationship Marketing In Higher Education, Linda Marie Hockaday

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As higher education institutions continue to compete for a declining population of students (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019), an increased focus on retaining existing students is required to maintain current levels of undergraduate enrollment (Elliott & Shin, 2002; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; Judson & Taylor, 2014; Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004, Vianden & Barlow, 2014). Predominant student retention models (Astin, 1965; Bean, 1985; Tinto, 1987, 1993) emphasize the interaction between students and institutional representatives as a primary factor influencing the student experience and student decisions to continue enrollment in future academic terms. Although academic advisors are the institutional representative …

Consequences Of Postsecondary Education Institution Policies And Practices: A Structural Model Of Tuition Costs, Student Financial Aid, Selectivity, Proximity, And Enrolled Undergraduate Students' Aggregate Capital, Aaron Michael Skira

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For decades, U.S. higher education enrollments have been stratified with students from wealthier households consistently attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than low-income students. The disparity in postsecondary participation rates by family income is a systemic issue (M. J. Bailey & Dynarski, 2011), meaning the phenomenon is the result of a combination of factors within society rather than one factor alone. Guided by a critical theory perspective and the assumptions behind Perna’s (2006) proposed conceptual model for student college choice research, the current study sought to examine the extent to which policies and practices at the postsecondary institution level may …

Disability Resource Specialists' Capacity To Adopt Principles And Implement Practices That Qualify As Universal Design At A 4-Year Public Institution, Cecilia Spencer Grugan

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Due to the continuous growth of diverse student bodies on college campuses, creating accessibility for each unique student needs to be considered. Students who have a disability or disabilities are a substantial part of this growing diverse student body. Since disability resource specialists play a significant role in creating accessibility for such students, they can consider implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore where disability resource specialists fall on Lewin's (1951) continuum of change and Reynold's (2009) levels of expertise in regards to implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. Six …

The Impact Of Parental Housing Structure On The Autonomy Development Of Sophomore College Students At Four-Year Public Institutions, Colton G. Metzger

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Sophomore college student retention rates are steadily decreasing across the United States. Sophomore students often experience a phenomenon entitled the sophomore slump where the lack of support they receive from their institutions impact their overall mental health, GPA, and retention. This study is a quantitative analysis investigating the impact of parental housing structure on the emotional independence and physical independence of college sophomore students at four-year public institutions. A fifteen question survey was used to measure parental housing structure, physical independence, and emotional independence. Participants were traditional sophomore college students who had completed between 30 and 59 credit hours, had …

The Influence Of Implicit And Explicit Gender Bias On Grading, And The Effectiveness Of Rubrics For Reducing Bias, Sarah Marie Jackson

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The effect of implicit bias on discriminatory grading in education has received considerable attention but, to date, no study has examined the effectiveness of using a rubric to reduce biased grading. Current research has demonstrated that the presence of a gender-normative name is sufficient to activate implicit gender bias, which can result in disparate treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of implicit and explicit gender bias on grading decisions for written assignments. When grading identical essays on the topic of computers (stereotypically-male), participants assigned significantly lower grades when the essay was supposedly written by a …

Faculty/Student Perceptions Of Their Relationship In A Cross-Cultural Academic Mentoring Dyad, Amber J.S. Daniel

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Diversity and mentoring are becoming important areas of study in leadership and educational disciplines. While some steps have been taken to conceptualize or delineate how these disparate elements function in higher education, there has been little research into how and where they intersect, namely, when mentoring dyads are comprised of individuals from diverse cultures. In this paper, the researcher shares her discoveries on how a cross-cultural academic dyad works in contemporary settings. She discusses the role of perceptions, expectations and actions-some of the essential ingredients of effective cross-cultural mentoring- which could be utilized as a guide for further study and/or …

Bridging The Gap: Exploring The Need For Better System Representations In Higher Education, Corinne P. Wright

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Higher education constitutes a sociotechnical system. Some students enter with cultural experiences that support the new endeavor whereas others are woefully under-supported. Student preparedness often is tightly coupled with student background. Some ethnic minorities and students from impoverished backgrounds enter the university setting with a high risk of not persisting or completing their higher education pursuits (e.g., Kuh, Kinzie, Bridges, & Hayek, 2007). Traditional conceptualizations of risk identify immutable factors, such as SES, with little opportunity for immediate mitigation. Traditional interventions to mitigate risk include either fitting the student to the system (e.g., Tinto, 1993) or fitting the system to …

Expanding Representation: Promoting Further Inclusion Of Persons Of Color In Glbtqa Campus Organizations, Programming, And Spaces, Jennifer M. Money

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Gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, questioning/queer, and ally (GBLTQA) programming and spaces at predominately White universities often struggle to meet the needs of GBLTQA students of color. Findings from questionnaire results, interviews, and focus groups demonstrate many of the factors that prevent GBLTQA programming and spaces from increasing inclusion. The main goal of this research is to explore the current problems that exist in terms of race in the Wright State University GBLTQA campus community. I will then discuss strategies that GBLTQA organizations and higher education administrators can employ to increase representation of GBLTQA students of color in programming, resources, and …

Students With Felony Convictions In Higher Education: An Examination Of The Effects Of Special Admissions Policies On Applicants And On Campus Communities, Bradley Dean Custer

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There is limited research documenting the outcomes of college admission policies that screen applicants with prior felony convictions. Without this data, there is no evidence to support that these policies make college campuses safer. Additionally, there is no information available on the effects of special admissions policies on the applicants or on academic performance of students with prior felony convictions. This mixed-method study examined the applications of 54 undergraduate applicants with prior felony convictions at a mid-sized, public institution in the Midwest to reveal demographic trends among the population, to reveal themes from written narratives, and to examine the academic …

The College Experiences Of Transgender Students: Creating A Welcoming Environment On Campus, Roxanna Jessica-Dyan Patton

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The number of transgender students on college campuses has been increasing throughout the United States (Schneider,2010). Transgender students face unique concerns in nearly every aspect of campus life. The purpose of this research was to examine the college experiences of transgender students and recommend best practices for making college campuses more welcoming for transgender students. This phenomenological study was conducted using open ended interview questions to collect qualitative data from three transgender students at a large four year public institution in the Midwest. Respondents identified unwelcoming messages in the following areas of campus life: student activities, health services, and through …

Examining The African American Male Undergraduate Students' Perceptions Of Barriers And Factors For Success, Christopher James Hogan

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The purpose of this research study was to examine the barriers African American males face in higher education and the factors that promote academic success. This study focused on African American males who attended a large Midwestern public university.Their perceptions were collected through multiple interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes. In examining the perceptions of African American males it was found that the barriers they face (academic preparedness, transition into the instructional environment and identity development) and the factors that promote academic success (peer group influence, student involvement and mentoring relationships) at the research institution are similar …

Millennial Students Who Go Directly To Graduate School: Influences On This Decision And The Characterization Of Their Experience, Courtney A. Smith

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The purpose of this research study was to explore the issues surrounding Millennial students who go directly into graduate school after completing an undergraduate degree including what influenced this decision and how the students characterized the experience. Participants were interviewed and several themes emerged from this study: feeling not ready for the real world or qualified to work, differences and difficulties of graduate life compared to undergraduate life, more academic support is needed before and during graduate school, relationships with parents were evolving towards independence, the importance of grades, lack of campus involvement in graduate school, overcoming personal and academic …

The Effects Of The Mennonite Church Usa On Enrollment In Mennonite Institutions Of Higher Education, Katherine Anna Steiner

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The purpose of this study was to determine if enrollment at Mennonite institutions of higher education was impacted after the Mennonite Church (MC) USA formed in 2002. There are five Mennonite institutions of higher education in the United States: Bethel College in Kansas, Bluffton University in Ohio, Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, Goshen College in Indiana, and Hesston College in Kansas. This parallel mixed methods study identified how the merger of the MC USA impacted the overall enrollment at Mennonite IHE. In addition, it explored enrollment based on gender, race, or Mennonite affiliation.

For the quantitative method of this research, …

The Demise Of Industrial Education For African Americans: | |Revisiting The Industrial Curriculum In Higher Education, William L. Allen

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The purpose of this study was to examine the causes that led African Americans to resist industrial education higher education, which ended industrial training programs in predominantly Black colleges and universities during the 1920s.

Three key factors helped create this reform movement: 1) the death of Booker T. Washington; 2) the improved educational levels of African Americans; and 3) the rise in aspirations of African Americans to expand the benefits of higher education. The loss of the Civil War caused a reorientation of southern and economic conditions.

Newly freed slaves had to be granted citizenship. Southern Whites were more concerned …

The Effects Of Physical Activity And A Single Gender Learning Community On The Success Of First Year College Males, Cory D. Taylor

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Since the 1970's and the passing of Title IX of the educational amendments to the Civil rights Act of 1964, the gender demographic at American colleges and universities has changed dramatically. Today the average American college or university is over 57% female, a number that is projected to exceed 60% by 2020. In addition to the fact that in comparison to their female counterparts, less male students are coming to college, we are also seeing that once in college, male students are less likely to persist through to graduation. This study investigated the effects of weekly physical activity within the …