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The Appointment Of Untenured Department Chairs In Two- And Four-Year Colleges In A Western State: Problems And Potentials, Forrest G. Williams Jun 2006

The Appointment Of Untenured Department Chairs In Two- And Four-Year Colleges In A Western State: Problems And Potentials, Forrest G. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored the appointment of untenured faculty as department chairs in three two- and four-year colleges in one Western state's system of higher education. Eleven untenured faculty serving as untenured department chairs were interviewed using the qualitative methodology of grounded theory to analyze the data collected in the form of interview transcripts. At the two- and four-year colleges studied, an untenured faculty member's potential of achieving tenure does not appear to be negatively affected by serving as department chair before receiving tenure. A central finding in this research study is the presentation of an explanatory model that provides …


The Characteristics Of Donors And Non-Donors Among Alumni Of Mississippi State University: A Descriptive Study, Dennis Allen Prescott May 2006

The Characteristics Of Donors And Non-Donors Among Alumni Of Mississippi State University: A Descriptive Study, Dennis Allen Prescott

Theses and Dissertations

Alumni associations and offices of development play fundamental roles in American higher education, typically having missions which include the generation of financial support for the institution. Alumni associations must develop strategies to encourage alumni to donate money and enable them to build long-term relationships between alumni organizations and the university. The foundation of any fund raising program is the annual fund. Not only does the annual fund represent a significant percentage of funds raised for most charities, it often comes with the fewest strings attached. If development professionals have a clear understanding of the issues and factors that influence donors …


Lifelong Learners Study In Virginia, Dianne Quinn Kurec Jan 2006

Lifelong Learners Study In Virginia, Dianne Quinn Kurec

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the current baseline for lifelong learners (age 50 and better) focused on post-secondary education in the Commonwealth of Virginia (VA), the resulting academic services and public policy implications. While the aging research to date is overwhelmingly focused upon health issues, financial security, legislative initiatives, care-giving, and assisted living, etc., fewer studies or data are available on the increasing post-secondary continuing education that lifelong learners will likely expect to be made available to them. The educational level of the growing aging population will continue to increase. Research has repeatedly proven higher education to …


Career Path Influences And Identification Of College And University Presidents: A Study Of The Presidents Of The Member Institutions Of The Virginia Foundations For Independent Colleges, Carolyn Elizabeth Whittier Jan 2006

Career Path Influences And Identification Of College And University Presidents: A Study Of The Presidents Of The Member Institutions Of The Virginia Foundations For Independent Colleges, Carolyn Elizabeth Whittier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn how men and women who do not have an initial career goal of becoming a college or university president end up in such a position.The study was to gather information on the internal and external influences on that career path, and how each participant fits within presidential career patterns presented by Wessel (1991).A qualitative case study method was used for this study. The participants were chosen based on their institutions' membership in the Virginia Foundation forIndependent Colleges (VFIC), thus all participants were from private institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Twelve of …


Structured Faculty Mentoring In Higher Education: A Descriptive Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Junior And Senior Faculty, Jennifer J. Smith-Slabaugh Jan 2006

Structured Faculty Mentoring In Higher Education: A Descriptive Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Junior And Senior Faculty, Jennifer J. Smith-Slabaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that mentoring is a viable form of professional development.Faced with large numbers of retirements and a projected increase in student enrollment, the issues of recruitment, retention and revitalization of current faculty are at the core of this study. There is little empirical research on the phenomenon of structured or formal mentoring in higher education from the perspective of both the mentee and the mentor.The purpose of this study was to identify, describe, and analyze the perceived benefits that both senior or more experienced faculty mentors and junior or new-to-the institution faculty mentees at a large urban research …


Factors Leading To Successful Attainment Of Doctoral Degrees In Education By African American Women, Antoinette Michelle Rogers Jan 2006

Factors Leading To Successful Attainment Of Doctoral Degrees In Education By African American Women, Antoinette Michelle Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study determined what factors influenced or hindered the successes of eight African American women who earned doctorates in the field of Education within the past 10 years. The researcher gathered and shared the stories of African American women doctoral degree completers in their own words. Interviews were conducted using the Polycom H.323 videoconferencing system in the School ofEducation at Virginia Commonwealth University.The participants in this study collectively attributed more than 15 factors to helping them complete a doctoral program. Some of the success factors cited include self-determination, knowledge of self and purpose for earning a doctorate, spirituality, …


Institutional Transformation: A Case Study Of An Urban Midwestern University, Jane M. Grassadonia Jan 2006

Institutional Transformation: A Case Study Of An Urban Midwestern University, Jane M. Grassadonia

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a case study of an institutional transformational change effort in an urban research university. The study's focus is on the impact of The Milwaukee Idea on faculty and students as the soul of the university. Literature on transformational change in higher education focuses on the processes for launching this type of change and the role of formal change leaders. Less is known about the impact of transformational change on faculty and students. Relevant literature on change and institutional culture informed this study, including Kotter (1996), Wilber (1998), Cutright (2001), Peterson and Spencer (2000), Kezar and Eckel(2000), and …