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Not At The Expense Of Me: Best Practices For Black Women Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Social Justice Practitioners In Higher Education, Brittney Michelle Elese Fink
Not At The Expense Of Me: Best Practices For Black Women Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Social Justice Practitioners In Higher Education, Brittney Michelle Elese Fink
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative research paper investigated the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and the year 2020 in sparking a phenomenon of hiring chief diversity officers (CDOs) in higher education. By exploring the interplay between the pandemic, racial justice movements, evolving higher education landscape, and institutional accountability, this study aimed to understand the motivations behind the increased hiring of CDOs during this transformative period. Additionally, this research examined the specific effects of this phenomenon on Black women diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice (DEI&J) professionals in higher education. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by …
Understanding Needs: Facilitating Faculty Support For Formal Assessment Processes In Higher Education, Terrance Cao
Understanding Needs: Facilitating Faculty Support For Formal Assessment Processes In Higher Education, Terrance Cao
Theses and Dissertations
Prior literature discusses how conflicting beliefs regarding assessment, competing workloads, and a lack of formal assessment resources may contribute to faculty reluctance to engage with formal assessment processes. There is a gap in research on exploring assessment leader-faculty relationships through the lens of Leader-Member Exchange Theory and how that may affect participation in formal assessment processes. To address this gap, the researcher implemented a qualitative, phenomenological study to interview faculty about their lived experiences in working with formal assessment processes and interacting with assessment leaders. The goal was to discover emerging thematic categories regarding faculty perceptions of formal assessment processes …
Mandated Sexual Violence Prevention In Higher Education: A Quantitative Analysis Of Student Response To Sexual Harassment And Violence Through A Framework Of Organizational Culture, Andrew L. Jones
Theses and Dissertations
Sexual violence (SV) is a global public health crisis of pandemic proportions. Sexual harassment (SH) and violence are pervasive on college campuses, negatively impacting students, faculty, and staff. To address this, U.S. universities are required by federal law to implement EBP programs to foster awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and skills/behaviors (competencies) to prevent or mitigate sexual misconduct. Improving these competencies can increase students’ capacity to respond to SH and SV they experience or witness positively impacting retention, health, wellness, and graduation outcomes. Additionally, recent empirical evidence has linked organizational culture (i.e., values, shared beliefs, and artifacts) and competencies to effectively responding …
Perceptions Of College/University Students On High School Science And Stem Courses, Brian Park
Perceptions Of College/University Students On High School Science And Stem Courses, Brian Park
Theses and Dissertations
Over the years, the evolution of science along with technology, engineering, and mathematics has been noticeably evident while science education, on the other hand, has shown little development. The research study aimed to investigate future change initiative implementation in secondary science curricula. In addition, the purpose of the research was to learn and examine postsecondary students' perceptions of how well secondary science education prepared them for the postsecondary level plus for schools to utilize the feedback received from students to further improve the quality of science education. The data for the study were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 college/university …
An Examination Of Student’S Motivation To Learn In Higher Education: A Study Of Contributing Factors To Undergraduate Students’ Motivation, Aida Jafari
Theses and Dissertations
Motivation is a complicated concept and difficult to measure and study; nevertheless, it is a substantial factor in students’ performance that demands extra attention. Instructors across all grade levels and disciplines struggle to cultivate classroom environments that focus on student interactions and promote interest where high-quality work is produced (Middleton & Perks, 2014). Educators have been searching for new strategies to improve instruction and student learning, and they keep looking for new ways to increase student motivation (Middleton & Perks, 2014). Moreover, practical knowledge in the classroom depends on the instructor’s ability to stimulate the interest and motivation that brought …
Support For Students With Disabilities: How Awareness And Accommodations Differ Across Faculty Members Within The Postsecondary Context, Toby Tomlinson Baker
Support For Students With Disabilities: How Awareness And Accommodations Differ Across Faculty Members Within The Postsecondary Context, Toby Tomlinson Baker
Theses and Dissertations
This case study sought to determine the most salient needs of higher education faculty who instruct and accommodate students with disabilities (SWDs). Therefore, the faculty were analyzed as a community in a university setting. Currently, the accommodations that faculty provide for SWDs vary from institution to institution. Additionally, certain variables, such as faculty’s years with the university, budget, size, and location of the institution impact the level of support provided and what specific accommodations SWDs receive.The purpose of this qualitative case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the current level of knowledge that faculty obtain for accommodating SWDs. …
Managing The Affective Responses Of Employees During Organizational Change In Higher Education, Brad Kennington
Managing The Affective Responses Of Employees During Organizational Change In Higher Education, Brad Kennington
Theses and Dissertations
Higher education is facing a period of continual change driven by numerous external and internal forces. Consequently, higher education leaders are faced with the frequent and daunting task of planning and managing organizational change in higher education institutions, which are both complex and dynamic in nature. Adding difficulty to this task is the fact that employees often react to change with emotional responses that are both challenging to understand and complicated and to manage. Managing affective dimensions of change can be overwhelming to leaders, which can lead to failed organizational change efforts. This study explored and answered (a) how a …
Parental Involvement: The Impact Of One-Parent Households On Post-Secondary Educational Attainment Of African American High School Males, Dechele Marie Byrd
Parental Involvement: The Impact Of One-Parent Households On Post-Secondary Educational Attainment Of African American High School Males, Dechele Marie Byrd
Theses and Dissertations
This study explored of the practices and routines of one-parent households and the impact on post-secondary educational attainment of African American males. It adopted a post-positivist approach, using a qualitative phenomenological study design to construct descriptions of the lives of one-parent households whose sons are accepted and planning to enter college in the fall or are currently completing their freshman year. The study used data from 10 1-parent households with African American sons committed to attend a college in the fall semester of 2018. The population sought to address maximum variability in participants' parenting background, and the routines and practices …
A Phenomenological Study Of Professors And Instructional Designers During Online Course Development Leading To Enhanced Student-Centered Pedagogy, Debra Chittur
Theses and Dissertations
This study explored the experiences of professors and instructional designers as they interact to design and develop a distance learning course. Six professors from several different universities who reported that their pedagogy improved after these interactions during the conversion process were identified and interviewed, along with the instructional designers with whom they collaborated, to determine what elements of the interaction led to the change in their pedagogical practices. The study used a Hermeneutics phenomenology approach employing a universal instructional design model (Merrill, 2013) and a threat regulation model of trust (Williams, 2007) to shape data collection and analysis. Analysis of …
Admissions Strategies For Graduate Teaching Credential Programs: Holistic Approach Using Non-Cognitive Variables, Jennifer Agatep
Admissions Strategies For Graduate Teaching Credential Programs: Holistic Approach Using Non-Cognitive Variables, Jennifer Agatep
Theses and Dissertations
Cognitive variables have been the primary indicator of academic and professional success used to process degree applications in many admissions departments. Cognitive variables are numerically based markers such as grade point average and test scores. Although cognitive variables are essential in determining qualified candidates in graduate programs, noncognitive variables provide significant additional information about a candidate, such as motivation, strength of character, interpersonal skills, and field experience. This qualitative research study examines (a) the use of noncognitive variables in holistic admissions processes to predict academic and professional success of selected candidates in graduate teaching credential programs offered in private educational …
A Qualitative Study Measuring The Success Rates Of African American Males At Passages: An Academic And Support Services Program At Los Angeles Area Community College, Nyree Berry
Theses and Dissertations
According to national statistics, the number of Black women college graduates is 44.8% while for Black men, the national college graduate rate stand on 33.1%. The overall graduation rate of the Black population remains 57.3%. Further as the per statistics, out of 7.9% of the total Black male population in America in the age group of 18 to 24 years, only 2.8% of Black men were undergraduates at public flagship colleges and universities (NCES, 2012). It is argued that while this troubling trend is most prevalent in all groups among Black men, young Black men are generally the most vulnerable …
Examining Institutional Career Preparation: Student Perceptions Of Their Workplace Readiness And The Role Of The University In Student Career Development, Molly Gonzales
Theses and Dissertations
Existing research suggests a misalignment between the preparation offered by higher education and the workplace readiness skills employers are expecting recent graduates to have mastered. Multiple studies completed on the topic of workplace readiness explored the views of employers, while few gathered the perspectives of students or recent graduates. This embedded mixed methods study invited both undergraduate seniors’ and recent graduates’ to participate in an on-line survey capturing perceptions of their own workplace readiness and their thoughts regarding the role the university should have in student career development. Current undergraduate seniors and first-year alumni of a private, 4-year non-profit university …
African American Students In A California Community College: Perceptions Of Cultural Congruity And Academic Self-Concept Within A Black Culture Center, Tenisha Celita James
African American Students In A California Community College: Perceptions Of Cultural Congruity And Academic Self-Concept Within A Black Culture Center, Tenisha Celita James
Theses and Dissertations
This study focused on the cultural congruity and academic self-concept of African American students in a community college setting who participated in a Black Culture Center. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between cultural congruity and academic self-concept through the following two research questions: what relationship, if any, exists between cultural congruity and academic self-concept, and does cultural congruity influence academic self-concept among African American students participating in a Black Culture Center in a two-year historically White college setting. The results of this study provide support for both hypotheses: there was a significant positive …
Black Degrees Matter: A Phenomenological Study Of Southern Californians With Hbcu Bachelors' And Mainstream Institutional Graduate Degrees In California, Kenya Kirklen Cobb Boykin
Black Degrees Matter: A Phenomenological Study Of Southern Californians With Hbcu Bachelors' And Mainstream Institutional Graduate Degrees In California, Kenya Kirklen Cobb Boykin
Theses and Dissertations
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established with the main objective of identifying and empowering people of African descent. Over the years, these institutions have grown, enrolling 16% of Black high school graduates and during graduation, almost 20% of African-American graduates. Using a qualitative study design, the main goal of this study was to identify the effectiveness of HBCUs’ ability to serve the interests and needs of African-American students who chose to attend and graduate from HBCUs as undergraduate students then attend and graduate from graduate schools at predominantly White institutions (PWIs.) This study inquired about focusing on the …
Succession Planning Relating To The Millennial Generation In Private Four-Year Universities, Stephen Anthony Gilbert
Succession Planning Relating To The Millennial Generation In Private Four-Year Universities, Stephen Anthony Gilbert
Theses and Dissertations
The workplace is in a transition with age demographics (Mann, 2006). The baby boomers, once a large and dominating force in the workplace are now in their initial years of a decade’s move into retirement. And with such a large demographic change, there is a vacuum that is created and then filled. Many industry analysts have deemed this transition as the "Great shift change." In the workplace, vacancies are being created en mass at the managerial and executive levels. Due to the recession of 2008-2012, the baby boomers remained in the marketplace for an extended period of time, some say …
Best Practices In Adult Online Learning, Autumn Luscinski
Best Practices In Adult Online Learning, Autumn Luscinski
Theses and Dissertations
Students in the United States are obtaining more college degrees than ever before. In 1975, 21.9% of Americans held bachelor’s degrees, and in 2012, 33.5% of Americans held bachelor’s degrees (Rampell, 2013). A study in 2011 indicated that Americans possessing a bachelor’s degree earn approximately $2.27 million, those with master’s degrees earn $2.67 million and those with doctoral degrees earn $3.65 million over their adult lifetime, dwarfing those with some college, who earn $1.55 million, or no college, who earn $1.30 million (Burnsed, 2011). Unfortunately, the increase in college degree attainment in the United States does not include all Americans. …
Preparing Future Leaders In Higher Education: Excellence Practices From Staff To Mid-Level Management Role Transitions, Erica Sherese Little
Preparing Future Leaders In Higher Education: Excellence Practices From Staff To Mid-Level Management Role Transitions, Erica Sherese Little
Theses and Dissertations
Mid-level leadership is key to a functioning university and it is important that mid-level leaders feel they have the tools and resources they need in order to succeed. To be successful in a new mid-level leadership position, entering supervisors must clearly communicate a strong sense of vision, values, and principles to their staff and establish positive relationships to encourage inclusivity, support, and effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to determine what higher education institutions can do to prepare staff for a successful transition into mid-level management and leadership roles successfully. This purpose was achieved by identifying successes and challenges …
The Relationships Among Transformational Leadership, Job Satisfaction, And Academic Service Quality At Al-Baha University, Maha Alghamdi
The Relationships Among Transformational Leadership, Job Satisfaction, And Academic Service Quality At Al-Baha University, Maha Alghamdi
Theses and Dissertations
This study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership components (idealized influence [attributes], idealized influence [behaviors], inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individual consideration), job satisfaction and academic service quality at Al-Baha University. The purposes of this study were to identify the extent to which, if at all, relationships exist between perceived levels of transformational leadership components, job satisfaction, and academic service quality among the faculty members, and to examine to what extent, if at all, are differences in demographic characteristics (gender, age, current position, and years spent at current position) of faculty members associated with the self-perceived levels of transformational leadership …
Student Loan Debt Implications For Hispanic Students Who Have Graduated From College, Eric Rodriguez
Student Loan Debt Implications For Hispanic Students Who Have Graduated From College, Eric Rodriguez
Theses and Dissertations
This quantitative correlational non-experimental study examines some major implications of student loan debt that Hispanics face upon graduation from institutions of higher learning. It provides both descriptive and correlational statistics to help view how Hispanics differ from non-Hispanics graduate students in their plight to live the American dream of social mobility. Hispanics now represent over 50 million and are the fastest growing (43% between the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census) segment of the U.S. population. The belief that gaining a college degree will enhance social mobility may in fact impede it, or at least, delay it for Hispanics. With the …
Helping Students Succeed In College: The Role Of A First-Year Seminar, Kurt Laudicina
Helping Students Succeed In College: The Role Of A First-Year Seminar, Kurt Laudicina
Theses and Dissertations
Student retention has been a mystery within colleges and universities for decades. Administrators continue to devote resources to increase student persistence within their institutions. The first-year seminar is a popular intervention found at many colleges and universities. The purpose of this study was to explain how a first-year seminar affected the retention rate of first-time, traditional aged freshman at a medium-sized, 4-year, public university. Using the fall cohort of 2012 students (N=665), this study used a two-phase, sequential, explanatory mixed methods design. Using a stratified random sample and Tinto's (1987) theory of individual departure as the theoretical framework, this study …
Examination Of Food Choice Motives: The Influence Of An Innovative, Interdisciplinary Learning Community Related To Environmental Sustainability, Kelly J. Billingsley
Examination Of Food Choice Motives: The Influence Of An Innovative, Interdisciplinary Learning Community Related To Environmental Sustainability, Kelly J. Billingsley
Theses and Dissertations
What and how much an individual eats largely defines his/her health. The most used dietary intervention models target individuals' concern for personal health, thereby undermining the interdisciplinary trajectory of the nutrition field. The purpose of this study was to compare the food choice motives of students enrolled in an interdisciplinary learning community (LCOM) to students enrolled in a non-integrated nutrition course and gain insight into student experiences with interdisciplinary nutrition education. A two-phase sequential mixed methods design was used. The first phase compared the personal health and ethical concern motives of the LCOM (n = 13) and non-integrated students (n …
An Exploratory Study Of The Lived Experience Of Japanese Undergraduate Efl Students In The Flipped Classroom, Jeffrey Gerald Mehring
An Exploratory Study Of The Lived Experience Of Japanese Undergraduate Efl Students In The Flipped Classroom, Jeffrey Gerald Mehring
Theses and Dissertations
Recently, Japanese higher education has decided to transition from a traditional teacher-centered to a more student-centered, communicative classroom. One promising possibility that could help in the transition is the flipped classroom technique. Examining the lived experiences of Japanese university English as a foreign language (EFL) students who have taken part in a course taught using the flipped classroom technique will help in determining possible benefits of the flipped classroom in EFL higher education in Japan. This study will use a qualitative approach with a case study design to focus on the lived experiences of Japanese EFL university students at Iwate …
Staying The Course: Grit, Academic Success, And Non-Traditional Doctoral Students, Theodore Martin Cross
Staying The Course: Grit, Academic Success, And Non-Traditional Doctoral Students, Theodore Martin Cross
Theses and Dissertations
As higher education changes to reach larger numbers of students via online modalities, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the issue of student attrition and other measures of student success become increasingly important. While research has focused largely on undergraduate online students, less has been done in the area of online non-traditional doctoral student success, particularly from the student trait perspective. On the trait level, the concept of grit has been identified as an important element of the successful attainment of long-term goals. Earning a doctorate can be classified as a long-term goal; therefore the purpose of this study …
A Study Of Burnout Among Faculty At Fullerton College, Tanzil Khan
A Study Of Burnout Among Faculty At Fullerton College, Tanzil Khan
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent of burnout among full-time faculty at Fullerton College. This study reviewed research on burnout at the community college level and gives insight into burnout's major contributors to. It provides suggestions for intervention to reduce the phenomenon of faculty burnout and recommendations for future research. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) was used to measure burnout focusing on the 3 burnout subscales of depersonalization, exhaustion, and personal accomplishment. Variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and t-test. Data were gathered through a demographic survey and the MBI-ES to answer the following …
An Alternative Spring Break Of Leadership And Service: Interpreting The Servant Leadership, Motivations, And Service Participation Of Millennials Who Participated In Project Lead Between The Years 2008-2010, Catharine Ann Noll
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this interpretive, modified grounded theory qualitative study was two-fold. The first purpose of this study was to interpret the knowledge/understanding of servant leadership, lived experience as it pertained to servant leadership development, motivations for participation, and perceived influence service participation had on personal, academic, and career goals of millennials who participated in Pepperdine University's Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leadership development and service program, Project LEAD (Leadership Education and Development), between the years 2008-2010. The second purpose of this study was to use collected data as a means for developing an alternative model for Project LEAD that furthers …
The Path To Graduation: A Model Interactive Web Site Design Supporting Doctoral Students, Nicole Simmons-Johnson
The Path To Graduation: A Model Interactive Web Site Design Supporting Doctoral Students, Nicole Simmons-Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
This 2-phase mixed method study assessed 2nd-year doctoral students' and dissertation students' perceptions of the current Graduate School of Education dissertation support Web site, with implications for designing a model dissertation support Web site. Methods. Phase 1 collected quantitative and qualitative data through an anonymous electronic survey. Phase 2 consisted of 6 semistructured qualitative Skype interviews. Four themes emerged from the qualitative portion of the study: (a) Mentoring, (b) Student Support Groups, (c) Explicit functions and roles of Dissertation Chairpersons, and (d) the Opportunity to network and interact with dissertation students face-to-face or online. Results. Of the respondents, 42.3% found …
A Study Of The Innovation, Creativity, And Leadership Skills Associated With The College-Level Millennial Generation, Melinda Lester
A Study Of The Innovation, Creativity, And Leadership Skills Associated With The College-Level Millennial Generation, Melinda Lester
Theses and Dissertations
As the economy has become increasingly global, organizations whose employees are more creative and innovative compete at a higher level than those who do not. And, organizations that incorporate multi-generations into their workforce will realize more creativity and innovation within their organizations. Now, and in the future, leaders will encounter a new generation of employees that will challenge their leadership ability. The challenges addressed in this study gravitate to these areas: Creativity and innovative abilities that will compete in the global economy; the Millennial Generation and their unrealized creative skills due to the influence of the No Child Left Behind …
A Model For Integrating A Career Development Course Program Into A College Curriculum, Charles Michael Austin
A Model For Integrating A Career Development Course Program Into A College Curriculum, Charles Michael Austin
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this dissertation is to address the need to practicalize higher education by expanding career coursework into an ongoing career curriculum, beginning in a student's freshman year of college. Career development needs to serve as a finishing school for a college degree, the place where all a student has learned is combined into an awareness of the talents and skills they have developed, and can now be marketed to potential employers. The working world has become a volatile environment, and we do our students a disservice if we do not properly prepare them for the reality of the …
Lean And Its Impact On Employee Empowerment Within A Higher Education Institution, Bernadette J. Barber
Lean And Its Impact On Employee Empowerment Within A Higher Education Institution, Bernadette J. Barber
Theses and Dissertations
Institutions of higher education have been faced with economic challenges, funding shortfalls, endowment declines, layoffs, academic program cuts, rising tuition, and stiff global competition. These challenges are taking place at a time when students and other higher education constituencies are adding the pressure of consumer choice while expecting more responsive and comprehensive services, integrated use of technology, and managed costs. For some educational institutions, Lean--a total quality management approach--has become a tool for managing these challenges and expectations. Lean proponents also have suggested that incorporating Lean principles and processes results in higher levels of employee empowerment. The purpose of this …