Digital Commons Network^™

Putting You First: First-Generation Student Perceptions, Needs, And Engagement At Virginia Commonwealth University, Jennifer D. Adams, Brittany M. Gracik, Rochelle H. Jordan, Yeimarie Lopez

Doctor of Education Capstones

You First at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) submitted a Request for Assistance with the need for increased engagement with VCU first-generation (FG) students. To address this request, a doctoral Capstone team conducted problem and context analysis, a literature review, a mixed-methods study analyzing institutional data, a survey of current FG students at VCU, and focus group sessions with FG students at VCU. The goal was to identify FG student perceptions of their FG identities, determine the needs of FG students, and uncover factors that impact FG students’ engagement with You First. Findings suggested that the underlying cause of minimal engagement …

Agile Course Design: Modeling Flexibility, Empowering Engagement, And Prioritizing Community, Julie A. Rowan, Todd A. Stanislav, Allison C. Bernknopf, Tracy E. Russo

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

The Agile Course Design Institute, created for faculty at a regional public university, utilized an agile thinking lens to model flexible, interactive learning. The Institute framework consisted of three core factors: sense of belonging, students’ bandwidth, and interaction and engagement. Faculty participated in online synchronous and asynchronous settings to develop agile courses. In doing so, they gained insights into the experiences their students might have in remote learning. Examples from the Institute and participant work are explored through a “Why” (purpose/outcome), “What” (connections to the ACDI framework), and “How” (tools and strategies) structure.

African American Males Of Men Of Vision: A Case Study Of Self-Efficacy, A Sense Of Belonging, And Their Perception Of Community College, Jorge Theotis Tennin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored self-efficacy and sense of belonging among African American males who participated in Men of Vision and their perception of community college. Ten students of the community college participated in the study through individual, in-depth interviews with the participants addressing three primary research questions: 1) How did being a member of an organization change your perception of higher education, specifically community colleges? 2) How did Men of Vision help you gain a sense of belonging on a college campus? 3) What did you learn about yourself while being a member of Men of Vision? The focus …

Examining The Interpersonal Psychological Theory Of Suicide In A Sample Of Individuals With Psychosis, Jennifer Villa

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Psychotic disorders confer high risk for suicidality. Previous research has found the symptom clusters of psychosis to have differential relationships with risk for suicidal ideation and behavior. Despite evidence for unique determinants of suicide among people with disorders on the psychosis spectrum, little research has examined theoretical models of suicide that aim to explore the transition from suicidal thoughts to behavior in this population. The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) may be particularly useful in delineating this transition, as the constructs underlying the IPTS overlap with symptoms and experiences salient in people with psychosis. We examined baseline data from an …

“It Only Hurts When I Laugh”: Tolerating Bullying Humour In Order To Belong At Work, Barbara Plester, Tim Bentley, Emily Brewer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Our study examines the impacts on workers when organisational humour is repeated, sustained, dominating, and potentially harmful, and thus can be considered to be bullying. In an ethnographic study of an idiosyncratic New Zealand IT company, we observed humour that was sexualised, dominating, and perpetrated by the most powerful organizational members. We argue that the compelling need for belonging in this extreme organizational culture influenced workers to accept bullying humour as just a joke and therefore acceptable and harmless even when it contravened societal workplace norms. Our contribution is in identifying and extending the significant theoretical relationship between workplace humour …

A Wonderful, Natural Way To Build A Family: Examining Transnational Adoption And Its Effect On Identity And Sense Of Belonging, Eva Mazura

UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College Senior Theses

This study aims to understand how transnational adoption (which includes, but is not limited to transracial adoption) affects one’s identity and sense of belonging through the use of interviews, participant observation, and the analysis of literature on adoption. I explore the typical ways parents of transnational adoptees navigate the differences between the past and present lives of their children, if this plays a part in promoting a positive sense of self and belonging for a transnationally adopted child, and what other factors influence the formation of identity.

Quarantine And Isolation Experiences Of College Students: A Narrative, Brooke Gibson

Masters Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unanticipated phenomenon, with a lack of information surrounding quarantine and isolation experiences in college students and how this impacts their sense of belonging. This qualitative narrative study utilized semi-structured interviews to understand the participants’ experience of isolation at a rural mid-sized university in the Midwest. The research shared the students experiences and showed that participants lacked some sense of belonging whether it was with friends, family, or their institution.

Black Feminist Citational Praxis And Disciplinary Belonging, Bianca C. Williams

Publications and Research

What does a Black feminist citational practice look and feel like? This contribution to the #CiteBlackWomen colloquy focuses on two arguments: First, that Black feminist citational praxis is one of the major interventions Black women scholars contribute to the academy; and second, that anthropology’s neglect and erasure of Black feminist anthropologists relates to disciplinary (un)belonging. I explore how citation and “disciplinary belonging” influence hiring practices, doctoral training, intellectual genealogies, and what is valued as anthropological knowledge.

Promoting Belonging Among Occupational Therapy Students Transitioning To Doctoral Studies, Gina M. Delgado

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Students Perception Of Racial Inequality On Utah State Campus, Abigail Pilling, Elmer Reyes

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

This paper will discuss racial inequality studies at Utah State University Campuses and include multiple studies of racial inequality on campuses around the United States. Each of these additional studies is focused on different aspects of how a campus can be neglecting or hurtful to their students or patrons, in ways such as academics, financial aid, athletics, rigorous schedules, student and classroom atmosphere, and lack of student resources and encouragement. This paper and study will focus on different racial minorities and what racial oppression and social class inequality they have experienced on campus, and how it creates barriers for them …

The Catechism As Counter-Culture: A Review Of You Are Not Your Own, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Because it is Christ who we belong to, we can rest in His provision for us."

Posting about the book You Are Not Your Own from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/the-catechism-as-counter-culture-a-review-of-you-are-not-your-own/

Nationwide Perspectives And Experiences Of Gay And Bisexual Male 4-H Alums, Jeff Howard, Teresa Mccoy, Chenzi Wang

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

While 4-H espouses to be inclusive of all, the reality is often that the bulk of membership within 4-H community clubs is viewed with a heteronormative lens of participation. Recognizing that existing studies of gay and bisexual individuals who grew up in 4-H do not exist, this study is novel and critical to begin to fill the research gap and provide evidence of the experiences of gay male youth in 4-H. A total of 165 gay and bisexual men who are 4-H alumni shared what about 4-H helped them feel included, that they belonged, and what about the experience caused …

Deserving To Belong: Complex Narratives Of Working And Learning In Self-Contained Spaces, Emily B. Clark

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Using the tools of narrative, discourse, and visual analysis, this study examines the sensemaking of educators and former students who work(ed) and learn(ed) in self-contained special education settings. In three individual interview sessions (and one final sensemaking session), I interviewed fourteen educators and nine former students who work(ed) and learn(ed)in different kinds of self-contained settings within the New York City public school system.This project is not about a specific school, as self-contained classrooms exist in different configurations and locations throughout the city and the country. To protect the participants, all names and references to specific schools and programs have been …

A Study Of Arab And South Asian American Men With Immigrant-Family Origins In New-Immigrant Destinations., Jack Trey Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of Arab and South Asian American men’s (1) experiences and perceptions of discrimination and belonging in two non-traditional immigrant destinations in the United States (U.S.) south, and (2) their performance of masculinities in response to Muslim women’s experiences with Islamophobia. I use intersectional theory, theories of race and racism, theories of gender, theories on belonging, and grounded theory to analyze 23 qualitative semi-structured interviews with Arab and South Asian men who live in one large city and one rural town in the U.S. south. I find that upper-, middle-, and working-class Arab and South Asian …

“There Shall Be Made No Differentiation:” The Maintenance Of Stratification In The State Of Kuwait Through The 1959 Nationality And Aliens Residence Laws, Alzaina Shams Aldeen

Masters Theses

Article 29 of the Kuwaiti constitution states that “The people are peers in human dignity and have, in the eyes of the Law, equal public rights and obligations. There shall be made no differentiation among them because of gender, origin, language or religion.” If I were to say that the 17, 818 km ² that make up the State of Kuwait is home to 4.2 million people, it would be a misrepresentation. While 4.2 million people do live in Kuwait, citizenship and immigration laws restrict 70% of its population, to varying degrees, from making their country of residence a home. …

Religious Sexual Minorities And Suicide Risk: The Moderating Role Of Lgbq And Religious Belongingness, Samuel Skidmore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study aimed to provide insights into the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer/questioning (LGBQ) people within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS), and to explore how aspects of sexuality and religiousness relate to suicidal ideation. Through survey data from 910 participants across two separate studies, several conclusions were drawn. Feelings of belongingness in the CJCLDS may predict decreased suicidal ideation. LGBQ belongingness led CJCLDS service attendance to be more strongly predictive of suicidal ideation, whereas it decreased the negative effects of feeling negatively toward one’s sexual identity. More generally, concealing one’s sexual identity, feeling negatively …

A Peer-Observation Initiative To Enhance Student Engagement In The Synchronous Virtual Classroom: A Case Study Of A Covid-19 Mandated Move To Online Learning, Lesley Andrew, Ruth Wallace, Ros Sambell

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

The global COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid shift to online delivery in higher education. This learning and teaching environment is associated with reduced student engagement, a crucial prerequisite of student satisfaction, retention and success. This paper presents a case study that explored student engagement in the synchronous virtual learning environment, during the mandatory move to exclusive online learning in Australian higher education in April to June 2020. Three university instructors used the Teaching and Learning Circles Model to observe a series of their peers' synchronous virtual classrooms, from which they reflected on ways to enhance their own practice. The …

Incivility Of Coworker Behaviors And Minority Firefighters’ Belongingness In The Workplace, Alyssa Reiter

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research with firefighters continues to indicate that this population is particularly vulnerable to development of mental health conditions as a result of their professional roles (International Association of Firefighters [IAFF], 2019; Stanley et al., 2017; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2018) and minority firefighters may be at heightened risk as a result of their experiences within the fire service. An answer to this concern may lie in the exploration of belonging and uncivil behaviors, as research has demonstrated that belonging in the workplace serves to reduce mental health symptoms and enhance an individual’s ability to cope with …

Our Representative On This Island: Local Belonging And Transnational Citizenship Among Syrian And Lebanese Cubans, 1880-1980, John T. Ermer Jr

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Émigrés from Ottoman Syria and Cuba who, beginning in the late-nineteenth century, traveled not unidirectionally, from one nation to another, but between and within multiethnic, polycentric empires. Tracing their history opens a route to better understanding global legal regimes of citizenship. Weaving government records from Cuba, France, and the United States with associational records and oral history interviews, this dissertation reveals how vernacular understandings of citizenship in Cuba and the Levant, based on locally derived conceptions of belonging, but over time contended with liberalizing legal reforms meant to redefine citizenship as a state-focused and legible status. As a mobile population …

More Than One Way: How Migrants Are Able To Achieve Belonging Beyond Their Legal Status, Claudia Soto

Theses and Dissertations

Is legal status a master status for migrant belonging? If not, how do other factors--such as social networks, religious participation, language and cultural familiarity--shape belonging? Over the past few years, some migration scholars have suggested that legal status is a "master status"which determines migrant outcomes (Gonzales 2015). Other literature suggests that migrant outcomes are determined by a variety of factors, asserting that migrant experiences can be better understood by studying the interaction between these factors (Enriquez 2017; Valdez and Golash-Boza 2020). Utilizing 73 semi-structured interviews with migrants in Utah, I compare the experiences of refugees, permanent migrants, temporary migrants, and …

Vocation, Belonging, Courage: Gender Equity In Narratives Of Non-Exempt Women Administrative Assistants In Academic Units At The University Of Dayton, Julio A. Quintero, Heather Ashley

Reports from the Gender Equity Research Fellowship

Gender roles normalize thinking patterns, behaviors, actions, and attitudes. The workplace is not immune to their influence. Gender roles make certain labor invisible, either because it does not typically fit with the expectations of a determined gender group, or because it is deemed normal and therefore expected.

This report condenses the narratives of 11 non-exempt women administrative assistants at the University of Dayton in reference to how vocation, belonging, and courage are affected by gender. Based on the responses, the report proposes several approaches to equity, which is defined as the modifying of structures and practices that have intentionally or …

An Equity-Minded Assessment Of Belonging Among Computing Students At Cal Poly, Kylan Nicole Stewart

Master's Theses

Creating a Computer Science and Software Engineering Department that supports students with diverse identities and backgrounds is essential to creating a computing workforce that reflects the world at large. Inspired by the work of Metcalf et al.'s survey conducted at the University of Illinois, we use the same methods to examine the state of our computing department with respect to issues of inclusive climate and student sense of belonging, which have been shown to be important for retention in STEM fields. We use the four areas that contribute to belonging based on the work of Rainey et al. along with …

Law School News: Dean's Distinguished Service Award 2021: Ralph Tavares 05/28/2021, Michael M. Bowden

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

In Search Of Kinship: Traveling Into New Worlds Through Conversation And The Impact On Building Community, Daniel E. Mcclary Ed.D

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This dissertation reports on qualitative research done with a phenomenological methodology on the topic of building community. This was explored through the voices of over 200 participants representing more than 30 countries. Surveys and in-depth interviews examined international experiences and cultural background of participants alongside many stakeholder voices from within higher education, including international and domestic students, faculty, and staff. Though the study and application is focused on a higher education context, the research has broader implications to society in looking at how intentional conversations across cultural symmetry impacts relationships and community building. The data touched on feelings of isolation …

The Name Curriculum: Exploring Names, Naming, And Identity, Isabel Taswell

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The act of naming, or using and respecting one’s name, is a humanizing act: it is foundational to one’s sense of identity and belonging. Conversely, the act of ‘de-naming,’ or changing, forgetting, or erasing one’s name, is an act of dehumanization: it denies one’s sense of identity and belonging. The Name Curriculum provides an opportunity for third grade students to explore the role of names and naming as they relate to one’s sense of self and community. It draws on the role of developmental psychology, the urgency of historical context, and the power of children’s literature. Specifically, it explores how …

El Secreto Del Rio Hondo, Corilia Ortega

Chamisa: A Journal of Literary, Performance, and Visual Arts of the Greater Southwest

As Northern New Mexicans we share watersheds, mountain ranges, wild growing remedios, the sun's setting path, and strong querencia. Yet, there are innumerable differet and significant ways in which our hearts beat for this land, water, and sky. This is querencia in the Fall season, in relation to our river. It is exactly what I observe today and love about time and place in Northern NM. It may be similar to many Nortenos, but not easily replicated.

Voices Of The Wandering, Grace Manning

English Honors Theses

In Voices of the Wandering, Grace Manning explores the concept of belonging through the disconnect that exists when one’s home isn’t defined by structure or established in childhood, but rather a by constantly changing and evolving ideal. Manning’s speaker draws inspiration and comfort from others who are living between countries and continents, using their voices and emotions to try and understand her own. South and West African experiences investigate the confusion and suffering that is colonialism, from blame, to hurt, to lifelong guilt, she introduces the perspectives of those on either side of the racial wall built during Apartheid. Using …

An Examination Of Whether Grit, Belonging And Institutional Compassion Contribute To Emerging Adult Goal Pursuits And Reduce Pandemic-Related Stress, Cynthia A. M. Schmahl

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTAN EXAMINATION OF WHETHER GRIT, BELONGING AND INSTITUTIONAL COMPASSION CONTRIBUTE TO EMERGING ADULT GOAL PURSUITS AND REDUCE PANDEMIC-RELATED STRESS

by

Cynthia A. M. Schmahl

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, May 2021Under the Supervision of Professor Jacqueline Nguyen, Ph.D.

This dissertation examines the merits of grit and belonging for emerging adults’ collegiate goal pursuits and the influence of institutional compassion amid COVID-19 challenges and stress. Participants were traditional full-time, undergraduate students ages 18-24, recruited from a national sample using Qualtrics, an online survey tool (N = 258; 60% women; 47.31% White, 18.46% Black/African American, 17.31% Asian, 10.77% Hispanic/Latino/a/x). Participants completed a survey …

The Effect Of Wellness Coaching On Sense Of Belonging Index Scores, Erick Westbrook

Culminating Projects in Social Work

The purpose of this study was to examine whether not wellness coaching, as implemented at St. Cloud State University, has a measurable impact on participant belonging, as operationalized by the SCSU Belonging Initiative's periodic Sense of Belonging Index (SBI) surveys, which are administered at the beginning of each semester (Davis et al., 2019). Contemporary research indicates that a sense of belonging, or a lack thereof, is a key component in whether or not students continue to enroll on higher education, and is a stronger prediction of retention than GPA (Davis et al., 2019; O'Keeffe, 2013). Moreover, interventions designed to increase …

Examining The Experiences Of First-Generation College Students Attending A Christian University In The Southwestern United States, Thurmond Derrick Metters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) face unique challenges that could negatively impact their college success. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of FGCS attending a Christian university in the southwestern United States. A second purpose of this study was to assess whether differences exist between White and non-White FGCS regarding racial and cultural inclusion, academic resources, socioeconomic status, isolation and loneliness, life experiences, sufficient academic resources and financial concerns. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare the scores of gender and ethnicity of FGCS, and Levene’s test was conducted to assess the equality of variances …