Education Commons^™

Building A Strategic Framework With A Sustainability Lens At Wcu, Stefanie Schwalm

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Stefanie Schwalm, WCU Associate Provost for Accreditation, SRPS Spring '24 4/17: "Building a Strategic Framework with a Sustainability Lens at WCU."

Navigating Post-College Career Paths: Perspectives On Career Identity And Self-Efficacy From Autistic Alumni, Maryellen Stephens

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the employment experiences of autistic college graduates, capturing the positive stories of successful alumni in terms of career placement and success. Utilizing qualitative narrative research, the study uncovered the nuanced journey of participants transitioning from completion of their undergraduate degree into the workforce. Drawing upon the frameworks of Self-Determination Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory, the research focused on the motivational mechanisms driving career achievements among autistic individuals. Methodologically, this study involved in-depth interviews with a total of 7 autistic college graduates across a range of ages, genders, and sexual orientations. These interviews allowed …

Waiting On The World (Of Allied Healthcare) To Change: How Undergraduate Preparedness Curriculum Dis/Includes Ability, Brianna Donnelly

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Significant concerns for healthcare practitioners and allied health professionals continue to arise regarding treatment of persons with disabilities. Whether disability exists as apparent or non-apparent, temporary, or chronic, people with disabilities tend to be in poorer health and tend to use health care at a significantly higher rate than people who do not have disabilities. Importantly, the absence of professional training on disability competency issues for health care practitioners is one of the most significant barriers that prevent people with disabilities from receiving appropriate and effective health care. This qualitative narrative analysis explores the inclusion of disability concepts and people …

Stories Of Dismantling Whiteness In Social Work Educational Spaces, Jeanean Mohr

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Social work and higher education are rooted in systems of racism and exclusion and continue to operate as racialized spaces. As the social work profession grapples with its past and calls upon social work educators to support efforts to undo structural racism, paying attention to what is happening in educational spaces is essential. In this study, I examined the stories and tensions of White Social Work faculty engaged in efforts to dismantle whiteness in their classrooms, departments, and universities. Using narrative inquiry, I interviewed nine White faculty from different universities representing five regions across the United States. I explored their …

Women In Higher Education: A Brief Report On Stress During Covid-19, Dimple S. Johnson, Aaron D. Johnson, Kristen B. Crossney, Emily Devereaux

Public Policy & Administration Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions have evolved into a more stressful environment. Women have been experiencing higher levels of stress than their male counterparts. With higher education adopting to the onset of the pandemic, this brief report studied women’s perceived stress in relation to perceived organizational and supervisory support, and age during times of crisis. In an era of social distancing, quarantines, and lockdowns, the findings suggest that women’s perceived stress is negatively related to age, perceived organizational support, and perceived supervisory support. Society as we once knew it pre-pandemic will never be the same. Higher education is inevitably going to have …

Examination Of Intramural Sport Officials’ Training, Development And Performance: A Mixed Methods Study, Daniel Comas

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Sports officials play a significant role in organized sports, yet academic research surrounding their training, development, and performance is minimal. Across the nation, athletes are attempting to safely resume play after the COVID-19 pandemic, and many sports officials have decided that they will not return to their respective fields or courts. More robust training and development within intramural sports programs on college campuses could be the solution to recruiting and retaining sports officials.

This mixed methods study examined intramural sports officials’ training, development, and performance within a collegiate intramural sports department. This study utilized a two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods …

Unveiling Sense Of Belonging Of Lower-Income, First-Generation College Students, Devan Zgleszewski

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study explored lower-income, first-generation college students’ sense of belonging to their university setting. This research defined first-generation as neither parent nor guardian graduating from college (Dominguez-Whitehead et al., 2021). Lower-income students were identified with family incomes less than $52,200 (Walrack & Segal, 2023). Eight students at various stages of their college careers with an array of student involvement and diverse backgrounds participated in individual interview sessions to engage in dialogue about their college experiences, family dynamics, and the impacts of their socioeconomic status when entering the university system.

When looking sense of belonging, this research explored students’ connectedness …

Tell Me Your Story: Utilizing Photovoice To Explore The Journeys Of First-Generation College Graduates, Christina Pantoja Williams

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

First-generation students make up on average 22% of college students on college campuses and this number continues to grow (Chen & Carroll, 2005). While the enrollment of first-generation college students in higher education institutions continues to increase, first-generation college students have a higher attrition rate, dropout rate, and lower graduation rates than other groups (Gibson & Slate, 2010; Pascarella et al., 2003). Additionally, the majority of the literature discussing first -generation college students, views them from a deficit lens and focuses on what first-generation students lack as they enter college. This study focused on the journeys of first-generation college students …

The Search For Something Better: Narrative Inquiry Into Why Women In Non-Faculty Roles Left Higher Education During Covid-19 Pandemic, Amanda Corsi

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic for women working in non-faculty roles in higher education still need to be understood. While there is extensive research on voluntary turnover, the influence of the pandemic on how and why women choose to leave the field is still lacking. Most research on higher education professionals fails to include the perspective of women in non-faculty positions. This study conducted a qualitative narrative inquiry to understand the experiences of women in non-faculty roles who worked in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that influenced their reasons for turnover decision-making. The results found …

Navigating The Financial Aid Application Process: The Voices Of First-Generation College Students, Holly Kirkpatrick

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative case-study explored how the financial aid application process contributed to or detracted from the persistence of first-generation college (FGC) students. FGC students are the first in their families to attend college and make up one-third of college-going students each year (RTI International, 2019). FGC students use financial aid at a higher rate than their continuing generation peers, are less likely to have funding from outside sources, such as their parents (Martinez et al., 2009), are more likely to default on their student loans, and do not persist to graduation at the same rate as their non-FGC peers. Semi-structured …

Under The Radar: Legislative Intent To Silence Critical Race Theory, Meg Hazel

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public education is a hotly contested issue across the nation. Since 2020, multiple legislators in several states have introduced legislation that would ban the instruction of CRT in public universities. This qualitative study explored Discourse models supported and upheld by these bills along with Whitelash strategies used to promote them. I examined 53 bills proposed by lawmakers, most of which contained lists of phrases usually called “divisive concepts” or “discriminatory concepts” that professors were prohibited from discussing in their classrooms. In addition, I analyzed 26 statements made by supporters of the bills that provided justification …

Exploring Sub-Saharan African International Students’ Experiences Of Racism Within Higher Education Institutions In The United States: A Qualitative Study, Gloria N. Wafula

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study explored Sub-Saharan African international students’ experiences of racism within colleges and universities in the United States. Extant research on international students’ experiences tend to be homogenous, thus assuming that all international students from different countries have similar experiences. This study specifically highlighted the experiences of Sub-Saharan African international students around the issue of racial discrimination. Concepts discussed include Sub-Saharan students’ experiences of racism within colleges, perceptions of racial identity, and overall understanding of racism. To explain these concepts, the theories of neo-racism and intersectionality were employed. The study utilized interviews for data collection. In total, the research …

Successful Admissions In A Time Of Great Uncertainty: A Case Study Of Employees' Perceptions Of Employee Well-Being And Emotional Intelligence, Sarah Freed

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative embedded single-case study explores admissions employees’ perceptions of departmental success and individual employee well-being, including the role emotional intelligence has on these outcomes, through the lens of Bolman and Deal’s Four Frame Model (1984). This study is necessary because of the turbulent higher education landscape and because social factors contributing to this turbulence are expected to stay the same. More specifically, this study is situated in a thriving Office of First-Year Admissions at an institution within a public university system in a rural setting experiencing an unstable organizational landscape. I interviewed sixteen employees in a successful mid-size public …

An Evaluation Of Student Government: Diminishing The Disconnect Between Student Government Organizations And Their Constituencies, Elizabeth Roberts

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Student Government Organizations (SGOs) exist to serve and represent the student body. However, SGOs often face issues that lead to a disconnect between them and their constituency. The issues that can lead to a disconnect include responsibilities and purpose, representation and voter turnout, lack of knowledge and transparency, relationship to administration, and internal issues such as bias and mistreatment, transition, and personal outcomes. This thesis proposes an intervention of a yearly Student Government Evaluation where student government organizations are evaluated by the student body and their members and then create an action plan based on the results. The aim of …

Transformational Learning Through A Success Coaching Graduate Assistantship Experience: A Qualitative Case Study, Rita Patel Eng

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study examines the impact that graduate assistantships in Success Coaching had on graduate students’ professional practice as they entered their respective employment areas as entry-level professionals. I interviewed a total of 11 participants who were now entry-level working professionals in their respective fields of study, and who had completed at least one semester as a master’s degree graduate assistant in a Success Coaching Center. The qualitative semi-structured interviews focused on graduate student skills, transformational learning, and growth (self-authorship). Participants identified skills that made their transition into the workforce smoother, shared their challenges, and shed light on the transformational growth …

The Impacts Of Learning 2 Breathe On Rumination, Adessa Flack

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The present study examined the impact of Learning2Breathe (L2B), a mindfulness-based stress reduction program developed for use with adolescents on rumination. The program was applied to rumination in college-age men and women. Our experiment utilized a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 50 undergraduate students that were placed in either the experimental or control group. Data was collected pretest and posttest through a variety of measures including the Rumination Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) which consisted of a rumination and reflection subscale, and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). A two-way mixed ANOVA design was used to analyze data. There was no …

The Sadie Alexander Project: A Professional Development Mandate For Student Affairs Professionals, Lauren Sealy

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this thesis, I address the lack of professional development and the absence of resources provided for student affairs professionals. By utilizing critical action research, I propose an intervention of creating a professional development mandate for all student affairs professionals called the Sadie Alexander Project. The Sadie Alexander Project uses holistic and collaborative division efforts with a focus on supporting and advocating for student affairs professionals. The proposed intervention also promotes continuous education initiatives for student affairs professionals and ensuring that institutions have up-to-date resources for students in need. I emphasize the importance of evaluating employee satisfaction and highlight the …

Yoga, Stress, And College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study, Lori Klein

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

College students have experienced exponential increases in stress and mental health concerns that continued to rise during the global coronavirus pandemic. Yoga is a popular, well-regarded method for improving psychological wellbeing, and this study explored how students’ perceived stress improved during a semester-long introductory yoga course upon returning to in-person instruction after a period of remote learning as a result of coronavirus restrictions. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed method design to first measure perceived stress scores and then compare this data to student-reports of wellbeing. College students (n = 121) enrolled in 8 sections of Yoga 1 completed …

Improving Perceptions Of On-Campus Activism: Preparing Student Affairs Professionals To Support Student Activists, Kathryn Melvin

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis explores the perception of student activism at institutions of higher education and proposes a starting point to begin to change it. Increasing numbers of students are involved in on-campus activism but the typical perception remains negative despite its benefits. Using a transformative philosophy of education as a framework, I argue that activism is an undervalued form of student leadership and activists’ desire to push for change is integral to both their development and that of the institution where they attend. Through reviewing historical literature of past campus movements, the roles of student affairs professionals, and the dynamics at …

Ecological Development Of Purpose Among Graduating College Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Alexis Mccarthy

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This mixed methods study explored ecological purpose development among graduating college students at a large, public university in the Mid-Atlantic, focusing on the influence of college and familial contexts. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris’ (2007) Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model as a framework, I undertook an explanatory sequential design (Creswell & Plano Clark 2017), assigning more weight to qualitative results (quan à QUAL). I collected quantitative survey data from 110 graduating students a college of liberal arts (consisting of Art and Design, Communication and Media, English, History, Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, Theatre and Dance, and Women’s and Gender Studies majors) and then purposefully …

Well, What Are You Going To Do With That?: Combating The Corporatized University Through Transformative, Holistic Career Education, Alexandra Karlesses

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The corporatization of the university has brought with it a neoliberal ideology of belief that students should be funneled through systems of market-determined success that engineers its students to serve as human capital. Nowhere is this more evident than in career centers, which, due to declines in state education funding, have become chief sources of revenue for universities, and therefore have an increased dependence on employers to dictate university operations. The purposeful shift to a neoliberal, corporatized university model has removed focus from student-centered, holistic advising. Coupled with declines in funding, public perception, and extreme racial bias, the university has …

"Don't Let Your Schooling Interfere With Your Education:" A Comprehensive Look At Co-Curricular Involvement And Advising, Maryclare Rae

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this thesis, I explore the need for continued student engagement. I am proposing an office or department responsible for advising students in their co-curricular endeavors and assisting them in translating transferrable skills. I plan to launch this program with a marketing campaign to inform students of the benefits of co-curricular engagement, followed by a survey to gauge interests, a meeting with an advisor to review results, and an exit ticket that students can take with them, detailing the conversation they had with their advisor. These advisors will be available to meet with students at any time in their college …

Finding The Yellow Brick Road: Bridging The Gap Between African American Foster Care Youth And Higher Education., Chyna Hart

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This critical action research thesis addresses the need for a university-based bridge program for African American foster care youth seeking to obtain a college degree. The reviewed literature explores a plethora of barriers experienced by African American foster care youth, which are brought on by social and systemic racism and inequity. In examining this literature, I have proposed and justified an intervention plan coined “The Yellow Brick Road Program”. This program will help to combat the barriers that hinder accessibility for African American foster care students by creating an on-campus hub that provides these students support services that address their …

More Than Just A Seat At The Table: Shared Governance For Graduate Student Mentorship, Katherine Canazzi

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Since its inception, public education in the United States has billed itself to the masses as an “equalizer” that “prepares the citizenry.” Although there are varying institutional types in higher education, Americans believe the myth that higher education is an extension of the same K-12 educational values. Despite higher education teaching the components of civic engagement separately, the skills are seldom combined for students to practice. Students do not learn how to transfer or combine these skills into their “real lives” outside of higher education. Since graduate students are electing to further their education, higher education has an increased responsibility …

Queer Composition: A Guide To Knowing And Supporting Lgbtqia+ Students, Cara Fordenbacher

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Influenced by its founding in religious, white, and male-dominated power structures, higher education today still often pushes marginalized communities out of academic spaces. Across the nation the LGBTQIA+ community is being threatened with anti-gay and anti-trans bills that are being signed into effect in schools. One of the most popular being the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill passed in Florida earlier this year. The work laid out in this thesis proposal aim to combat these efforts and create spaces on university campuses where LGBTQIA+ students can go and be their authentic selves; where their voices are highlighted and celebrated. All higher …

The Neoliberalization Of Higher Education: Paradoxing Students' Basic Needs At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Megan A.K. Schraedley, J. Jacob Jenkins, Molly Irelan, Megan Umana

Communication and Media Faculty Publications

Millions of college students in the United States lack access to adequate food, housing, and other basic human needs. These insecurities have only been exacerbated in recent decades by the country's neoliberal approach to higher education, with disproportionately negative consequences for historically underserved populations (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, low-income students, and first-generation college students). For each of these reasons, this study explores the organizational paradoxes faced by students attending a public, 4-year Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in southern California. Drawing upon 30 semi-structured interviews with undergraduates who self-identified as historically underserved, our three-stage conceptualization of data analysis revealed three specific paradoxes: (1) …

Creating Community: A Peer-Led, Adaptable Postdoc Program To Build Transferable Career Skills And Overcome Isolation, Megan Fork, Elsa C. Anderson, Adrian A. Castellanos, Ilya R. Fischhoff, A. Marissa Matsler, Chelsey L. Nieman, Isabella A. Oleksy, Michelle Y. Wong

Biology Faculty Publications

Postdoctoral positions provide critical opportunities for early-career ecologists to build transferable skills, knowledge, and networks that will prepare them for professional success. However, these positions often come with personal and professional challenges such as stress, isolation, and lack of agency. Here, we describe a peer-led postdoc program we created to maximize benefits and minimize challenges while preparing ourselves for a wide range of possible future careers using our training and expertise in ecology. We also give recommendations for other postdocs and early-career scientists in ecology and across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields seeking to build a similar program.

The Evaluation Of A Soft Skills Curriculum In Athletic Training Education: A Mixed Methods Study, Emily Duckett

Literacy Student Work

Purpose: Athletic Training Education Competencies (2011) include exhibiting empathy and compassion as foundational behaviors of practice. Despite abundant evidence supporting the importance of compassionate patient care, there is currently evidence to suggest that healthcare is experiencing a compassion crisis (Patel et al., 2019). The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which pre-professional athletic training students’ transfer knowledge from a soft skills curriculum to clinical practice. Methods: This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed method design with a preliminary quantitative input (Morgan, 2014). Phase 1 of the study includes participants (n=19) enrolled in a pre-professional AT course. …

Inclusive Campus Recreation: Creating A Space Where All Belong, Emelia Bebee

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis examines discrepancies that marginalize students, faculty and staff from utilizing or working in campus recreation facilities. More specifically, Campus Recreation departments lack strategies that ensure inclusion for all abilities, identity backgrounds and genders. This critical action research thesis considers the experiences of stakeholders and will integrate research that has been supported by seasoned scholars. In this thesis, a three-day diversity and inclusion workshop is proposed supplemented by monthly programming for faculty and staff that focuses on inclusion techniques to incorporate into departmental planning. Solid leadership of this programmatic intervention would focus on collaboration and dedication to lifelong learning. …

Soar: A Holistic Approach To Supporting Survivors, Sabrina Glass

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this thesis, I address the systemic issue of sexual violence and rape culture that affect students on college campuses at an alarming rate. By utilizing critical action research, I propose the creation of the Department of Survivor Outreach and Response (SOAR), a holistic and collaborative department that focuses on supporting and advocating for survivors of sexual violence while also conducting prevention and education initiatives. I emphasize the importance of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality (1993), encourage the use of the Social Change Model of Leadership (Astin & Astin, 1996), and empathy within leadership. SOAR is designed to ensure sexual …