Education Commons^™

Estimating The Impact Of Capability Factors On College Student Debt Levels Utilizing The Generalized Sustainable Capability Framework, Louis Joseph Zabaneh

Dissertations

The current unprecedented level of college student debt in the United States at over $1.4 trillion (Federal Reserve, 2017) is of major concern for all who desire to improve higher education, income and social inequality, and the general welfare of society. This study’s purpose is both theoretical and empirical: first, to develop and propose the Generalized Sustainable Capability Framework (GSCF) as a conceptual model to analyze human development; and second, to test four specific hypotheses. The hypotheses were: 1) Students with lower test scores will incur higher levels of debt; 2) Minority students will incur higher levels of debt; 3) …

Best Practices In Parent And Family Engagement: Implications For Student Success, Christy Spurlock

Dissertations

This exploratory study aims to answer questions related to highly recognized parent/family engagement programs and the ways in which they are organized, operated, and resourced; undertake innovative events and services; use and learn from assessment; and face challenges. Directors of 34 specifically selected highly recognized parent/family engagement programs were given the opportunity to complete a questionnaire concerning their programs. Twenty-seven directors completed the questionnaire. Ten were interviewed to gain further insight into the specific workings of and challenges for highly recognized parent/family programs. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative means, the researcher provides an initial exploratory look into how …

The Evolution Of College Algebra: Competencies And Themes Of A Quantitative Reasoning Course At The University Of Kentucky, Scott Taylor

Dissertations

For many institutions, especially community colleges, college algebra has been the default mathematics or quantitative reasoning requirement. However, the topics that have been taught in college algebra, teaching methods, and the goals of a quantitative reasoning requirement have changed and vary over time and among different institutions. Because of history, policy, and political influences, this study sought to explore commonalities and disparities of college algebra as it has evolved through the University of Kentucky. The three central research questions were What have been the common topics or themes of the competencies and topics covered in CA over the years at …

The Skills Gap In U.S. Manufacturing: The Effectiveness Of Technical Education On The Incumbent Workforce, Robert Michael Deal

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis explores the skill sets of the current American workforce, the skills required in modern, technically advanced U.S. manufacturing facilities, and the multiple approaches postsecondary education has employed to bridge the gap between the two. Millions of dollars are spent each year educating and training the incumbent workforce without any definitive measure of whether the financial investment or effort is actually providing a return.

To illustrate, organizations typically require a projected return-on-investment (ROI) before committing funds to a project. However, the same approach does not seem to be applied when investing in human capital for the purpose of improving …

Academic Freedom As A Human Right: The Problem Of Confucius Institutes, Jay Todd Richey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Academic freedom is the ability to explore, research, and analyze any topic without prohibitions or repercussions. In the Anglo-American tradition, it is both a fundamental aspect of academia and, as this thesis argues, a fundamental human right. Although the United States embraces this core principle of academia within American universities, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) seeks to suppress the acquisition of knowledge through restrictions on topics deemed politically-sensitive to the Chinese government. Although human rights abuses pervade the PRC and academic freedom is suppressed, PRC-funded entities known as Confucius Institutes (CIs) are widely embraced at universities in liberal democracies. …

Colleges Must Focus More On Helping Graduates Find Jobs, Aaron Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ua42/3/2 A Lasting Transformation, Wku Glasgow

WKU Archives Records

Program for A Lasting Transformation: Celebrating Progress at WKU Glasgow 1997-2017.

Introducing Evidence And Argument In First Year Courses, Cortney S. Basham

Arts and Humanities

These measures cut across all courses in the IDST program (Interdisciplinary Studies [IDST]), but a valuable opportunity exists for it to be introduced at the freshman level in UC 175-UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE. The University Experience Program is housed within the IDST unit, and provides basic instruction on critical thinking, basic library skills, and many other issues relevant to students transitioning into higher education. About 1,200 WKU freshmen take UC 175 each academic year, and the core curriculum (especially acquiring basic library and research skills) dovetails nicely with the E&A ESSENTIAL SKILLS and with the objectives outlined above. These skills are presently …

Do You Want Kentucky?” “… No Thank You, I'M Not Hungry.”: A Case Study Of International Student Choice In Higher Education, Wouter Van Alebeek

Dissertations

In order to attract international students, it is important to know why students select a particular institution and how they experience the selection process. Additionally, there seems to be limited agreement among researchers on a conceptual framework for international student college choice and how it might differ from a model used to organize domestic students’ college choice experiences.

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to gain insight into the stages of college choice for international students by testing an expansion of the Hossler and Gallagher (1987) theoretical model that adds the push and pull factors related to the …

Think Large And Bring The World To Lyon: A Case Study Of Iae Lyon's International Week Program, Pamela J. Decker

Dissertations

Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Western Kentucky University As a result of globalization, the world truly is a smaller place. Today’s business school graduate no longer has to board a plane to transact with international markets—all that is needed is a mobile device and an internet connection. Therefore, a global mindset cannot be limited to only those students who have an opportunity to study abroad; universities must find ways to provide all students with international exposure. A review of the literature shows that, even though business schools are providing students with the necessary technical skills to work within a globalized economy, …

Using Collaborative Discussions In College Classrooms, Komako Suzuki

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to investigate whether an open-format, small group discussion approach, Collaborative Reasoning (CR), positively affects the English language development of college English as Second Language (ESL) students. According to Zhang and Dougherty Stahl (2011), CR is an approach to discussion that makes use of small groups and is designed to encourage students to become more intellectually and personally engaged.

In order to measure the effectiveness of the CR approach in English classes with ESL students, data were collected from the six classrooms at an international English language institute at a university in the southeastern …

An Examination Of Facilitators And Barriers To Academic Careers For Women In Stem, Jacqulyn M. Cavanaugh

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the facilitators and barriers to women in STEM through comparison to men and non-STEM faculty members. The Pipeline Model and The Vanish Box model were examined to explain the underrepresentation of women in STEM. The current study, using the established facilitators and barriers to women in STEM by Bolton (2016), examined 12 categories that were identified through existing literature, critical incidents (CIs), and a subject-matter expert (SME).

It was hypothesized that Teaching, Service, Research Funding, Mentoring, Professional Development, Administrative Leadership, Hiring Policies, New Child Leave/FMLA policies, and Promotion and Tenure Policies …

Targeted Intervention For Retention: The Power Of Reading For Evidence And Argument In Student Success, Pamela Petty

Education

The intent of this project is to engage approximately 500 freshmen per semester in rigorous learning experiences focused on strengthening students’ reading comprehension by using evidence and synthesis of information to make sound, text-supported arguments both orally ­­­­and in writing. LTCY 199 Reading for Ev­­idence and Argument has served students underprepared in reading for the last six years. Starting in spring 2016 LTCY 199 will be expanded and required of students who score 15-19 on the reading portion of the ACT. Data that support the effectiveness of the course indicate that students who successfully complete the course are retained after …

Ua12/2/16 Spirit Masters Class Of 2017-2018, Wku Spirit Masters

WKU Archives Records

WKU Spirit Masters' booklet with photos and brief biographies of members.

• Bernard, Hailee
• Bonzo, Madison
• Botts, Makayle
• Bush, Johnny
• Carter, Michaela
• Childress, Nicole
• Deaton, Thomas
• Ellis, Cathryn
• Gadd, Steven
• Gaiko, Kathrine
• Guelde, Molli
• Harshbarger, Dalton
• Hopper, Benjamin
• Jones, Haley
• Kuhl, Carson
• Latham, Jeremy
• Lord, Haley
• Mize, Mallory
• Murray, Chelsea
• Pinilla, Juan
• Pride, Emily
• Ravishankar, Nikil
• Reynolds, Logan
• Sadrinia, Yasmine
• Shelton, LaRosa
• Smith, Kyle
• Smith, Sally
• Starks, Destiny
• Suggs, Sarah
• Wilson, McKenzie