Education Commons^™

Ministry Matters: A Study Of The Relationship Between Campus Ministry And Socialization, Rachel Jean Kitrell

Honors Program Theses

The present study investigated the relationship between involvement in campus ministry and students’ socialization to the university. Campus ministry participants (N=62) representing eight of eleven registered campus ministries completed an online 39-question Qualtrics survey that sought to evaluate their involvement in ministry activities, social involvement in their campus ministry, social involvement in their university, and socialization to the university through history, politics, and goals and values. A significant positive correlation was found between involvement in ministry activities and social involvement in campus ministry as well as between each of the three socialization variables. There were also significant positive correlations found …

Multicultural Education And Attitudes Towards Immigrant Groups In The United States, Anika Marie Lillegard-Bouton

Honors Program Theses

Individuals with higher levels of education tend to have more positive attitudes towards immigrant groups as well as immigration in general (Hainmueller & Hiscox, 2007). This study examined the relationship between one particular type of education and attitudes towards Arab, Chinese, and Mexican immigrant groups in the United States. As a part of a larger, ongoing study on attitudes of college students towards immigrant groups, participants completed measures of their multicultural education experiences. I hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of multicultural education experiences would report more positive attitudes towards Arab, Chinese, and Mexican immigrant groups and that attitudes towards …

Evaluating Foundational Components Of Research Consultations In An Academic Library Research Center, Ryan F. Buller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As our society continues to evolve at an ever-increasing rate, our higher education institutions, and the services they provide, must keep pace with societal changes in order to ensure that those services stay current and relevant. This program evaluation examines one such service, the research consultation model in University Libraries at the University of Denver. This evaluation was situated within the Human Ecological Theory Framework, to help understand how different environments can impact the recognition and value placed upon the foundational components of the service. An exploratory sequential mixed methods approach was used to determine what the foundational components of …

Navigating Success: First-Generation Pathways To Institutional Integration, Katherine B. Drumm

Theses and Dissertations

Guided pathways mobile applications are one technology-based tool that colleges and universities have implemented in an attempt to educate and guide students through the myriad steps necessary to matriculate, integrate and successfully graduate from their institution at scale. Using Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and capital, Astin’s model of student involvement and Tinto’s model of student integration as a conceptual framework, and building upon the work of Slanger et al. (2015), this study investigated if the Educational Stress scale score from the College Student Inventory (CSI) can act as a measure of student habitus. In addition, this study used institutional data …

An Exploration Of Teacher Residents’ Perception Of Culture And Their Use Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Jodi Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Urban teacher residency (UTR) programs place residents in urban schools labeled “hard-to-staff” or “under-resourced.” Enrollment in residency schools tends to be majority Brown or Black students from various cultures. Teacher residents are from diverse backgrounds and races who have a commitment to teach in Title 1 schools with the support of a residency program that coaches them how to teach using culturally relevant pedagogy. Their journeys are unique from typical student teaching experiences because they co-teach with an experienced teacher for a full school year while attending university classes on pedagogy and theory. This qualitative case study followed seven elementary …

Inclusive Academic Education & Vocationally-Oriented Transition Predictors’ Association With Post-Secondary Outcomes Of Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Joshua P. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts through legislation to increase the engagement of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in competitive integrated employment (CIE) and post-secondary education, outcomes remain poor. However, recent policy has emphasized CIE as a preferred outcome and created new opportunities to engage individuals with IDD in post-secondary education. Likewise, research into the transition of youth with disabilities has revealed several predictors of post-school success including inclusive education and a variety of vocationally-oriented experiences. Previous research had not determined whether students with IDD received both inclusive academic education and vocational transition experiences or how these predictors might interact. The purpose …

Starting Earnings Of Bachelor’S And Advanced Degree Graduates By Field Of Study: Using Multi-Level Modeling To Estimate The Effects And Early Labor Market Consequences Of Vertical And Horizontal Dimensions Of Higher Education, Qiao Liang

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to better understand early labor market outcomes of higher education and the importance of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of higher education. Using College Scorecard’s institution and field of study levels data and a multilevel modeling approach, it estimated and ranked typical starting earnings associated with a large spectrum of bachelor’s and advanced degree programs, and discussed patterns, variations, and irregularities observed in the ranked earnings. This study also calculated advanced degree effects on the typical starting earnings associated with bachelor’s and advanced degree programs, and set precedence to systematically compare the effects of major, department, …

The Relationship Between Head Coaching Change And Donations To Intercollegiate Athletic Departments, Michael Paulus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intercollegiate athletic departments encounter unique challenges as organizational units of higher education. Among these challenges is generating revenue to support the rising expenses of operating programs, funding coaches’ salaries, and investing in facilities. Many athletics departments generate revenue by fundraising through donor-based seating programs, philanthropic engagement, and stewardship benefits associated with levels of support. While various factors within an athletics organization can influence fundraising, the important position of head coaches is one of them. These visible positions can play a key role in influencing ticket sales, fan interest, and donations, thereby contributing to the financial viability of the entire organization.This …

First Generation Law Students: Barriers To Success, Melissa Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A significant population of higher education students are first generation students; students who come from a home where neither parent has completed a bachelor’s degree (Vasil & McCall, 2018). These first generation students experience a gap of education, knowledge, and support which creates a persistent problem of unequal access to higher education for first generation students (MacLachlan, 2017). This unequal access shows itself in barriers faced by the students coming from these first generation backgrounds of interconnected, heightened risk factors (Gardner, 2013).

This dissertation was completed using qualitative analysis to interview six first generation college graduates in the juris doctor …

A Community Of Friends: A Proposal For A Supportive Living Learning Community Centered On Body, Mind, And Soul, Stefan Martyniak

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis hopes to develop an experimental, multi-themed, Living Learning Community centered on multiple dimensions of college student well-being. These dimensions include the mental, spiritual, environmental, ecological, economic, social, and structural which all impact student success, potential, growth, and satisfaction of students in different ways. This community hopes to expose students to alternative ways of being and living. In this program students will be exposed to a variety of experiential learning opportunities in order to strengthen their awareness of mental health topics and their and ability to advocate for themselves and others in order to seek help. To explore and …

Black Men Can: Change The Narrative Of Black Male Students, Levi Tucker Ii

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The master narrative about Black male students has impacted their experience in the education system from the early elementary level through undergraduate studies. This narrative was birthed out of the same racial attitudes that deemed the Black community inferior in every aspect of society. The idea that Black men are academically inferior is backed by research that focuses on Black men who are failing to graduate from college. This type of research and reporting perpetuates the idea that Black men can’t be successful at anything outside of athletics and entertainment and if they are not good at that they are …

Making Mindful Moments: Encouraging Self-Care Practices With Resident Assistants, Michael Herbison

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this intervention, we will be discussing the use of mindful practices and how they will be incorporated into training for the residence life and housing staff. Through experience and research, there is a recognition of the amount of stress that impacts the resident assistant’s (RA) day to day life. Often times, an RA will neglect their own health for the sake of helping others. These stressors can then not only impact their work performance, but their mental health as well. Through a mindful practice training, the RA will be able to identify resources that they can utilize in their …

Viewing The Whole Student: Creating Access By Incorporating A Holistic Review Method In Higher Education Admissions, Delaney Logan

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this thesis, I will explore how higher education institutions can provide greater access to, and support for, students who do not meet traditional admissions requirements such as standardized test scores. This topic is important because traditional admissions requirements are inequitable for various groups of students, and they are also not accurate predictors of success in higher education for all students. My interest in this topic originates from my own personal experiences applying to and attending higher education, as well as my belief that higher education should be accessible to all who wish to pursue it. Therefore, barriers such as …

Growth Mindset Scholars: A Growth Mindset Community Intervention For A First-Year Experience, Robert Anderson

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis is concerned with how higher education has contributed to a rigid, inequitable view of intelligence that stifles education experiences for the sake of quick return on investment. Historically, this view of intelligence was used to justify slavery and other means of integrating people as human capital in society. I propose a one semester workshop intervention, based on Carol Dweck’s research into mindsets, for first-year students to increase the salience of growth mindsets in new students. Research suggests that growth mindsets will increase students’ resilience and adaptability when faced with adversity (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Increasing growth mindsets may …

Severing Ties With Traditional Service-Learning In A Neoliberal Society: Implementing Transformational Service Through Moral Reasoning, Feminist Ethics Pedagogy, And Critical Consciousness, Abigail Demcher

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis critiques traditional service-learning from a neoliberal perspective. More specifically, I address how whiteness and competitiveness insert themselves into traditional service-learning in colleges and universities revealing their connection to neoliberalism. This Critical Action Research thesis explores reaching Transformational Service through models and theories of moral reasoning, feminist ethics pedagogy, and critical consciousness. In this thesis I propose a Social Change and Awareness Pilot Program for fourth-year students, which will impel them to understand and target their passions of social justice and dispel toxic traditional-service-learning ideologies. Solid leadership of this program would involve long-term collaboration and effective communication with communities, …

The Black Feminist Scholar Collective: Empowering Black Women In Higher Education, Mariama Quist

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis addresses how a Black feminist approach in higher education institutions can contribute to the success of African American women students at predominantly white institutions. More specifically, I examine the barriers African American women students face and their strategies to seek support at their university. I utilized the methodology of Critical Action Research to analyze the interlocking systems of oppression that affect African American women as they navigate their undergraduate careers. In this thesis, I propose an organization, the Black Feminist Scholar Collective, that will empower African American women attending PWIs through mentoring, workshops, and smaller programs. The …

Getting Ahead Of The Game: Financial Fundamentals For Prospective College Students, Dia Taliaferro

West Chester University Master’s Theses

As the cost of college and student loan debt increase, there is also a concern with the lack of financial literacy from Black low-income students. Students are eager to attend college and obtain a college degree, yet they are barely prepared academically and financially. Not only are students unaware of the total cost to attend college but their support system (parents/guardian and family) are also not familiar with the basic financial fundamentals to prepare for higher education. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the influences and resources available to Black low-income students. Colleges and universities can support prospective …

Restructuring Enrollment Management Policies At Hbcus: The Next 184 Year Initiative, Kathleen Rzucidlo

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created in the early 1800s during times of segregation and explicit racism. HBCUs continue to play a very key role in educating students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds but continue to focus on the development of Black students in the United States. Currently there are 101 HBCUs in 19 states and in Washington D.C. and the Caribbean. For my thematic concern, I will be tackling the concern of why being student success focused in enrollment management approaches are critical at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and how student success and support practices …

Impact Of Online Education On Student Success Outcomes And Institutional Effectiveness: Study Of Florida State University System, Maria Graham

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Online education has been around for several decades, but only recently has there been a boom in it integration into the public higher education sector on a larger scale. It proved instrumental to student education continuity and progression toward graduation during the COVID-19 health crisis and campus closures. Technological advances produce higher quality online courses that keep students engaged and allow for greater flexibility and accessibility, evident by its dramatic enrollment increase that outpaced the total enrollment at postsecondary institutions. Nine public universities in the State University System of Florida are analyzed to determine if greater enrollment in undergraduate online …

State Government’S Impact On Campus Services For Unaccompanied Homeless Students, Tori Nuccio

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

College campuses have been creating targeted support programs in the last decade to assist students coming from at-risk backgrounds including those who are homeless. Although research has begun to look at the impact these programs are having on the students they serve, little research has been done on how outside support has influenced the development and construct of these programs. My research addresses this gap in prior works via an exploratory study of how the existence of statewide supports, including the formation of networks, within three different cases impact colleges’ ability to build support programs. As part of a case …

A Constructive Approach To Managing Faculty Conflict: An Action Research Study, Natasha L. Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Research indicates colleges and universities are faced with an excess of challenges and issues, and one of these issues is dealing with conflict. The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to implement a conflict management strategies workshop on the campus of Morehead State University as an intervention to address the problem of conflict between faculty and administrators. Data collected and analyzed from an exploratory pilot study included interviews of current faculty and administrators regarding situations of conflict. As a result, the following information was discovered: conflict does exist on the campus of Morehead State University between faculty …

Mentorship Matters: An Instrumental Case Study Of Mentorship In A Student Affairs Graduate Preparatory Program, John Adam Linetty

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The field of student affairs is experiencing a difficult retention problem with 50-60% of entry level professionals leaving the field in their first five years (Tull, 2006). Research has focused on entry level professional experiences, as well as investigating the efficiency of curriculum standards to understand intentions to leave the field. Yet, graduate students are deciding to leave the field even before they graduate (Richard & Sherman, 1991; Silver & Jakeman, 2014), with little known of their actual educational experiences (Kuk et al., 2007). Moreover, an investigation of mentorship within the context of a graduate student’s educational journey can aid …

Bicultural Identity And Academic Achievement: The Second-Generation Immigrant Student Experience, Karimeh Haddad

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

By comparing the academic success and internal processes of immigrant groups, this study aimed to explore the impact of immigration status (first, second, and third-generation) and cultural backgrounds on academic achievement on a holistic level. By measuring acculturation, parental expectations, self-efficacy, goal adjustment, motivation, control beliefs, and vocabulary knowledge of university students, the combination of constructs best correlated to academic achievement was studied with determinants of demographics playing a key role. In addition to quantitative analyses, in-depth interviews supplemented the analyses and further gave insight to the backgrounds of the target population, second-generation immigrant students. The results indicated that there …

The Impact Of Mentoring African Americans Males During Their Undergraduate Experience At Predominantly White Institutions, Michael D. Miller

Masters Theses

Mentoring is often described as a positively effective relationship socialized by a professor or faculty member that assists the student with academic and interpersonal endeavors (Lavant, Anderson, & Tiggs, 1997). Black males face many obstacles in higher education that limit their abilities to obtain resources such as mentorship. The purpose of the present qualitative study was to examine the impact of mentoring relationships for African American males enrolled at a predominately White university. This study sought to explore if mentoring had an impact on Black males, what effects does mentorship have, how they describe their mentoring relationships, and how satisfied …

An Exploration Of The Perception Of Faith Development At A Midwestern Public Institution, Zachary Sandoval

Masters Theses

Despite research indicating benefits to religious or faith involvement, there is an increase in individuals that claim to have no religious affiliation. Additionally, most research that has investigated faith development of college students has been conducted at private religious institutions. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to examine students’ perceptions of various interactions on their faith development at a public, rural Midwestern institution. Moreover, this study investigated how the institution of interest can better support spirituality on campus and the role student affairs can have on spiritual development. Thematic material was developed through Parks’s (2000) theory of faith development. Results …

Recommender Systems In Higher Education: The Effectiveness Of Meta-Data Analysis In Predicting Academic Success, Michael J. Holmes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A recommender system is: “a software technology that proactively suggests items of interest to users based on their objective behavior or their explicitly stated preferences” (Pu et al., 2011, p. 157).

Whether we realize it or not, much of our lives are influenced by recommender systems. These systems may recommend where we eat, what movie we watch, what music we listen to, what products we buy, or even what news and social media content we see.

Recommender systems have been effectively utilized in higher education to recommend courses as well as customizing content within an online course to meet specific …