Education Commons^™

Retaining Information Technology Employees In Higher Education, Mary Holmes

Dissertations

The retention of qualified Information Technology (IT) employees is at an all time low within higher education institutions. IT personnel are essential for higher education institutions to effectively integrate technology into their educational programs. These IT employees contribute to their institution's teaching/learning mission, while simultaneously supporting complex and highly visible administrative operations. Yet, all previous research regarding IT employee retention issues had only been conducted within corporate settings.

To examine factors related to IT employees' retention within public higher education, an internet-based study was sent to IT employees in all four-year public universities throughout Michigan. The survey included questions within …

Success In The First Year: Impact Of Alternative Advising On Students At A Liberal Arts College, James E. Swanson

Dissertations

Small faith-based liberal arts institutions are increasingly focused on recruitment and retention because it is critical to their existence. Because these institutions are completely enrollment driven, the numbers of students who persist through to their second year of college is a necessary administrative focus. Scholars have found that interactions between students and members of the institution, especially faculty, are critical to student persistence during the first year of College. Research has also demonstrated that academic advising plays an important role in first-year student persistence. A question remains, however, whether students are retained because of time spent with faculty or because …

Job Tasks Performed By Career Preparation System Administrators: Implications For Leadership Development, Julia K. Vandermolen

Dissertations

This study represents the results of a quantitative survey measuring the importance and frequency of job tasks performed by Michigan's Career Preparation System (CPS) administrators. The census consisted of 120 (n = 120) CPS administrators. Eighty-six (n = 86) or 72% of CPS administrators participated in the study. A mailed survey was used to collect data to determine the importance and frequency of 51 job tasks performed by career and technical education (CTE)administrators identified by a previous DACUM study for a leadership development program. Quantitative methods were used to seek an improved understanding of the job tasks performed …

A Case Study Of The Efficacy Of A University Cohort Group In A Small Urban School District, Ann Rea Kopy

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to explore the processes followed in an educational partnership and to describe the changes in the participants' beliefs, practices, and sense of efficacy as a result of their participation. This study described and analyzed an educational partnership between a large university and the staff of a small, urban school district. The goals of the partnership were to provide the participants the knowledge to enhance student achievement as well as to develop educational leaders throughout the district. The participants consisted of educators of the district that enrolled in the educational partnership that existed for …

Problem-Based Learning: An Attitudinal Study Of Police Academy Students, Gregory P. Vander Kooi

Dissertations

Policing strategies have gravitated toward a consensus paradigm model, commonly referred to as "community policing." This is a significant paradigm shift, yet most police academies continue to use traditional lecture-based pedagogical methods to train police officers. One possible alternative to passive lecture-based teaching is a more active problem-based learning. Problem-based methodologies consist of presenting ill-structured problems whereby an instructor facilitates and directs the students in active inquiry toward possible solutions for a specific problem.

Best Practices Within Mediation Programs, Warren L. Hills

Dissertations

Mediation Centers have been introduced to college and university campuses in recent years as a cost effective method to deal with a variety of conflict issues. These centers offer a variety of services to students, faculty, and staff including mediation, facilitation, and training. Campus mediation centers that report various levels of success and growth serve as an example for operations to their peer institutions. Yet for a lack of previous research, little information is known about the actual operations of campus mediation centers and the systems and processes they follow.

An internet-based survey was sent to campus mediation centers staff …

A Comparative Study Of Hybrid And Internet-Based Educational Technology Course Modules, Nilly Adnan Al-Banna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ attitudes and performance toward the teaching methods in an educational technology course. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Educational Technology course ETEC 2002L at the University of Arkansas had been exposed to both on-line modules and in-class instruction. The sample size for this study was 155. The results included 110 valid surveys completed by the students on paper. The data collected from the survey were analyzed using percentages, means, and t test of paired samples to find if there was a significant difference in students’ attitudes toward on-line versus hybrid instruction. Four …

Cad/Fea Tools And The Analysis Of Design For Optimization, Patil Yogesh

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Patil Yogesh on October 21, 2006.

Ethnographic Study Of Buddhist Education, Based On Burgess' Social Science Method At An American University And A Private Buddhist Organization, Wan-Ming Lu

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The literature shows that there are many studies about Buddhism in the United States and religion on college campuses, but few studies specifically about Buddhism in American universities. The purpose of this study is to explore how American college students approach and learn about Buddhism. A qualitative research study of clinical ethnography was applied to conduct this study at the Florida International University (FIU) and Florida Buddhist Association (FBA). FBA was chosen to compare with FIU so that the features of Buddhist education at FIU would be clearer.

Eight students and four teachers (instructors) were interviewed at FIU; and two …

University Women's Experiences Of Sexual Coercion, Velma L. Campbell

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Velma L. Campbell on July 28, 2006.

Development Of An In Vitro Protocol To Study The Effect Of Estrogen On Osteoblast Activity, Sourik Ganguly

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science & Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Sourik Ganguly on July 7, 2006.

Impact Of Enrollment Management, Marketing And Strategic Planning On Adult Higher Education Enrollment Patterns, Kinfu Adisu

Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the impact of enrollment management, marketing and strategic planning practices (or lack thereof) on enrollment trends in two graduate programs across five Grand Rapids, Michigan-based institutions of higher education. Deans, department heads or program directors associated with the Master's of Business and Master's of Education degrees in each institution were interviewed, as were regional administrators and marketing personnel for a total of 15 participants. In addition, the challenges faced by these graduate programs and how such challenges impacted enrollment patterns were analyzed.

Findings indicate that to a large degree the concepts of enrollment management, marketing and …

Non-Traditional Paths To Presidencies Of Higher Education Institutions In Michigan, Daryl Joseph Delabbio

Dissertations

The number of college and university presidents coming from a career path outside of higher education has seen a steady increase, from just under 10% in1986, to over 15% in 2001 (Corrigan, 2002), yet little is still known about this growing population. This qualitative study examined four current or former presidents of institutions of higher learning in Michigan who were elected to their positions without having experienced the traditional academic career pathcommonly associated with college and university leaders. Four presidents, along with their current or former chief academic officers and two current or former members of the governing boards that …

The Persistence Of At Risk College Students Into Their 8Th Semester At A Private Christian College, Rick Zomer

Dissertations

It is estimated that the number of students who will begin a course of study but fail to complete a post secondary degree is between 28.5% (Tinto, 1993) and 50% (Brawer, 1990). This qualitative study reviewed sixteen students enrolled at a private Christian college who were deemed to be at risk based on specific pre-enrollment data but had successfully persisted into their senior year of college. Tinto's Theory of Departure and the role of mentoring were used as lenses to determine: (1) the role of individual intentions and commitments in their persistence; (2) the impact of social and educational congruence …

Predictors Of Persistence Among Community College Adult And Traditional-Aged Students, Kellie Crawford Sorey

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Previous literature has documented the high attrition rates for community college students. Beyond raw data, research has demonstrated that predictors of higher education persistence may include a student's background characteristics, a student's external commitments, institutional influences, and a combination thereof. However, empirical research on the persistence of community college students is scarce, and even fewer studies address the differential predictors of persistence between adult and traditional-aged students. The present study examined the predictors of institutional persistence among adult and traditional-aged degree-seeking, first-time enrollees at a public, multi-campus two-year community college in southeast Virginia.

A random sample comprised of 350 traditional-aged …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Epistemological Beliefs And Moral Reasoning Between American And Chinese College Students, Zhongtang Ren

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

This study investigated the cultural differences of epistemological beliefs and moral reasoning between American and Chinese college students (N=452) recruited from three universities, Old Dominion University in the eastern United States, Luoyang Normal University in the central China and Central University for Nationalities in northern China. A series of factorial MANOVA was conducted to explore the influence of gender, ethnicity and nationality as the independent variables on epistemological beliefs measured with five EBI (Epistemological Beliefs Inventory) scores and moral reasoning measured with two DIT (Defining Issues Test) scores as dependent variables.

No effects were found for gender and …

The Total And Specific Dimensions Of Self Concept Related To Female Participation In Collegiate Athletics, Dane Bradford Beary

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed between female collegiate sport participation and non-participation, as well as female collegiate individual and team sport participation on the total, the specific dimensions of self-concept and supplementary scores as rendered by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Second Edition TSCS:2 (Fitts & Warren, 1996). A subject pool of N=190 participants were used. All subjects included in data analysis were female undergraduate students. A multivariate analysis of variance (M ANOVA) was utilized to evaluate effects of sports participation versus non-participation and individual versus team sports participation on self-concept. On sports participation versus …

Examining The Relationship Between Student Support Services And Student Outcomes At A Four-Year Institution, Angela Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study identified and examined the service variable combination(s) provided by Student Support Services (SSS) TRIO program that had a statistically significant relationship with program participants’ academic performance and retention. SSS is a federally funded program designed to increase the retention and graduation rates of undergraduate first-generation, low-income, disabled college students. While SSS has played a significant role in the retention of disadvantaged students, scarce empirical research exist which examine the combination of SSS services that affect students’ academic performance and retention. Considering SSS programs will probably not experience large increases in federal support in the future and given the …

College Recruiter Behaviors That Influence International Students' Decision To Attend Augsburg College, Marissa Machado

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study will investigate the role of the admissions counselor in influencing an international student to attend Augsburg College. Previous research has indicated that factors such as a student's knowledge of a host country, perceived quality of education, and scholarship awards are determining factors in the college selection process, but very little research has examined what role the international recruiter plays in this process. The number of academic institutions which international students can choose from are varied and numerous, making the role of the international recruiter key in the recruitment process. This research indicates that the admissions counselor can play …

Team Communication And A Model Of Team Training, Deepa Oommen

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Deepa Oommen on April 12,2006.

An Examination Of The Job Satisfaction Of Mid-Level Managers In Student Affairs Administration, Jessie L. Grant

Dissertations

This study examined the job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and attrition (intent to leave their position within the next twelve months) of mid-level managers in student affairs administration using Herzberg's (1966) Motivation-Hygiene Theory.

A purposive sample of 1943 mid-level managers from the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) was sent an invitation to take a Web-based survey. Four hundred seventy seven responses were received. Statistics were calculated for the demographic variables of age, education, gender, ethnic background, degree level and currently pursuing a degree, functional area(s) of the mid-level manager, supervision, Carnegie classification, student enrollment, institutional type, and career tenure in the student …

The Effect Of Major Organizational Policy On Employee Attitudes Toward Graduate Degrees, Frank R. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Leaders initiate policies not only to improve the success of their organizations, but to influence employee performance, whereby employee attitudes toward a policy objective can influence their resulting behaviors. One group of employees, Air Force officers, experienced a policy change in 2005 that discontinued the use of academic degrees as criteria for officer promotions. With this change, there is a concern that the number of Air Force officers with graduate degrees might decrease. In particular, senior leaders in the Civil Engineer (CE) officer career field are concerned that this policy change might reduce the number of officers available to fill …

Professional Development Practices And Teachers' Perceptions Of Classroom Impact, Coletta Parsley

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Coletta·Parsley on February 24, 2006.

Effects Of Prescribed Burning On Breeding Bird Populations Of The Daniel Boone National Forest Pioneer Weapons Area, Jimmy Mains

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Jimmy Mains on January 3, 2006.

Does The Advertising Effect Of Athletics Impact Academic Rankings?, Brad A. Trenkamp

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The study presented here examines the relationship between athletic success and academic quality among Division I universities. The analysis begins by revisiting models that have been previously examined by other researchers. The current literature is then extended using a new model incorporating academic rankings. The previously used models incorporate objective measures of academic quality. The new model presented here uses rankings which have a subjective input. It is then examined to see whether the subjective opinions present in the academic rankings are influenced by athletic success. The analysis supports the assertion that successful football programs enhance the academic mission of …

The Love Styles And Reactions To Romantic Betrayal, Melissa R. Bausmer

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Melissa R. Bausmer in January of 2006.

Attitudes Of Morehead State University Academic Administrators And Faculty/Academic Advisors Regarding Credit Experiential Learning, Tina Stafford-Baldwin

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Tina Stafford-Baldwin in 2006.

Foster Care Adolescents And Higher Education, Mary Ann Holmes

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Independent Living Program in San Bernardino and Riverside counties to transition foster care youth to independence of the social services system. The study provided a compilation of services and resources available through Cameron Hill Aftercare Services in San Bernardino for emancipated foster youth to assist with the successful transition toward independence as well as access to higher education and stability in housing and employment.

Evaluating Support Services For African American Females At A Historically Black College, Sabrina Ferguson Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of the Women’s Resources Assistance Program (WRAP), a support service for African American females attending a historically black college or university (HBCU). The study included 230 participants. The purpose of the study was to gauge, through the use of surveys, each participant’s knowledge and level of participation in the WRAP.

The participants were issued questionnaires and interview forms to complete during the study. The questionnaires contained 11 closed-ended questions that were designed to determine the participating students’ attitude towards WRAP as well as their level of participation. Similarly, oral interviews were conducted to ascertain the …

Speech Recognition: The Interpretation Of Training And Using Speech Recognition Software From The Perspectives Of Postsecondary Students With Learning Challenges, Delann Soenksen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the utilization of speech recognition programs by five college students with learning difficulties. A qualitative approach was implemented over the course of two semesters, Fall 2003 and Spring 2004, to: (a) ascertain students' perspectives on speech recognition, and (b) understand how students used speech recognition programs as a tool to meet the academic demands of postsecondary education. Data collection for this study included interviews, participant observations, field notes, videotape, and course assignments. This study provided qualitative data regarding an assistive technology tool that has traditionally been studied within a quantitative paradigm. Environment, individual characteristics, and life demands …