Education Commons^™

Gender Discrimination And Title Ix Implementation: Lessons From The Office For Civil Rights Resolution Letters 1997-2011, Laura S. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Gender discrimination, such as sexual harassment, sexual assault and inequitable treatment has long been considered a prominent issue on higher education campuses and is regulated under the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, commonly known as Title IX. Title IX is enforced by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) who responds to gender discrimination complaints on campus through investigations resulting in what are called OCR Resolution Letters. These letters define numerous policies and procedures Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) must put in place pertaining to the prevention of gender discrimination. This qualitative study looks specifically …

Generational Differences In Transfer Student Capital Among Community College Students, Michael J. Rosenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

“Transfer student capital” refers to the learned ability of a student to successfully navigate the process of transferring from a community college to a four-year school. Transfer student capital is accumulated by gathering information about potential destination schools and programs, gaining an understanding of requisite academic skills, campus engagement, and weighing personal concerns surrounding eventual transfer. The more transfer student capital an individual accumulates, the more likely they are to be academically successful and persist to graduation.

This quantitative study examines whether a student’s age cohort may affect the transfer process from community college to a four-year school. The study …

Rise Of The Administrator In Higher Education: Focus On Professionalization Of The Registrar At The University Of Kentucky From 1910 To 1937, Nancy D. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The decades following the Civil War saw a tremendous growth in the number of colleges and universities, both public and private, due in large part to funds provided by federal legislation under the Morrill Act of 1862 and a surge in philanthropy on the part of wealthy industrialists. In the early colleges and universities, administrations were typically run by the president alone. With increased enrollment and the demand for expanded services, one man could no longer handle all the administrative functions, and thus was born the administrative professional in higher education. Due to the increased demand for record-keeping, one of …

Global Kentucky (Fall 2014), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Review Of Central Retention Efforts And Results, Benjamin C. Withers

Undergraduate Education Faculty Presentations

Goals for the Discussion:

• How and why college metrics and goals will be established
• How you and your faculty/staff can get and use data using HANA/Tableau
• How college committees can work
• Accountability and reporting

Overview Of Uk 101: Academic Orientation Course, Benjamin C. Withers, Randolph Hollingsworth

Undergraduate Education White Papers

A review of UK 101, "Academic Orientation Course", and its impact on retention and graduation rates at the University of Kentucky (UK). The study includes charts showing the differences in retention and graduation rates over time from 2001 to 2013. It also explores key issues and suggested next steps within the context of UK's efforts to raise the number of first-year students and the use of the shared curriculum by colleges for their specialized sections to meet the needs of their new students. This white paper is the result of collaboration between many units at UK together with the Division …

Is Retention Enough? Learning And Satisfaction Of First-Generation College Seniors, David Mahan, Kristin B. Wilson, Joseph M. Petrosko Jr., Michael R. Luthy

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

Progress has been made in retaining and graduating traditional-age first-generation college students at four-year institutions. First-generation students, however, often experience college differently because of external factors, which can negatively influence their learning experience and overall satisfaction. This study explored learning and satisfaction measures of seniors at a small private university in the Midwest. Using Astin’s I-E-O model (1970), the following variables were considered: precollege student characteristics (input); academic engagement, co-curricular activities, campus relationships (environment); and satisfaction, learning (outcome). The sample consisted of seniors participating in NSSE and/or ETS MAPP (n=342). Findings confirmed that first-generation students typically worked more for pay, …

Global Kentucky (Spring 2014), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

A Holistic Review Of The Medical School Admission Process: Examining Correlates Of Academic Underperformance, Terry D. Stratton, Carol L. Elam

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background : Despite medical school admission committees' best efforts, a handful of seemingly capable students invariably struggle during their first year of study. Yet, even as entrance criteria continue to broaden beyond cognitive qualifications, attention inevitably reverts back to such factors when seeking to understand these phenomena. Using a host of applicant, admission, and post-admission variables, the purpose of this inductive study, then, was to identify a constellation of student characteristics that, taken collectively, would be predictive of students at-risk of underperforming during the first year of medical school. In it, we hypothesize that a wider range of factors than …

Partnership Between Library And Graduate School For Electronic Theses And Dissertations, Adrian K. Ho

Library Presentations

This presentation describes how the library and the Graduate School at the University of Kentucky collaborated to streamline the thesis and dissertation submission process. The outcome was that the Graduate School implemented an electronic thesis and dissertation mandate in Fall 2013 and students now submit their theses or dissertations directly to the institutional repository, which enables immediate free online access to their research.

Global Kentucky (Winter 2014), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Determining Undergraduate Factors That Predict Academic Success In Pharmacy School, Stephen Polley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Admission into pharmacy school is a very competitive process, and as a result multiple authors have looked at a variety of factors in an effort to create a systematic process that admissions committees can use to identify candidates who are likely to succeed in the rigorous pharmacy curriculum. One of the issues with this approach is that these analyses tend to be very institution-specific. In this paper I hope to identify a mechanism that the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Pharmacy admissions committee can use to efficiently and thoroughly evaluate candidates using scientifically validated factors.

This study uses a …

Do College Presidents Matter? An Analysis Of The Effects Of College Presidents On Retention And Graduation Rates, Wesley Whistle

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Higher education is going through a transformative time. Effective leadership of these institutions is increasingly important. Public institutions are losing more government support from both the state and federal level. Colleges and universities are also facing higher standards from the federal government. When presidential search committees are looking for candidates for their college or university, they are seeking a leader who addresses these issues, as well as many others.

Addressing falling financial support requires increased attention to fundraising. Some accept that presidents are hired primarily for fundraising for the colleges and do not expect them to play a role in …

Sex And Gender Identity: A New Perspective For College Student Development, Steven Ray Wise

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

One of the goals of college student development professionals is to help undergraduate students develop a meaningful sense of personal identity. Early in the history of the profession, practitioners borrowed freely from related fields such as sociology and psychology to guide their practice, but beginning around the 1960s, scholars began in earnest to develop their own unique body of literature. In this work I examine the development of that scholarly work as it relates to identity development—specifically the evolution of understanding around the issues of sex and gender identity development.

Beginning with William Perry, whose work has impacted so many …

Global Kentucky (Fall 2013), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Global Kentucky (Summer 2013), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Global Kentucky (Spring 2013), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Changing Strategies For Electronic Theses And Dissertations: Communication Between An Academic Library, Graduate School, Academic Departments, And Students, Lyndsey E. Calico, Cleophus V. Price, Adrian K. Ho, Jonathan Garrett

Library Presentations

Technology has long since removed the need for paper copies of theses and dissertations in the library. The latest strategy for receiving, reviewing, and archiving graduate student scholarship is the institutional repository (IR). An IR will allow online submission by a student from anywhere in the world, increasing convenience for local students and increasing global diversity.

The University of Kentucky Graduate School and the University of Kentucky Libraries have teamed to create an online submission process for all graduate student scholarship. UKnowledge, the University's IR, is now home to all digitally born graduate student scholarship. To make the student experience …

Student-Athletes And Drug Abuse Policies: A Study Of Drug Abuse Policies Of Athletics Departments In A Major Intercollegiate Athletics Conference, Jennifer Hale

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Analyzing The University Of Kentucky’S Top 20 Business Plan, Kenny Blair

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to begin laying a foundation for assessing the degree of progress the University of Kentucky (UK) has made toward the goals defined in the Top 20 Business Plan. The plan was created to guide the university’s efforts in becoming a top twenty public research institution by 2020 per a mandate by the Kentucky General Assembly.

Up to two strategies and/or policy suggestions were chosen for analysis for each of the four major domains outlined in the plan (undergraduate education, graduate education, faculty recognition, and research). Academic quality indicators were then developed for these strategies …

Global Kentucky (Winter 2013), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Presence Of Marketing In Campus Recreation Departments, Amy Gibson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The University of Kentucky’s Campus Recreation department is currently operating without professional marketing personnel to promote the programs and services the facility offers. With the university expanding campus housing for incoming students, the question of how activity spaces will accommodate and reach out to these students is certainly one to consider.

I conducted this research with the aim of analyzing the importance of marketing in Campus Recreation facilities and to see if marketing efforts have an effect on facility usage by participants. The department began conducting surveys in 2010 to assess its programs and services in order to determine student …

Examining An Adult Education Partnership Through A Positive Organizational Lens, Lewis H. Burke Jr

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit.

Emerging positive organizational theory and research show promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. …

A Positive Approach Toward Unit Functioning In Higher Education, Susan T. Berry

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit.

Emerging positive organizational theory and research show promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. …

Positive Workplace Dynamics: A Qualitative Exploration Of Exceptional Performance In Community College Units, R. Michael Stapleton

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

In this companion dissertation findings are reported of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. Ample prior evidence confirmed that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit.

Emerging positive organizational theory and research shows promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. Therefore, …

Strategies Under Stress: How Senior Student Affairs Officers Are Managing In The Midst Of Institutional Retrenchment, Christopher Thuringer

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Higher education had been one of the highest funding priorities in most states, however, in recent years, governors and state legislators have focused their efforts in higher education on cutting budgets to deal with historic gaps in revenue. As a result, university administrators have been challenged to modify their institutions’ academic programs, administrative units, and student affairs operations to contain costs and increase revenue. This study examined the extent of financial challenges faced in student affairs divisions at four-year, state-supported institutions during the period between 2008 and 2012 and the strategies utilized by senior student affairs officers to manage them. …

Choosing Home: International Pushes And Pulls For Malaysian Alumni Of U.S. Graduate Programs, Pauline Chhooi

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Malaysians’ journeys to pursue graduate education in the U.S. generate more than just degree attainment. This dissertation looks at how experiences in the U.S., both in graduate school and in the workplace, influenced highly educated Malaysians, especially in their exploration of push and pull factors that influence their decisions to remain in the U.S. or to return to Malaysia. This study focuses on twenty-two participants comprised of those who have returned to Malaysia, those who are working in the U.S. on non-immigrant visas, those who became Permanent Residents and those who are naturalized U.S. citizens.

The first major finding demonstrates …

Global Kentucky (Fall 2012), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Retention Improvement: Reflecting On Current And Future Actions To Improve Retention - A Brief Written By Jason Pieratt On Behalf Of The Division Of Undergraduate Education, Randolph Hollingsworth

Undergraduate Education Faculty Presentations

Jason Pieratt, an enrollment and retention analyst hired by the Division of Undergraduate Education for the purpose of developing this brief, interviewed in early August 2012 selected individuals from across the diverse communities of the University of Kentucky staff, students and faculty. The following strategies were identified and developed.

University-wide:

• “Student Success is My Main Job” Mindset for All Employees (particularly Main Campus)
• Weave Post-UK Success into Everything from Recruiting to Graduation
• Capitalize on “Small” Settings that Already Exist at UK
• Student Services Building One-Stop Shop
• Retention-Focused Office under the Provost
• Academic and Social Gathering Places throughout Campus
• Faculty Involvement …

The African American Male Initiative At The University Of Louisville, Michael D. Anthony, Lyston Skerritt, Joseph Goodman

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

Following a year of data gathering and planning during the 2010-2011 academic year, the University of Louisville launched the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) in the fall 2011 semester. The AAMI was designed using national best practices and current research findings as it relates to supporting African American male undergraduates. Now at the end of its first year, this practitioner’s brief provides an overview of the AAMI structure, design, and implementation.