Education Commons^™

Advocating For The Middle Man: An Explication Of Chair Perceptions On Overcoming Emotion At Work, Brittany Armstrong

Ed.D. Dissertations

The researcher’s study aimed to understand the perceptions of private university department chairs when engaging with emotional intelligence (EQ) at work. The qualitative approach provided the boundaries for the voice and the experience of the participants as the researcher collected interviews, department meeting minutes, and department program reviews from a sample of five department chairs across three, private universities. The following departments served as the study’s population: mathematics, family and consumer science, business, education, and modern languages. Findings revealed participants perceived job satisfaction through the mediator of emotion. Participants identified the emotional challenges of department chair and perceived emotion within …

Persistence In Practice: A Review Of Evidence, Rachel A. Guimond

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Student persistence to graduation is a salient issue in higher education, especially for at-risk groups. Varied approaches to increasing student success and engagement have been tried across campuses throughout North America. The following literature review will highlight evidence-based practices used to increase student persistence at varying levels of organizational structure, including university-level, program-level, and multi-systemic interventions. Recommendations for the specific context of Olivet Nazarene University will be made based on the findings of the included research.

Recent Empirical Evidence On The Perceived Impact Of Covid 19 On Faculty And Students From 391 Faculty From 37 Cccu And Cic Institutions June-September 2021, Don Daake

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The presentation provides very recent data on the impact of COVID 19 from 391 Professors from 37 CCCU or CIC institutions. The data was gathered from June to September 2021- right at the height of COVID impacts. (This add-on set of scales was attached to the dissertation written by Dr. John Langenderfer, DBA, J.D. “The Role of an Academic Institution’s Organizational Culture in Retaining Employees during an Industry Downturn.”) Because of the time of the data gathering from June through September 2021, Dr. Daake saw this as a unique opportunity to study the impact of a BLACK–SWAN event …

The Impact Of Teacher Methodology Training For Higher Education Faculty Members, Nicole R. Baker

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Many college programs are designed to graduate individuals who are experts in their field of study, but not necessarily individuals who are trained in how to teach. This quantitative, quasi-experiment study examined college faculty member’s level of training in the area of teaching practices and methodology. The relation to student satisfaction, current course performance, attendance, the belief in the need for training, and faculty member’s sense of efficacy in teaching was explored. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to organize the data using a one-way ANCOVA to analyze the impact the level of training had on …

What To Do With All This Data? Using Competency Assessment For Advising, Rachel A. Guimond, Hillary Cole

Scholar Week 2016 - present

While assessment serves a critical role in providing direction for program development, student outcome data can also foster individual growth. This presentation will explore the existing research on different advising models and the ONU Social Work Program’s system for using assessment for accreditation to advise students toward professional growth.

Withstand Or Succumb: Christian Universities And The Implications Of Obergefell V. Hodges, Jonathan Mark Pickering

Scholarship – Academic Affairs Office

Most Christian universities support a traditional view of human sexuality. It is uncertain if they can survive with their religious identity intact, given the rapid increase in societal acceptance of same-sex marriage. The 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing same-sex marriage increases pressure to be more affirming. Thirty-four presidents at universities in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) participated in a survey, and twelve were interviewed to explore their perceptions regarding that pressure and potential responses. The study was framed by institutional isomorphism theory, and data were analyzed using basic qualitative research methods. The results show that coercive …

The Relational Effect University Momentum Has On Philanthropic Support, John D. North

Ed.D. Dissertations

Higher Education in the United States is a complex industry with fierce competition. A university’s success and momentum are impacted by numerous internal and external factors. The level of an institution’s philanthropic support often mirrors the level of its overall success. Concerns exist over the continued financial affordability of Christian higher education for students. Prior research has identified a correlation between various institutional characteristics and the generation of philanthropic support. Based on the literature review, the following characteristics were studied to determine their ability to predict alumni giving: enrollment, endowment balance, financial responsibility score, graduation rate, institutional age, presidential tenure, …

Analysis Of Financial Assistance On Graduation Rates And Grade Point Averages, John L. Perry

Ed.D. Dissertations

This investigation examined the different types of federal, state, institutional, employment, and loan programs available to students at an Illinois community college in order to determine the impact of these programs on student graduation rates and grade point averages. The method selected for this analysis was a quasi-experimental design because it allowed the researcher to determine the relationships between multiple preassigned groups. Data was collected from first-time students from multiple academic years and separated into groups based on the type of financial aid received including grants, loans, grants and loans, institutional scholarship, Federal Work Study, and no financial assistance. The …

Nazarene Universities: Effective Boards And The Church-School Relationship, Daniel D. Rexroth

Ed.D. Dissertations

While the world of higher education is rapidly changing, the trustee selection process and resultant board composition in Nazarene liberal arts schools has remained largely the same for the past 60 years. Trustee selection has been primarily a function of the church, disconnected often times from the needs of the schools. This study examined trustee effectiveness in Nazarene liberal arts higher education, as well as the church-school relationship. Trustees at three schools and top administrators at all eight Nazarene institutions were surveyed to identify gaps in trustee competency and also to assess the church-school relationship. Of the 139 trustees in …

Increasing Enrollment: Evaluating College-Choice Factors At A Midwest Christian University, Jeremy J. Hayes

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study evaluated the college-choice factors of 628 freshman students from a Midwest Christian University to determine which variables had the greatest impact on their decision to attend a particular university. Surveys were distributed to freshman students at the new-student orientation during the fall of 2012. The results indicated that institutional factors have the most influence on freshman students’ college-choice decision. In addition, marketing factors are slightly more influential than non-marketing factors. The campus visit is the most influential factor effecting the college-choice decision. The findings also revealed that marketers can be just as influential, if not more, than parents …

Olivet Presidents: A History Of The Office Of The President, Kratina Simmons

Archives - Olivet History

Sources for the book include minutes from the Board of Trustees meetings, letters, university yearbooks (the Aurora), the school's newspaper (the Glimmerglass), several obituaries in newspapers, and funeral programs. The book shows the struggles the university had in its early years to keep presidents as well as its rapid growth within recent years. The last few pages include collages of photos taken during various stages of several of the presidents' lives.

Stop The Madness! College Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Classroom Incivility, Christina M. Nutt

Ed.D. Dissertations

Classroom incivility is causing major concern, nation-wide, to college administrators, faculty, and students. The damage caused by student incivility has been associated with a decrease in student learning, the deterioration of the classroom learning environment, lower faculty morale, and reduced student retention rates. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental fixed research design was to explore and compare college faculty and student perceptions of type and frequency of classroom incivilities at a private college in order to provide a foundation for the development of strategies to reduce uncivil behaviors and increase student success. Study results demonstrated that faculty members and students, …

By The Book: Spiritual Formation And Conduct Codes At Selected Christian Universities, Gerald A. Longjohn Jr.

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study investigated the integration of spiritually formative goals with student conduct codes at selected Christian universities. Utilizing a case study methodology, this study incorporated content analysis of university documents and focus group interviews with campus stakeholders to assess the formulation, revision, communication and enforcement of the campus policies. Qualitative data analysis software, NVivo, was used as a means of coding and tracking themes from a wide range of data sources. Campus results from the Student Satisfaction Inventory were incorporated as a means of triangulating the data. This study concluded that the participating universities were extensively integrating previously researched spiritually …

An Investigation Of The Feasability Of A Writing Center At Olivet Nazarene University: The Implementation Of A Pilot Program, Kristy Ingram, Beth Olney, Sue Rattin, Sue Williams

Scholarship – Academic Affairs Office

The implementation of an on-campus Writing Center is an extension of the holistic approach to student success and retention. Previous attempts to provide an online resource at Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) failed to meet the need of providing one-on-one tutorials. Research proves that this approach does not teach the student how to identify and correct gaps in writing thought, organization, and voice. An ONU Writing Center must be more than an editing center, serving more students than those with remedial writing skills. It should serve as a consistent presence on campus as a facilitator of quality writing across the disciplines. …

Positivity And Positive Reinforcement In Organizational Culture At Nazarene Higher Education Institutions, Brian W. Parker

Ed.D. Dissertations

Given the importance of employee motivation, satisfaction, productivity, and retention, as well as the support for positivity in the review of the literature, this study examined the effects of positivity and positive reinforcement in organizational culture, through the lens of admissions professionals, at the eight Nazarene Higher Education Institutions (NHEI) within the United States. The study also examined the effects of the perceived positivity of leaders in organizational culture, in the same context. The findings revealed some signs of positivity among NHEI admissions professionals, but no evidence was revealed regarding the consistent use of positive reinforcement in these settings. The …

Investigation Of Comprehension Monitoring Skills Of First-Year Students Of College Reading Courses, Barbara Revor

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study investigates the comprehension monitoring skills of first-year readers at both a two-year institution and a four-year institution in the Midwest. The Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) was used to assess skills. The MARSI, developed by Mokhtari and Reichard (2002), assesses reading strategies in the areas of problem-solving, support reading, and global reading. Simple t-tests were used to compare the items on the survey relating to understanding and comprehension monitoring. Results reveal no statistical difference between the students at the two institutions; however, the MARSI was able to show where instructors need to begin instruction to …

Motivation To Pursue Higher Education, David W. Knutsen

Ed.D. Dissertations

Non-traditional college students now comprise an ever increasing portion of the overall number of college students but little is known about the factors that motivate one to pursue higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivating factors, both extrinsic and intrinsic, that lead U.S. workers to pursue higher education. This research was conducted using 200 students of Robert Morris University and the data were collected using a survey instrument that measures the extent to which various factors influenced one’s motivation to pursue higher education. Analysis of the data revealed that overall the most important extrinsic factor …

An Investigation Of Random Drug Testing As A Preventative Measure To Inhibit Drug Use In College Students, Drew Ludtke

Ed.D. Dissertations

The problem of drug use exists at most life stages. In particular, the problem of drug use exists in school settings. In a collegiate setting, students are independent from guardians for the first time and subjected to random drug testing (RDT). The difficulty in testing in a collegiate setting is finding ways to test the effectiveness of RDT. This study examined the effectiveness of an RDT program at a small Midwest university. Reports of drug use and attitudes were recorded before a RDT program was initiated and two years after. The results showed the RDT program was ineffective at preventing …

Marketing Nazarene Higher Education: A Study Of Nazarene High School Senior College Choice, Timothy W. Eades

Ed.D. Dissertations

This was a quantitative study of college choice factors as related to Nazarene high school seniors. A purposeful sample comprised of 6,918 students was utilized leading to 343 valid survey respondents. Valid respondents were specifically high-school seniors, over the age of 18, which attended a Nazarene church and signified the intention of attending a college or university in the fall of 2010. Nine very important or extremely important college choice factors were derived from the findings of this study. Differentiations were established with students choosing to attend a Nazarene college or university and those that chose not to do so. …

Telos: The Destination For Nazarene Higher Education, Gregg A. Chenoweth, Barbara M. Ragan

Books and Manuscripts – Academic Affairs Office

A collection of essays that attempts to articulate the common “center pole” around which Nazarene higher educators stand and the theological and pedagogical commitments that draw them together. An end product of the Pole Project, the volume is a values document for Nazarene educational institutions and was produced and reviewed by 51 faculty at 16 institutions from six countries. The title, Telos, comes from the Greek term used in the New Testament to address the perfect end, or destination, for which Christians are designed. We achieve this when we are perfectly aimed by God. Each contribution in the collection discusses …

The Impact Of Career, Psychosocial, And Spiritual Functions Of Mentoring On Undergraduate Students, Tom Middendorf

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study investigated the perceived utilization and importance of career, psychosocial, and spiritual mentoring functions in the mentoring relationships with university personnel at select Nazarene Higher Educational Institutions (NHEI). Quantitative methodology utilizing survey research was used to collect data. A total of 366 traditional undergraduate students were surveyed from the Behavioral Sciences Division at four select NHEIs. Data analysis indicated statistically significant differences on students‟ ethnicity and the mentoring function of protection, denomination and the function of exposure and visibility, college or university and the function of spiritual accountability, major and the functions of exposure and visibility and challenging assignments, …

College Athletes' Perceptions Of Effective Coaching Behaviors And How Perceptions Influence Individual Performance And Team Satisfaction, David Brent Holstein

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study collected data both quantitatively and qualitatively on athletes’ perceptions of their current coaches and whether these perceptions influenced individual performance and team satisfaction as perceived by the athlete. Athletes at two community colleges participated (n=145) in the quantitative portion, the Athletes’ Perceptions of Effective Coaching Traits Questionnaire (APECT-Q), along with five being interviewed. Overall, on the APECT-Q it was found that athletes at the two schools felt their coach’s behaviors/traits did moderately to strongly influence their performance and team satisfaction. Conclusions and implications from both a theoretical and empirical perspective were discussed in an effort to continue to …

Faculty And Administrator Perceptions Of Teaching, The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, And Culture At A Teaching University, Jonathan D. Bartling

Faculty Scholarship – Education

Despite increased calls in higher education for institutions to be accountable for quality teaching and student learning, at many institutions, the status and quality of teaching and learning has not improved. Many faculty members remain teaching-focused, and institutions often afford a low status to teaching. This is present even at institutions whose missions are teaching-focused. The purpose of this case study was to explore faculty and administrator perceptions at one private, Christian, Midwest teaching institution regarding teaching, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the institution’s culture and commitment to teaching and scholarship. Through interviews with a purposeful sample of …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of A University Faith Mission In Courses Using Classroom, Distance, Or Hybrid Instructional Delivery Modes, Susan Esther Odell Draine

Faculty Scholarship – Nursing

This applied research project took place at a faith-based university in the Midwest. The purpose of the study was to determine to what degree students and faculty who participated in face-to-face instruction, distance education, or hybrid modes of instruction perceived that the subject university's mission was integrated into course content and instruction and to determine whether the mission objectives were applied equally to the three types of courses, as required by the regional accrediting body. Survey instruments were used to quantify participants' perceptions.

Equivalency theory formed the basis for comparing the perceptions of three groups of students and faculty--those engaged …

The Church Of The Nazarene: A Denomination And Its Colleges: A Mixed Methods Study, Mark A. Mountain

Scholarship – President's Office

The purpose for this study was to provide a framework for the Church of the Nazarene to examine the ongoing church-college relationship. At the Church of the Nazarene’s centennial, this study sought to examine the balance between institutional mission and academic philosophy on church-relatedness in the Church of the Nazarene’s higher education bodies within the United States.

The qualitative research brought to light several themes. The first was that the Church of the Nazarene is very unique its relationship between church and college. A second theme that was evident was the strong sense of institutional loyalty. And a third was …

Assessing Student Strengths: Academic Performance And Persistence Of First-Time College Students At A Private Church-Affiliated College, Jeffrey S. Williamson

Faculty Scholarship – School of Graduate and Continuing Studies

The research study sought to identify the significance or impact of strengths training received by first-time college students at a private, denominationally affiliated college that holds membership in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and to determine whether or not there were statistically significant differences in first semester outcomes between students who received formal feedback and training on their identified strengths and those who do not receive their strengths results or training.

First-time college students at Mount Vernon Nazarene College (MVNC) in Mount Vernon, Ohio completed the Gallup Strengths Finder (GSF) assessment as a part of the new …