Education Commons^™

Leadership Issues, Concerns, And Competencies Of Senior Level Student Affairs Professionals: A Study Of A 4 Year Public University, Todd C. Brelsford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the leadership competencies commonly exhibited by selected student affairs professionals at a 4-year public university in the northeast. To have a deeper understanding of leadership within the field of student affairs, issues and concerns were investigated using relevant leadership theories (Eddy & VanDerLinden, 2006). The study sought to close the gap in the literature base by examining a division of student affairs from the director (or equivalent positions) up to the vice president of the division.

Twenty one participants were selected because of their rank of senior level student affairs professionals at …

Planning An Employee Spanish Training Program At The Community College Level, Melissa A. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the process of planning and creating an employee Spanish training program. The researcher determined employees' previous knowledge of the language and culture as well as training preferences utilizing two surveys (n = 120) and a personal interview (n = 15). Surveys were statistically analyzed using SPSS software to determine frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations and the interviews were analyzed using a content analysis procedure. Research on adult learning theories, program planning theories and exemplary Spanish training programs complemented the quantitative and qualitative data collected.

The study revealed that CCC employees had …

Communication Theory Vs. Performance Skills: How Do Rowan Public Speaking Professors Weave Both Into Class Lectures?, Renai Ellison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how Rowan University public speaking professors blend the teaching of communication theory and performance skills in their classroom lectures. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews and classroom observations of public speaking professors at Rowan. Five professors participated in the process. Each professor was asked open-ended questions which were created by the researcher to determine the specific methods used to impart knowledge about communication theory and performance skills. A classroom observation was conducted to provide confirmation and further elaboration of the information gathered from the interviews.

The study uncovered each professor's feelings and attitudes …

Evidence Of Heterarchical Planning Within Higher Education Institutions: Learning Garden Planning And Development At Rowan University, Sheri K. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes during the early stages of planning for an educational garden at Rowan University. This study also attempted to fill the gap in the literature that exists between garden planning and development and planning at higher education institutions. The investigator surveyed 20 committee members involved in this large-scale project, in addition to interviewing six committee members who were considered key stakeholders and have displayed high levels of involvement during the initial stages of the project. Participants were administered a Likert-scale survey that looked for the emergence of heterarchical practices during the development …

Attitudes Towards Accommodations For Students With Learning Disabilities: A Study Of Rowan University Faculty, Sean C. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of Rowan University faculty regarding accommodations for students with learning disabilities. A survey was sent to 350 full-time assistant, associate, and full professors from Rowan University's six colleges. The study aimed to discover what instructional, exam, policy, as well as university accommodations faculty members were willing to make for students with learning disabilities. The demographic data of age, gender, college, years teaching experience were correlated with the attitudinal statements included in the survey. The study revealed that, overall, faculty were willing to make accommodations for students with learning disabilities.

Perceived Benefits Of Involvement In Student Government, Kristen Diorio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived benefits of being involved in student government at Rowan University. Thirty-five undergraduate students involved in the Student Government Association (SGA) at Rowan University completed a survey to determine their perceived benefits, discover why they decided to become involved, and to determine whether there was a pattern of involvement.

The findings showed that involved students saw positive benefits in the areas of: personal development, educational, and developing social skills. Rowan University students who were involved in SGA saw positive values from their experience. The higher level of involvement a student had …

A Study Of Selected Student Attitudes Toward Factors That Influence Academic Achievement, Marquis L. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of selected African-American male college students and the impact of financing, role-modeling, high school preparation, college/community acceptance, and family support on academic achievement at Rowan University. The study sought to determine if any of these factors had a significant relationship with academic achievement.

Academic achievement was measured by a self-reported GPA of 2.76 or higher, which was higher than Rowan University's minimum requirement (2.5) for graduation, and honors achievements (awards, certificates, honor societies). Responses were measured using a Likert scale of 1-Strongly Agree to 5-Strongly Disagree.

Respondents reported that financial …

A Study Investigating Academic Advising Support For Student Athletes At Rutgers University-Camden, Thomas Thomasson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a need for an academic advising support program for student athletes at Rutgers University-Camden. Rutgers University-Camden is currently in the process of developing such a program. The sample studied consisted of 122 student-athletes at Rutgers University-Camden.

Data were collected through an 18 item survey designed to obtain background information on the student athletes and their attitudes toward academic-advising at Rutgers University-Camden. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program to calculate the descriptive statistics of frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations for responses …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of Selected Campus Leaders Toward The Role Of Student Trustees At New Jersey State Colleges And Universities, Matthew S. Minnella

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of college and university presidents, board chairpersons, student trustees and student government presidents at eight member institutions of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) concerning the role of student trustees. The major areas of interest included voting rights, compensation, roles, training, and conflicts of interest. Seventeen campus leaders from NJASCU institutions participated in the study. The subjects were mailed a survey to complete to document their attitudes toward the roles of student trustees. The study found that the majority of selected campus leaders agreed that student …

Division Iii Athletic Trainers' Attitudes Toward Issues And Concerns Of The Athletic Training Profession, Kristin Sacerdote

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the specific issues and concerns that athletic trainers face in the college and university setting. A secondary purpose was to solicit recommendations in addressing the issues and concerns that are present in the profession. Seventy-two certified athletic trainers in the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association (EATA) completed a survey to evaluate their attitudes on the issues and concerns facing athletic trainers in higher education institutions. Those surveyed were asked to identify what were the top issues and concerns facing athletic trainers and what recommendations that they had for addressing these issues. The findings …

Issues, Challenges, And Leadership Qualities Of Participating Njac Head Soccer Coaches At The Division Iii Level, Thomas E. Eichhorn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the issues, challenges, and leadership qualities of NCAA Division III head soccer coaches in a highly competitive and diverse area of the United States. Fifteen head soccer coaches from the New Jersey Athletic Conference completed the Leadership Assessment Instrument and the Issues and Challenges survey to identify similarities amongst state institutions of higher education in New Jersey and to compare similarities between head coaches of male and female soccer programs. Findings suggest there are no distinct differences amongst these institutions or between head coaches of male and female soccer programs. The leadership …

Ncaa Division Iii Student-Athletes' Attitudes And Knowledge Of Anabolic Steroids, Keith Smicklo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide data on the attitudes, knowledge, and deterrents of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III student-athletes related to illegal steroid abuse. One hundred and two student-athletes from Rowan University completed a survey to evaluate their knowledge of anabolic steroids and the NCAA Division III Drug-testing policy. The student-athletes also responded to statements regarding their current attitudes towards anabolic steroids and some deterrents to the use of steroids. Results indicated that NCAA Division III student-athletes do possess general knowledge of anabolic steroids and feel the use of anabolic steroids during athletic competition is …

Perspectives Of Administrators At Select Art Institutions On Student Involvement And Development Theories And Their Relation To Campus Extracurricular Activities, Mary Ellen Wade

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine extracurricular offerings at art institutions focusing on a few areas, including: (a) the amount of extracurricular offerings, (b) the types of extracurricular offerings, (c) how student affairs administrators viewed overall student participation in the extracurricular offerings, and (d) how demographics of the institution including size of the student population, commuter or residential campus, and the amount of funding received related to the amount of extracurricular activities offered by a particular institution.

This study examined two art institutions. Findings suggested student affairs administrators mostly have knowledge of and apply student development theories …

An Impact Evaluation Of The Dr. Harley E. Flack Male Mentoring Program At Rowan University, Eliezer Marcellus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct an impact evaluation of the Dr. Harley E. Flack Male Mentoring Program on selected students at Rowan University. The study involved 94 subjects, divided into two groups. Group one consisted of 90 students enrolled in the Dr. Harley E. Flack Male Mentoring Program. Group two consisted of four past and current directors/coordinators of the program.

The data collection instruments included a 23-item survey and an interview schedule. The survey obtained background information, the attitudes of the subjects toward the academic support services provided by the program, and the impact on academic achievement …

The Roles And Responsibilities Of Academic Chairs In Strategic Planning At Rowan University, William F. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the attitudes of department chairs in strategic planning at Rowan University. The researcher surveyed the department chairs within the six academic colleges. A total of 22 department chairs participated in the survey while 20 of these subjects were also interviewed. Participants were administered a Likert-scale survey that measured the attitudinal factors of role, knowledge-experience, and involvement in strategic planning. The survey also measured the attitudes towards the current strategic planning process at Rowan and their recommendations for improvement. Surveys were statistically analyzed to determine means, standard deviations on the attitudinal factors, …

A Study Of The Changing Complexion Of Academic Governance In New Jersey Community Colleges, George J. Hakun

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the forces of change that will affect community colleges in New Jersey and to capture the attitudes of stakeholders towards the impact of these forces as they relate to the future of the structure of academic governance. The target population of this study was community college administrators and faculty in five community colleges in southern New Jersey (n=90). The study included a random sample of administrators and faculty members, with an overall response rate of 43.5%. In addition to the survey, 12 stakeholders were randomly chosen to participate in interviews, representing a …

Piloting The Implementation And Assessment Of A New First Year Experience At Rowan University, Stephen A. Bonora

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of freshmen residents of Evergreen Hall at Rowan University during the 2005/2006 school year. The purpose of the FYI program in Evergreen Hall was to increase student retention. Half of the residents in Evergreen Hall were full participants (FP) in the program, meaning that they had a connected experience where their orientation leader for the summer before the freshmen year was also the RA the student had in the fall semester. The other half involved were non-full participants (NFP) the students had a different orientation leader and RA. This study …

A Study Of Head Coaches' Attitudes Regarding Academic Support Services For Student Athletes In The New Jersey Athletic Conference, Kenneth M. Dickson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of head coaches in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) regarding the academic support services provided to student athletes. Of related interest was whether the coaches found a need for these services to be provided by the athletic department. Seventy-five head coaches in the NJAC completed the survey to evaluate the attitudes and academic support services. Results showed a statistically significant relationship between years in coaching and attitudes of academic support services. The findings suggested that the head coaches in the NJAC believe that there is a need for academic …

Why Do African American And Latino Undergraduate Students Choose To Attend Rowan University?, Jose A. Aviles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence African American and Latino undergraduate students to attend Rowan University. Sixty four African American and 56 Latino undergraduate freshmen were used in this study. Each student was given The Rowan Freshman Survey (2004), to obtain the quantitative data for this study about why African American and Latino students choose Rowan University. The analysis of the data calculated the frequency, percentage, mean as well as the standard deviation for each item. An Independent Samples T Test with a .05 level of significance compared the means of the African American …

A Study Investigating Undergraduate Student Leader Perceptions Of Involvement And Intentionality Of Out-Of-Class Learning, Lauren M. Ackermann

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine why students get involved in student organizations, the perceived benefits of being involved, and the role of student affairs professionals in enhancing out-of-class learning. Fifty-two undergraduate students from Rowan University participated in the study by completing a survey that asked about involvement in a Student Government Association (SGA) chartered organization, perceived learning outcomes associated with involvement, and the student's perceptions about current services offered to student organizations. A follow-up interview was conducted with six students who completed the initial survey in order to more fully answer the question of what student affairs professionals can …

A Study Investigating The Health Care Support Service Training Needs For Gloucester County And Workforce Development Demand, Maureen D'Andrea

Theses and Dissertations

The Division of Lifelong Learning at Gloucester County College conducted a survey of medical offices in the county to determine what occupations they employed and what their projected employment need for those occupations was in the next three years. The purpose of the study was to determine if GCC should develop training programs for those occupations. GCC also wanted to provide training for occupations that would qualify for workforce development funding. Over 500 surveys were mailed to medical offices in the county and responses were received from 72 offices. The research data indicated there was a need for training by …

A Study Investigating The College Choice Process Of Selected Freshmen Minority Undergraduate Students At Rowan University, Philip K. Oware

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the college choice process of selected freshmen minority undergraduate students at Rowan University. Convenience sampling was used to select 66 minority freshmen undergraduate students. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 29 items. Descriptive analysis employed included frequency distribution and calculation of mean and the corresponding dispersion (standard deviation) where applicable. The relationship between each item/statement and the attitude dimension variable according to the responses of all the students was established using Spearman Correlation. Eighty-four percent of the subjects strongly agreed or agreed that the financial aid they received was opportunity …

A Study Investigating The Feasibility Of A Co-Curricular Leadership Program At Rowan University, Christopher A. Farrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the feasibility of implementing a co-curricular student leadership program at Rowan University. The project included both a content analysis of transcripts from focus group sessions held with faculty members, administrators and student leaders, as well as analyses of existing co-curricular student leadership programs on several college campuses. Results from the focus group sessions included a strong interest for a co-curricular student leadership program at Rowan University, as well as recommendations for the proper implementation of such a program. Analyses of existing programs from several college campuses provided a methodology for program …

The Relationship Between Administrators' Learning Patterns And Leadership Competencies, Mark Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected administrators' learning patterns and attendant leadership competencies. Thirty-nine upper-level administrators at Rowan University completed the Leadership Assessment Instrument and Learning Combination Inventory to evaluate this relationship. Results showed a statistically significant relationship between a confluent learning pattern and conceptual thinking leadership components. Administrators demonstrated a wide variability in leadership competencies and learning patterns on descriptive tests. Findings suggest administrators at Rowan University use a wide degree of flexibility between learning patterns and leadership skills.

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Early Intervention And The C.H.A.M.P./Gear-Up Program At Rowan University, Thomas A. Cruz-Soto Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of early intervention / pre-college programs. The study sought to determine if there was any significant information regarding the impacts of early intervention / pre-college programs on target populations. The study involved 92 conveniently selected students from Cooper's Poynt Family School and Woodrow Wilson High School, located in Camden, New Jersey. The primary focus of the study was the C.H.A.M.P./GEAR-UP Program and its effectiveness on selected youth. The data collection instruments included a 15-question survey and scores from a Pineland ecology pre & post-test. This self designed survey was based …

A Study Of The Issues And Challenges In Athletic Administration From The Perspective Of Division Iii Athletic Directors, Jason Robert Crews

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the issues and challenges facing selected Division III athletic directors. The study sought to determine if there were any differences in the available literature and the opinions of selected Division III athletic directors. The study involved 80 Division III schools throughout the Tri-State area of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The primary focus of the study included the colleges and universities within the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The research instrument used in the study was a 12-question survey. This self-designed survey was based upon the current issues and challenges in Division …

A Descriptive History Of The Discipline Of Athletic Training Education, Scott M. Lisher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to trace the history of athletic training education as an athletic discipline. Through careful study and research, the author presents how formal education has evolved for professionals in the field of athletic training. The roots of athletic training education can be traced to the mid-1950's. From that period, athletic training education has changed immensely and is still changing today. This research explores the relationship between the development of higher education and the way athletic training evolved as a discipline within higher education. Much of the focus is on change, not only including changes made …

The Perceptions Of Tenure And Alternatives To Tenure Among Faculty At A Mid-Sized Regional University In A Large Northeastern State, Patricia Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to gauge the perceptions of both tenured faculty and tenure-track faculty regarding academic freedom and tenure. With this information, professors will be able to engage in discussions about tenure and its future. In this study, professors across all colleges and professorial ranks were asked to rate the degree to which they either agreed or disagreed with statements pertaining to academic freedom, tenure, and possible alternatives to tenure. In addition to this, there was a space given for comments or concerns.

The overall format of this study was an anonymous survey questionnaire. Most importantly, the survey attempted to …

The Development And Implementation Of A Co-Curricular Transcript Program At Rowan University, Catherine R. Ragan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to study the process of change while developing and implementing a Co-Curricular Transcript Program at Rowan University. The action research project included a content analysis of available literature, a case study with an existing co-curricular transcript program, program proposals to Rowan administration, focus group interviews and a survey of employers regarding the effectiveness of the co-curricular transcript in evaluating entry-level candidates. The result of this action research project is an online co-curricular transcript program at Rowan University. The results of the employer survey indicated strong support for the program. This project also …

Development Of A Freshman And Transfer Student Athlete Orientation Program At Rowan University, Michael D. Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations

Many college student athletes fail to attain degrees. Academically, students struggle to maintain the minimum academic requirements to remain enrolled in their college or university. The purpose of this thesis project was to determine the feasibility of developing a freshman and transfer student athlete orientation program at Rowan University. An action research design was used to collect qualitative data on student athletes regarding their attitudes and perceptions towards the development and possible implementation of an orientation program for freshman and transfer student athletes. Student athletes and university administrators supported the development of an orientation program for student athletes at Rowan …