Education Commons^™

Lived Experiences Of School Counselors Who Address Mental Health Needs Through Evidenced-Based Educational Programs, Kelley Yvette Olds

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of school counselors who address the mental health needs of students through at least one of the following educational evidenced-based programs: Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, Response to Intervention, Restorative Practices, and Student Assistance Program. EBPs have evolved as a staple of quality educational programming with a focus on best practices, data, and accountability. Over the past several decades, school counselors have struggled to demonstrate efficiency, accountability, and transparency consistently in counseling outcomes (Generali, Foss-Kelly, & McNamara, 2013). Recent literature in school counseling embraces the movement toward …

Leveraging Cross-Campus Collaborations To Promote Financial Literacy, Holly Gabriel, Dawn Hackman, Renee Nilsen

Librarian Posters and Presentations

Financial literacy is increasingly important for all college students, but none more so than students in professional health or medical programs. Many of them are in uncharted territory, facing new and unique financial decisions and obligations that accompany these costly degrees, such as lengthy unpaid internships and expensive certification processes. Academic librarians are well situated to be able to meet these needs, not by teaching financial literacy themselves, but by connecting the students with subject experts. This has been done at the University of North Dakota through a partnership between campus librarians and UND’s Financial Wellness office. For example, the …

Self-Stigma, Attitudes, And Preferences When Seeking Mental Health And Sport Psychology Services: A Student-Athlete Point Of View, Rena Marie Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

This study explored student-athletes’ attitudes, stigmas, and preferences toward mental health and sport psychology services. Previous research has identified that student-athletes report similar rates of distress compared to the general student population (Davoren & Hwang, 2014; Frank, Hautzinger & Beckmann, 2013). While student-athletes are in need of mental health services, previous research has also found that student-athletes can benefit from the use of sport psychology services. Previous research has demonstrated the need to support student-athletes as people, students, and athletes (Andersen, Miles, Robinson, & Mahoney, 2004; Bond, 2002; Friesen & Orlick, 2010; Miller & Kerr, 2002). However, not all athletic …

The Lived Experiences Of Academic Advisors With Counseling Degrees In Addressing Wellness With College Student-Athletes, Jennifer M. Gerlach

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of academic advisors who have master’s degrees in counseling in addressing wellness with college student-athletes. Of particular note was to explore if they addressed wellness and, if so, how they addressed wellness. Extant literature is replete with evidence documenting the numerous challenges and stressors student-athletes experience due to their athlete status. Prior to this study, the role of the academic advisor in addressing wellness has not been represented in the literature. This study examined the lived experiences of 10 academic advisors with counseling degrees, or currently enrolled …

Career And Technical Education And Its Relationship To Engineering Technology Pathways In Marine Mechatronics, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Otilia Popescu, Petros Katsioloudis, Ana M. Djuric, Mileta M. Tomovic, Thomas Stout, Roger R. Lagesse

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Students coming from families with low household incomes often cannot afford to rely on a regular pathway from high school to the university because of college tuition rates. Other students might not seek out available opportunities in their guidance counselors' offices to learn about existing scholarships or learn about different engineering technology or engineering careers. There are also students, who realize that a four-year university degree is not always necessary to find a career that matches their skills and talents. They may also have another educational path to receive a technician, engineering technology, or engineering degree, such as technical or …

Depression In Low-Income Adolescents: Guidelines For School-Based Depression Intervention Programs, Gopika Hari

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Adolescent depression is growing in interest to clinicians. In addition to the estimated 2 million cases of adolescent major depressive episodes each year, depressive symptoms in youth have become indicators of mental health complications later in life. Studies indicate that being low-income is a risk factor for depression and that socioeconomically disadvantaged teenagers are more than twice as likely to develop mental illnesses. Only an estimated 1 in 4 children with mental illnesses receive adequate help and 80% of these resources come through schools. Thus, this study focuses on establishing the importance of depression intervention programs in low-income high schools …

African American Males, Mentorship, And University Success: A Qualitative Study, Taurean M. Douglas

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined black males who successfully graduated from a university in south central Kentucky and their perception of mentorship. Interviews were conducted in an attempt to get the lived experiences of five black males who became first generation college graduates. The researcher used purposeful convenience sampling to select black male graduates who had experienced mentoring. Face to face interviews were conducted and the transcripts were analyzed for themes. The findings suggest that mentoring played a significant role in helping the research participants navigate college and successfully graduate.

The Effectiveness Of The Student Support Service Program On Retention At A Rural Community College, Deborah D. Hodge

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) programs for students who persist in college. The intent of this study was to determine whether the services provided to participants in SSS helped them achieve higher grade-point averages (GPA), retention rates, and graduation rates. Student Support Services programs are designed to assist first-generation college going, low-income, and students with disabilities with gaining the academic and self-advocacy skills necessary to persist towards an educational goal, 2-year degree completion, transfer to a 4-year university, and/or completion of a certificate program. Services provided to student program participants included: academic tutoring, academic …

An Analysis Of Black Undergraduate Students' Social Activism Through Social Media Usage, Tayla Richards

Masters Theses

Social media has become a tool for college students to engage in social activism. Black undergraduate students is one population that actively utilize social media's impact as illustrated through recent activist movements and demonstrations within university communities. This study sought to explore and analyze the ways that Black undergraduate students utilize social media platforms in general and for activism. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with three Black undergraduate students and analyzed their posts on each of their frequently used social media platforms in order to study how their personal narratives were connected to their social media use.

Results showed that …

The Campus Ministry And The African American College Students' Experience: A Case Study, Tania Lacora Ward

Masters Theses

African Americans surpass other ethnicities in their level of spiritual and religious engagement (Johnson, Elbert-Avilla, &Tulsky, 2005). This is particularly true for African American college students. This engagement though, may be especially important in providing African American students a path to academic success. According to Donahoo and Caffey (2010) "African American students remain committed to church involvement and religious practice, in part, due to the range of individual benefits and supports that those opportunities provide" (p. 79). This study investigated the role of spirituality in African American college students' achievement; to understand how and why they become involved, and how …

Reducing Adolescent Anger And Aggression With Biofeedback: A Mixed-Methods Multiple Case Study, Jedidiah S. Savard

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Adolescent anger, aggression, and violent outbursts are social problems significantly affecting each of us. Individual therapeutic management of pathological anger is treated in various ways depending on practitioners’ theoretical orientations and competency levels. Popular psychological individual and group therapies addressing anger and aggression in adolescents focus primarily on cognitive-behavioral techniques that manage anger’s symptoms. Evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapies often require clients to self-identify emerging antecedents of anger without assistance; such therapies employ predetermined strategies to assist the client to emotionally de-escalate prior to an angry or aggressive episode. However, cognitive responses to an emotional upheaval stemming from an emergence of anger …

Career Handbook, Unlv Career Services

Career Handbook

The job search, no matter what step you are on, can be a daunting and intimidating process. We want you to know that you are not alone in this journey. Since the day you arrived on campus, you have been surrounded by the support of family, friends, professors, staff, and peers. As you move into the next stage of your professional journey, we want you to know that you have the support of Career Services, the Alumni Association, and all of the employers who are part of the Hire a Rebel family to mentor, guide, and walk with you through …

The Relationship Between Participation In Community Service And Students Academic Success, Kelsi Grubisich

Masters Theses

This study explored the relationship between participation in community service and students' academic success at a mid-sized Midwestern institution. A quantitative study was conducted by distributing a survey through the Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Office listserv. The results from the t-test showed that there was no statistical significance in the participation in community service and students' academic success. Results from the Chi Square test showed that there was no statistical significance in the type of service students chose and their major, the gender participation, and the race participation. Recommendations were made to student affairs professionals to include more opportunities …

Motivation Behind Male Undergraduate Students' Decision To Participate In A Study Abroad Program, Rachel Ann Lindhart

Masters Theses

This study sought to explore the motivating factors behind a male students' decision to study abroad during their undergraduate career at a mid-sized Midwestern university. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used understand the factors that influenced their decision to participate in a study abroad program. Five male undergraduate students in their third year or higher that had participated in a semester-long or summer independent study abroad program were interviewed one-on-one. The results demonstrated that the participants committed to study abroad during their sophomore year of college. The students' decisions were influenced by a variety of factors, including academics, people, their …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Hall Council On The Acquisition Of Transferable Skills, Madeline Smart

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hall council executive board experience and the acquisition of transferable skills. The researcher hypothesized that hall council members would acquire transferable skills through their involvement in hall council and that men and women would differ in the acquisition of transferable skills. A quantitative study was conducted that surveyed hall council members who attended a mid-sized, Midwestern, 4-year public institution from 2005-2015 . The researcher used a Hall Council Involvement Questionnaire and Learning Outcomes Assessment to determine if involvement in hall council led to the acquisition of transferable skills. Out …

Access To Higher Education For Black Men: A Narrative Perspective, Kayla R. Branch

Masters Theses

A college degree is important because it provides opportunities for graduates to become educated in a field of study that they can start a career in. There is a large underrepresentation of Black male students in higher education. This lack of representation reflects the lack of professional Black men in our society and limits the number of Black role models these men have can look up tot. The purpose of the qualitative study is to identify what influences Black men to attend college and what challenges they may face getting admitted to college. It also examined how these men transition …

Perceptions Of Transgender Students In Social Fraternities And Sororities, Stacy Rowan

Masters Theses

Recently, a total of ten social fraternities and sororities have published statements inclusive of transgender individuals, while others have remained silent on their inclusive policies. Currently, there is no published research on the inclusion of transgender students in social fraternities and sororities, though many institutions of higher education have started taking steps toward including transgender students. This qualitative study was designed to identify the perceptions of individual social fraternity and sorority members, the perceptions of their chapters, and how their chapters recruit and welcome transgender students into their organizations. The participants belonged to five different social fraternities and sororities at …

Are Students Stressed?: A Study Of The Impact Of Student Engagement On Student Stress, Titus Young

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine students' engagement and stress levels at Eastern Illinois University, a Midwestern mid-sized regional comprehensive university. The two statistical hypotheses for this study were: "Is there a significant difference in the stress levels reported by students involved in at least one RSO and students who are not involved in a RSO?" and "Is there a significant difference in the stress levels reported by students who are employed at least 6 hours per week and students who work less than 6 hours per week?" The Student-Life Stress Inventory was used to measure students' overall …

Resident Assistant Perceptions Of Motivations And Demotivations To Return To Their Position, Carrie Gochnauer

Masters Theses

Utilizing qualitative methodology, participants' perceptions were examined to better understand Resident Assistants' expectations of their role and how those relate to their motivations and demotivations to return to their position. Through conducting one-on-one semi-structured interviews with six Resident Assistants, it was found that community development, staff dynamic, and learned skills were perceived as motivations to return, while work/life balance, staff dynamic, and awareness of role were perceived as demotivations. It was also found that overstimulation during training, role conflict, need for personal/professional growth, need for purpose, and practicality of position were perceived expectations of the Resident Assistant role. Recommendations for …

Pivotal Moments In Undergraduate Education: Retention And Student Connection To Campus, Katie Sikora

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology the researcher studied what pivotal moments keep students connected to their institution. The researcher conducted five one-on-one interviews with students of varying backgrounds and involvements and found that participants experienced pivotal moments while attending their mid-sized, mid-western, public university. Participants described pivotal moments through helping others, working towards their future goals, and experiencing leadership opportunities that caused them to grow as a student. Family pressure, people on campus, and having more opportunities in college contributed to the pivotal moments that students experienced. Specifically, this mid-sized, mid-western institution's mentors, faculty members, and the close-knit feeling of campus contributed …

Resilience And Thriving In Homeless College Students, Cayla C. Maurer

Masters Theses

Homeless college students face many obstacles in higher education. These students are the invisible population on campuses that are sometimes forgotten. Despite facing many challenges and barriers, these students continue to pursue a degree of higher education. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences and obstacles homeless college students face while they word toward a degree. Understanding how successful homeless college students overcome barriers and utilize resources will provide information that may change the fate of future homeless college students. A phenomenological approach was utilized to explore the qualities and characterizes that allow homeless college students to …

Microaggression In The College Environment: Narratives Of African American Students At A Predominantly White Institution, Courtney Lynette Jones

Masters Theses

The study examined narrative experiences of microaggression from African American college students attending a Predominately White institution (PWI). Participants consisted of a combination of undergraduate and graduate students from a mid-size Midwestern institution of higher education. A qualitative approach was taken through a two-step series, first an email was sent to participants to obtain experiences of microaggression. After, a semi-formal follow-up interview was conducted to collect data for the research. The findings reported all six participants' experienced intentional and unintentional microaggression on various places of the college campus such as, the classroom, campus offices, campus police department, and campus-events. Microaggression …

Perceptions Of Body Image Among College Men, Colton David Janes

Masters Theses

This study sought to better understand what influences male body image perceptions among college men attending a mid-sized Midwestern university. A qualitative research approach was utilized to better establish a better understanding on how college men construct their body image perceptions. Nine male undergraduate students in their third year or greater participated in one-on-one interviews. These participants self-identified as a member of a single-gender student organization including a social Greek letter fraternity, university athletic team, and/or other student organization(s) on-campus. Results of this study revealed that one of the most influential forces of body image perception among participants was the …

Student Veterans And Their Transition To Becoming A College Student, Paul R. Higgerson

Masters Theses

This study sought to understand how student veterans view their transition to becoming a college student. A small, but increasing, amount of studies have been conducted on this topic. A qualitative approach, specifically a narrative method, was utilized to better understand how student veterans made meaning of the life events they experienced during their transition. Six student veterans in at least their second semester at their current institution were interviewed one-on-one, and their narratives are included here. This study revealed that student veterans and adult learners share many characteristics and that by viewing the student veteran as a student in …

First-Year Student Perceptions Of A Community College Success Course: A Phenomenological Approach, Aaron J. Walk

Masters Theses

The use of college success courses by community colleges in recent years has had a significant impact on the academic success of their first-year students. Although studies have shown increases in grade point averages and retention rates for students enrolled in success courses, few have examined student perspectives of these courses. The intention of this study was to gain an understanding of the student perceptions of college success courses and how they shaped their college experiences. By using a phenomenological method of inquiry, the researcher interviewed six community college students enrolled in a college success course. The participants were students …

A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Students' Perceptions Of And Experiences With On-Campus Police, Rishawnda Lenett Archie

Masters Theses

This study examined African American students' perceptions of and experiences with police officers with particular emphasis on campus police in order to determine whether these perceptions and experiences could impact their college experience. Participants were seven African American students from urban areas who attended a midsize university in the rural Midwest during the fall 2017 semester, and who had some interaction with law enforcement. Data was collected from one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Questions were structured to elicit participants' direct or indirect prior experiences with police officers, their perceptions of police officers and campus police, and tacit impact that these experiences and …

Cosby Dissertation.Docx, Jennifer Cosby

Jennifer Cosby

No abstract provided.