Education Commons^™

Persistence Of First-Generation College Students During Campus Closure, Ruby Lin

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, which caused the largest education disruption in world history. Prior to the pandemic, first-generation college students were considered an underrepresented and vulnerable population at four-year institutions (Engle & Tinto, 2008; House et al., 2020). This study sought to capture the lived experiences of seven first- generation colleges students at a four-year, private institution in Southern California who had to unexpectedly leave their university community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants recount their experiences of having to leave their university campus suddenly without direct access to resources provided …

We Want It That Way: Post-Traditional Transfer Student Advising Expectations As They Transition To The Four-Year University, Jessica Davis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Post-traditional students (typically defined as individuals who are at least 25 years of age, have experienced a gap in their educational journey, care for dependents, and who generally work full time [American Council on Education, 2022]), represented 35% of the post-secondary undergraduate population enrolled full time at four-year universities in the United States during the Fall 2019 term (NCES, 2020). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of post-traditional transfer students and how their community college advising experience may have shaped/informed their advising expectations at their current university. Data was collected from six participants who …

A Mixed Methods Design Exploring Factors And Experiences Of Ed.D. Graduates And Time To Degree, Brian Willess

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In higher education, the extended time-to-degree of doctoral students creates a gap between those who graduate on time and those who do not. This delay is due to program structures, relationships, and dissertation writing. Academic success requires timely program completion and increases career opportunities for graduates. A long time to degree increases the risk of non-completion, especially during dissertations. Attrition, persistence, and dropping out have been studied, but why students graduate on time needs more examination. Most studies focus on Ph.D. students and programs with different requirements and time-to-degree, so new research must include Ed.D. students and examine doctoral graduates' …

Vamos A Pláticar: The Sense-Making Process Of Career Services Practitioners At California Community Colleges In A Guided Pathways Epoch, Claudia Estrada-Howell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The California Community College system and its vision for success, which includes a focus on increasing students' degree and certificate completion, as well as increasing the percentage of existing Career and Technical Education students who report being employed in their field of study is highlighted. To help support these goals, the California Community College System has adopted the Guided Pathways framework. This framework requires all campuses to fundamentally redesign their programs and support services to ensure they are clear, more educationally coherent pathways to credentials that in turn prepare students for success in the workforce and further education. To do …

The Relationship Between Covid-19, Student-Parent Gpa, And Childcare Needs, Karina Ventura

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Being a college student comes with its responsibilities and challenges. Additionally, being a parent also comes with responsibilities and challenges. For those who classify as both student and parents, there is double the work. The student-parent population in colleges has increased over the past few years and it is important to ensure that their support needs, such as childcare, are taken into consideration. When the COVID-19 pandemic shifted learning to online and childcare centers shut down, student-parents felt the consequences. The purpose of this study was to examine how a student-parent support program (CCAMPIS) impacted academic progress and persistence from …

The Role Undocumented Student Resource Centers Play In Supporting Undocumented Students In Higher Education, Cynthia Boyzo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Undocumented Students face many challenges in their daily lives. Accessing higher education is a challenge alone. Many undocumented students get discouraged to attend higher education due to financial constraints. The students that do attend institutions for higher education encounter different challenges. According to Murillo (2017), 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school each year nationwide; however, only half (49%) attain a degree or enroll in college. Many institutions have developed Undocumented Student Resource Centers to provide a safe and welcoming environment for undocumented students. The purpose of this study explored how Undocumented Student Resource Centers support undocumented students throughout their …

Transforming Black Students’ Higher Education Experiences And Lives: A Proposal For The Csu, Don Lundy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

For decades, a racial “achievement gap” has persisted in U.S. higher education. Specifically, White students have outperformed Black students on a number of indicators, including college admissions, standardized test scores, and graduation rates. This graduate project considers several explanations for this persistent inequity. The root of the problem, it argues, is U.S. higher education’s history of racism and exclusion and the oversaturation of whiteness in these institutions. In other words, U.S. higher education was built for and continues to serve White students at the expense of Black students. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) show us that when whiteness is …

Journal Of Critical Issues In Educational Practice Vol. 12, Tiffany Bates, Jaime Welborn, Christine Uliassi

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

It is our great privilege to be the editors of this journal. The opportunity to review the scholarly work of others and provide a forum for dissemination is important work. Three original pieces of research are included in this volume of the journal. Selected for originality and timeliness, it is our hope that some part of your educational practice might be informed. It is our goal to feature voices that might be considered outside of the expected or usual.

What is your philosophy of education? One might ask if this is ever a serious question or rather just an academic …

Language Ideologies In First Year Composition Textbooks, Joanna Clevenger

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This thesis examines how standard language ideologies are perpetuated in the five most frequently assigned first year composition textbooks from four higher education institutions in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Standard language ideologies position one variation of a language as superior, correct, appropriate and the normal variation of a language which everyone should be able to speak. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the five textbooks were analyzed in order to uncover the embedded power and hegemony over women, people of color, and those from a lower socioeconomic status which are prevalent throughout society because they are unchallenged and widely accepted as the …

Experiences Of Latina Student Mothers In The Transfer Pipeline: An Interpretive Phenomonological Analysis, Aurora Vilchis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Characteristics of who today’s college student is has drastically changed over the years with more students over age 25, may have dependents, employed full-time, attending school part time and likely a parent. These students are known as post-traditional students who make up 85% of undergraduates nationwide. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Latina students, who are mothers, and have successfully transferred from a community college designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) to a four-year public higher education institution also designated as an HSI. Data was collected from eleven participants who shared their experiences …

Radicalizing First Year Composition: A Novice Educator’S Venture Into Revolutionary Teaching, Xochilt Trujillo Flores

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

­­This project is based on my experiences and reflections as a novice instructor on implementing educational practices which center a critical, feminist, anti-racist pedagogical approach in a first year composition course. Using my own experiences of teaching FYC as a central focus, this project will collect data through teacher-reflective journals. Those journals will be focused on how radical pedagogy shapes my approaches to teaching and how I experience/implement that approach in my day-to-day practices. In doing so, this project aims to address the persistent gap between theory and practice, particularly in the context of novice educators’ experiences in a …

Determinants Of Students’ Intention To Learn Cloud Computing, Charles Changchit, Robert Cutshall, Chuleeporn Changchit

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The explosive growth of data and frequent application updates along with the increasing need to access data and/or applications from multiple locations has resulted in a need to improve the way data and applications are stored and served. Such a need has forced both companies and academic institutions to pay attention to cloud computing technology. Since education is a driving force for the continuous improvement of cloud computing, this study aims at identifying the factors that influence college students’ intention to learn about cloud computing technology. Specifically, the research question focuses on determining which factors drive students’ intention to learn …

Engaged Social Media In Higher Education While Avoiding The Label Of "Striving", Jessica Nerren

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Striving has become a word laden with problematic meanings in the world of higher education. For instance, if a university is too aligned with business, or becomes overly selective, or deviates from original purpose or mission, then, at times, those actions are seen as striving (O’Meara, 2007). O’Meara (2007) defines striving as participation in efforts to improve status and prestige in line with the hierarchy. Allen (2021) echoes the problematic nature of this practice witnessed abroad, equating striving educational practices with neoliberalism, potentially overshadowing primary purposes of the institution, such as learning and teaching, or drowning out important parts of …

Enhancing The Relationship Between Students And Teachers In A Socially Distanced World By Humanizing Online Education: A Guide For Higher Education Instructors, Gilma Linette Ramirez Reyes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

To maintain and continue to build long-lasting professional, educational, and personal relationships, this project provides a formal academic way of teaching for instructors, but it also that reflects what the heart of teaching should be about. It shows how instructors can facilitate care and demonstrate genuine positive intentions to their students when facilitating learning in an online environment. This goes beyond the only course content materials presented and moves to an educational experience that is cultivated through the student-instructor community.

The humanizing approach to online instruction for this project is defined as the center of communication and presence which includes …

Welcoming Families With Children To Csusb: Making An Intergenerational Difference, Leslie Leach

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Coming back to school after a gap in your education can be a daunting task. For students with children (SWC), the undertaking has different challenges than their classmates. Providing resources geared towards their success plays a significant role in the student's ability to complete their education. It also allows the SWC to feel a sense of belonging within their institution of higher learning. This project analyzes other California State Universities' family housing programs to advocate a similar program at California State University, San Bernardino. Using the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and Organizational Identity (OI), I can illustrate how resources …

Exploring Latinx Alumni Donor Motivations At Hispanic Serving Institutions, Monica Alejandre

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Higher education is a funding priority every state should invest in. However, the great recession of 2008 left a catastrophic impact on how public universities in the United States are funded thus mobilizing higher education institutions to seek external support. This focus has led to public universities developing advancement programs to cultivate and solicit alumni support. With the average alumni giving rate at 10% across the nation and 2.8% more specifically for HSIs, and more Latinx students graduating with their bachelor’s degrees, it is important for universities to understand philanthropic motivations among their Latinx alumni population.

This study explored Latinx …

These Hips Don’T Lie: Examining The Engagement Of Latina/O Students Participating In High-Impact Practice Service-Learning Projects At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Felix Zuniga

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

While college access has been improved for Latina/o students, there is still the challenge of graduating Latina/o students with equitable academic outcomes (Bates et al., 2018). Hispanic-Serving Institutions are the sites that enroll the majority (67%) of Latina/o students in college; two out of three Latina/o students attend these broad-access, open-enrollment, minority-serving institutions known as HSIs (Excelencia, 2021). Universities across the United States are aware of the changing demographics of higher education but are slow to change policies and practices to become “student-ready” (McNair et al., 2016). Critical research on how Latina/o students experience higher education practices for student retention, …

Showcasing The Authentic Student Experience: The Library And Student Mentoring Partner To Create A First-Year Library Ambassador Program, Gina Schlesselman-Tarango, Barbara Herrera, Sara Demoss

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

This poster outlines CSU, San Bernardino’s (CSUSB) Library Ambassador initiative, a partnership between the Pfau Library and the Office of Undergraduate Studies’ Student Mentoring Program that aims to connect students in first-year courses with peers knowledgeable about library resources and services. The poster includes the history of the program, which was piloted in 2016, and addresses some of the challenges and successes encountered along the way. It details the program’s student-focused philosophy, which strives to combat library anxiety by ensuring that early exposure to the library centers authentic student research experiences, concerns, and needs. The Library Ambassador program also allows …

Si Se Puente! Validation And Puentistas Beyond Undergraduate Studies: Sustaining Latina/O/X College Achievement, Frances Valdovinos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Latina/o/x are the fastest growing group in the United States and in the state of California. Higher education has also encountered a growth in Latina/o/x students pursuing higher education. Yet, despite this continuous rise higher education is less likely to retain the Latina/o/x student population. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenology study was to discover what factors of the Puente Program supported and prepared the Latina/o/x participants in facilitating transfer and college achievement during their undergraduate studies. Through the use of validation theory and the lived experiences of the participants, this study allows for a better understanding of the way …

Validating And Culturally Responsive Pedagogies: Examining The Effects Of First-Year Seminar Course Redesign At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Joanna M. Oxendine

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A substantial amount of research exists regarding the efficacy of first-year seminar courses (FYSC); unfortunately, most existing FYSC research has been undertaken at predominantly white institutions and has tended to present college-going and the transition to college within the dominant narrative. Where addressed at all, the efficacy of FYSC’s for students of color has typically been framed via a deficit model lens and has not taken into account certain pedagogies known to better support Latinx, African-American, or other minoritized students. Led by the overarching purpose of exploring how intentionally incorporating culturally relevant and critical pedagogies in first-year seminars might be …

Exploration Of Ipass Reform At A Public, Comprehensive Four-Year University: An Intrinsic Case Study, Maria Domingo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Students enroll in universities to earn degrees as a way to improve social and economic competitiveness. However, many large, comprehensive universities are having difficulty in supporting students to ensure timely graduation and are seeing a large number of students stop out before a degree is earned. Academic advising is seen as an effective strategy to help improve retention and completion rates in universities. However, large comprehensive universities often lack the resources to ensure students receive the support needed to ensure completion. We know four-year graduation rates are rare, and there are numerous factors contributing to this issue. Thus, universities and …

Graduate School Awareness For First-Generation Latinas: Cracking The Glass Ceiling - A Validation Study, Deborah D. Grijalva

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

At this time, the Latinx population is the fastest-growing population in the United States. Latinas account for one in five women in the United States, and by 2060 Latinas will likely make up one-third of the nation’s females. Education is the foundation for both personal and economic well-being, especially as the job market continues to demand higher levels of educational attainment. The Latinx population continues to make up a large portion of the workforce. Latinas’ attendance and admission rates at the graduate level are low. Studies have found that Latinas have obtained the lowest percentage of graduate degrees compared to …

Q2s Enhanced Pedagogy: Developing Critical Listening Skills In Business School Students To Enhance On-The-Job Performance, Matthew Habich

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

A common complaint heard from many business managers and executives is that while recent business school graduates are relatively well-equipped for the technical aspects of their jobs, they often lack critical communication-related skills, thus limiting their organizational effectiveness. This article describes feedback received from a group of Southern California business executives indicating that "active listening" is one of the most important of these communication skills - and one often lacking in recent business school graduates - and offers one classroom exercise that can be used to help students practice this critical communication skill.

Sample Activities Of Certification Course, Effective Teaching Practices: Cohort C, Fall 2019 – Spring 2020, Carmen Beck

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This publication provides a summary of the experience and application of the Certification Course, Effective Teaching Practices: Cohort C, Fall 2019 – Spring 2020, offered by California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). The course, developed by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) was offered by the Teaching Resource Center (TRC) at CSUSB. It consisted of 25 modules and it was mostly delivered in an online setting. The purpose of the course was to enhance teaching practices and to prepare for the conversion from the Quarter System into the Semester System at CSUSB for the 20-21 academic year. Also, …

"Paradise...They Make You Feel At Home": A Case Study On Understanding The Role Of An Undocumented Student Resource Center And Its Influence On The College Journey Of Undocumented Students, Rosa Olivia Rosas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Access to U.S. higher education for undocumented students has been challenging over the years despite recent legislative and organizational changes that have afforded some the opportunity to enroll in post-secondary institutions (Conger & Chellman, 2013; Juárez, 2017; Pérez, 2010). Of the approximately 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from high schools across the country every year, only 7,000-13,000 enroll in post-secondary institutions annually (Gildersleeve & Hernandez, 2012; Muñoz, 2013). However, most recent data reveal that an estimated 98,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools across the country every year (Zong & Batalova, 2019). Despite these challenges, undocumented students are resilient and …

Developing A Writing Intensive (Wi) Microbiology Lab Course, Jeremy Dodsworth

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Students at CSUSB will be required to take two courses designated as writing intensive (WI) after the quarter-to-semester (Q2S) transition in Fall 2020. Having WI courses in the Biology major will allow Biology students to satisfy the WI requirement and a major requirement/elective with one course, and having WI course in the major will help students develop discipline-specific critical thinking and writing skills. The current upper-division Microbiology course involves a significant amount of writing. Here I present plans for augmentation and modification of the writing activities and assignments in this Microbiology course associated with Q2S to potentially fulfill the WI …

Reacting To The Past Course Outline And Materials, Arturo Huipe

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Reacting to the past pedagogy. Including course outline and example character role sheet. Examination of a critical change in the natural sciences through the study of the context and impact of a specific idea, innovation or discovery. Using the Reacting to the Past approach, students play complex role-playing games informed by important historical sources (specific themes and topics may vary). Students will develop skills in information literacy, collaboration, speaking, and writing as they pursue the objectives of their assigned role by convincing classmates of their views. Following the game, debriefing will facilitate deeper understandings of the focus concepts and provide …

Math 3100: Communication And Proof - Assessment, Shawn Mcmurran, Min-Lin Lo, Corrine Johnson, Laura Wallace

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

As a group, we hope through this FLC project to develop a course that promotes departmental SLOs, as well as University learning outcomes for a writing-intensive course. We focused on our new foundational course (MATH 3100 Mathematical Thinking: Communication and Proof). This course, designated as a writing-intensive course, introduces students to disciplinary ways of thinking and communicating in mathematics with emphasis on the construction of valid mathematical arguments, critiques of arguments, and structure of professional mathematical writing including typesetting. We would like to develop a library of useful materials that faculty members can adapt in their classrooms in order to …

Acue Course Has Applications Beyond The Classroom, Jo Anna Grant

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practices takes faculty beyond learning proven practices to impact student learning to implementing them and reflecting on the experience. For faculty taking the course, but not teaching at the time, many of the practices can be implemented in setting besides the classroom such as in department meetings or in staff development trainings.

When I took ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practices, I was directing our campus center for teaching and learning and providing professional development for faculty, but not teaching students. Since the Course requires learning about and implementing new practices, I had to get …

Influence Of Peer Mentors On The College Transition Experience Through Program Partnerships, Sara Durazo-Demoss, Gina Schlesselman-Tarango

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

The purpose of this paper is to describe how the student mentoring program at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) increased peer-to-peer services by collaborating with campus constituents to develop first-year experience program partnerships. This paper showcases CSUSB’s student mentoring program partnerships with Coyote First STEP, a summer transition program, and the Library Ambassador program initiative, and how these partnerships have evolved to engage virtually with students during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a pilot year, student participants completed survey data showing that program partnerships for student leaders enhances the professional and leadership identity development of the mentors. By partnering with …