Education Commons^™

A Values-Based, Holistic Approach Towards School Mission In A U.S. Islamic School, Salim S. Yusufali

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

U.S. Islamic schools endeavour to foster the development of moral practices and values stemming from Islamic teachings. Their efforts are demonstrated in classes (such as Islamic studies and Qur’an study), ritual practice (such as daily congregational prayer), and faith-based assemblies. Yet the schools often lack awareness, structure, and procedures for a focus on character, morality, and spirituality to permeate all aspects of schooling. They also tend to have limited resources for embarking on large-scale change initiatives. This Organizational Improvement Plan is written from the standpoint of the author, a scholar-practitioner, and Dean of Mission of a U.S. based K-12 Islamic …

Togetherness For Mission In Catholic Secondary Schools, Jonathan Mangar

Theses and Dissertations

Relationships are central to education, especially in Catholic schools, where love for others is espoused as a core value. Most studies of professional relationships among educators are focused on routines, processes, and classroom standards. The present study aims to expand this discussion into the human, social, and spiritual dynamics of working together toward mission fulfillment. The purpose of this qualitative work was to explore and describe the professional relationships among teachers and administrators in private Catholic high schools in a large metropolitan diocese and to investigate how these relationships led to mission fulfillment. The study incorporated the theoretical frameworks of …

Best Practices For Nonprofit Organizations To Support Remote Learning, Geoff Hogan

Education Projects

Prodigal Son Foundation (PSF), an educational nonprofit organization (NPO) based in Charlotte, North Carolina sought to increase its partnerships with other local agencies and to improve fundraising efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a change in day-to-day operations and a need to reimagine the organization’s methods to support the local community. The shift to remote learning and the closure of schools due to the pandemic brought the need to determine how PSF would continue to serve the community. Customer satisfaction and feedback on programming options became the significant challenge for this consultancy project. Through the need for resources and information on …

Transcendent Formation For Agents Of Grace: Non-Catholic Teachers For Mission In Catholic Secondary Schools, Michael Asuncion Pascual

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

As non-Catholic teachers are being hired into Catholic high schools, they are inducted into the school mission that participates in the Catholic Church’s mission for evangelization. The research on the non-Catholic teachers’ perspectives and experiences of this mission formation is underdeveloped.

This study explores the process of Catholic school mission formation conducted by school leaders for non-Catholic teachers in the region of Southern California. Specifically, it examined the perception of non-Catholic teachers’ experience about their mission formation at the Catholic high schools. Simultaneously, it investigated the perception of school leaders in their practice of mission formation for non-Catholic teachers.

Drawing …

The Living Mission: Mission Statements Evidenced In The Student Experience, Darek D. Hollis

Masters Theses

Mission statements are thought to be documents that hold the core purposes of an organization. While several studies have examined the various aspects of higher education mission statements, few have explored how the themes within mission statements are transferred to those the institutions is serves, it’s students. This qualitative studied used semi-structured interviews with graduating senior students at a mid-sized, Midwest institution to examine whether or not the missional themes were evident in and valuable to the students’ experience. The result of the study found that the missional themes were in general present and valuable in the students’ experience. The …

Leading Change: A Phenomenological Study Of Collaboration For Mission At Marianist Universities, Jessica González Uhlig

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Using transformational leadership theory as a foundational framework, this qualitative phenomenological study explored the ways lay and religious leaders at three Catholic and Marianist universities in Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas, live out, strategize, and sustain mission and identity through intentional collaboration. The problem addressed was that due to membership declining within the religious congretion in these Catholic institutions of higher education, leadership roles for strategizing for mission have shifted from vowed religious members of the congregations to lay professionals. Semistructured interviews were conducted with professional lay staff and faculty, lay executive administrators, and members of the Marianist order. The research …

Nursing Department Newsletters 2011-2019, Carolyn L. Kreamer

Nursing Student Scholarship

Regularly updated newsletters from the Department of Nursing at Messiah College. It especially highlights the Integrative classroom and Clinical-based learning.

Some issues are missing from 2011 to 2019.

Pastoral Care, Mission, Tradition And Community: Alumnae Perceptions Of A Catholic Female Single-Sex High School, Samuel Torres

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the experiences of Saint Mary’s High School alumnae from the freshman class of 1949 through the graduating class of 2010 in order to identify what has sustained the school over the decades. Years after graduation, alumnae held memories of their school experiences that resulted in personal and long-lasting qualities that continue to have significant impacts on individuals and the institution. Data was gathered through written journals and interviews. The Appreciative Inquiry (AI) model was used to analyze the context of alumnae experiences. Using the AI model, multiple categories arose as positive notables mentioned by the participants. …

West Virginia University’S Changing Mission In The 21st Century, Katlin Swisher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the midst of the ongoing shifts of the perception of higher education and the public’s question of the role and value of public universities, West Virginia University has simultaneously experienced institutional change through five different presidential administrations in a decade. As seen through WVU’s historical context as the state of West Virginia’s land-grant, flagship, research university, the institution has and continues to face many administrative, policy, and contextual changes as it strives to meet its strategic goals and operationalize its mission. Through document analysis and interviews with key officials, this qualitative, multi-case study seeks to understand how WVU’s mission …

Mission Enactment And Strategic Enrollment Management At Jesuit Universities, Drew Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations

The larger neoliberal environment that is driving all of higher education has left Jesuit universities and their leadership to face two problems. First, the ability for Jesuit universities to uphold their social justice inspired mission and offer an affordable and accessible liberal education is being threatened because they are pricing out those they seek to serve. Second, there is a growing disconnect between the espoused mission of Jesuit universities and the decisions that their leaders and administrators make to run the enterprise.

This explanatory case study seeks to understand the ways senior-level strategic enrollment officers at Jesuit universities experience and …

The Impact Of Gap Years On Academic Outcomes For Women: A Case Study From The Missionary Age Change, Margaret Marchant

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Young adults throughout the United States and other countries participate in “gap years,” or time away from school, often for travel, work, or volunteering. This practice is promoted as a way to mature and refocus. However, some worry that it lowers the likelihood of college completion. Previous literature has investigated the academic, social, and personal benefits of gap years with mixed results; however selection into gap years confounds the true impact with unobservable personal characteristics. To overcome selection issues, I exploit an exogenous policy change that lowered age requirements for missionary service, a unique type of gap year, resulting in …

A Challenge To Inclusive Excellence: What We Can Learn From A Jesuit Catholic University, Terri Lewis-King

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper draws attention to the ethics of the organization (institutional structure) to fulfill its mission by examining what does it mean that a Jesuit higher education institution strives for "inclusive excellence". From a staff member lens, what does the campus climate tell us about how that impact is felt. The result of this project are tools for professionals to use in their assessment and development of organizational support for staff.

Catholic School Identity: Perceptions That Influence Teacher Retention, Karen Germany Jakuback

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of various factors, especially Catholic school identity factors, which are important to them and may influence their job satisfaction and retention in Catholic parochial schools after year five of their teaching career. An additional purpose of this study was to inform Catholic school administrators about factors that may assist them in sustaining a climate, culture, and organizational structure that influences teachers to remain in the Catholic school setting.

School climate is often used as a broad term that refers to teachers’ perceptions of their general work environment. The cohesion …

Exploring The Congruency Between Mission And Practice In A Pre-K–12, Midwestern, Christian School, Allison Bearden

Dissertations

Christian school education is unique in nature. Integrating faith into academics led many families to choose an environment for their students that aligned with the faith, morals, and doctrinal beliefs they held as essential pieces in raising their children. The partnership with the school in instilling a strong foundation of faith for students set Christian schools apart from public and non-religious private schools. Because families purposely choose Christian schools based upon like-minded values and beliefs, it was essential that the school seeks to fulfill its mission in practice and vision. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore …

Leadership Adaptation To Changes In Public Funding Of Community Colleges, James Hightower Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although growth in U.S. community colleges has been exponential, a major challenge accompanying that growth has been the source of funding, which has consisted of shifting proportions of tuition, local taxes, and state aid. The shift away from state aid toward fundraising, profit-oriented research, sophisticated financing, and higher tuition presents challenges and unintended consequences. This shift could threaten the community college access mission and contribute to a perception of higher education as a private good rather than a public good. With a framework of academic capitalism and resource dependency theories, the purpose of this basic qualitative interview study with 7 …

Keeping Schools Catholic: Discipleship As Paradigm For Administrators, Teachers, Staff And Students, James (Deporres) Charles Durham

Dissertations

Of the many accomplishments of the Catholic Church in the United States, one of the most known is the Catholic School System. In 1965, over 4.4 million children were educated in the 10,667 Catholic elementary schools, and almost 700,000 in the 1,527 Catholic high schools (Center for Applied Research for the Apostolate, 2013). The mission of the school was embodied, literally, in these skilled male and female religious who taught in these schools. But the number of male and female religious was not sustained, leading to the question of how the religious mission of the school will continue. The number …

A More Noble Purpose: An Educator’S Analysis Of America's Public School Policy, Amy M. Fast

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This dissertation is to invite a conversation among stakeholders of public education that there is a need for a common vision for America’s public schools. I argue that we have never had a clear purpose for our schools and that now more than ever educators in America ache for a more inspiring purpose than simply improving results on standardized assessments. I assert how focusing on the mission instead of simply the mandates and measures is how real change occurs. Until we have a common and transparent purpose that serves to inspire those in the trenches of the work, reform in …

A Historical Analysis Of The Evolution Of The Administrative And Organizational Structure Of The University Of Central Florida As It Relates To Growth, Boyd Lindsley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This was a qualitative historical study, which was recounted chronologically and organized around the terms of the four full-time presidents of the university. The review addressed the processes associated with the establishment and development of Florida Technological University beginning in 1963 through its name change to the University of Central Florida in 1979, concluding in 2013. The organization's mission, vision, and goals, how they evolved and the impact they had on the university were of particular interest. The study was focused on the administrative actions and organizational changes that took place within the university to assist faculty in teaching, research, …

Perceptions Of Four Sacred Heart Heads Of School Relative To The Utilization Of The Goals And Criteria And Specific Processes In Decision Making, Andrea Shurley

Doctoral Dissertations

The Network of Sacred Heart Schools advances its education mission through a pivotal document entitled Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart Schools in the United States (Society of the Sacred Heart, U.S. Province, 2005). The heads of school are the leaders and key decision makers who ensure that their leadership meets the expectations articulated in the five goals and criteria and that other personnel within their schools demonstrate an understanding of these pivotal guidelines in the process of their daily work. No research exists to date regarding the extent to which the heads of school apply the five goals and …

The Role Of Mission In Strategic Planning Development And Execution At A Lasallian Catholic University, William Bisset

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how administrators at a Lasallian sponsored Catholic university remain committed to institutional mission in its undergraduate education program at a time when external pressures require the institution to consider operational strategies that may run counter to its institutional ideals. To effectively investigate how key administrators balance institutional priorities within a specific context, I conducted a qualitative case study at Rheims University (pseudonym). Because the major focus of my study was to examine how administrators in senior level positions at this institution develop strategies designed to accomplish goals prioritized by the university …

The Relationship Of Goal Focus To Physical Distance, Job Title And Years Served Within The University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture, Christina Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between physical distance from the headquarters, number of years working within the Division of Agriculture, and job title compared to mission statement and goal focus. The Division of Agriculture as part of the University of Arkansas System is a unique organization because many of its employees are not physically located at the headquarter locations of Little Rock and Fayetteville. The Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture, has at least one office in each of Arkansas's 75 counties as well as faculty and staff members located at five …

Mission Driven Educational Leadership--Does It Matter? Examining The Correlations Between District Mission And Student Achievement, Brett Michael Kustigian

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to look at mission driven school district leadership in Massachusetts public schools and attempt to identify any relationship, or lack thereof, between district mission statements and student achievement. In this study, 288 Massachusetts public school districts are ranked according to their 2011 high school graduation rate and their 2011 tenth grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) results. From the 288 districts, a sample of the top thirty and the bottom thirty were selected. All district wide mission statements were obtained from the websites of the top 30 and bottom 30 school districts with a …

English Department Newsletters 2007-2012, Department Of English

English Student Scholarship

Regularly updated newsletters from the Department of English at Messiah College. Includes campus events, updates on alumni, and faculty publishing.

Some issues are missing.

A Study Of The Integrated Alignment Of Technology And Organizational Strategic Planning In Small Private Liberal Arts Colleges And Universities., Shereé Ann Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between technology planning and strategic planning in small private liberal arts colleges and universities that were members of the Appalachian College Association (ACA). The objective of the study was to determine if the technology initiatives were appropriately aligned to the institutional strategic plans. I sought to discover the perceptions of key administrators within the ACA institutions regarding their role in the planning processes at their institutions and to determine if the planning processes were effectively used as a tool for adequately communicating technology needs to their departments.

Participants in the …

Nursing Department Newsletters 2001-2009, Sandra Goodling

Nursing Student Scholarship

Regularly updated newsletters from the Department of Nursing at Messiah College. It especially highlights the Integrative classroom and Clinical-based learning.

Some issues are missing from 2001 to 2009.

Sustaining Faith- Informed Mission At Religiously-Affiliated Colleges And Universities: A Qualitative Case Study Of Three Institutions, Paul J. Witek

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Democratic Purpose Of Postsecondary Education: Comparing Public, Private Nonprofit, And Private For-Profit Mission Statements For Expression Of Democratic Social Purpose, Lon Youngberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thomas Jefferson envisioned a symbiotic relationship between democracy and public education because he considered educated citizens to be the critical ingredient of a successful democracy. Nevertheless, political and educational reforms over the past two centuries have not always been kind to the relationship that Jefferson envisioned. This study examines frequency that postsecondary education institutions declare a democratic social purpose in their mission statements. The DSP definition, data instrumentation, and theoretical lens for this study were situated from the Jeffersonian perspective.

Although the primary concern for this study was publicly funded/subsidized postsecondary education, recent enrollment growth in private education and privatization …

A Study Of The Extent To Which Institutional Strategic Planning Serves As A Guide For Technology Planning In Tennessee Board Of Regents Institutions., Evelyn Leonhardt Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Literature indicates that strategic planning is an effective method for serving as a basis for technology planning. Strategic planning calls for the description of resources needed to support the goals and objectives of the plan. From these descriptions, technology planners may develop a technology plan.

This study sought to determine, in Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institutions, the extent to which strategic planning served as a guide for technology planning. In a quantitative survey administered online to 150 invited participants, 92 or 61% responded. Results indicated that TBR schools valued the strategic plan as a method of communicating technology needs. …