Education Commons^™

Hospitality Highway Career Fair: An Exploratory Study, Lilly Miller

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this creative project is to conduct research on career fairs and hospitality events to successfully host the first ever Hospitality Career Fair at the University of Arkansas. The lack of career advancement opportunities on the campus for hospitality management students continued to increase despite the rapidly growing industry across the community, so the creation of the career fair would allow improvement for the students and the companies. With a creative project, it allows more creativity and research to develop the overall plan for the event.

The project studies hospitality career events hosted at other universities to gain …

Editor's Comments, Michael T. Miller

Journal of Research on the College President

We are pleased to present Volume 7 of the Journal of Research on the College President. In the pages that follow, you will find a variety of research methods exploring the incredibly complex world of the contemporary college president. Wepner, Henk, and Broege explore a model for understanding how a president can survive in the presidential role, Ruch, Coll, and Ruch discuss presidents and college student success, and Jack offers a profile of Black women serving in presidential roles. In total, we have five original research articles included in this volume of the journal.

Profile Of Black Women Presidents At Four-Year Colleges And Universities, L. Hazel Jack

Journal of Research on the College President

While women represent the majority of college students, they are underrepresented in positions of leadership in higher education. The presence of Black women in positions of leadership is even less. This article sought to identify how many Black women are presidents of four-year colleges and universities, what types of institutions these women lead, and their path to the presidency. This research identified 83 Black women college presidents, 55 of which represent some type of first for their institution and, in some cases, even the system or state. Their pathway to the presidency was consistent with the literature finding that women’s …

A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Presidential Longevity, Shelley B. Wepner, William A. Henk, Nora C. R. Broege

Journal of Research on the College President

High turnover rates with college and university presidents make longevity an important matter for higher education. This paper provides a conceptual framework that identifies factors affecting presidents’ ability to stay in their positions, especially when their longevity is desirable. The framework builds upon 26 years of previous work involving the leadership practices, characteristics, and longevity of education deans, academic deans, and Chief Academic Officers. Four major categorical factors, both internal and external to self, are described that contribute reciprocally to presidents’ ability to last on the job. These four factors—personal identity, professional identity, professional capacities, and professional environment—are connected with …

Presidents And Student Success: Repositioning To A Student-Centered Institution, Charles P. Ruch, Kenneth M. Coll, Cathleen B. Ruch

Journal of Research on the College President

Now reopened following the pandemic, each institution is in the process of assessing its impact and adjusting its institutional model to assure sustainability in the future. Returning totally to the ‘status quo ante’ is not a viable option as some repositioning is required. This study highlights three critical elements that inform this process from the perspective of the presidency. First, significant environmental trends and their impact are presented. Upon analysis, improved student success emerges as a critical driving force in repositioning. Second, an overview of successful institutional programs and initiatives that foster a student-centered institution are examined concluding with a …

Exploring Non-Traditional Presidents In Higher Education, Susan L. Gorman, David C. Hood, Tania C. Reis

Journal of Research on the College President

Higher educational institutions (HIEDs) are complex organizations at a pivotal moment in history (Bourgeois, 2016; Guskin & Marcy, 2002; McGee, 2015). This qualitative study sought to understand the leadership traits of nontraditional college presidents, particularly those with business management backgrounds, to determine whether HIEDs could benefit from hiring them to help face challenges today. Results of the study were based on data collected from eight current college presidents collected April–August 2022. Three major findings and several subthemes emerged. Two major findings were expected: college presidents with business management experience are business driven and turnaround driven. A third major finding was …

Leading For What, Leading For Who? An International Comparative Analysis Of University Presidents’ Leadership Amid Covid-19, Santiago Castiello-Gutiérrez, Jon Mcnaughtan, Sarah Maria Schiffecker, Hugo A. García

Journal of Research on the College President

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique shared challenge for all HEIs leaders around the world. Besides balancing institutional tasks and ensuring the health and safety of the campus community, university presidents were challenged with promoting equity and showing empathy in their leadership. Framed by Henry Mintzberg’s (1973) theory on managerial roles, this study uses in-depth interviews of 14 university presidents in eight countries, to understand how they enacted different roles in leading their institutions through a global crisis. Despite differences among presidential leadership styles in diverse contexts, findings from the study show that leadership roles shifted from securing their institution’s …

A Simulated Qualitative Study Exploring Higher Education Faculty's Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Dynamic Decision-Making When Choosing Opportunities For Student Engagement In Asynchronous Online Courses, Leticia De La Garza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore higher education faculty’s perceptions of factors that influence dynamic decision-making when choosing opportunities for student engagement in asynchronous online courses. More specifically, this study sought to understand how faculty in higher education perceived these factors to prevent and facilitate dynamic decision-making when designing instructor presence, student-to-student collaboration, and student-to-academic content engagement opportunities in asynchronous online courses, as Garrison et al. (1999) suggest, for a community of inquiry. There has not been much focus on the dynamic decision-making of online instructors in higher education and a call to continue exploring factors that influence …

The Alumni Base Holds The Institution In Their Heart: Alumni Decision Making And Communication Strategies During University Leadership Change, Brandy Cox Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to understand how alumni executives make decisions and formulate communication strategies during university leadership change. The research was based on the trends found by the American Council on Education that the tenure of the college president has been on the decline since 2006 and is currently 5.9 years. Multiple factors have been identified in the literature that have led to this decline. The research focused on the largest constituency of most universities, its alumni base, and provides context and a description of decision making and communication strategies for alumni executives navigating leadership change. The …

Examining The Relationship Between Student Age And Modality Choice In A Community College’S New Student Orientation Program: A Preregistered Study To Examine The Assumption Of Self-Directed Learning, Amy L. Foree

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Understanding and navigating college rules, resources, and expectations is a considerable barrier for students accessing and transitioning to college (Conley, 2007; Williams, 1996; Hooker & Brand, 2010; Ardoin, 2013; Sheppard, 2012). To improve students’ acquisition of pertinent, time-sensitive information, many institutions have implemented mandatory new student orientations (NSO). Orientations provide information such as academic policies and procedures, institutional expectations, campus resources, and financial aid assistance. They also allow students to meet faculty, staff, and other new students. By providing these resources, institutions acclimate students to their new environment. Although colleges realize that new student orientations support students’ success, they …

From The Arab World To The United States Of America: The Wellness Of Arab Graduate Women Studying In The U.S., Mariam Mostafa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The pursuit of higher education symbolizes a profound and transformative journey, particularly for international students who embark on the path of studying abroad. This dissertation undertakes an in-depth exploration of the well-being of Arab women pursuing their graduate studies in the United States (US), emphasizing four crucial dimensions of wellness: social, mental/emotional, physical, and financial well-being. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study delves into the multifaceted experiences of this specific student population and investigates how these experiences impact them. Through a series of interviews and rigorous qualitative analysis, we illuminate the distinct challenges and opportunities that Arab graduate students …

A Study Of Latino Undergraduate Students In Retention Cohorts At The University Of Arkansas, Ramon Balderas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions do not have a history of being racially inclusive, and as a result, research and best practices around retention and student success have not been developed for underrepresented and minoritized students. Although there has been a surge in scholarship on diversifying higher education, literature, and identifying best practices focused on retaining students there is less research and literature that looks at Latino students. The study's purpose was to better understand Latino undergraduate student retention patterns at the University of Arkansas, a midwestern public four-year research university. The significance of the study was to assist UA administrators and …

A Pilot Study Of Students’ Ethical Decision Making And Emotional Intelligence, Casandra K. Cox

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Demand for ethical leaders in agriculture is high to meet 21st century goals, while ethics course offerings in land-grant institutions are limited. The purpose of this case study was to establish a baseline of current University of Arkansas Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Science (Bumpers College) agriculture and natural resource program students’ ethical decision making (EDM), as measured by the DIT-2, and emotional intelligence (EI), as measured by STEM-B and STEU-B, determine if EI mean scores predict EDM, and identify relationships between EDM or EI and demographic characteristics or lifespan experiences. An online survey design with probability sampling …

The Art Of Detailing: An Exploration Of Watercolor, Torrey Tracy

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

Department of Interior Architecture and Design, Fay Jones School of Architecture

Special thanks to Cat Wallack, Architectural Records Archivist, Mullins Library and Reagan Walters, Bachelor of Interior Design, 2021

The Impact Of Frequent Student-Faculty Interaction On Repeater Students, Shanda Hood, Josh Girshner

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

Data show that half of all students who have dropped/failed Survey of Calculus or Finite Mathematics at the University of Arkansas will drop/fail again. These students face a lack of motivation and a fair amount of anxiety toward mathematics. To make connections and create an environment in which they are comfortable discussing any issues with the professor, repeater students were asked to meet with the professor to complete a personalized academic improvement plan. This plan establishes the need for regular contact with the instructor and should increase the …

Using Digitally-Based Recording Techniques To Manage Large Datasets In Real Time, Jessica Kowalski

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

Managing digital data is a critical part of any archeological investigation or research project. Students in the 2023 University of Arkansas Archeological Field School learned how to record digital data in real-time using iPads in conjunction with an inventorying database designed for the Arkansas Archeological Survey.

Fostering Grit In The University Student, Hope Ballentine, Diana Dunbar

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

In the preeminent work on grit, Duckworth et al. (2007) first defined grit as “perseverance and passion for long term-goals.” Evidence is overwhelming that grit is a predictor of success in various arenas of life, often when no other valid predictors can be identified. Grit was the only statistically significant predictor of both academic and clinical success in an Australian study of over 2000 university students (Terry & Peck, 2020). Both job satisfaction and performance are improved with increased grit (Cho & Kim, 2022). Clear evidence that a …

Arcgis Storymaps Facilitates Student Learning, Daniela D'Eugenio, Guillermo Pupo Pernet

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

As a tool that allows for the creation of a geospatial multimedia story, ArcGIS StoryMaps facilitates students’ learning both inside and outside of the classroom. This interactive software offers students the opportunity to express their understanding of an input and elaborate upon it in original and personal ways using various sources. In this presentation, we will illustrate how ArcGIS can be used successfully in an advanced Italian language class to engage students with a fable by Somali-Italian acclaimed writer Igiaba Scego, Prestami le ali. Examples of scaffolded …

Preparing Bsw Social Work Students For Social Justice Advocacy, Christiane Long, Joy Patton, Amy Ward

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

Dr. Long is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Social Work here at the University of Arkansas, while Dr. Patton is at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX and Dr. Ward is at East Central University in Ada, OK.

There is no denying that the social work profession has a long history of social justice advocacy. However, advocacy and political action were not necessarily a focus in social work education, leaving social work graduates feeling inadequate to advocate on a broader, macro level (Haynes & …

I Would Have Never Thought Of That On My Own: Using Peer Feedback To Motivate And Shape Pre-Service Teachers’ Critical Thinking, Alexandra Vasile, Alexandra Anton

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

The presentation reports the results of implementing a peer review feedback strategy in an elementary education program. To prepare teacher candidates for field experiences, the program uses coursework such as projects. We examine the awareness and perspectives of preservice teachers (n = 38) to providing and receiving feedback from their peers on their project ideas, and - in particular - their motivation and readiness to assimilate peer feedback. Data includes initial and final project ideas, answers to reflective questions, and the peer feedback each participant received.

The study …

Making Language Learning Meaningful And Fun With Collaborative Projects, A. Louise Cole

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

Collaborative learning requires students to actively engage with others, typically fellow students, to achieve a common goal (Nokes-Malach et al, 2015). The form of this collaboration may vary from prescriptive, teacher-facilitated activities to more open-ended and reflective projects. Within the L2 classroom, students work toward language proficiency. The current World-Readiness Standards for Language Learners evaluate linguistic abilities in speaking, listening, reading, and writing but also require that students develop cultural competencies and understanding. In this vein, Oxford posits that within a collaborative learning framework, the notion of community …

You Can Learn A Lot From Fake Data: Reverse Engineering Data As A Means To Analysis, Action & Learning, Jeff Bean

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas While not a formal discipline, “reverse engineering” can yield opportunities for students to experience a compressed end-to-end (e2e) life cycle of projects that leverage human factors such as perception, cognition, and macro-factors such as organizational culture or situational context to improve operations performance, safety, or other organizational outcomes.

As the process of project proposal, approval, and execution can often take months (or longer!), we simply do not have the time or resources to conduct “real” experiments. To give the benefit of e2e projects, students are asked to create …

Beyond Boarders For First-Generation Students, Nayeli Ortiz

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

1. Tabeling at TRIO and Multicultural Center events

2. Require academic advisors to have at least one conversation with every student about studying abroad (never assume a student is not interested or unable to go)

3. Overtly feature first-generation study abroad students in social media and Hogs Abroad website.

4. Network interested students with students who have completed study abroad

5. Offer a promotional study-abroad program for first-generation students

6. Promote funding information and add more first-generation specific scholarships

The Role Of Partisan Politics On Support For Public Institutions Of Higher Education, Jason G. Ramage

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over several decades, a greater share of the expense of earning a college degree has shifted to students and their families as appropriations to public institutions of higher education have declined as a percentage of the overall cost to educate a student. Tuition has greatly outpaced inflation during this period, while inflation-adjusted household income has remained relatively flat. Despite all the benefits that accrue to both the college graduate and society as a whole, for the less affluent, a college education is becoming increasingly difficult to attain. Many decide the financial barriers are simply too great and elect not to …

Perceptions Of Mentoring Among High-Achieving, First-Generation College Students, Michelle Janeen King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how high-achieving first-generation college students perceived their mentoring experiences at a public research university in the midsouth and examined what role mentoring played in their persistence. Using the narrative inquiry, the study captured mentoring perceptions and experiences of 13 high-achieving first-generation college students. Data collection included one pre-interview activity, one semi-structured interview, and a follow-up meeting with the participants if needed. Participants provided insight on five areas related to mentoring: perceptions of mentoring, development of mentoring relationships, experiences that fostered mentoring relationships, the most influential mentors, and the influence of mentoring on …

“From An Elephant Into A Ballerina:” The Future Of Higher Education From Senior Leaders At Public Very High Research Institutions, Sarah Cathleen Rice Denison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to identify how Very High Research university senior leaders at public institutions in the United States described their vision of the future of higher education over the next 25 years. Specifically, the study provided an opportunity for university chancellors and presidents to describe their versions of what the future holds for higher education and how they are preparing for that future. A vision for the future included senior leader’s perspectives on three elements of the university: the university’s mission and purpose, academics, and student services. Their experience in higher education combined with their …

Developing A Multi-Platform Application To Facilitate Internal Campus Hiring, Carissa Patton

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Undergraduate research has proven to be highly beneficial to students, yet there are many students who do not know how to get involved or who are too timid to approach professors to inquire about potential research opportunities. Our hypothesis is that a cross-platform application has the potential to bridge the gap and help more students get involved in undergraduate research by providing them information about open positions and the faculty or staff members who are mentoring the projects. The key focus of this thesis is to develop an application that provides details about participating faculty or staff including their research …

Examining The Experiences Of Adult Learners In A First-Year Seminar Course At A Tennessee Community College, Michell Ivey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of adult learners in a first-year seminar course at Columbia State Community College, located in middle Tennessee, to determine if the content of the course has an impact on the learners’ adjustment to college. With the statewide initiative to reach a goal of 55% of the state’s population having a postsecondary credential, a push has been made to focus on adult learners to help the reach this goal. Understanding and addressing the adjustment needs of adult learners is necessary to aid retaining adult learners through completion. The first-year seminar course …

Doctoral Students' Experiences Of Community Of Practice In A Hybrid Cohort-Based Program: A Case Study, Celeste Avery

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate enrollment in the United States is increasing. With the advent of the cohort learning model and online delivery methods, adult learners now have greater access to higher education. The cohort learning model, which is based on elements of Community of Practice, has been shown to provide learners with a sense of community while also having a positive impact on retention. In a hybrid cohort-based learning model, many institutions provide the convenience of both online and face-to-face classes. Doctoral student attrition remains high, ranging from 40-50% across all programs, with rates as high as 70% in Education programs. The purpose …

Technology And Care To Promote Students' Success, Adnan Alrubaye

TFSC Publications and Presentations

Join the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center for an informal conversation about teaching with the February Cordes Chairperson, Dr. Adnan Alrubaye. Alrubaye teaches courses in both the poultry science and biological sciences departments, and he serves as the associate director for the cell and molecular biology graduate program. He teaches multiple sections of the General Microbiology course, with courses sizes ranging between 30 and 400 students. Alrubaye’s topic will be about tools he uses to provide the best learning experiences for students to help them achieve their learning goals. His philosophy when it comes to working with students …