Education Commons^™

More Than A Job? The Perceived Outcomes Of Campus Recreation Employees And Relevance To Professional Employment, Jeremy Martin Battjes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As grant programs dwindle and students are needing to become less reliant on parents to help finance their education, employment while enrolled is shifting from a choice to a near requirement. Collegiate comprehensive recreation programs employ several hundred students annually. Employers must be intentional in creating positions that help meet their needs, but also serve as a co-curricular experience for the student, assisting them in preparation for experiences beyond graduation. This study explores the perceived outcomes of campus recreation employment and the relevance to professional employment.

Student employees at a large university with a comprehensive collegiate campus recreation program reported …

The Acclimation Processes For New, First-Time Presidents At Public, Master’S-Level Comprehensive Institutions: Lessons Learned, Mark Allan Kinders

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn the acclimation practices of new, first-time presidents at regional, public comprehensive institutions. An original survey conducted from January through March, 2015, was completed by 61 new CEOs for a 59% response rate. They reported numerous activities that were helpful to learn their organization so as to become sufficiently comfortable in their understanding of campus culture, governance processes, operational practices, regional partners, and state policy climate to lead their organizations forward. With experience they learned that acclimation took longer than they expected. The study found higher rates of female or minority CEOs, and …

An Examination Of Perceived Stress And Coping Strategies Among Research University Chief Financial Officers, Patrick Michael Gallagher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure and report the perceived stress among research postsecondary institution chief financial officers. A non-experimental descriptive approach was used in this investigation. Research questions were developed to describe and seek any differences in stress among the respondents. The population for this study was chief financial officers in research institutions based on the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching but excluded CFOs that had responsibility over multiple campuses, medical or professional schools and any vacant positions. The sample consisted of 90 respondents from public and private institutions. Data was collected by a self-reported …

Using A Job Crafting Model To Examine The Job Tasks Of Program Coordinators In Graduate Medical Education, Abigail Elise Arthur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate medical education (GME) is essential to preparing physicians for independent practice in the United States. Oversight of GME programs requires strict attention to accreditation requirements, state and federal regulations, and high educational standards. Residency program coordinators are an essential part of GME administration. Program coordinators play a critical role in GME residency programs, provide essential, non-medical administration functions, and are positions that are required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This study examined the job tasks of residency program coordinators using a job crafting framework. This mixed methods study used a job crafting scale developed by researchers …

Strategic Planning Tool Development Using Portfolio Decision Analysis, Luis B. Vargas Rojas

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A portfolio decision analysis strategic planning tool was developed for the Facilities Management Office at the University of Arkansas. The tool provides information to support budget allocation decisions based on their Strategic Planning Project List, project attributes (e.g, seat utilization, scheduling preferences, and sustainability rank), and budget constraints. The projects are evaluated using multiobjective decision analysis. We introduce dynamic value functions, which vary the range of the value measures based on the planning horizon, to evaluate the projects). We determine facilities portfolios based on the project values and constraints using Linear Programming. In addition, insightful reports are generated, which provide …

Access Barriers To Higher Education For Rural Community College Students, Shanda Carter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to examine factors related to rural low-income, first generation college students' obstacles to community college enrollment. The study examined barriers students overcame to attend college and focused on rural college students from two community colleges in Missouri and Arkansas. The following questions guided the research:

1.What attendance barriers did rural community college students identify as being most difficult for them to overcome?

2.Were there differences between the self-identified attendance barriers based on gender for male and female rural community college students?

3.Were there differences in attendance barriers for rural community college students based …

Recruitment, Retention, Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Educators In Arkansas, Peggy B. Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Facing a crucial shortage of nurses and nurse educators, administrators of colleges and universities need to explore employment and individual characteristics that are related to recruitment and retention of nurse educators. Adding to the nurse and nurse educator shortage is the concern that the population of the United States is aging which creates a growing demand for more RNs. A further issue that complicates the nurse and nurse educator shortage is that nursing education is not producing enough RNs. Schools of nursing are positioned to have to prepare more new nurse graduates over the next decade in an effort to …

Exploring Community College Faculty Involvement In Assessment Of Student Learning, Leann Sellers Caudle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This narrative research study was conducted to explore the experiences of full-time community college faculty members involved in assessment of student learning beyond the course level. The participants in this study were employed at public two-year institutions of higher education regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission that had been recognized for their work in assessment. All participants in the study were involved in program or institutional level assessment during the time of the study. The central research question this study addressed was: What factors influenced community college faculty members to become involved with assessment of student learning beyond the …

The Role Of Trustees In A Capital Campaign At A Public Research University, Marcia Lynn Overby

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing financial environment of public universities includes competing priorities for state funding. In today's economy, state appropriations for higher education do not always keep pace with institutional need. During periods of declining state revenue, universities endure budget cuts reducing state funding. When tuition dollars cannot be increased further and state appropriations are decreased or flat, public university administrators rely on fundraising to meet their mission, goals, and vision for their institutions. The fundraising program believed to produce the greatest results is a capital campaign. Large and ambitious capital campaigns can help institutions of higher education respond to decreases in …

Rising To The Top: Career Progression Of Women Senior-Level Student Affairs Administrators, Devan S. Ford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women account for over half of the populations of enrolled students and employed staff and administrators in higher education. In student affairs, women current accounts for over 60% of employees at the entry and mid-levels of administration, but less than half of all senior-level executive positions are filled by women. Furthermore, the majority of the women in senior-level student affairs administrative roles work at two-year institutions; doctoral granting research intensive universities have the lowest numbers of women student affairs professionals in senior-level positions. The career pathway to advance from entry-level to senior-level positions is unclear, and as a result, many …

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 …

The Impact Of State Characteristics On College Graduation Rates At Land-Grant Institutions, Melissa Bridges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As our nation's economy has become increasingly knowledge-based, an educated citizenry is paramount to maintaining a competitive edge in a global marketplace. Thus, college participation and completion have emerged as the gateway to survival and growth for individuals, states, and the nation, making college completion rates a top priority. Stakeholders have begun to equate graduation rates with institutional quality and performance and often use such data to make judgments, create policies, and allocate funding. However, graduation rates are not fully understood and numerous scholars urge caution when interpreting and utilizing single outcome measures. The purpose of this cross-sectional ecological study …

A Profile Of The Characteristics And Professional Development Needs Of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division Ii Athletic Directors, Dustin Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to identify the personal, professional, and educational backgrounds of NCAA Division II athletic directors. The study was designed to detail the professional development opportunities that existed among the population, and determine how frequently the NCAA Division II athletic directors took advantage of the opportunities that were available to them. The significance of the study rested on the ability to identify the NCAA Division II athletic director population and describe the qualities and characteristics that comprised the target population. Since little data existed detailing this population, the study provided an opportunity to describe a …

Liberal Arts Colleges During The Great Recession: Examining Organizational Adaptation And Institutional Change, Ashlie Junot Hilbun

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Liberal arts colleges strived to adapt to environmental shifts at the turn of the twenty-first century and remain relevant in American society while the Great Recession of 2007 compounded their challenges and created new fiscal and enrollment burdens, which forced these institutions to confront paradigm-changing circumstances. In an effort to advance the historical perspective of liberal arts colleges and expand the organizational adaptation research base, the current study aimed to understand how private liberal arts colleges adapted during the Great Recession of 2007 by examining institutional changes at three private liberal arts colleges and their effects on the institutions' operations. …

Female Academic Department Chairs At A Public, Very High Research Activity University: Exploring Their Career Pathways To Success, Tamara Marcelle St.Marthe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of women into academic leadership remains a problem facing public, high-research activity universities. While there are more women who are qualified to assume the position of department chair in research institutions today than there were 30 years ago, women still lag behind their male counterparts in holding these academic leadership roles. The purpose of this study was to examine the personal and professional career experiences of women department chairs in a public, very high research activity institution, and to provide advice to women faculty seeking to become a department chair in the future. The department chair is among …

The Effects Of First-Year Students' Self-Perceptions Of Behaviors, Attitudes, And Aptitudes On Their First-To-Second-Year Persistence, Rebecca Jean Lambert

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Student persistence continues to be a topic of much research and discussion in higher education. Based on Bean and Eaton's (2000) psychological theory of persistence for its theoretical framework, this study examined the effect of students' demographic and background characteristics and students' self-perceptions on their first-to-second-year persistence at a small, private, faith-based institution. Demographic and background characteristics examined were gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation college student status, high school GPA, and type of high school attended. Four constructs from the CIRP Freshman Survey were used to examine student self-perceptions: (a) Habits of the Mind, (b) Academic Self-concept, (c) Social Self-concept, and (d) …

Onward And Upward: Characteristics Of African American Senior Student Affairs Officers, Marteze Deon Hammonds

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The journey of African American student affairs professionals has evolved throughout the history of higher education and student affairs. This study examined the career profiles of ten African American Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) at predominately White institutions (PWIs) throughout the United States. By using the curriculum vitae and a survey, this research found that the career profile of African American SSAOs at PWI's were African Americans who had earned a terminal degree, averaged eight career moves over 18 years and were involved in national associations where they published and presented. These SSAOs were active in their communities and willing …

Raising The Bar: The Modern Community College Presidency, Meredith Noel Brunen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the largest challenges facing community colleges in the new millennium is identifying leaders who possess the necessary skills and competencies to successfully navigate the modern presidency. Facing a dynamic shift in the fiscal landscape, community college presidents are tasked with filling the gap between institutional needs and existing forms of financial support. The purpose of this study was to examine community college presidents with former fundraising backgrounds and to explore the impact of prior fundraising experience on their current roles. Because the president plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of alternative funding sources, the effectiveness of this …

Organizational Citizenship Behaviors In Higher Education: Examining The Relationships Between Behaviors And Performance Outcomes For Individuals And Institutions, Kevin Jimmy Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) have been described as employee behaviors that are not required by job descriptions, are not formally rewarded, and contribute positively to the organization. Previous research has shown that OCBs are related to both individual and organizational performance. Given the importance of OCBs to individual and organizational effectiveness, the purpose for conducting the study was to describe OCBs in the higher education context, describe the relationships between OCBs and various aspects of faculty and staff performance, and explore the extent to which institutional leaders should be concerned with the OCBs of both faculty and professional staff. The …

A Comparison Of Internet Marketing Methods Utilized By Higher Education Institutions, Joseph Clayton Mccoy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Use of Internet marketing techniques in higher education to attract prospective students is relatively new. While the research is recent, there are several studies that identify what is most valuable to students seeking information on college web sites. Higher education is now facing increasing competition from for-profit schools and reduced funding from typical sources. This study examines how two different Carnegie classifications use Internet marketing techniques and identifies if there is a difference in how much they use these techniques. Content techniques and search engine optimization (SEO) techniques were examined for 56 higher education institutions in this study. Of the …

Factors Affecting Institutional Choice Of Minority Students Admitted To Institutions In The Council For Christian Colleges And Universities, Christopher Lee Confer

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The study examined the factors that affected minority students' choice to enroll at private faith-based 4-year institutions in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) in the United States. These factors included: minority students' demographic and background characteristics, financial factors, perceived institutional characteristics, and institutional marketing strategies. The theoretical framework for this study focused on Maguire and Lay's (1981) college choice model as well as Hossler and Gallagher's (1987) three phase college choice theory. This study also drew on the Critical Race Theory as a lens through which to examine minority student college choice. The study utilized the data …

From High School To College: Factors Shaping The Collegiate Experience, Mary Jane S. Secuban

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting this study was to develop an understanding of undergraduate college students' Social readiness for the collegiate experience. The study made use of a qualitative approach and a narrative research design that used focus group interviews. The seven focus group interviews were conducted at four sites across the Southern and Midwest United States, including different institutional types. These institutions included a community college, private college, research and comprehensive state university. A total of 21 undergraduate first- and second-year students participated. The findings included external factors such as parents, siblings, friends and teachers having a significant influence over …

Climbing The Ladder: The Experiences Of Women Senior Leaders In Southern Baptist Colleges And Universities, Allison Barritt Langford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interview study was to explore the career pathways, barriers, and keys to success experienced by women senior administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities. The researcher conducted an interview study with both open-ended and closed survey questions. The interviews primarily involved open-ended questions without response options and were conducted via the telephone. The researcher targeted the population of 42 women senior-level administrators. From this population, 20 women participated in the study. The researcher interviewed the 20 participants and collected a vita for 16 of the 20 women in the sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Member …

Factors Affecting The Institutional Perception Of Alumni Of The University Of Arkansas, Anthony Mcadoo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alumni relations programs are a foundational component to institutional advancement and are often the unit that regularly communicates news and information about the institution to its alumni. Alumni relations professionals can strategically position a higher education institution among its alumni by including and emphasizing information that is found to have a positive impact on the opinion of alumni. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the factors that impact alumni opinion of the University of Arkansas, loyalty to components of the University and overall current opinion. This study utilized secondary data from the Alumni Attitude Study® …

Evaluating The Policies That Lead To Substantial Tuition Variation At Public Land-Grant Universities, Brent Alexander Burgess

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1980's, the tuition at public colleges and universities has increased at a rate far beyond that of normal inflation. During this period, many public institutions have increased their tuitions exponentially, while others have chosen or been able to retain stable and relatively inexpensive tuition rates. The aim of this study was to examine what policies and external trends are responsible for public institutions having such wide variation in their tuition costs. Therefore, this study isolated one type of public institution, which was land-grant universities, that have a mission and tradition of providing affordable educations to examine the causes …