Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Peer Mentorship Within Living Learning Communities: A Case Study, Nicole Marie Nicholson

Masters Theses

Living-learning communities (LLC) are seen as a way to help promote student engagement and retention using best practices in higher education (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2014). Resident Assistants (RA), also known as resident advisors, and LLC peer mentors are members of a residential community in college who are employed to help provide a sense of community among residents on their floor or in their building (Rieske & Benjamin, 2015). Previous research (Wyile, 2012) on LLC peer mentor interactions provided examples of how peer mentors could enhance a community within a college LLC. This qualitative study …

Academic Choices Matter For Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kendra Arielle Berry

Masters Theses

As college athletics has grown during the last two decades, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing institution of college athletics in the United States, has renewed its focus on academic reform and the academic performance of student-athletes (Petr & McArdle, 2012). Athletic administrators and academic support units have started to exert a greater amount of control over student-athletes’ academic lives. However, research with general samples of college students has suggested that having some degree of autonomy is important for academic performance. This raises questions about whether increased control (and reduced autonomy) is actually in the best interest of …

Peer Educators In National Panhellenic Conference Sororities, Kelsey Kathleen Elam-Geuting

Masters Theses

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) member organizations have numerous officer positions that might be informally defined as peer educators based on their position responsibilities. Little is known about these officers’ experiences as peer educators, the amount of training they receive, and their effectiveness in providing relevant and purposeful programs for their chapters. The purpose of this study was to better understand peer educators’ experiences within NPC sororities. If the experiences and leadership development of peer educators in NPC sororities are better understood, more can be done to support them in creating meaningful programs and services for their sisters. By supporting small …

Student Perceptions Of Institutional Crisis Management, Preparedness, And Response: The Case Of The Active Shooter, Jared Allen Grimsley

Masters Theses

Institutional crisis management is becoming more relevant with every passing tragedy and crisis event. This study utilized a modified existing survey to collect quantitative data from students attending a large four-year public research institution located in the Southeastern region of the United States. A stratified random sample of commuter students and non-commuter students was analyzed to compare statistical similarities and differences between the groups. The largest group of student respondents were full-time, freshmen, female, involved, and currently live on campus. Students perceived their institutions to be moderately prepared to respond to both general crises and active shooting situations, although a …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Environmentally Sustainable Practices In Municipal Government: A Case Study Of The City Of Knoxville’S Department Of Parks And Recreation, Anthony Michael Brown

Masters Theses

Sustainability practices produce programs and services that meet current needs while preserving the environment and natural resources for the future. City parks and recreation departments are facing budget shortfalls and increasing expectations from customers. Governments are now embracing sustainability practices to create financial savings while also fostering relations with customers.

The purpose of this single case study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of one city department’s strategies in outsourcing its environmental sustainability program through a performance contract with Ameresco; and (2) to examine the perceptions of key department employees about the effectiveness of the sustainability initiative. A …

Corporate, Political, And Academic Perspectives On Tennessee Higher Education Accountability Policy, Andrew Quentin Morse

Masters Theses

The purposes of the research are (1) to identify the similarities and differences among corporate, political, and academic leaders in Tennessee on postsecondary education accountability policy and (2) to investigate ways for improving accountability policy as evidenced by the various stakeholders. The two following research questions will be adapted from the larger, ongoing study by Bogue et al. (2009) on accountability:

· What differences and similarities exist among corporate, political, and academic stakeholders on the issues of collegiate mission and issues of accountability definition and evidence?

· What are the most important steps that institutions of higher education can take …

Examining The Experiences Of Six Women On Their Personal Journeys To Becoming Deans Of Agriculture: A Qualitative Study, Sarah Jane Kleihauer

Masters Theses

Understanding one’s own personal journey provides for effective learning, growth, and development of self (Madsen, 2010). Reflection on the influences and experiences of successful women leaders is essential to understanding the factors that have enabled them to obtain and sustain leadership positions in nontraditional career fields. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lives of women deans in agriculture in an attempt to conceptualize the leadership styles they have developed as a result of their positions as deans in a predominantly male field, as well as their upbringing and life experiences. Six women deans of agriculture were …

Exploring The Career Mobility Of Women In Campus Recreation, Jessica Michelle Hobart

Masters Theses

This thesis is a quantitative research design that examines the upward mobility of women administrators in campus recreation. The purpose of this study is to examine the career mobility of women currently working in the administration of campus recreation. A criterion sampling method was used to select women currently holding administrative level positions in campus recreation as well as solicit participation using the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Member Database. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 18.0) was utilized to analyze the data. For the quantitative data, basic descriptive statistics were performed which included means, standard deviations, and …