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Journal Of Research, Assessment, And Practice In Higher Education (Volume 1, Issue 1)

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

Full Issue (34 pages, 0.74 MB)

Reel Them In: A Framework For Bridging Underrepresented Students To Stem Majors, Martha Vang, Nasser A. Razek, Christine Rose, Emily Mcclaine, Katie Schrader, Laura Weissbaum

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

The eight-week math-intensive Running Start Summer Bridge program (RSSB) supports and challenges incoming STEM students in their coursework while immersing them on campus life. The current study explores the effectiveness of RSSB in easing students’ transition to college life and the rigorous nature of STEM disciplines. Throughout the program, holistic mentoring and participatory tutoring techniques provided students with academic enrichment opportunities. Central to this initiative is encouraging equity-mindedness and foster community-building practices.

Data presented demonstrate how this innovative initiative increased retention and persistence among underrepresented students in STEM disciplines while fostering a sense of community.

Best practices and assessment for …

Utilization Of Change Theory To Implement An Appreciative Advising Model, Matthew A. Cooney, Joseph Pernick, Kelsey Rice, Emily A. Monago

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

It is important that student affairs professionals lead organizational changes to provide the best service to students in light of outside factors. Utilizing a theoretical model for participating in organizational change can enhance the ability for a change to meet its intended outcomes.

This article details how the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Bowling Green State University utilized John Kotter's eight step change model to implement an appreciative advising model. Information on appreciative advising, the eight-step change model, and the implementation is provided.

Prepare, Hire, And Retain: The Lost Link Between Graduate Preparation And Retention Of Professionals In Student Affairs, Nasser A. Razek, Jamie Mccall, Ellie Mulherin

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

Coming from multiple backgrounds, new professionals in student affairs, exhibit a high rate of attrition ranging between 50% and 60% in the first five years. The challenges facing the professionals during their first job includes: forming relationships, seeking mentorship in the new work environment, and balancing work-life responsibilities.

This paper builds on factual data about new professional retention rates. Establishing that intentional and realistic preparation approaches are one way to reduce attrition, the relationship between the graduate preparation programs and professionals’ job satisfaction in their first position cannot be ignored.

First 100 Days Persistence-Retention Plans, Kenneth W. Borland Jr.

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

Taking environments, persistence-retention, and social capital theories to the individual student as the level of analyses, and placing them within a “First 100 Days” strategy of prioritized urgency and energy as utilized by presidents of the United States since Franklin D. Roosevelt, the author challenges broad-based, long-term approaches to student persistence and institutional retention of students. A framework for “First 100 Days” persistence-retention plans for improved student and institution success is outlined.

What's In An Ally? Closing Gaps In Lgbtq+ Support, Laura Gentner

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

This study will explore the relationship between LGBTQ+ identifying students’ expectations of and experiences with allies, and their perceptions of campus climate. LGBTQ+ ally training programs and visibility of LGBTQ+ allies contribute to both campus climate and LGBTQ+ students’ perceptions of that climate, leading to more positive and healthy college experiences. However, it is not clear that current practice in training and educating allies truly reflects the needs of LGBTQ+ identifying students.

While research is available for the design and implementation of ally training programs, there is little to no research on what LGBTQ+ identifying students expect of allies, nor …

Student Unrest: From Historic Infamy To Humane Inclusivity, Matthew Cooney, Kenneth Borland

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

Infamous responses to historic student unrest clash with contemporary student affairs educators’ desire for a humane, inclusive approach to student unrest. The authors detail two historic responses: the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre at the Universidad Autónoma de México and the 1970 Kent State University shootings.

Like today, students expressed escalating dissatisfaction with social conditions and displeasure with official responses. To not repeat unrest becoming violence, authors introduce concepts for humanely and inclusively responding to student unrest.

Table Of Contents

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Title Page

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Front Cover

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Teach The Partnership: Critical University Studies And The Future Of Service-Learning, David J. Fine

English Faculty Publications

Edward Zlotkowski’s (1995) article “Does Service-Learning Have a Future?” challenges the academy to integrate community-engaged learning into the curriculum. As Zlotkowski suggests, students, staff, and faculty ought to engender a culture of civic action and ethical accountability enhanced by rigorous coursework, but this goal necessitates resources: administrators must invest in service-learning to reap its full benefits. Issues arise, however, when one considers this investment in light of the academy’s corporatization. Nussbaum (2010) has noted, for instance, how colleges and universities increasingly emphasize vocational training and professional readiness at the expense of humanist inquiry and civic responsibility. The academy’s corporatization, she …

Library I.T.: Information Technologists Or Information Thought-Leaders?, Craig A. Boman, Whitni Watkins

Roesch Library Staff Presentations

Library staff employed in information technology departments are often seen as support staff, only providing services when something breaks. But what more can library IT staff do to support the mission of their libraries? In this presentation we will explore why library IT staff should maximize their ability to work across various library departments to collaboratively design new library services rather than being relegated to support staff. We will also explore how library IT staff may challenge traditional bureaucratic organization structures to lead change efforts.

Challenges And Supports During The Transition From High School To College For Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Michaela M. Kramer, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Students who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may experience a number of consequences, all of which can impede the transition from high school to postsecondary educational settings. This study, which relied on interviews with students who had sustained TBIs and who had persistent problems related to their traumas, helped gain an understanding of their postsecondary transition experiences. Students’ parents were also interviewed to provide a point of comparison. The reports of these students—all of whom were enrolled in college at the time of the study—revealed significant challenges with attention and focus, fatigue, short-term memory, and social situations. Comments from …

School-Based Traumatic Brain Injury And Concussion Management Program, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions, can result in a constellation of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that affect students’ well-being and performance at school. Despite these effects, school personnel remain underprepared identify, educate, and assist this population of students. This article describes a model of service delivery for students with TBI in a large urban school district. The district's TBI Program and Concussion Management Team addresses unique issues related to assessment, intervention, and transition planning for this population of students, as well as prevention and education efforts in the district as a whole.

This model involved designating a …

Supreme Court Docket Preview: Are Changes In The Offing?, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

During most Supreme Court terms, which begin on the first Monday in October and usually end in late June, the justices accept at least one case focused on education. Two cases before the current Court—Fisher v. University of Texas (2014) and Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association (2014)—have the potential to affect education significantly. Moreover, the sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday, February 13, 2016, may affect these and other cases, especially Fisher, considerably.

The Vocation Learning Outcomes At The University Of Dayton, Molly Schaller, Steven Neiheisel, Irene J. Dickey, Jason Eckert, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Suki Kwon Mfa, Crystal Sullivan, Cari Wallace, Stephen Wilhoit

Vocation: Curriculum/Programmatic Aids and Resources

In the Fall of 2015, the HIR Fellows for Vocation entered an exploration of the Vocation Learning Outcome outlined in the Habits of Inquiry and Reflection (2006), the document undergirding the development of the Common Academic Program. The Fellows took the following steps in developing our collective understanding of vocation, the learning outcome, the University’s current approaches to addressing vocation via curricular and co-curricular offerings, and opportunities ahead. We studied David S. Cunningham’s (2015) At This Time and in This Place: Vocation and Higher Education', discussed our collective understanding of vocation; studied Habits of Inquiry and Reflection; reviewed curricular …

Review: 'Living With Brain Injuries: Narrative, Community, And Women’S Renegotiation Of Identity' By J. E. Stewart, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

J. E. Stewart’s Living with Brain Injury: Narrative, Community, and Women’s Renegotiation of Identity provides an in-depth look at the experiences of ten women who sustained brain injuries at different points in their lives. Stewart’s qualitative research study highlights the unique and shared experiences of these women. Much of the current brain injury literature focuses on men, particularly combat veterans and athletes. Thus, a book focusing on personal struggles confronted by women with brain injury is both timely and needed.

Stewart’s work acknowledges the lost art of listening that is evident in current research and practice. The result is a …

Negotiating A Culture Of Encounter And Disruptive Discourse In Catholic Higher Education, Laura Leming

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Any brief attention to global, national, and local news underlines the urgency for education that leads to knowledge about and action for the common good. Catholic institutions of higher learning have a dual history of encouraging students to speak and act on behalf of the common good while also pursuing the good life. As those who can readily access a Catholic education have increasingly come from the upper middle class, how are we introducing our students into the culture of encounter that Pope Francis called the U.S. Bishops to promote in September 2015? This essay explores ideas and examples related …

Looking Anew At The Rothko Chapel: The Future Of Interfaith Space On The Catholic Campus, Krista Bondi

Honors Theses

The University of Dayton is among many Catholic institutions that are experiencing the need for multi-faith accommodation as its student body becomes more diverse in the 21st century. While the majority of the University’s population is Catholic, there are growing numbers of Muslim, Jewish, and Protestant students as well as others of undeclared faiths or of no faith traditions who must interact on campus. In view of the history of Catholic higher education and the current practice and philosophy of interfaith dialogue, how should the University of Dayton approach this new multi-cultural reality in terms of dedicating space and designing …

Traumatic Brain Injury: Persistent Misconceptions And Knowledge Gaps Among Educators, Deborah Ettel, Ann E. Glang, Bonnie Todis, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Each year approximately 700,000 U.S. children aged 0–19 years sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) placing them at risk for academic, cognitive, and behavioural challenges. Although TBI has been a special education disability category for 25 years, prevalence studies show that of the 145,000 students each year who sustain long-term injury from TBI, less than 18% are identified for special education services. With few students with TBI identified for special education, TBI is mistakenly viewed as a low-incidence disability, and is covered minimally in educator preparation. We surveyed educators and found that they lacked knowledge, applied skills, and self-efficacy in …

Degree Of Change: The Ma In English Studies, Margaret M. Strain, Rebecca C. Potter

English Faculty Publications

From the publisher: As the needs of those seeking an MA in English studies have evolved, so too have the degree’s mission and identity. Margaret M. Strain and Rebecca C. Potter, editors of Degree of Change: The MA in English Studies, argue that the MA is positioned in a dynamic contact zone—“a place where disciplinary knowledge, student need, and local exigencies interact and where disciplinary identity is constantly negotiated.”

Looking primarily at stand-alone master’s programs, this volume examines the design, delivery, and value of a master’s degree in English in the twenty-first century and challenges the characterization that MA programs …

Front Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Title Page

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editor's Page, Joseph M. Valenzano Iii

Basic Communication Course Annual

We are now in the 28th volume of the Basic Communication Course Annual, a testament to the dedication of those concerned with the introductory course in communication. Over the years these pages have been graced with significant work that has influenced the nature of the basic communication course, thereby impacting the lives of thousands of students across the country. That said, I am struck by the fact we have no “motto,” no phrase that captures our feeling about this important educational experience. I would like to muse about what might work as a motto for what we do and teach.

Beyond 'Basic': Opportunities For Relevance, Deanna L. Fassett

Basic Communication Course Annual

Recently one of my colleagues asked me if I could foresee a time when I would give up supervising teaching associates; she said it in a kindly way, but with a cringe and a shrug, as if to suggest that I was sacrificing my efforts on something beneath me…a departmental service. I’ve been coordinating our introductory public speaking course and supervising TAs for fourteen years now, and I still get this question.

Each time, I explain that giving up those responsibilities would be like asking someone to uproot their research passion from, say, performance studies to instructional communication, from any …

Nontraditional Students, Multilingual Learners, And University Type: The Vital Missing Comparisons In Our Basic Course Research, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Brenda L. Macarthur

Basic Communication Course Annual

After the G.I. Bill was passed in 1944, the United States saw a massive expansion of higher education. The subsequent economic growth, expanding middle class, and support of public education meant that more Americans had access to college education than ever before (Bok, 2006).

In the decades that followed, a typical or “traditional” college student was a person who entered a four-year university at the age of eighteen immediately after completing high school, attended full time, considered their education a full-time responsibility, had no dependents, was employed part time or not at all, and graduated in four years (Center for …

Assessing The Effects Of A Public Speaking Course On Native And Non-Native English Speakers, Tara Suwinvattichaiporn, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study tested whether there is a difference in the benefits of a traditional public speaking course for Native English Speakers (NES) and Non-Native English xii Speakers (NNES). The study assessed changes in Communication Apprehension (CA), Self-Perceived Communication Competence (SPCC), and Willingness to Communicate (WTC) before and after participants took the traditional public speaking course.

The findings indicate that NES and NNES had equal benefits and growth in these self-report measures and suggest that we should further investigate which public speaking course structure is most beneficial for NNES.

Assessment Of Student Learning Gains In Oral Competency, Lynn O. Cooper, Rebecca Sietman

Basic Communication Course Annual

The basic course in communication has a well-established record of enhancing oral competency, which plays a primary role in personal, academic, and professional success. However, there is limited empirical support to substantiate that the ways we teach this course are responsible for these gains. A 24-item Likert- like scale instrument developed from the eight Competent Speaker categories (Morreale, Moore, Taylor, Surges-Tatum, & Hulbert-Johnson, 1990; Morreale, Moore, Surges-Tatum, & Webster, 2007; SCA, 1993) has been reliably used for the past decade in campus pre- and post-assessments.

In Study One, measures of 2485 students taking the basic course over the past six …

Call For Manuscripts

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.