Education Commons^™

Utilizing The College-Level Community Engagement Assessment Rubric To Identify Strengths, Weaknesses And Opportunities For Growth In Drexel University’S College Of Arts And Sciences, Cyndi R. Rickards, Jennifer Kebea, Brian Daley, Lawrence Souder

eJournal of Public Affairs

The College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS), one of Drexel’s largest colleges, has intentionally aimed to grow and deepen its commitment to civic engagement across the last decade. CoAS has significantly demonstrated a commitment to community engagement by making it a funding priority and creating a leadership position to support engagement. Because of the varying levels and formats of the college’s efforts towards civic engagement, a process of assessment was needed. To channel our assessment efforts we adopted Saltmarsh and Middleton’s pilot assessment rubric. A group of seven engaged faculty from across the college and the Executive Director of the …

Book Review: Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey Into The Heart Of America, Keith Morton

eJournal of Public Affairs

Book review of James and Deborah Fallows, Our towns: a 100,000 mile journey into the heart of America

Leadership Theories And United States Demographic Shifts: Responsiveness In The Workplace, Sherry H. Latten, Jonathan Perez

Journal of Research Initiatives

As the United States becomes increasingly more diverse, it is imperative that organizations consider the implications of their leadership pipeline. Given the differences that can exist by social identity groups in experiences, values, interests, and communications, it raises a question about the responsiveness of current leadership theories to the changing demographics. This article explores the responsiveness of transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and leader-member exchange (LMX) theory to the demographic changes as a means of helping organizations consider how existing leadership norms and theories need to be expanded to encompass the future population of leaders across race, sex, and age.

Effects Of A Cooperative Learning Intervention Program On Cyberbullying In Secondary Education: A Case Study, David Hortigüela Alcalá, Javier Fernández Río, Gustavo González Calvo, Ángel Pérez Pueyo

The Qualitative Report

The goal was to assess the effects of an intervention program, based on cooperative learning and involving the whole school community, on the emotional and social evolution of a student who had suffered cyberbullying. The student, her parents, the school administration, a teacher and the student's classmates agreed to participate in the study. A qualitative research design was used, which included interviews, discussion groups and diaries. The information obtained was structured in three categories: cyberbullying detection and response, psychoeducational intervention program, and emotional and social evolution. Results showed that the program produced significant improvements in the cyberbullied adolescent's emotional and …

Cross-Cultural Considerations: Raising Language Teachers Awareness About The Importance Of Multiculturalism, Abir El Shaban

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

With the worldwide use of English as a second language (ESL) and globalization, teachers are expected to understand, acknowledge and interact with culturally and linguistically diverse students and integrate their linguistic and multicultural backgrounds in classroom settings. Teachers need to be multicultural to be able to successfully impact their students to be multicultural. This paper provides English language teachers with valuable recommendations based on cross-cultural studies and my experience, as an ESL teacher, on how to be responsive to students from different cultures to empower and enhance their language proficiency skills.

Examining Feminist Consciousness In Lgbtq University Constituencies, John P. Cullen, Angela Clark-Taylor, Catherine Faurot, Alysha Alani, Catherine Cerulli

New York Journal of Student Affairs

There is little data on the perception of LGBTQ constituencies toward feminism. We conducted focus groups on our campus and within the surrounding community on perspectives of LGBTQ students, university-employed gay men, community-based transgender individuals, and community-based gay men toward feminism. We analyzed findings using Bem’s gender schema and Ridgeway’s construct of individual, interactional, and institutional aspects of gender identity. Our results show the majority of our LGBTQ focus groups held positive views toward feminism, associating it with equality for all genders and social justice, with the exception of community-based gay men, who negatively associated feminism solely with women’s rights.

Black Male College Persistence: A Phenomenological Collective Of Familial And Social Motivators, Tyson Beale, Lavar Charleston, Adriel A. Hilton

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study examined familial differences between Black males not pre-categorized as high achieving or unprepared for college. The article highlights student persistence and examines the critical components in social and environmental arrangements. While there is evidence that some Black men never graduate college, this is not reflective of all Black men. Many do earn a baccalaureate degree, pursue graduate study, and diversify the workforce. This phenomenological study captures the voices of those who have persisted in higher education and concludes with implications for institutional practice and future research. Social capital, hyper-masculinity, and exchange theories guided this study.

Blending Credit & Non-Credit Courses: Best Practices, Opportunities, Barriers, Keisha Samuels, M. Todd Estes, Heather Eckman, Kelly Gillerlain, Shanda Jenkins, Wendy Miller-Edwards, Olivia Reinauer, Nicole Walker

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Community colleges offer an array of programs designed to help students meet different goals. Noncredit education provides training for students seeking targeted, often shorter, courses for personal and professional enrichment (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014). Many community colleges are now increasingly emphasizing noncredit workforce education as they support regional workforce development efforts and strive to meet the needs of their local industry partners (Van Noy, Jacobs, Korey, Bailey, & Hughes, 2008). Despite the millions of students enrolled in these courses and their potential to generate revenue for the institutions delivering programs, Voorhees and Milam (2005) refer to noncredit community college …

Increasing Diversity Of Faculty And Administrators In The Virginia Community College System, Nicole Munday, Rachel Angel, Mahzar Anik, Sylvia Clay, Lorraine Justice, Cheri Maea, Gena Mckinley, Tim Merrill, Aaron Rosenthal

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

In 2013, Chancellor DuBois convened a Task Force on Diversity with the aim of making the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) a model for diversity by “increasing the demographic diversity of the VCCS so that teaching faculty and leaders look more like the communities we serve” (Chancellors Diversity Task Force, 2014, p. 3). The hard work of the Task Force members culminated in a report that summarized their findings and recommendations, including a “Call to Action” list of 11 steps, many of which have been implemented or are in progress. Several of these key initiatives have put the VCCS on …

Using Artificial Intelligence To Enhance Educational Opportunities And Student Services In Higher Education, Mandy Barrett, Lisa Branson, Sheryl Carter, Frank Deleon, Justin Ellis, Cirrus Gundlach, Dale Lee

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is becoming the basis for business. Most businesses use it to improve the customer experience. The education community is just beginning to find ways to successfully implement AI for staff and students. Artificial Intelligence should be leveraged to create a better student experience. For example, Elon University uses AI to assist students with tracking previously taken courses and helps them apply the information to their course-planning (Gardner, 2018). Georgia State University uses Pounce, a chatbot built by AdmitHub, reducing summer melt by over 20% by reaching out to students via text when they have not completed …

Accelerating Student Success: The Case For Corequisite Instruction, Maggie Emblom-Callahan, Nekisha Burgess-Palm, Sandra Davis, Amanda Decker, Heather Diritto, Shana Dix, Camisha Parker, Eric Styles

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The successes of corequisite remediation courses and supplemental instruction over traditional remediation courses such as the modular Math Essentials have been widely and recently documented (Logue, Watanabe-Rose, & Douglas, 2016). Corequisite reform is an important strategy to improve student completion of higher education goals. A robust corequisite model integrates gateway course content with lifelong tools such as time management and study skills that help students beyond the scope of one course. Corequisite remediation may not completely eliminate developmental courses; however, “a fundamental redesign of the support system for academically underprepared students” will include corequisite remediation (Vandal, 2014). This broader “support …

Promoting The Value Of Career Education Programs, David Howell, Maryanne Serignese, Shawn Anderson, Rachel Dodson, Joshua Mcdowell, Jesse Miller, Dana Newcomer, Regina Sanders, Brooklyn Shehan

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

12.5 million secondary and postsecondary students are currently enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the United States (“Career,” 2019). CTE programs provide students with the academic skills, technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners (“Career,” 2019). Students are prepared for the workplace as a result of a competency-based learning approach and through partnerships with local employers who provide hands-on experience and work-based learning opportunities (“Career,” 2019). By 2020, 65 percent of American jobs will require some postsecondary education or training, with half of these positions requiring an associate …

Taking The Leap (Learner Engaged Advising Programs): Vccs Advising Practices And Recommendations, Valerie Burge-Hall, Latoya Garrison, Leigh Giles-Brown, Dan Lepore, Melanie Mcnall, Christine Pauly, Andrew Quinn, Lisa Vaughn Jordan

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) administration identified the need for adequate and proactive advising programs to foster student success. This paper presents a review of “best practices” in advising to determine commonalities, provides a comparison with current VCCS advising practices, and offers recommendations that support the goal of ensuring high quality advising programs.

Communication And Data Sharing Between K-12 And Community Colleges, Beth Page, Jacob Surratt, Debbie Bond, Mitzi Jones, Josh Meyer, Amy Webster, Brian Wright

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

This report investigates communication and data sharing between K-12 and community colleges to identify best practices. This wide-ranging topic encompassed many efforts that impact student recruitment, retention and success in their postsecondary education. To prioritize the most pressing issues, this report focuses on recent system-wide findings and recommendations. In 2016, the Virginia General Assembly directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to review the VCCS, a process that had not been done since 1991. The JLARC report in 2017 stated that a relatively low percentage of community college students obtain a degree or credential (39 percent). In addition …

Improving Completion Rates For Underrepresented Populations, Jen Daniels, Lynn Bowers, Megan Cook, Mark D'Antonio, Amber Foltz, Carlita Mccombs, John Sound, Jenni Vancuren

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Most experienced educators recognize that many students will not complete optional assignments, and often those students who need additional help do not seek assistance. Current research demonstrates that students in underrepresented populations (see definition below) are less likely to seek support than others because they see needing help as a confirmation that they don’t really “belong” in college in the first place. Research shows that those who do access currently optional supports such as tutoring are more likely to succeed, so this research group looked for ways to build structured connections between underrepresented students and resources.

We found that our …

Improving Transferability Case Studies: 'Building A Better Bridge To The Bachelor's', Tamra Lipscomb, Cindy Wallin, David Braun, Katherine Clatterbuck, Faison Dana, Leonda Keniston, John Lipp, Christian Mason

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Many Virginians aspiring to earn a four-year degree intentionally begin their journey at one of the 23 community colleges within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). In concert with those aspirations, the VCCS is committed to providing its residents an affordable and accessible program of study that prepares them to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree at any one of Virginia’s colleges and universities. The establishment of an affordable and accessible pathway was one of the emanating purposes of the community college (Mellow & Heelan, 2015). The dream of affordable transfer education is one of three key legislative efforts of …

Increasing Success With Online Degree Courses And Programs In The Vccs, Thomas Chatman, Dave Dick, Paula Ford, Pamela Henry, Kim Hobert, Miles Keller, Kevin Riley, Christina Tidwell, Roberta Wright

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Over the last three years, 724,116 online courses were attempted within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). From these attempts, 206,533 resulted in a grade of D or F or a withdrawal, accounting for 29% of all attempted online courses (Virginia Community College System, 2015). This does not account for the students who may have dropped the course early in the semester to avoid academic and/or financial consequences. Studies have shown that students who do not experience success in their courses drop out significantly more than their counterparts (Thayer, 1973). Additionally, these students experience delayed degree or certificate completions, higher …

Cultural Factors That Impact Latina/O College Student Success At Predominantly-White Institutions: Past And Current Knowledge For Educators, Ricardo Montelongo

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

As the new century approached in 2000, educational leaders, practitioners, and researchers were continuing to understand the educational experiences of the fastest growing student population in the United States – Latina/os. Knowledge on factors influencing outcomes for this group were produced to inform educators. However, Latina/os continue to face barriers and challenges at all levels in their pursuit of educational opportunity, especially in higher education. The significance of the demographic shifts Latina/os bring to education should give educators a sense of urgency to better understand cultural factors that impact Latina/o student success. This paper will provide an overview of the …

Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction, Kimberly M. Jones-Goods

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative study examined the incorporation of culturally responsive literacy instruction. The purpose was to explore teachers’ perception of effective culturally responsive literacy and instruction and ways in which the participants implemented culturally responsive literacy instruction. This study identified and explored three themes affecting three ways in which the participants incorporated culturally responsive literacy into their classrooms. The findings of this qualitative study align with literature on culturally responsive literacy instruction.

Parenthood And Persistence Of Adult Learners In The Western Region Of The United States, Emetrude Lewis, Alexia Bailey-Webb

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study explored the role of parenthood on adult learners who were parents of minor children and gaining an understanding of their needs while attending a college or university. A qualitative phenomenological approach and purposive techniques were used to identify and recruit adult learners who were parents of minor children located in the general area in the Western Region of the United States. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and Yüksel and Yıldırım (2015) guide used for phenomenological narrative data analysis. Recorded interviews were transcribed into text and NVIVO software was then used to organize the interview data and uncover …

Expanding The Conversation: The Value Proposition Of For-Profit Institutions For African-American Post-Secondary Students, Thomasina O. Lawson, Mario Jackson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article presents a different discourse to promote access to and equity in higher education by re-examining the value of for-profit education and its attractiveness to African-American students underserved by traditional institutions. The authors suggest that for-profit institutions face similar challenges to traditional schools in the matriculation of African-American students but to a larger degree. Guided by the spirit of researchers Asa G. Hilliard and Barbara Sizemore, the article offers a progressive view of improving African-American students’ access to higher education. Additionally, the article suggests ways to engage in meaningful conversations on how to improve higher education by replacing traditional …

Perspectives On University Student Engagement In England, Roxanne Duvivier, Monica Ratliff, Brigette Gardner, Lauren Ouwerkerk, Josua Scacco

New York Journal of Student Affairs

While national quantitative research has been conducted that measured satisfaction and engagement of undergraduate students in England, fewer qualitative studies exist that focused on the needs of students and their perceptions of the totality of their university experiences. This study examined the multifaceted phenomena of student engagement in a non-US setting to explore student attitudes and needs that contribute to retention and engaged decisions at an English university. Findings suggested that US research has applicability in the English university context. As is the case in the US, English student engagement in academics and societies was affected by factors associated with …

College Access For Undocumented Students And Law, Jessica C. Enyioha

Educational Considerations

There are over 32 million undocumented immigrants in the United States and of this population, over 1.5 million are children (Palmer & Davidson, 2011). These children grow up in the US, achieve primary and secondary education, and when they are ready to pursue postsecondary education, it becomes harder for them to achieve. In this paper, undocumented students’ access to postsecondary education in the US is examined: laws that affect their access to postsecondary education, previous cases on access to education for undocumented students, and the difficulties undocumented students often encounter when pursuing postsecondary education are discussed and analyzed. Best practices …