Opportunities To Learn In Rural South Carolina Schools: Rurality, Place, And Passion, Grig Sawyer

All Dissertations

High school principals can change the status quo of the current iniquitous disparities in the education system between South Carolina’s rural high schools and their more populated and affluent suburban schools. Using a non-standard structure and the resources in their control, these school leaders can find solutions so schools can offer rural students advanced math and science programs. Yet, there is a paucity of studies examining how small rural school principals make advanced math and science courses available to their students, particularly in rural South Carolina. Thus, studies must examine how South Carolina school leaders successfully offer advanced math and …

Creating An Educative Approach To Academic Integrity Within An Ontario College Public–Private Partnership, Sara Mezzone-Budd

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

This dissertation-in-practice investigates the impact of limited proactive educational practices to support academic integrity at the College of Central Ontario (TCCO; a pseudonym) in a public–private partnership (PPP) with a private career college (PCC). Addressing this significant leadership problem of practice is needed, as academic integrity underpins institutional reputation, the validity of academic credentials, graduate credibility, and workforce competencies. Students’ cultural socialization and educational environment play pivotal roles in shaping their understanding of integrity and practice of ethical decision-making. Thus, international students studying at TCCO-PCC benefit from ethical leadership and tailored support to uphold expected institutional integrity standards. It …

Black Men Who Participate In An Urban Community College Men Of Color Initiative: A Phenomenological Study, Steven Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the perceptions and experiences of Black men who participated in the MOCI. The study uncovered insights into what aspects of the program were effective and where improvements could be made according to the student participants. Employing a phenomenological design, the research identified commonalities among the participants' experiences (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Moustakas, 1994; Rubin & Rubin, 2012). The structure of understanding surrounding participants in the MOCI program was meticulously facilitated using phenomenology (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The interviews were not just semi-structured but also empathetic, with prepared open-ended questions followed by probing inquiries, all aimed at …

Perspectives Of College Students With Disabilities Regarding Their High School Transition Experience: Notes For High School Transition Planning, Lindsay Hartzler, Kitty Dong, Andrew Johnson Kliethermes, Kaitlyn Sandheinrich, Mark Wheatley

Dissertations

Students with disabilities face many challenges as they transition to postsecondary education. These students are often unprepared for the rigor of postsecondary academics; they often lack self-efficacy skills and have limited awareness of postsecondary supports or cannot successfully access them. This study aims to give voice to college students with disabilities to inform practices of high school personnel involved with transition and higher education professionals supporting them. Using Kohler’s Transition Taxonomy 2.0 (2016), researchers sought to study the perspectives of eleven college students on their high school transition experiences in the areas of academic preparedness, self-advocacy skills, and experiences with …

Voices From The Marginalized: The Experiences Black Employees Have On Search Committees And The Role Of Institutional Racism, Jacqueline Drummer

Theses and Dissertations

The history of Black people across the globe is marred by structural racism created by colonialism. Structural racism is deeply embedded in the American culture and academia is not excluded from this phenomenon. The research demonstrates that the problem of racism is not only prevalent in four-year academic institutions but also exists in two-year colleges. Our academic institutions are a microcosm of the broader society whereby we bring our worldviews, biases, and beliefs with us into the workplace. When these views are negative towards marginalized groups, actions can be adverse and impact the experiences of these demographics. My qualitative single …

First In My Family: Overcoming Obstacles And Utilizing Resources To Successfully Complete The Educational Journey, Milana Tarbuk Migic

Dissertations

First-generation college students encounter many hardships when trying to persist throughout their educational journey. They are expected to be successful in navigating their careers, family life, and school – all without anyone else’s experience to reference. When a student is the first in their family to go to college, they are expected to succeed with a lack of understanding the process. This qualitative study explores what assets first-generation students have and apply in their college experience that contribute to their persistence. This research is guided by Dr. Tara Yosso’s Cultural Wealth Model which examines many forms of cultural capital that …

Why Not Community College As A Pathway To A Degree, Gretchen Jorndt Reyes

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand if Gen X parents are motivating their Gen Z students' college choice not to attend community college. The few studies that focused on parent involvement in choosing a community college did not focus on the generational differences between parents and their children when it came to college choice, they also did not focus on whether parents influenced their children to attend community college or not (Bers, 2005; Bers & Galowich, 2002).

The study explored Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and how his theory and the college choice process are intertwined during the college …

Ripple Of Hope: Understanding The Lived Experience And Academic Achievement Of Latinx Students At Arrupe College And Dougherty Family College: A Case Study, Richard P. Virgin

Dissertations

One of the most common and important entry points into higher education for Latinx and other underrepresented students is through community college. However, national completion rates for Latinx community college students have been trailing their white peers. This gap in academic achievement has prevailed since the 1990s. The trailing rates of degree completion for Latinx students can lead to lower lifetime salary earnings, lack of career advancement, greater risk of losing employment, and an increased chance of living in poverty. However, a successful community college model may be seen as a disruptor in the educational sector due to its much …

Fostering Interprofessional Collaboration In Community College Mental Health Centers: A Quality Improvement Project, Sara Jane Hamilton

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background The worsening mental health rates among college students in the United States highlight the critical need for campuses to have high-quality comprehensive mental health centers (MHC). This necessity is particularly urgent in community college MHCs, which often lack these attributes. Local Problem An MHC within a large California community college recently introduced telepsychiatry services and is considering integrating a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) into their team. However, knowledge gaps and limited interprofessional education (IPE) may hinder effective collaboration within the team. Methods A comprehensive literature review was conducted to assess current research on IPE, community college mental …

College And Career Readiness Effects On Minority Male College Retention, Naquiyah Hodges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The continuously low college retention and low degree attainment of African American and Hispanic men is a generational and decades-long hindrance to the elevation of these marginalized communities in the United States and the state of Texas. In Texas, the last 3 years’ worth of data has proven college-readiness rates of African American and Hispanic college students were significantly lower by large margins than White students in English language arts, math, and both subjects by large margins. Consistent low college retention rates of minority men produce a need to conduct further research of how this phenomenon affects minority men …

Creative I'Mprint, Melissa Rheaume

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Creative I'mprint

This Master's project delves into the innovative concept of a "Creative I’mprint" and its implications for creative practitioners in fostering effective change leadership. The project aims to investigate the dynamic relationship among perception, influence, and creativity, with the goal of empowering creative practitioners to better comprehend how their creativity impacts others and leaves a lasting impression. Through the design of a comprehensive workshop and conference presentation, the project facilitates the exploration and definition of creative practitioners' Creative I’mprint. Drawing from diverse theories and frameworks including emotional intelligence, lateral thinking, and self-awareness tools, the project provides a structured approach …

Exploring Community College Faculty And Administrators Work Providing Educational Opportunities For Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd): An Integral Framework For Inclusive Postsecondary Education, Stacy Eldred

Education (PhD) Dissertations

There is a growing number of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs and scholarship in higher education. Providing a spectrum of educational opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in higher education plays a pivotal role in creating inclusive and meaningful access to postsecondary education. However, little is known about the ways in which the faculty and administrators who are integral stakeholders on campus perceive their work developing and supporting higher education as a socially valued experience for students with IDD. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory, this study examines the ways in which community college faculty and administrators working in …

We’Re Here: The “Outsider Within “The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Community College Students At An Hispanic Serving Institution, Sharaf Williams

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative research study sought to explore the lived experiences of Black women community college students as they pursued higher education at Hispanic-serving institutions. Students who were enrolled at a community college in the Inland Empire region of Southern California were interviewed in focus groups and one-on-one interviews. A hermeneutic phenomenology was used as the tool for analysis, and digital storytelling was used to provide a visual representation of the lived experiences of the students. These data points can be shared beyond the pages of this study. With limited research on understanding the unique needs of Black women students in …

Investigation Of The Regional Innovation System In Rural Region Of New Jersey: A Qualitative Single Case Study, Ketan N. Gandhi

Theses and Dissertations

This single-case study investigated how a partnership between a rural community college in New Jersey and a manufacturer of emerging optics equipment reflected the “regional networked innovation system,” a type of regional innovation system (Asheim & Isaksen, 2002, p.83). The regional innovation system explains a region's development and competitiveness based on a set of actors within a region, developing specific forms of capital derived from social relations, norms, values, and interactions with the community (Doloreux & Parto, 2005).

"There Is Power In Being Out": A Three Article Approach Celebrating The Experiences Of Queer University Leaders, Andrew R. E. Lorenzana

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education were historically built to serve a wealthy, White, straight male student population and the leaders of these institutions still largely reflect these demographics. This project specifically aims to celebrate and amplify the life and career of university administrators who identify within the LGBTQ community. Mainly through the use of a portraiture methodology, this three-article study attempts to examine the ways in which LGBTQ identity and career influence one another.

Worldmaking and narrative will be used as a theoretical frame to help analyze the ways in which the telling of a queer individual’s story makes the world …

The Effectiveness Of The Student Support Service Trio Program Retention And Graduation Rates At Two-Year Community Colleges In Kentucky, Sheree N. Bryant

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Sheree N. Bryant in 2024.

The Practices Of Instructional Design At Community Colleges: A Post-Qualitative Study Of The Mutual Invisibility Of Work, David Robert Niebuhr Tod

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The work of instructional design in community college settings is woefully understudied. This study documents that work in three community colleges in the southeastern United States while placing it in the theoretical context of neoliberalism, and in line with that theoretical context, takes a post-structuralist stance in its methodological approach.

It is in the discourses of instructional quality, online teaching, and design that instructional designers and faculty engage with each other. In contrast to the more well understood working relationship in a four-year institution, the power relationships between these two groups have not been examined in a community college context. …

Expanding On A Promise: Influences Of Student Identity And College Mindset On Retention And Success For First-Time Community College Students, John Kirby Hall

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by John Kirby Hall on March 26, 2024.

Motivation, Learning, And The Workplace: A Study Of Community College Student Affairs Professionals And Continued Professional Learning, Joseph M. Ginese

Theses and Dissertations

Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This study utilized a quantitative research design to examine the physical and psychological factors of the work environment that can influence a community college student affairs professional’s motivation to pursue continued professional learning. Through the theoretical lens of Lewin’s Field Theory and Eccles’ Expectancy-Value Theory, I designed a 58-item survey (N = 41) …

Success Beyond Access: Examining Institutional Barriers To Persistence And The Supports Needed By Nontraditional Students Participating In A Tuition-Free Community College Program, Amanda K. Roeher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This research study examined the experiences of nontraditional community college students attending through a tuition-free grant. The intent of the study was to explore the student identified barriers to degree persistence and the student support services nontraditional students recognize as being beneficial towards their academic journey. This qualitative case study was guided by three research questions and utilized Bean and Metzner’s (1985) Nontraditional Student Attrition Model as a guide for study design and analysis. Data collection consisted of student interviews and institutional document collection. Data analysis explored themes related to nontraditional student motivations for attendance, persistence factors, and student support …

"The Impact Of Being Seen": A Study Of Restorative Practices At Community Colleges, Mikel Birch

Dissertations of Practice

Restorative justice provides a relationship-centered framework for addressing challenges that build community and promote social justice. While there are various applications of restorative justice in U.S. Public Education, criminal justice and juvenile justice, there is a dearth of research on how restorative justice practices have been applied at community colleges. The purpose of this qualitative multisite case study was to explore how community colleges are using restorative justice practices in order to build better relationships and improve campus culture. This study was conducted using Perkins and Zimmerman’s (1995) Empowerment Theory, which asserts that engaging in empowering processes will result in …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. …

Answering The Call Of Late Registration, Brooke Justice

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The topic of late registration in higher education is a term that must be clearly defined to properly compare and contrast academic success metrics. A standard definition for late registration has yet to be agreed upon. For the purposes of this mixed methods action research study, late registration is enrollment in a course 10 days preceding the beginning of the course.

Review of registration data at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College uncovered a disparity between student academic performance of those who registered on time and those who registered late. The institution’s heightened focus on academic performance reflects the performance-based …

Becoming Transfer Friendly: Evaluating Four-Year Higher Education Institution Strategies To Support Community College Transfer Student Success, Aarti V. Dhupelia

Dissertations

Four-year higher education institutions (HEIs) nationwide must become more transfer friendly so that more community college transfer (CCT) students persist and complete their bachelor’s degrees, as a path to more students’ economic mobility and to equity across communities. This study aims to provide learnings to support achievement of this imperative. The research question studied here is: What is the relationship between community college transfer (CCT) student support strategies at a four-year higher education institution (HEI) and the first-to-second-year retention of CCT students at their four-year HEI? Through quantitative analysis of a broad set of variables’ ability to predict student retention …

Implementation Of Prognosticator Algorithm For Initiation Of Serious Illness Discussions And Improving The Rate Of Palliative And Hospice Referrals, Joy Isebor

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Context: Early serious illness conversations related to end-of-life and goals of care with seriously ill patients have been associated with improving patients' outcomes and quality of care (Bernacki et al., 2015). However, initiating these serious illness discussions has been challenging in the home-based primary care setting.

Objectives: To train and support home-based primary care clinicians in integrating best practices in serious illness discussions and decision-making engagement among patients sixty-five and older with serious illnesses, optimize the alignment between patient goals and the medical care they receive, improving their quality of life and the rate of palliative care and hospice referrals. …

Guerreras (Women Warriors): Latina Faculty Utilizing Their Cultural Capital To Advance Transformative Change, Dora E. Escobar

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative study embedded the Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework within the critical counter-narrative methodology to examine the lived experiences of 11 Latina faculty from CA community colleges as they navigated their campuses in the quest to transform their institutions. Drawing from their cultural capital and the methodological approach, four distinct themes emerged from their counter-narratives: (1) through critical reflection, their awakening to the oppressive educational system that marginalizes communities of color afforded them the opportunity to use their transformative resistant capital and aspirational capital as the driver for transformative change; (2) in challenging the status-quo, they encountered barriers centered …

College Freshman Or College Junior? A Phenomenology Of The Experiences Of Dual-Enrolled Students Who Complete An Associate’S Degree While In High School And Attend A Public 4-Year University, Shari K. Ruehling

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT COLLEGE FRESHMAN OR COLLEGE JUNIOR? A PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE EXPERIENCES OF DUAL-ENROLLED STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTEND A PUBLIC 4-YEAR UNIVERSITY

Dual enrollment opportunities in the United States continue to grow with more students completing college credentials such as degrees, diplomas and certificates while in high school. Some states, such as Iowa, lead the way in dual enrollment participation and credential completion while in high school. Many quantitative studies have shown positive graduation, retention, and completion rates among dual-enrolled students. However, there is a lack of qualitative research on the transition experiences …

A Qualitative Case Study Of The Equity-Minded Institute Faculty Reflections: Designing Transformative Faculty Learning Communities, Maria Aguilar Beltran

Dissertations of Practice

A promising professional learning practice that supports faculty transformation are Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) which have the potential to cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, holistic critical reflection, and equity-minded andragogical changes. However, the research is limited and mostly focused on university faculty. For this reason, this qualitative case study can contribute to the much-needed research focused on the reflections and experiences of California community college faculty at West Coast College (pseudonym). The data was collected via interviews and post interview reflection recordings from nine faculty that participated in one of two cohorts of a yearlong Equity-Minded Institute at WCC. …