Higher Education Commons^™

Examining The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being And Academic Performance Among First-Year College Students In A U.S. Mid-South University, Ya-Hsin Hsiao

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between psychological well-being and college students. In addition, I looked at how COVID-19 impacted their psychological well-being. I used Ryff and Keyes’ (1995) 18-item Scale of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB-18) to measure participants' psychological well-being. Other demographic information such as race, gender, first-generation college student status, college readiness, and Pell Grant eligibility were collected from the WKU’s Institutes of Research.

Data were analyzed using multiple regressions that controlled for the effects of ethnicity, gender, first-generation status, and socioeconomic status. Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 on psychological well-being was evaluated and reported. In this dataset, the internal …

Closing The Preparedness-Readiness Gap In New School Administration, Melissa Williams Stephanski

Dissertations

School leadership is a vital aspect of K-12 public education. As graduates exit university principal preparation programs, they possess certification indicating preparedness for the role of a school administrator. Upon being hired, new school administrators frequently find themselves theoretically prepared but, in reality, unready for the myriad of responsibilities, isolation, and accountability accompanying the title. Over the years, the role of the school administrator has become overwhelming, often hindering the effectiveness of those doing the job, especially those new to the profession. The gap between the preparedness and readiness of new school administrators is a critical issue to be addressed …

First-Generation Leaders: A Qualitative Examination Of Characteristics, Traits, And Identity Of First-Generation Graduates In Leadership, Jamie Woolery

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study looked at first-generation college graduates and their paths to successful leadership roles. First-generation college students are defined by the National Association of Personnel Administrators (NASPA) as students from families in which their biological parents did not complete a four-year college degree (NASPA, 2017). An investigation was conducted on demographics, access to education, opportunity, and other factors that lend themselves to successful first-generation leaders who changed the narrative for themselves and their communities. This study looked at the previously conducted literature to provide background support for the need of the research, along with further recommendations and interviews which added …

On The Edge Of Leadership: Narratives Of Asian Indian American Women In Higher Education In The United States, Denozy Sharma

Dissertations

This study was an investigation of the experiences of Asian Indian American Women (AIAW) in higher education in the United States. The motivation of this study was to gain a better understanding of Asian Indian American Women who, in spite of their rising presence in academia and educational attainment, are noticeably underrepresented in academic leadership roles. Asian Indian American women fall far behind White females in leadership positions in higher education.

A qualitative research methodology has been conducted. The investigation involved the narratives of the five female participants (faculty members and/or administrators in U.S. higher education) who identified themselves as …

The Influence Of Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy In Gifted Education, Keely P'Pool

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of effective professional development training provided to both preservice and inservice teachers about gifted education and gifted students. This research also seeks to discover whether a notable difference exists between preservice and inservice teachers in regard to the increase in their knowledge and self-efficacy upon completion of the professional development training. A quantitative approach using a survey and a required training was used for all participants. Study participants included preservice teachers attending a southern Kentucky public university who were taking education classes as well as inservice teachers from 11 school …

What You Speak Shall Come: Examining Spirituality On Retention Of African American Males Attending A Predominantly White Institution Using A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Design, Carlous Brian Yates

Dissertations

African American males have faced significant challenges at institutions of higher education over the years (Harper, 2013; Griffith et al., 2019). This study aimed to examine the impact of spirituality on the retention of African American males attending a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) through a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design study.

The participants in the study were African American males (N = 47) with age range 18 to 48 years old all attending a mid-sized university located in the mid-western region of the United States during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. The university is considered a Predominantly White Institution …

College Choice Decisions: An Analysis Of University Honors Students, Thomas Tyler Clark

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze the importance of various institutional attributes in the college-choice process of honors students. The study surveyed honors students (N = 279) currently enrolled in an honors college at one university. Students rated 51 items on the degree of importance in their college decision. An exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the underlying factors in the college-choice process.

The results indicated that cost was the most important issue students considered when determining an institution to attend. Cost of attendance and financial assistance offered were followed by quality of course instruction, safety on …

Support Programming For Children On The Autism Spectrum: An Evaluation Of Current Programming And Components Offered By A Postsecondary Autism Program, Lisa Michelle Elkins

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how stakeholders value the current components of a Postsecondary Autism Program (PSAP). The evaluation assessed the efficacy of the program’s six components and the improvements needed to ensure the desired outcomes were being achieved. A mixed-methods approach using both surveys and focus groups was used to obtain data. The surveys were administered to students who were currently enrolled in the PSAP program and parents of students who were currently enrolled. A focus group format using six questions was administered to the five full-time staff of the PSAP program. The results of the …

The Impact Of Campus Facilities On The Recruitment Of Students In Higher Education, Lucinnda Sue Mcdonald

Dissertations

The statement often has been made over the years that university recruitment efforts are strongly impacted by campus facilities. The subject has been a topic of research over the past several decades. This study indicates that as generations change and times change, the significance of various aspects of the university to the prospective student change as well.

This research effort is a mixed-methods study to provide insight on the facilities current students deem most important when determining which college or university they will attend. The research for this study was conducted through an online survey asking students to:

• Choose …

Joint-Admissions Explored: Determining The Existence Of A Transfer-Affirming Culture Between Owensboro Community And Technical College And Western Kentucky University-Owensboro, Angela Loretta Higdon

Dissertations

A growing number of postsecondary students transfer from a two-year to a four-year institution. The joint admissions program between Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) and Western Kentucky University-Owensboro (WKU-O) is a unique example of such a transfer relationship. Research is needed to understand the nature of the joint admissions relationship. The purpose of this case study was to explore the joint admissions relationship between OCTC and WKU-O, in order to determine the existence of a transfer-affirming culture, in accordance with Handel’s (2011) transfer-affirming conceptual framework.

The case study was bounded by time, including the previous three academic years (2014-2015, …

African-American College And University Presidents Perceptions Of Effective Leadership Attributes, Sidney Glenn Carthell

Dissertations

This study examined how socio-demographic factors of gender, age, institution location, institutional Carnegie Classification, degree of residential students, and size of enrollment relate to the perceptions that African-American college and university presidents had relative to effective leadership attributes. The research was a quantitative study that employed a descriptive survey with correlational design. No statistically significant differences were found between the perceptions of successful leadership attributes in the study based on gender, education, position prior to the presidency, years of experience, school type, or location. Leadership attributes of Energetic with Stamina and Ideological Beliefs were found to be statistically significant at …

Do Faculty In-Class Incivility Behaviors Predict Type Of Out-Of-Class Interactions Between Faculty And Students?, Trudy-Ann Crossbourne

Dissertations

The present study explored relationships between two larger streams of research—faculty-student interactions and destructive leadership embodied in faculty incivility towards students. While interactions with faculty outside of class offer tremendous benefits for students’ intellectual and socio-emotional development, avoidance is one of the demonstrated outcomes of destructive leadership on followers and of faculty incivility on students. The theoretical basis for this study was the premise that faculty incivility displayed in class, as perceived by students, could predict the frequency and type of interactions in which students engage with professors outside of the classroom. To test this conjecture, a sample of 785 …

Best Practices In Parent And Family Engagement: Implications For Student Success, Christy Spurlock

Dissertations

This exploratory study aims to answer questions related to highly recognized parent/family engagement programs and the ways in which they are organized, operated, and resourced; undertake innovative events and services; use and learn from assessment; and face challenges. Directors of 34 specifically selected highly recognized parent/family engagement programs were given the opportunity to complete a questionnaire concerning their programs. Twenty-seven directors completed the questionnaire. Ten were interviewed to gain further insight into the specific workings of and challenges for highly recognized parent/family programs. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative means, the researcher provides an initial exploratory look into how …

Graduate Student Retention: An Examination Of Factors Affecting Persistence Among Master's Program Students At Comprehensive Public Institutions, Scott S. Gordon

Dissertations

This study focuses on persistence efforts at the master’s level at regional comprehensive public institutions, with student interviews and document research used as data sources. The interviews are conducted with students who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from master’s programs at one of the two institutions studied, while the documents examined were texts for internal and external constituencies.

While Tinto’s Longitudinal Model of Doctoral Persistence is used as a guide for the research, a variety of student retention models are examined that encompass both undergraduate and doctoral persistence. Challenges include the lack of models specifically intended for master’s …

Does Global Citizenship Education Predict Identification With All Humanity?, Alpha Amber Scott Belt

Dissertations

Scholars and leaders agree institutions of higher education must prepare students to live, work and thrive in a global community. Nevertheless, there remains much discourse and debate surrounding what it actually means to be a global citizen, and what are the appropriate learning opportunities that will best serve to achieve this goal. This quantitative study examined whether or not participation in global citizenship education opportunities predicts how a student identifies him- or herself in relation to all humanity as measured using the Identification with All Humanity (IWAH) scale (McFarland et al., 2012). Four research questions were examined 1) does participation …

Challenging The Spirit: Action Plan Progress Report Summary, President Gary Ransdell

Presidential Publications

No abstract provided.

The Great Divide: The Perceptions And Dynamics Of The Faculty And Staff Professional Relationship, Meredith L. Skaggs

Dissertations

The college community is built with several necessary components. When considering the faces of a college campus one visualizes the administration, faculty, staff, and students. Through these roles, each serves a function impacting the mission of the institution. Utilizing qualitative methods of interviews, observations, and document analysis this study examined the dynamics and interactions of two roles on a community college campus. The research sought to understand the perceptions of faculty and staff regarding one another and the ultimate impact on the community college campus culture. The data revealed a gap not only exists in the available literature on the …

Assessment Of Cultural Awareness In Communication Sciences And Disorders Students, Kimberly Green

Dissertations

As defined by Clinton (1996), cultural awareness is achieved when an individual becomes aware of the fact that culture can contribute to attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Cultural awareness (CA) is dependent upon an individual’s awareness of one’s own culture to the same degree as the awareness of outside cultures. It can be viewed as a prerequisite to a more complex understanding of this somewhat ambiguous concept. The topic of this quantitative study involves an examination of the level of cultural awareness among students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) programs in the state of Kentucky. This dissertation threads literature and …

Money Changes Everything: The Relationship Between Financial Factors And Persistence For Financially Independent Undergraduate Students At A Kentucky Four-Year Public Institution, Ladonna Hunton

Dissertations

Research on factors related to persistence suggest that re-enrollment decisions are based upon an evaluation of the returns on investment in education. If students perceive that the costs of a college education outweigh the benefits, they will discontinue their involvement by choosing not to re-enroll. As a result, students’ choices to maintain their enrollment in postsecondary education can be an effective indicator of affordability. This study examined the degree to which financially independent undergraduate students’ persistence decisions are related to financial factors, including unmet need, total financial aid received, and type of financial aid received. The data examined in this …

The Effect Of Stress And Perceived Social Support On Job Satisfaction: A Comparison Between U.S Born And Foreign-Born Faculty, Lisa Owen

Dissertations

Research indicates that academic work-stress is a significant and growing problem for faculty members. General work-stress studies suggest that social support may buffer the negative impact of stress on faculty job satisfaction. To date, little research has been conducted in this area. Even fewer studies have examined the potential differences between U.S.-born and foreign-born faculty members regarding these variables. This quantitative, non-experimental multivariate study utilized a survey to assess academic stressors, perceived departmental social support, and job satisfaction at a large U.S. university. The surveyed institution consisted of 807 full-time faculty members. The three-week survey yielded a response rate of …

The Minority Assistantship Program (Map): Graduate Outcomes And Impact, Kenyetta Martin

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of the Minority Assistantship Program on program participants at a predominantly White institution (PWI) in southcentral Kentucky. A total of 103 MAP participants, 524 African American (AA) Non-MAP students, and a random sample of 103 Non-AA Graduate Assistants were studied. The main research question sought to determine any significant differences in the characteristics of the MAP participants compared to Non-MAP AA students and Non-AA Graduate Assistants. A focus group also was used to gain deeper insight into the experiences of the AA MAP program participants. Data collected on the three groups revealed that MAP students …

Type Of School And Parental Awareness Of The Clery And Minger Acts When Selecting A College In The Commonwealth Of Kentucky, Steven R. Briggs

Dissertations

College and university campuses are being scrutinized more stringently in regard to the issue of campus safety. While media reports and advocacy groups may suggest to parents that college campuses are becoming more dangerous, research continues to demonstrate that colleges are a relatively safe environment. A problem exists that, although the Clery Act and the Minger Act in the Commonwealth of Kentucky require colleges and universities to report campus crime rates in order that parents and students can make an informed decision on selecting a college based on campus safety, few parents tend to be familiar with this resource. The …

Trends Shaping Society: Implications For Higher Education In The 21st Century, Nathan Phelps

Dissertations

The world is changing quickly and in complex ways, and this study addresses some of the key implications of these changes for higher education leaders today. Many leaders are facing the difficult task of determining which developments in the larger society are most important and what they may mean for their institutions and for higher education as a whole. This study presents a broad analysis of trends shaping society, highlights patterns within these trends that are important, and offers a framework based on these patterns that leaders might use to help them clarify and evaluate the implications of these changes. …

Passports, Global Citizenship, And The Black Student: A Qualitative Study Uncovering The Dispositions Of Undergraduate African American Students Regarding Global Citizenship, Jenaya Lévon Perdue

Dissertations

Global citizenship is an elusive concept that spans a multitude of disciplines and is coming to the forefront of conversations at institutions of higher learning, as colleges and universities grapple with training and shaping their student body into scholars useful and sensitive to the needs of our society and world in the 21st century. Morais and Ogden (2011) captured the essence of global citizenship in three tenets, which are social responsibility, global competence, and global civic engagement. Using the three tenets of Morais and Ogden (2009), as well as a definition developed based on research, this researcher sought to discover …

The Academic Library And High-Impact Practices For Student Retention: Perspectives Of Library Deans, Adam L. Murray

Dissertations

Dramatic declines in state appropriations for postsecondary education, the rise of performance-based funding models, and limitations on tuition increases have resulted in a focus on student retention as a matter of importance to institutions of higher education. Concomitantly, academic libraries face changes in service models brought about by technology and the rising costs of providing access to an ever-expanding field of literature required by academic programs and faculty. The value proposition of the academic library is reduced in the face of budget interests that impact recruitment and retention. Many researchers and university leaders have called on academic libraries to develop …

College Organizational Structure And Its Impact On Accessible Distance Learning For Students With Disabilities, Mana Kariman

Dissertations

This research focuses on the impact of organizational structure in colleges on accessibility in distance learning for individuals with disabilities. Research remains limited on the effect of the organizational structure that supports online/web-based courses regarding accessibility. Policies that outline the laws guide faculty to ensure the published online courses are accessible to everyone, including students with disabilities. Further, types of accommodations available to students with disabilities are discussed. Accessibility needs to be addressed by trainings for all faculty who provide accommodations. In conclusion, the accessibility laws affect the organizational structure in institutions and the impact of policy implementation.

A Comparative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Employee Perceptions Of An Organizational Leader's Commitment To Safety And Actual Injury Rates In A University Setting, David E. Oliver

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between employee perceptions of their supervisor’s commitment to safety (safety climate) and the actual rate of occupational injuries among the same employees. The study also aimed to examine the relationship between the employee perceptions of their supervisor’s leadership practices and the supervisor’s safety climate rating. In addition, this study examined the potential influence of employee demographic factors on their responses to survey questions. This research study sought to answer three primary questions: (1) Does a significant correlation exist between employee perceptions of his supervisor’s commitment to the health and safety …

The Effects On Students' Intercultural Competence From Intensive Intercultural Service-Learning Through The $100 Solution™ Model, Nadia De León Sautú

Dissertations

This study evaluates the effects of an intensive intercultural service-learning program on the intercultural competence of undergraduate students enrolled in Cultural Diversity in the U.S., a general education course at Western Kentucky University. This program utilized The $100 Solution™ model, in which groups of students partnered with local immigrant and refugee families, to teach them about U.S. culture, learn about their cultures, and implement a project to assist them in their integration process. The program included two hours of out-of-classroom work for over twelve weeks. Through the principle of reciprocity, The $100 Solution™ model provided an interaction framework in which …

Challenging The Spirit: 2013 Progress Report, President Gary Ransdell

Presidential Publications

No abstract provided.

Opening Faculty And Staff Convocation Speech 2013, President Gary Ransdell

Presidential Speeches

No abstract provided.