Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Promoting Professional Development Through Appreciative Inquiry: Aiding The Transition Of College Student Employees As Emerging Professionals, Juleane Johnson

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this action research study aimed to identify how to better promote and support the transition as emerging professionals and elevate the professional development capacity of Sixth College Residence Life at the University of California, San Diego. The primary research question guiding these endeavors is: What role do I/our office play in the transition of student employees to emerging professionals? The secondary question is: How can I/our office collaborate to elevate professional development practices and capacity? Research participants took part through virtual interviews, virtual focus groups, and the completion of an online survey. The significance of my efforts …

Leading Climate Action Planning: A Case Study Of Local Community Practices, Mackenzie Crigger

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Given the increasing rate of anthropogenic climate change and the resulting climate impacts that communities around the world will be coping with over the next century, it is becoming increasingly important that communities, cities, and regions begin to develop climate action plans that will assist them in coping with climate impacts. As a result, it is becoming evident that understanding how to effectively develop a climate action plan (CAP) and engage a community in the climate action planning process is a question at the forefront for many municipalities. This research utilized case study to examine the process the City of …

Appreciating Empathy: How Writing Center Collaborations Inform Leadership Development For Student Wellness And Success, Hugo Werstler

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my action research project was to understand the practice of collaboration within the University of San Diego’s Writing Center as an emerging leader in Higher Education. The goal of this study was to explore the benefits of empathy and relationship development as practiced by the Writing Center to develop leadership strategies for other campus organizations that regularly interact with the institution’s student population. Using several research cycles of Appreciative Inquiry, I observed that the Writing Center functions as a stellar example of collaboration, focusing on peer-to-peer writing consultations with an emphasis on student empathy and relationship development. …

Breaking Down Barriers: Using Collaboration To Increase The Accessibility Of Campus Resources For Graduate Students, Caitlin Hayles

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In this action research project, I explored how the University of San Diego (USD) can better support graduate students, particularly through examining the accessibility of existing campus resources. The primary research question was: How can the Office of Graduate Student Life better meet graduate student needs by making existing campus resources more accessible to students? By collaborating with graduate student leaders and campus administrators, I aimed to improve development and well-being for graduate students at USD by eliminating challenges graduate students face when accessing campus resources. Through this research, I found communication and the breaking down of silos across schools …

The Effects Of Collaborative Leadership Practices On Employee Satisfaction Levels, Thomas Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Successful organizations understand how employee satisfaction levels affect the bottom line. Establishing the best practices for managing employee satisfaction is paramount so human resource directors can share information. This literature review will help educate human resource practitioners and researchers to understand better the history, the existing research, and the benefits of properly managing employee satisfaction levels. When employees become dissatisfied, it can lead to a lack of trust, poor communication, and retention problems. Obtaining information on managing employee satisfaction levels can be difficult for aspiring human resource leaders. Through this phenomenological research study, human resource executives will share their knowledge …

Building Communication, Collaboration, And Self-Efficacy Among Elementary School Counselors Through Communities Of Practice, Garrett Rimey

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

There are few life-changing experiences like transitioning from elementary school to middles school. A new setting, new peers, new teachers, and new structures have been shown to elicit a myriad of emotions from students as they transition into middle school. A student’s academic record, accommodations, and other pertinent academic information follow a student into middle school; however, their social and emotional portfolio does not. Research has shown that students who are negatively impacted the most by transitioning into middle school also show their academics are negatively impacted, with title 1 students showing to be even more negatively impacted. However, school …

Building Bridges: How Collaboration Is Addressing Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts In Montana's Upper Yellowstone Watershed, Daniel Phelps Anderson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In my first semester of graduate studies at the University of Montana – Fall, 2019 – I was given an assignment from one of my professors to research a “landscape-scale” conflict of my choosing and compose a professional memo that could be sent to key influencers or stakeholders tied to the issue. Naturally, I directed my attention to a community I know and love, the Upper Yellowstone, and a conflict that is ubiquitous across the West: Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts (WVCs).

In the pages that follow I describe how Yellowstone Safe Passages came to be, who is involved, and the steps we …

Qualitative Study Of Collaboration Between Independent Reading Specialists And Elementary Classroom Teachers, Lindsay Lee Hawbaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The failure of educators to meet the needs of elementary students who require separated, differentiated, and intensive reading interventions (Tier 3) has been attributed to the scarcity of administrative resources and a lack of effective collaboration between reading specialists and classroom teachers. Experts opine that common barriers to effective collegial collaboration between institutional reading specialists, who are employed by the school, and classroom teachers include: an unsupportive school culture, the classroom teachers’ fear of losing pedagogical autonomy, the absence of mutual trust and interdependence between the reading specialists and their students’ classroom teachers, and the inability of reading specialists …