Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Supporting Formerly Incarcerated Individuals In Higher Education: A Quantitative Study, Lisa Marie Jones-Wiertz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

People from various backgrounds in the United States have college aspirations. However, those with marginalized characteristics, particularly formerly incarcerated individuals, face multiple barriers in their quest for higher education. This study carries a twofold purpose: (a) determining the extent to which formerly incarcerated individuals in higher education in California feel supported and (b) determining types of support associated with educational success among formerly incarcerated individuals in higher education in California. Using the Person-in-Environment Framework, the nonprobability sampling methods of convenience and snowball, and a quantitative research design, this study surveyed 51 formerly incarcerated students enrolled across the California State University …

Examining The Relationship Between Technological Skills And Success In Higher Education Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, Ebony Cubias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and purpose: Research has tended to focus on the outcomes of how digital inclusion for incarcerated individuals has helped reduce the rate of recidivism rather than the success rate in higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals. This study was implemented to examine the relationship between technological skills and academic achievement amongst formerly incarcerated individuals in higher education. Methods: This observational study used cross-sectional data from participants recruited from Project Rebound in California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Students who participated were over the age of 18, formerly incarcerated, and currently enrolled in …

Goal Setting And Student Retention, Hugh Castillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student retention has been a problem with which higher education institutions must face. Institutions have employed numerous different programs and services to improve student retention. This study sought to open up a new way to improve student retention by utilizing a goal-setting intervention that focused on creating SMART goals for student areas of weaknesses. This study employed the use of a quasi-experimental interrupted time series to better understand how goal-setting interventions could impact the participant attitudes correlated to retention. It was shown that goal-setting interventions had no significant impact on likelihood of retention but did exhibit improvement in client engagement …

Identifying Perceptions And Factors Of Pursuing Higher Education In Former Foster Youth, Karina Alicia Galindo, Julissa Arielle Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores former foster youth’s perceptions and factors in pursuing higher education. Twelve participants provided insight on their experiences when in the foster care system that had impacted their pursuance of higher education. Many participants elaborated on their lives after aging out of the system, and how they navigated life as former foster youth. This was done through a self-paced audio recorded interview along with questions regarding demographics and information pertaining to the amount of time each individual spent in the foster care system.

This study’s findings were able to identify overarching themes on former foster youth, such as …

Intergroup Dialogue: Affecting Real Change, Lauryn Hulett

Honors Projects

Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) is a course adapted from The University of Michigan. In this Honors Project, a systematic literature review is done from eleven sources in hopes to theorize best practices and areas of improvement amongst applications of Intergroup Dialogue.

Bridging The Gap Between Foster Youth And Higher Education: Perspectives Of Social Workers, Marielena Lozano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research examined the perceptions of child welfare social workers in their role of supporting foster youth. Specifically, this study will focus on factors contributing to support for foster youth to obtain post-secondary education or vocational training.

This study utilized a qualitative research design. Data were collected from individual, semi-structured interviews with six volunteer participants in Southern and Northern California using a snowball sampling method. Throughout the interviews, the researcher asked current or former child welfare social workers to describe their perceptions and experiences in supporting foster youth in obtaining higher education.

The study found several themes related to the …

Perspectives On The Barriers Encountered By Foster Youth At The Higher Education Level, Bianca J. Rivera, Aileen Ramirez Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The foster youth is a population in the child welfare arena where social workers continue to work and engage in providing effective and supportive resources. This population already vulnerable due to traumatic experiences, continue to lift the veil and fight against all odds. As change agents, we recognize their perspectives are critical to understanding and creating changes that will grant these youth higher academic success rates. This qualitative research includes thirteen open-ended questions regarding the perspectives of eleven former and current foster youth participants. Participants were provided the opportunity to identify the barriers they have face or are facing while …

An Exploratory Descriptive Study Of The Bridge Scholars Program At A Private, Faith-Based University, Susan Lewis King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An exploratory descriptive study was completed regarding the Bridge Scholars program in a private, faith-based university setting. The program was described as bridge because it was created to be a flexible consideration in the student admissions process, as the required metrics for admittance were modified for students that would not have otherwise been admitted to the university. Admitted provisionally, these students had to earn a 2.5 GPA or above before they were considered fully assimilated students. This admissions exception has been in place since 2016, when the program was initiated.

Three student cohorts were analyzed with particular emphasis on academic …

Thriving On A Faith-Based Campus: An Exploratory Study On Sense Of Belonging, Spirituality, And The Student Experience For Students Of Color, Hannah Felice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While enrollment for students of color has increased by nearly 15% over the past 20 years, universities have struggled to retain and graduate students of color in comparison to their White peers, including Christian universities. Looking to foster success for all students, higher education has sought to better understand the factors that impact student retention and graduation, particularly for students of color. Thriving has been shown as an effective metric for understanding the student experience through a more holistic framework as it pertains to the student success. The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of thriving as …

Perceptions Of Mental Health Among Asian Pacific Islander College Students, Jenny Phan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As part of the demands of higher education, college students undergo stressful events that have a negative impact on their mental health. Furthermore, Asian American Pacific Islander (API) Asian Pacific Islanders (API) face cultural and structural barriers that further influences individuals to ignore their mental well-being. Through interviews and surveys, this study aims to explore the current perceptions of mental health among API college students and the possible factors that prevent these students from addressing the mental health concerns through interviews obtaining student’s personal narratives. The findings are to enhance social work practice through becoming more culturally aware of the …

Mission Adrift: The Impact Of Managerialism On Graduate Social Work Education, Carolyn Hanesworth

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Neoliberal policies have led to the installation of managerialism, or the application of business practices and principles in institutions of higher education. Although much is known about the impact of managerialism on faculty in the overall academy, very little is known about its impact in specific disciplines, particularly in the United States. Using semi-structured interviews, this dissertation investigates how social work faculty experience and negotiate managerialism in the traditional pillars of teaching, service, and scholarship.

This study found that managerialism leads universities to place new and increased demands for productivity, efficiency, and accountability on social work faculty. Respondents report major …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Faculty With Disabilities In A Research University In The South, Gonzalo Camp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While diversity and inclusion has become a benchmark for universities all around the country, faculty with disabilities remain in the margins of higher education discourse and are a neglected population across the spectrum of academia. This thesis aims at exploring the experiences of faculty with disabilities at a specific research 1 university in the South. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five faculty members who self-identify as having a disability. Four themes emerged from this study: able-bodied lens, fear, social isolation, and coping mechanisms. Building on the existing literature, these findings offer new information to expand the knowledge on the challenges …

An Exploration Of Faculty With Disabilities In Social Work Programs, Kelly Dundon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disability is a unique dimension of diversity, yet structural, social and attitudinal barriers can make meaningful workforce participation difficult for individuals with disabilities. Faculty with disabilities (FWD) are a particularly underrepresented population in academia, and even more so in social work programs. Based on this under-representation and a concern for the lack of attention this population has received, this project will explore a subset of this group. This thesis will focus on faculty with disabilities, first by looking into the scant research pertaining to FWD, then presenting the data from a qualitative study and demographic survey. Implications for policy, practice …

Understanding College Students With Physical Disabilities, Kimberly L. Hardner

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore what it means to be a college student with a physical disability. The visibility of a physical disability a is distinct characteristic, even within the disability community, which often results in discrimination, oppression, and marginalization that influence both the identity and experiences of the individual. Through the research method of Photovoice, important considerations related to the identity and experiences of college students with physical disabilities were revealed in this study including: visibility (of a physical disability which leads to stigma and stereotypes); independence (ability to do things for oneself); membership …

The Role Of Social Work On College Campuses: A Systematic Narrative Review Of Social Work Roles And Values, Ryan Sheats

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

On college campuses, both mental health and systematic issues are apparent for students. The role of social work needs to be more present on college campuses. This paper will serve to explore the role of social work on college campuses. A narrative systematic review was done in order to answer the question “What is the role of social workers on college campuses”. The databases that were used were PsycNet, SOCINDEX, Social Work abstracts, and the Journal of College Counseling. The following search terms were used: Colleges AND Social Casework, College Counseling AND Higher Education, Social Work Practice AND Universities & …

Found In Translation : How Social Work Education Can Support Student Practice With Language-Discordant Client Systems, Martha Ann Early

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study’s research question was "How can schools of social work support their students to work with language-discordant client systems (LDCS)?" In addition to the need for general support, social work students are preparing to enter a field where the patient population is growing increasingly diverse in terms of ethnicity, culture and language ability. Participants in the study described herein were current and recent social works students who were recruited for sample membership via broad social media outreach, supplemented with outreach to the researcher's professional network

The findings of this study indicate that the role of schools of social work …

Defining Quality In Undergraduate Social Work Education, Mary Ruth Weeden

Dissertations

“Quality” is a value-laden term that depends upon variables associated with culture, language and political context. Concluding there is no absolute, single definition of this term Harvey and Green (1993) postulated the meaning of quality as reflective of the differing perspectives of individuals and society as a whole; this includes the interrelated concepts: excellence; perfection; fitness for purpose, value for money; and transformation. This exploratory study attempts to define and operationalize the relevant characteristics that describe quality in undergraduate social work education by applying the five concepts of Harvey and Green (1993). Interviews were conducted with undergraduate social work program …

The Story Of A Foster Youths Journey Through The Maze Of Higher Education; Implications For Faculty And Staff Throughout The Campus, Lynn Wales

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As educators and higher education administrators, it is important that we connect to our students. It serves us well to learn the stories behind those beautiful eyes looking back at us, as we support their navigation through the journey of higher education. This thesis, written in a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style, will use former foster youth students, as well as at-risk youth, as the population of focus. I will relay my own personal experiences, as a former youth-in-care. I will also explore this kind of alternative upbringing, to draw closer to the conclusions and insights of the struggles and …

Perspectives From Hmong American Women About The First-­‐Generation College Student Experience, Lacey J. Reierson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

First-generation college students’ (FGCS) experience in college is unique. Hmong Americans are pursuing higher education in increasing numbers, and their experience in higher education is examined in this study. Previous research regarding Hmong American FGCS indicates that gender, folk theories of achievement, social and family support, mental health status, acculturation tension, institutional practices, and larger systems all contribute to FGCS’ experience in the United States education system. Limited research has been conducted regarding Hmong American women’s experience. This study explored the perspectives of female Hmong American FGCS and how gender influences the Hmong American college student experience. Six Hmong American …

Stress, Anxiety Symptomology, And The Need For Student Support Services For University Freshmen Of First-Generation Status, Low-Ses Backgrounds, And Those Registered With Disabilities, Kelly Dale Allison

LSU Master's Theses

Three populations of concern for professional social workers in higher educational settings include first-generation college students (FGCSs), students from low socio-economic (low-SES) backgrounds, and students with disabilities. As the national demand for degrees in higher education rises both socially and economically, the push for young adults’ postsecondary success becomes increasingly crucial. In college and university settings, a significant portion of students may be classified as FGCSs, low-SES, or may be registered with a disability. Examining these vulnerable populations within higher education settings, particularly regarding stress and anxiety symptomology, can help social workers recognize the social, developmental, and academic inhibitions that …

Factors That Assist Low-Income Students Of Color In Pursuing Higher Education, Samantha J. Kaffenbarger

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Currently, there is an achievement gap in education between students of color and their white counterparts. While the larger picture of inequality is readily available, it does not explain why students of color graduate at lower rates. This purpose of the qualitative research study sought to understand the experiences and perceptions of low-income youth who are of color, on their transition into college. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with four youth of color who were currently enrolled in college and identified coming from a low-income background. The five major themes that emerged from the interviews were: 1) the youth’s motivation …

Discrimination Experienced By Adults With Hidden Disabilities Who Pursue A Higher Education, Elizabeth Ann Peltzer

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The perpetual and on-going nature of all types of disabilities on the human condition can have multiple effects and long- lasting consequences on a person’s life and their perception of personal and professional successes. This is especially true of adult students with hidden disabilities pursuing a higher education enrolled in colleges and universities around the world.

Living with a disability or disabilities can present additional challenges and adds limitations to a person’s life. The complication of issues and realities of discrimination that continue to exist today create the belief that disabled people need to learn to adapt to society, instead …

Analysis Of The Risk And Protective Factors Among Low-Income, First-Generation College Students, Samantha Bates

LSU Master's Theses

One population of particular concern for college-employed social workers is the low-income, first-generation (LIFG) student population. As the national pressure to increase retention in college has intensified, many students are graduating from universities across the country and starting professional careers. In the college population, some students may be classified as either low-income, first-generation, or both. The two classifications combined define a vulnerable population within colleges and universities – those students who are both low-income and first-generation students. The need to examine LIFG college students’ experiences after admittance, particularly in relation to degree attainment, can help social workers determine what programs …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of Structural Bigenderism And The Consequences For Transgender And Gender Variant People, Kristie Lynn Seelman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years, transgender activists and their allies have spoken out about the oppression that transgender and gender non-conforming people experience in relation to societal systems and institutions, due to policies and practices that do not acknowledge non-binary experiences of gender, that do not recognize that one's gender may change over time or may not match cultural expectations for gender expression, and that punish and discriminate against trans people (Gilbert, 2009; Lombardi & Davis, 2006; Markman, 2011; Spade, 2006; WWRC, 2010). Scholars have called for human services professionals and researchers to critique the failures of institutions in society (and the people …

Taking Up Space: A Case Study Exploration Of The Relationship Between Citizenship And Free Humanities Programs In Canada, Jessica L. Klassen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Citizenship is increasingly being utilized as the discourse to discuss inclusive and exclusive realities within a polity. This case study examines free humanities programs in Canada, which offer free university-level courses in the humanities to people experiencing marginalization in society. The stated intention of the programs is that, through education in the humanities, critical reflection, and access to the university space, students will increasingly engage in active citizenship and participate in the public sphere. This thesis explores the extent to which this intention has been realized. Primary data was collected from sixteen students, professors, and program coordinators of free humanities …

Organizational Culture And Partnership Process: A Grounded Theory Study Of Community-Campus Partnerships, Kready Sharon Foreman

Theses and Dissertations

Community engagement initiatives have experienced an increase in attention, appreciation, and participation among those in academic, nonprofit, and other community-based organizations over the past two decades. The purpose of this study is to explore the meanings of community-campus partnerships among stakeholders in the community and in academia towards the goal of generating a theory grounded in these data that will concomitantly contribute to the social work profession and the community engagement movement. Using as its foundation the shared interest among the social work profession and the community engagement movement on values and ethics, this study utilizes a traditional grounded theory …

A Survey Of Attitudes And Utilization Of Counseling Services Among International Students At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Anna Marie Johnson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

considerable number of international students are represented within the Minnesota State University, Mankato student population. Research indicates that international students face unique and challenging experiences when attempting to adjust to life as a student in the United States. In addition to these unique stressors, research indicates that international student populations utilize campus and community-based counseling services at a lower rate than American students. There are numerous and complex reasons for this utilization trend. A survey of the use of and attitudes toward utilizing counseling services among international students at MSU, Mankato is useful in determining current trends and informs future …