Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Navigating Faith, Race, And Belonging: A Qualitative Study Of Students Of Color At A Private Christian University, Eunice Hong

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

From Discipline To Discipleship: Reframing Student Conduct As Spiritual Formation In Christian Higher Education, Andrew Degroot

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Problems With Sin, Steve Beers

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Reviewed: How We Break: Navigating The Wear And Tear Of Living, Jacob Banks

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Corey Ross, Eunice Hong, Steve Beers, Andrew Degroot, Rebecca Crowder, William Buhrow, Aundrea Paxton, Hannah Acquaye, Jacob Banks

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Spiritual Loneliness And Spiritual Well-Being And Friendship In Christian College Students, Rebecca Crowder, William Buhrow, Aundrea Paxton, Hannah Acquaye

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Effective Support Services For Black-African International Students, Amy V. Rutledge

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Currently, 1.5 million F-1 and M-1 students are enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2025). Although support services for international students are improving, substantial gaps remain in helping these students transition to the next phase of life (Weiner & Ghazarian, 2024). This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of six recently graduated Black African international students (BAISs) to identify effective support services for graduate programs, licensure, or legal employment. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling for interviews, which were analyzed using descriptive coding (yielding 61 codes) and thematic analysis (producing six themes). …

1st Place Contest Entry: "Examining Experiences Of Search Committee Members For Deans Of Colleges Of The Arts", Connor Bogenreif

Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Library Research Prize

This is Connor Bogenreif's submission for the 2026 Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, a summary of their research project on the experiences of search committee members for deans of colleges of the arts, and their bibliography.

Connor is a student in the Ph.D. in Education program at Chapman University. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Doug Havard.

Women Leading In Higher Education: Exploring The Experiences Of Women Leaders In Student Affairs, Amelia Lindsay

Honors Theses

Student affairs is a field within higher education that works to support students’ out-of-classroom needs and provide them with a college experience that promotes holistic growth. This study examines the experiences of women leaders in student affairs at a mid-sized university in the southeastern United States and the opportunities and barriers they encountered in their pathways to their careers. Through in-depth, qualitative interviews, clear themes emerged regarding both facilitators of and challenges to their progression to leadership. Data show that their early life characteristics, self-perceptions, collegiate involvement, and mentorship were the largest catalysts in their career trajectories while the challenge …

The Role Of Autonomy And Motivation On Teacher Retention: A Mixed Methods Study, Jordan Overton

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Teacher retention remains a persistent concern in the United States, with nearly 13% of classrooms unfilled by licensed teachers. Grounded in self-determination theory and basic psychological needs theory, this mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined the relationship between teacher autonomy, motivation, and intentions to leave, while also exploring the contextual factors that shaped teachers’ perceptions of autonomy within their work environments.

In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from 123 elementary and middle school teachers across three school divisions in Southeastern Virginia. Measures included teacher autonomy, work motivation, and intentions to leave one’s school or division and the teaching …

Available Space… The Final Frontier An Empirical Analysis Of The Heterogeneous Regulatory Burdens That Oversee Private Schools Within States With School Choice Policies, Patrick J. Wolf, Colyn Ritter, Misty Gallo

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Using administrative data available from a variety of public sources, our research team examined the ways in which state and local regulatory burdens along with state political and economic factors work to encourage or depress the supply response of private school providers in the years following the adoption of school choice policies. We tracked counts of private schools using NCES and state departments of education at baseline year 1 of program implementation and a second outcome variable measuring the change from baseline to the current year (2024). We estimate the effect of state political and socioeconomic controls, two regulatory and …

Being Compassionate Helps Improve College Students’ Perceived Well-Being. The Mediating Role Of Cognitive Flexibility And Perceived Anxiety, Saurabh Singh, Sarath Nonis

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Perceived well-being of college students is crucial to the success of students and institutions of higher education alike. Through this study we assert that promoting compassion among college students can improve their perceived well-being. Furthermore, the effect is mediated by cognitive flexibility and anxiety felt by students. The study has theoretical and managerial implications. The results can guide educators and university personnel to better craft curriculum and university communication.

The Vital Role Of Communication In Elementary Education: Strategies For Bridging Language, Cultural, And Diversity Gaps To Strengthen Family-School Partnerships, Daniel H. Rack

Dissertations

This study examines how communication systems in elementary schools influence equitable family engagement within a linguistically and culturally diverse, Title I context. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how communication practices support or limit access, participation, and partnership between schools and families. The overarching research question guiding this study is: How do current communication systems support or constrain equitable family engagement? A convergent mixed-methods design was utilized to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Data sources included educator surveys, family surveys, and focus group interviews, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of communication practices from multiple stakeholder …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Case Study On Principals’ Attitudes And Practices Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Charlene Marie Briggs

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Despite decades of federal legislation mandating inclusion, many schools still struggle to serve students with disabilities effectively, resulting in persistent achievement gaps and limited postsecondary success. Research consistently identifies principals’ attitudes and practices as the most influential factor in inclusive school success, yet existing studies have examined these elements in isolation rather than as interconnected parts of a school system. This hermeneutic phenomenological case study explored how ten Virginia elementary school principals understood and enacted their attitudes and leadership practices toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in their schools. The study used van Manen’s (2014) hermeneutic phenomenology to understand …

The Leadership Lens: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Sensemaking Experiences Of School Leaders Implementing Virginia's New Standards Of Accreditation And Accountability, Paul M. Wilson Jr.

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study exposes the complex cognitive and organizational processes school leaders navigate as they translate high-stakes state mandates into localized action. By examining the implementation of Virginia’s revised Standards of Accreditation and Accountability (SOA), this study challenges the prevailing managerial paradigm that views policy implementation as a linear, mechanical execution of directives. Instead, grounded in sensemaking theory and SDT, this research conceptualizes implementation as a situated and interpretive act shaped by leaders’ prior experiences, beliefs, and psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi structured interviews with 12 school and …

What Keeps Teachers: A Systematic Review Of Induction And Early-Career Teacher Retention In Rural Schools, Bobbie Jean Mcdonough

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Teacher retention remains a persistent challenge in United States education, particularly in rural K–12 public schools. This systematic review synthesized empirical research on induction and early-career teacher retention in rural United States settings published between 2000 and 2025. Guided by a postpositivist framework and aligned with PRISMA 2020 standards, 56 studies met inclusion criteria following structured database searches and multi-stage screening. Findings across the included studies indicate that retention was most consistently associated with induction, mentoring, professional learning, responsive leadership, collegial relationships, and teachers’ integration into their school and community, with no single support appearing sufficient in isolation. Across research …

Empowering Change: Building Environmental Sustainability Initiatives And Becoming A Sustainability Champion, Amanda C. Karls

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

In an era marked by escalating environmental challenges and an urgent need for sustainable development, higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly positioned as critical actors in advancing sustainability within the communities they serve. Regional comprehensive universities (RCUs), in particular, occupy a distinctive position as access‑oriented, community‑embedded public institutions; yet sustainability efforts at these institutions often unfold under conditions of limited resources, diffuse responsibility, and informal governance. This dissertation examines how individual actors at RCUs effectively advance environmental sustainability initiatives in the absence of centralized infrastructure or formal authority.

Guided by the overarching research question—How can individual actors at regional comprehensive …

Want To Be A Higher Education President? A Comparative Case Study Of The Traits, Attributes, And Skills Of Four Current Higher Education Presidents, Brian C. Nees

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This qualitative study is a comparative case study of higher education presidents. It examines how current higher education presidents described the essential traits, attributes, and skills of the position and whether these presidents have always possessed them or acquired them over time and through experience. This topic is essential, as it appears that presidents are leaving their positions sooner, and this research provides incoming presidents with preparation advice and current presidents with advice to help them stay in their positions longer. The data were obtained through resumes, a trait questionnaire, and interviews with current higher education presidents. These three data …

“Properly Dependent”: Critical Feminist Narratives Of Wives Of International Students In The United States, Katherine Jane Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

The F-2 dependent visa in the United States is for spouses and children who accompany a F-1 international student during their studies. One of the defining characteristics of the F-2 visa is that the holder is prohibited from holding any kind of employment. Limited demographic data indicate that the majority of F-2 visa holders are women accompanying their husbands. Many of these women hold advanced degrees and were employed in their home countries prior to relocating to support their husband’s academic pursuits. As a result of the visa restrictions, international student wives typically stay at home while their husbands work …

It’S Not A Hierarchy Of Needs; It’S A Maze. A Case Study Of The Challenges And Supports For Former Foster Youth Transitioning To The Community College In Virginia, Lee Hemmrich Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of policy reform and targeted support, today’s former foster youth (FFY) face disproportionate challenges to higher education completion. This qualitative case study explored the lived experiences of six former foster youth as they transitioned from the foster care system to a community college in Virginia. Guided by a conceptual framework integrating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Bridges’ Transition Theory, and Zimbardo’s Time Perspective Theory, this study sought to understand the barriers FFY encounter, the supports they find most meaningful, how they define successful independence, and the role higher education plays in that definition.

Data was collected through preliminary meetings, …