Digital Commons Network^™

Faculty Perception Of Lean Thinking In Higher Education, Mikhail Shilov

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are many challenges that higher education institutions (HEI) are facing that include rising cost of education, reduction in student population, competition from other universities and alternative educational platforms, as well as reduction in public confidence. To stay competitive, HEIs could utilize performance improvement methods that have been proven to be advantageous in manufacturing and other industries, and one of these methodologies is Lean. Application of Lean in higher education is still in the early stages of development, the methods have been mostly used to improve administrative processes, but not as much in the core educational processes, teaching and research. …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Connection, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Talisman:

• Alali, Cecilia & Ragan Harrington. Connection
• Hardesty, Emma. On a Roll – Dungeons & Dragons
• Muscutt, Carson. Grinding Through Life – Molotov Skateshop
• Cox, Kate. Stopwatch
• Harrington, Ragan. 1 Campus, 7 Strangers – Logan Hesse, Nicholas Basile, Spencer Winterbottom, Alliyah Jones, Alex Gehring, Annie McClurg, Rowan Finley
• Vickers, Abigail. Forged in Combat – Mixed Martial Arts
• Wood-Morris, Oli. Survivors to Neighbors – Bosnian Refugees
• Jordan, Shylin. Severed Roots
• Bivens, Emily. Behind the Screen – Social Media
• Dean, Clarissa. Shear Talent – Shake Rag Barbershop
• Sutton, Avery. For the Love of the Old – Thrift Shopping
• Phelps, Maggie. …

Jessica Basham For Wku Staff Senate, Jessica Basham

Staff Council

Campaign email soliciting votes for Jessica Basham

Exploring Education Policy And Resources In Virginia Secondary Education, Gabrielle Lyon

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The study examines the intersection of federal special education policy within Virginia's secondary schools, specifically focusing on teachers’ compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The study explores educators' awareness and usage of the Virginia Department of Education's hearing decisions index, which documents IDEA violations and due process decisions. Through analyzing federal education legislation, state implementation practices, and teacher perspectives, this study reveals critical gaps in educator preparation and resource awareness regarding special education policy compliance. The findings suggest that while the IDEA violations are being tracked and documented, there remains a significant disconnect between available resources and …

The Impact Of A National Crisis On Academic Research Productivity: Experiences Of Program And Department Heads In Israel, Emanuel Tamir

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The research examined the impact of a national crisis on the research output of academic program and department heads in Israel, investigating how these leaders functioned in the face of prolonged uncertainty and exploring whether their administrative role resulted in personal costs.

Methods: Data were drawn from interviews with 27 heads; then 133 heads answered a questionnaire.

Results: The findings revealed factors restricting research during the crisis: overload relating to students, overload relating to administration, family difficulties, and inaccessible research infrastructure. Some heads developed successful strategies to sustain their research during the crisis.

Conclusions and Implications: Critical insights into …

K-12 Special Education In The South: Where Are We And Where Should We Be Going?, Jack G. Walker

Honors Theses

Throughout the past century, special education has undergone significant transformation and increasing accessibility to those who need it. However, persistent challenges remain. Some of these challenges include but are not limited to teachers still challenged with job stress and paperwork overload, schools faced with lack of funding for the program, and the lack of importance seen by administration on close relationships with parents of said students. These problems can affect all involved and especially the students who deserve the best education experience they can receive. The purpose of this thesis is to look into what has gotten policymakers to where …

Intimacy Versus Isolation In Adults With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities: An Educational Video-Series For Caregivers, Aubrey Lynn Brinkley

Student Capstone Papers

Caregivers of care-recipients with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) do not have sufficient resources to assist their care-recipients with the adult developmental stage of intimacy versus isolation. This capstone considers the occupational and developmental impacts that growing individuals with IDD face, namely the developmental stages including healthy relationships, sexual safety, and intimacy. The literature review covers the scientific, statistical, and historical importance of this developmental milestone. Varied opinions and needs that surround the subject of intimacy and healthy relationships for adults with IDD were considered. Sexual abuse statistics were highlighted. A multitude of feedback from organizations, personal caregivers, scientists, psychologists, …

April 25, 2025 Minutes, Swosu Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Megan Bailey For Wku Staff Senate, Megan Bailey

Staff Council

Campaign email soliciting votes for Megan Bailey.

2025 April 23 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 3, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period February 17 - April 20, 2025.

• Wilborn, Price. You Matter & You Are Not Alone
• Smith, Kane. Peggy Crowe Reflects on Counseling Center in Face of Staff Shortages
• Stafford, Hallie. Help with Horses – New Beginnings Therapeutic Horse Riding
• Hawkins, Kaylee. How a WKU Professor Helps Improve Student Mental Health – Jay Gabbard, National Alliance on Mental Illness Recovery Support Group
• McMahon, Jake. More Than a Coach – Brent Chumbley, Track & Field
• Simpson, Libby. WKU’s American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Brings Mental Health Into the Light
• Hardesty, Emma. Trans …

Relationship Between University Internal Quality Assurance Practices And Employability Of Graduates Of Educational Management In South-West, Nigeria, Peter Olumide Oshinyadi, Hammed Idowu Adeyanju Prof., Olusegun Samuel Olaniyi Phd

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between internal quality assurance practices and employability skills of graduates of educational management in public Universities in South-West, Nigeria. Descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted. The population comprised 1,036 final year full-time students in 9 public universities in six states in South-West, Nigeria. The study sampled 354 final year students using a multistage random sampling technique. Two research instruments tagged as Internal Quality Assurance Practices Questionnaire for Students, and Graduates Employability Skills Rating Scale with reliability coefficients of 0.81 and 0.70 respectively were used for data collection. The demographic …

A Phenomenological Study Of Principals' Perceptions Of Principal Preparation Programs, Jennifer Gael Wiese

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand participants’ lived experiences in Principal Preparation Programs (PPPs) and their perceptions of how these programs prepared them for their roles as educational leaders in a public school district in the western United States. The lived experience is generally defined as the participants’ experiences, options, and choices and the influence these have on the participants’ perception of knowledge and education related to educational leadership. The historical, social, and theoretical context of principal preparation was highlighted in the introduction. A systematic literature review was conducted to explore issues in principal preparation. The focus …

Experiences Of Black Students With Disabilities Suspended For Violating A Zero-Tolerance Policy: A Transcendental Phenomenology, Lee Benedict

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology was to describe the experiences of Black students with disabilities suspended for violating a zero-tolerance policy. For this study, zero-tolerance policies were defined as rules and regulations put in place by a school system for which (alleged) violators must be suspended immediately with no administrative discretion. The theory that guided this study is geneticist Luigi Cavalli-Sforza and biologist Marcus Feldman’s cultural transmission theory (CTT), often called enculturation, which states that cultural elements such as attitudes, behaviors, beliefs and values are transmitted to individuals and groups. The central research question asked, what plausible evidence suggests …

Minutes, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty Meeting, Thursday, April 17, 2025, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty, Rollins College

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Smartphone Usage On Students’ Academic Performance, Sense Of Belonging, And Self-Efficacy, Zachary Ross Weinstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, U.S. postsecondary students' smartphone usage has increased. Smartphone usage has become more embedded into campuses and affects the lives of students pursuing postsecondary education. This study sought to explore whether three specific measures of smartphone usage can predict students' academic performance, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. These measures included daily average screen time, daily average social screen time, and problematic smartphone usage.

First-time freshman (FTF) participants (n = 154) were sampled from four institutions of higher education in the Southeastern region of the United States. This study followed a cross-sectional design to distribute a survey …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session Thursday April 17, 2025, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes (February 6, 2025)

Recognition of President Ed Montgomery

Remarks by the Chair of the Board

Remarks by the President

Updates by the Faculty Senate President

Updates by the Western Student Association President

Updates by the Graduate Student Association President

International Congress on Medieval Studies and Experiential Learning

Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Naming the New Valley Residence Hall “Golden Oaks” at “The Valleys”

Consent Item

• Personnel Report
• Curriculum Proposals
• Sale of BTR Parcel (Unit 30)
• Liquor Licenses – Multiple Events (July 10, 2025, August 7, 2025, November 7, 2025)
• Annuity …

‘Somebody Did Something’: Pell-Eligible Community College Student Perceptions Of Financial Aid, Sarah V. Diehl, Mia Ocean

Journal of Student Financial Aid

With tuition increasing at a faster rate than inflation, many college students depend on financial aid to access education. The largest form of federal aid is the Pell Grant, which subsidizes over 30 billion a year worth of tuition for eligible students. While the ED is not required by Congress to measure success outcomes for Pell recipients, quantitative research has produced mixed results. Researchers have explored what causes Pell-eligible students to fail or persist, but the reasons can be varied and intersectional. However, little research exists on the student perspectives of financial aid, apart from their financial literacy or their …

Power Of Play, Roqaua H. Feron

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This presentation explores the Power of Play in speech therapy, focusing on how games and storytelling enhance language development. By incorporating familiar stories and pretend play, speech-language pathologists can spark greater engagement and expression in students. Drawing on research that highlights the cognitive and communicative benefits of play-based learning, this study is supported by observations of a middle school child working with a speech pathologist. The findings suggest that integrating playful, narrative-driven activities can significantly support language growth and confidence in young learners.

What Are Considerations, Challenges, And Successes Of Urban Elementary School Leaders When Designing Academic Multi-Tiered System Of Supports Infrastructure?, Andrew Scoles

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative research answers the question, “What are considerations, challenges, and successes of urban elementary school leaders when designing academic Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) infrastructure?;” and the sub-question, “How does school leadership develop a consensus on academic MTSS practices?” This research gathered insight on the importance of the consensus process in customizing MTSS practices to a school’s unique needs and in avoiding the caveats of a one-size-fits-all approach. As a result, the key recommendation is schools need to reach a unified consensus on explicit MTSS practices for clarity and quality control to be most efficacious. This process was not …

We Speak Life Into Their Language: Black Educators’ Approaches To Linguistic Justice In Urban Secondary Ela Classrooms, Lakeisha A. Davis

Dissertations

This study explores how Black educators navigate linguistic justice, deficit thinking, and stereotypes in urban secondary English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, it examines how teachers affirm Black Language (BL) while balancing the demands of White Mainstream English (WME) in academic spaces. Findings reveal that although educators employ culturally affirming strategies, they face challenges from restrictive language policies and standardized assessments. To counteract these barriers, they adopt negotiation practices that support students’ linguistic and cultural identities. From these findings, the study proposes Dynamic Linguistic Uplift (DLU)—a new theoretical framework that illustrates how Black educators sustain BL …

2025 April 14 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2025 April 14 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence: In Your Phone And In Your Head, Gabrielle A. Johnson

ENGL 1102 Showcase

Artificial intelligence (AI) innovation has gained traction in recent years due to large investments towards improving the average person’s daily life. While operating the parent companies of common platforms such as Amazon, Instagram, and Microsoft, America’s richest citizens have spent billions on improving and researching the recent technology. AI offers ‘shortcuts’ to many daily inconveniences, fostering an over-reliance on the technology that has also led to human shortcomings. By using artificial intelligence, students can easily fill in homework answers with no calculations or critical thinking necessary. Beyond academics, relying on this technology compromises a broader necessity: human connection. With chatbots …

Culture Trap: Male Educators Of Color And The Academic Role Deficit, Javin Cotton

School of Education Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to investigate the systemic barriers that limit the academic career advancement of male educators of color within the educational system, specifically highlighting School District 88. This study specifically addresses the disproportionate placement of Black and Latino male educators into disciplinary roles rather than academic leadership positions. Utilizing Implementation Science principles, the project outlines a multi-faceted intervention plan designed to dismantle implicit biases, enhance mentorship opportunities, and establish structured pathways for professional growth. By promoting equity- driven hiring practices, mentorship programs, and policy reforms, this capstone seeks to increase the representation of male educators …

2025 April 11 - Board Of Trustees Finance And Administration Committee Public Notice, Board Of Trustees, East Tennessee State University

Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Higher Education Leaders’ Perspectives About Communication Challenges During Crises, Carey-Ann Marie Balkwill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem was that while impact and problems of crisis communication have been identified in the literature, little is known about the perspectives of leaders in higher education when facing communication issues in times of crisis. Guided by crisis communication theory and leadership theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore higher education leadership team members’ perspectives of communication challenges in times of crisis. Four research questions guided the study on the perspectives of higher education leadership team members about (a) how their own leadership and communication changed during a crisis, (b) how internal communications evolved during …

Frequency Of Academic Advising: The Impact On Retention Of First-Time, Full-Time Students At Henderson Community College, Michael W. Knecht

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 Michael W. Knecht on April 10, 2025.

2025 April 10 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Strategies To Improve Higher Education Institutional Performance Through Predictive Analytics Implementation, Laxshaa Nadpurajah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Higher education institutions face challenges in integrating predictive analytics due to data silos and resistance to adoption, limiting their ability to improve student outcomes and operational efficiency. This issue concerns institutional leaders, as ineffective data use can lead to declining retention rates, financial strain, and missed opportunities for growth. Grounded in the composite conceptual framework of the technology acceptance model and the diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore effective strategies to implement predictive analytics tools to reduce costs and improve student outcomes. The study included three higher education leaders in Ontario …