Digital Commons Network^™

Honoring Intellectual Risk-Taking: A Dialogue, Julie Bowman, Alexis Teagarden

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Presented in the form of a Socratic dialogue, this piece considers what honors courses should strive to teach. Bowman, an experienced instructor of both non-honors and honors classes, notes that while universities’ honors colleges prize intellectual curiosity, her honors students might not. Teagarden, the other interlocutor and a writing program administrator, wonders whether curiosity is a sufficient end goal for honors or any teaching. The speakers turn to whether curiosity or courage is the more important virtue to instill, explore a classical difference between courage and audacity, and then discuss whether and how courage could be taught.

Connecting Classroom And Community: Building Ecosystems For Meaningful Alternative Breaks, Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, Jean A. Patterson

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This essay presents best practices in experiential learning via an alternative break program at a large public research university. In this interpretative qualitative study, authors analyze on-trip reflective blogs of students participating in an immersive alternative spring break program focused on food and shelter insecurity in Washington, D.C. (n = 11). A sensemaking/sensegiving theoretical framework is applied to explore the role of program partnering between student affairs (alternative break) and honors (coursework). Findings suggest that special care and attention be given when creating strong, direct-service experiences through reciprocal community partnerships, creating spaces for reflection during the immersive experience, and …

Generative Ai And The Honors Thesis: A Rhetorical Framework For Gai Policy, Pedagogy, And Equity, Sean Chadwick

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This article offers a rhetorical framework for understanding how honors students engage with the capstone thesis following the emergence of generative AI (GAI) tools. Author reviews the nature of the honors thesis and analyzes some rhetorical models for thinking about GAI and literacy before offering a heuristic framework identifying four interdependent skill categories—writing, social, executive, and subject matter—that shape students’ thesis work. Drawing on findings from an interview study, this framework clarifies how GAI tools interface with existing thesis practices and pain points, allowing honors practitioners to better articulate our values, evaluate use cases, and craft GAI-informed policy. As a …

Motivational Factors Influencing Honors Student Attrition: An Expectancy–Value Perspective, Nina Marijanović, Naomi Rowland, Morgan Flanagan, E. Myo Zin, Megan Bailey

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This study investigates the motivational factors underlying student withdrawal from an honors college using expectancy-value theory (EVT) as a guiding framework. Drawing on qualitative analysis of self-reported withdrawal forms (n = 1,110) collected between 2018 and 2023 at a midsize public university, authors identify the core drivers of attrition across three constructs of EVT: expectancy (belief in one’s ability to succeed), value (perceived benefits of participation), and cost (perceived burdens or tradeoffs). Findings indicate the most common motivations as value-related concerns, including misalignment with academic goals or career trajectories. Cost-related factors, such as workload demands, scheduling conflicts, and financial …

Journal Of The National Collegiate Honors Council (2025) 26(1): Front And Back Matter

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Front and back matter for the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council (2025) 26(1).

Examining A Unl College Success Program Through The Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model, Osvaldo Palma Vargas

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Higher education institutions have faced difficulties in providing environments designed to promote positive success outcomes among diverse student populations, especially first-generation students. While literature has focused on college success programs’ practices as a solution, there is a noticeable gap in what these programs do that integrate first-generation students’ cultures. This ethnographic-inspired study sought to identify what cultural practices within a college success program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Trenchard Foundation Institute of Excellence (TFIOE), contributed to creating culturally engaging campus environments for first-generation college students. Using Museus’s (2014) culturally engaging campus environments model (CECE) as a framework, I conducted …

Border Thinking Through Diverse Modalities: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Multimodal, Multiliteracy, And Translanguaging Practices Of Latinx Emergent Bilingual Youth, Romelia Rodri­Guez Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This three-article dissertation explores how translanguaging, multimodality, and multiliteracies intersect to support the learning, identity formation, and meaning-making practices of Latinx emergent bilingual middle school students in El Paso, Texas, a border city shaped by transfronterizx realities. Guided by the frameworks of Border Thinking (Mignolo, 2000) and Pedagogy of Border Thinking (Cervantes-Soon and Carrillo, 2016), this study foregrounds the cultural, linguistic, and epistemic fluidity that characterizes borderland communities. I approach this work as a bricoleur (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994); the three-article format allowed me to center distinct but interconnected theoretical and methodological orientations, reflecting my commitment to situated, decolonial knowledge …

Ethical Ai Use And Classroom Integration Training Modules, Daniel Boudon

Open Educational Resources

This project focuses on developing comprehensive training modules to equip students and faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to ethically and effectively use AI tools in academic settings. The training consists of interconnected modules that cover a wide range of topics, including the ethical use of AI, evaluating AI-generated content, integrating AI tools into curriculum design, and creating AI-enhanced classroom activities. Additional modules emphasize fostering digital literacy, staying updated with AI advancements, and collaborating on best practices for AI in education.

Designed for flexibility, the modules cater to diverse academic disciplines, making them suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, …

Translating Theory Into Practice: Mediating Academic Advising Reform At Scale Through Improvement Science, Joshua Black

Theses and Dissertations

Improving student outcomes at community colleges is a difficult, multifaceted problem. While no single approach can be a panacea for such a challenging problem of practice, Guided Pathways (GP) research suggests a scalable reform model that may ultimately help to improve the underlying systems and structures colleges have designed to support their students, and in turn, may help colleges to achieve the goal of improved student outcomes more consistently. Because of the breadth of the GP model’s recommendations for reform, however, implementation is complex. To be effective, each of the reforms must be localized, adopted, and brought to scale within …

Internal Communication And Organizational Culture: A K–12 District Office Phenomenological Study, Jessica Coleman Scogin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study utilized motivating language theory to explore the experiences that K–12 district office staff had with internal communication. The purpose of the study was to find how these experiences impacted an employee’s feelings of safety, value, and positive emotions in the workplace. The lens of motivating language allowed for a view of how empathetic language, meaning-making language, and direction-giving language shaped experiences for employees. Communication is an integral part of the culture of an organization; yet it is often overlooked as an influencing factor in job satisfaction and well-being. In fact, poor internal communication can lead to negativity …

University Administrators’ Perceptions On Social Inequalities And Retention Of First-Year African American Students At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Toni V. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low retention rates of African American students in U.S. higher education institutions remain an issue, with researchers exploring possible contributing factors, including social inequalities. This qualitative descriptive study explored the perspectives of administrators from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on the unique barriers African American students face in the HBCU context, including financial hardship, academic unpreparedness, and limited opportunities for social integration. Data were collected through detailed, voice-recorded, semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom with administrators, including provosts, presidents, and directors from 12 current and former HBCUs, to explore how policies initially perceived as unfavorable could positively impact institutional leadership …

Student Veterans And Uniformed Military Students In Online Undergraduate Degree Programs: A Phenomenological Study On The Transition From Military To University Student Life, Misty Leigh Tom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transition from military to university student life for student veterans and uniformed military students is complicated and burdensome due to the vast differences between military and university student lifestyles. This unique population typically comprises nontraditional-aged students pursuing online degree programs, which come with challenges complicated by military experiences. Higher education institutions have historically provided support for in-person learning environments with traditional-aged college students. The gap in the literature has an evident and critical missing perspective: the experiences of student veterans and uniformed military students enrolled in online undergraduate degree programs. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study …

How Financial Aid Affects The Odds Of Study Abroad Participation For Students Of Color, Patrick Newcomb

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prior research has shown that studying abroad provides students with enriching, diverse educational experiences with positive personal, academic, and professional outcomes. Despite the benefits, only a small portion of American higher education students participate in study abroad programs. Students of color disproportionately study abroad at lower rates than White students. Since cost is often cited as the primary barrier preventing education abroad, this study examined the types of financial aid associated with study abroad access and participation.

This study used data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, which is a nationwide dataset designed to represent the makeup of institutions …

Encouraging Job Satisfaction And Teacher Well-Being Through Leadership, Julie K. Ricks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

While U.S. schools are constantly hiring teachers, more are choosing to leave the profession. The increase in the exodus of teachers is particularly linked to the lack of teachers’ job satisfaction and well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine how leaders create favorable working conditions to encourage teacher well-being and job satisfaction, as perceived by teachers in rural Texas schools. The exploratory qualitative case study was framed in transformational leadership theory and explored a focus on the connection between leadership practices and teacher job satisfaction and well-being. The study utilized data from semistructured interviews with school administrators …

Mapping Perspectives: Community College Career Advisors’ Viewpoints For Enhancing Economic Mobility And Career Selection—A Q Methodology Study, Christopher Ryan Harrison

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In an era of rapid workforce transformation and increasing demand for postsecondary career readiness, community college career advisors play a critical role in supporting students’ economic mobility and informed career decision-making. Traditional academic advising, which primarily focuses on course registration and degree completion, may not fully address students’ evolving career development needs. This study employed Q methodology to examine the subjective viewpoints of career advisors in North Carolina community colleges regarding strategies to enhance students’ career outcomes. Grounded in human capital theory and career construction theory, the study investigated how advisors integrate labor market data, wage trends, and workforce expectations …

Breaking Barriers: An Educator's Pursuit To Provide Equity In Student Achievement, Christina L. Korsun

Dissertations

There is a sense of urgency to address the widening achievement gaps among minority students, students with disabilities, and English-language learners. This makes immediate school action necessary to create a more equitable learning environment. Without strategic interventions, including improved teacher retention efforts, stronger student support systems, and effective leadership, these challenges will continue to hinder student success and overall school performance. The purpose of this project is to find solutions for schools to institute to narrow the achievement gap by ensuring all students receive the support needed to succeed. Schools can respond to the learning gap by promoting equitable learning …

2025 March 31 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Examining Changes In Teacher Dispositions Post-Covid, Tamala L. Martin

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 Tamala L. Martin on March 28, 2025.

2025-03-28 Agenda Book, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents meeting of March 28, 2025, which includes the meeting minutes of the meeting held on February 7, 2025.

March 28, 2025 Minutes, Swosu Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Integrating Islamic Education With Environmental Programs: Strategies For Sustainable Character Development At Sman 2 And 7 Malang Indonesia, Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, Ali Murfi, Ahmad Fauzi, Basri Basri

The Qualitative Report

This study aims to investigate the integration of Islamic education into environmental programs at State High Schools 2 and 7 Malang (SMAN 2 and 7). Addressing the environmental crisis in Indonesia, it focuses on how religious education can foster environmental consciousness and character development in students, contributing to sustainable education practices. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the integration of Islamic education and environmental programs at SMAN 2 and 7. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, including principals, vice principals, teachers, staff, and students. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, observations of school activities, …

Minutes, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty Meeting, Thursday, March 27, 2025, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty, Rollins College

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

2025 March 27 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Minutes, Georgia Southern University, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Pragmatic Engagement Arc, Nathaniel Ahrens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We don’t just buy tangible items anymore; we buy services that foster deeper and deeper relationships between ourselves and the companies that provide them. Even classic manufacturing companies have begun to consider the interaction with their customers as ongoing relationships beyond a goods exchange. Researchers in the field of consumer engagement view this relationship through consideration of intangible operant resources that generate value. The goal of this methodological study was to apply the methodology of educational criticism and connoisseurship to the field of consumer engagement. This approach allowed for consideration of the consumer-brand relationship without relying on discordant value-laden categories …

Maintaining Well-Being: Coping Strategies For Prolonged Traumatic Experiences From The Stories Of Ukrainian Educators During The Wartime, Natalya Rakevich

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study aimed to better understand how and whether educators can maintain well-being during prolonged trauma. This study examines the experiences of Ukrainian educators living in non-occupied territories during wartime. The following research questions guided the study: What coping strategies do educators use to take care of themselves? What coping strategies do educators use with their students? How do educators perceive mindfulness and storytelling? A conceptual framework was created to better understand the topics of stress, trauma, being, well-being, surviving, suffering, and coping mechanisms through a literature review. Data collection occurred in February and March 2024, two years …

Code Of Good Practice In Research, Munster Technological University, Ireland

Policies & Procedures

The University is committed to ensuring that the research it supports is carried out to the highest possible standards of integrity and in conformity with current legislation.

The University expects that all research is performed to the highest standards of integrity at all times, irrespective of whether the researchers are students, contract researchers or staff members of the University, or their collaborators. Research integrity takes precedence over any consideration related to the source of the funding, either internal or external.

This code sets out a series of guiding principles and standards for good research practice and applies to all disciplines. …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, March 2025, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Understanding Ai In Education: Perspectives From Midwest School Stakeholder, Chelsea Feusner, Bryan Artman, Judy Henning, Michael Teahon, Chris Knoell

School Leadership Review

This research project aimed to delve into the perceptions and comprehension of artificial intelligence (AI) policy and usage among key stakeholders in Midwest schools, including superintendents, principals, teachers, and school librarians. This qualitative study explored the nuanced perspectives and insights of these individuals, shedding light on their understanding, concerns, and attitudes towards the integration of AI technologies within educational settings. Through in-depth focus groups and thematic analysis, the study endeavors to contribute valuable insights into the evolving landscape of AI in education, informing policy decisions and educational practices for the benefit of students and educators alike.

2025 March 10 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.