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A Comprhensive Honors College Faculty Certification Model, Magda J. Castineyra, Virginia Fuillerat, Marianne Maduro

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Provides an overview of the Honors College (HC) at Miami Dade College (MDC) which uses a faculty certification process to introduce the honors college model and present classroom expectations.

A Faculty Inquiry Group For The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning In Honors, Kevin Sackreiter, Rebecca C. Bott-Knutson, Christine Larson, Evren Celik-Wiltse

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

This chapter details a collaboration between the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College and the Center for Professional Enrichment and Teaching Excellence (CPETE), formerly known as the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), at South Dakota State University (SDSU). This collaboration launched an Honors Faculty Inquiry Group (FIG) on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Greater philosophical themes, such as the desire to normalize scholarly emphasis on teaching and learning and how honors faculty can serve as teaching leaders on campus, will be explored in addition to the practical details and outcomes of the collaboration.

From Classrooms To Communities: Integrating The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Into Honors Education, Megan Mcilreavy, Pamela L. Martin

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Embracing the United National Education for Sustainable Development (SDG) framework empowers students to reflect on their actions and understand current and future social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues from local and global perspectives. Inherent in the concept of lifelong learning, these values should resonate with our next generation of students (Gen Z) who, studies show, are making career choices that contribute to making real changes on our planet. Leveraging different institutional strengths, honors programs and colleges can tailor their education within the framework that SDG provides to accommodate various needs that will benefit the institution itself.

Launching Cures In Non-Traditional Settings: How One Honors Program Propels Primary Research For The Institution, Kathryn M. Macdonald

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This essay considers how course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can drive original research. Honors students in career-oriented majors (accounting, hospitality management, health services administration, criminal justice) develop primary research studies that are proposed for institutional review and then conducted within a specific population across the university. The author describes the CURE model within an honors curriculum, observing that it actively engages students in the full research cycle from conceptualization to dissemination and fosters critical thinking, methodological rigor, and ethical awareness. The author recommends its use in either group or individual settings to honors programs seeking to position students as active …

Envisioning Honors As Complex Problem Solving, Pat Akos, Nathan Hicks

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Honors education can maximize student well-being and career-life readiness by integrating a range of wicked problems and design thinking. This approach fosters interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and the development of innovative problem solvers. The authors introduce student choice and design thinking throughout the first three courses of an honors interdisciplinary minor at a large, public R1 university and consider its pedagogical implications.

Campus Legends And Mysteries: Building Institutional Identity Through Campus Lore, Viktoria Basham

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This essay presents an honors course designed to help students develop a holistic understanding of institutional history and identity while engaging with university culture. Author describes how students conduct research on the history, traditions, and local lore of both their home institution and broader geographic region by using a variety of campus resources and archival collections. Strong and personal bonds with the university are the touchstone for creating projects (n = 17) that contribute to campus lore, thereby extending student narratives to add to, enrich, and preserve an evolving institutional identity. Author suggests that course offerings such as this can …

Applications Of Systems Thinking In Honors Education: The Justice Challenge, Rebecca C. Bott, Jonathan D. Kotinek, Timothy J. Nichols, Heidi Appel, Andrea Radasanu, Joy L. Hart

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Honors education has long been praised for its potential as a test bed for curricular innovation. A wide variety of high-impact practices have been employed to prepare honors students to think critically and tackle complex problems. Examination of the use of systems thinking within pedagogical practices in honors education is, however, nearly nonexistent in the literature. The authors present a brief introduction to systems thinking; review its use within honors curricula; and examine how a nationwide collaborative of honors educators equips students with systems thinking tools to learn about and engage with complex interdisciplinary problems. The authors characterize systems thinking …

Honors Thesis Proposal Course Components, Lynn Stallings, Anete Vásquez

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Completion of an undergraduate thesis can be a transformational experience for honors students because they learn that they can contribute original intellectual thought to the record of scholarly knowledge. This essay considers how the misconceptions and challenges of an honors thesis can discourage students from undertaking the task. Authors describe the design, delivery, sequencing, resources, and administration of a junior-level thesis proposal course aimed at abating student anxiety over and supporting faculty engagement of thesis work. The Hopscotch Model, a tool to help novice researchers thoroughly design qualitative research studies while learning the philosophical underpinnings of a particular form of …

Development Of An Honors Leadership Academy Experience, Samantha Gregus, Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, Bobby Berry, Doug Stucky, Cindi Mason, Kimberly Engber

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This essay presents a leadership academy in honors, an interdisciplinary offering co-taught by a team of five faculty combining in-course curriculum with travel-based experiential learning. Authors describe the academy’s inception, development, and curricular objectives and outcomes, as well as the experiences of four student cohorts (2021–2024). Focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to community-based problem solving, students (n ≈ 8–14) learn the Social Change Model of Leadership Development framework; engage in self-reflective exercises relating to leadership values and attitudes; partner with a local nonprofit organization; use design thinking methodology to solve a specific organizational challenge; and collaboratively work in teams to …

Toward A Welcoming Classroom: Assessment Of Student Perceptions Of Writing Education In Introductory Honors College Courses, Hilary K. Snow

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This study examines student perceptions of an introductory-level writing program in honors at a large, public R1 university. Author considers the efficacy of pedagogical interventions aimed at identifying gaps in the experience of writing for students from BIPOC and first-generation backgrounds and at developing more inclusive teaching practices. Collective revisions to the program’s writing philosophy, objectives, and rubrics helped instructors gain clarity and consistency across sections. A two-part survey was conducted at the beginning and end of the semester, and metrics were calculated for all respondents (N = 176) and targeted subgroups (n = 37; n = 30). …

Read Yourself In: Enhancing First-Year Student Belonging Through Place As Text Pedagogy, John R. Andrews

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This study considers how Place as Text (PAT) pedagogy can foster a sense of belonging, efficacy, and persistence among first-year honors students. Author engages students in mapping, observing, listening, and reflecting exercises to observe how PAT helps them connect critically with their campus environment. Analyses of student reflections (qualitative) and historical enrollment data (quantitative) suggest that Place as Text deepens students’ engagement with the university, strengthens a sense of belonging, and enhances academic and social integration. Pointing to the strong correlation between belonging and persistence, author argues that PAT pedagogy should be expanded throughout honors colleges and curricula to support …

Honors In Practice, Volume 21, 2025, Emily Allen

Honors in Practice Online Archive

CONTENTS

Editorial Policy, Deadline, and Submission Guidelines

Editor’s Introduction, Emily Allen

2024 NCHC CONFERENCE REMARKS 2024

Presidential Address, Eddie Weller

2024 Founders Award Remarks Elizabeth Cole Beck, John Zubizarreta

RESEARCH ESSAYS

Read Yourself In: Enhancing First-Year Student Belonging through Place as Text Pedagogy, John Andrews

Campus Legends and Mysteries: Building Institutional Identity through Campus Lore, Viktoria Basham

Building Place-based Experiential Learning into the Honors Curriculum at Ohio University, Geoffrey L. Buckley, Nicole Finnicum, Michelle O’Malley, Jennifer Bowie, and Yolonda Youngs

Why the Museum Matters to Honors, Mimi Killinger How to Create a Self-Sustaining Meditation Garden, Heather Salazar, Lydia Barrett-Miller, and …

How To Create A Self-Sustaining Meditation Garden, Heather Salazar, Lydia Barrett-Miller, Kaitlyn Parisan

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This essay presents the creation and maintenance of a campus meditation garden as an outgrowth of four successive philosophy classes in honors. The authors describe the garden’s inception, execution, curricular advantages, and administration, with specific examples of the impact on student health and well-being. The authors observe the ways in which honors students attained skills in transformational leadership by collaborating to develop projects and lead events, suggesting that a meditation garden may be appropriate for any learning environment emphasizing cooperation, creativity, mindfulness, and well-being.

Microcredentials For Honors Healthcare Students: Translating Academic Achievement To The Resume, Tina C. Melamed, Belinda Deal, Steve Myers

Honors in Practice Online Archive

In healthcare disciplines, honors students need opportunities to develop research skills in line with current trends and advanced degree requirements. The authors present a pilot program offering a series of online, self-paced microcredentials to enhance scholarly and clinical research competencies. Instructional modules in three areas (introduction, research tools, applied scholarly communication) include activities and assessments for demonstrating competency. Each student works with a faculty member to develop a specific topic and apply elements of scholarly communication and documentation such as research methodology, APA style, data analysis, implications for clinical practice, and directions for future research. Successful completion of microcredentialing culminates …

Thinking Beyond Ourselves: Using Interdisciplinary Exploration And Speculative Scenarios To Understand The Human Experience, Shannon Kundey

Honors in Practice Online Archive

This essay presents an interdisciplinary seminar in honors that challenges students to move beyond the limitations of human experience and examine cognition and behavior across species, environments, and hypothetical extraterrestrial minds. A Choose Your Own Adventure structure encourages reflection on cognitive biases, thereby fostering a nuanced understanding of intelligence, perspective, and sociality. Author observes that students benefit from frameworks that disrupt human-centered biases and suggests that engaging students in speculative scenarios prompts confronting and questioning assumptions about intelligence, ethics, and social dynamics.

Honors In Practice, Volume 21, 2025: About The Authors, National Collegiate Honors Council

Honors in Practice Online Archive

About the authors, Honors in Practice, volume 21 (2025).

Deceptive Recruitment Practices By Admissions, Francis Dugbartey

Graduate Student Work

This paper investigates the pervasive issue of deceptive recruitment practices employed by higher education institutions, with a particular focus on for-profit colleges. It explores how misleading advertising regarding job placement rates, tuition costs, financial aid, and institutional accreditation misguides prospective students, leading to financial hardship, unmet academic expectations, and erosion of trust in the higher education system. Through historical cases including Corinthian Colleges, the University of Phoenix, and Temple University’s Fox School of Business this study highlights the legal and ethical implications of such misconduct. It evaluates the regulatory responses by the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Trade …

Institution Strategy. Connection| Collaboration| Community 2024-2027, Cct College Dublin

Strategy Documents

CCT's Institutional Strategy 2024-2027

Research Strategy 2024-2027, Cct College Dublin

Strategy Documents

CCT's Research Strategy effective from 2024-2027.

Cct College Teaching, Learning And Assessment Strategy 2024-2027, Cct College Dublin

Strategy Documents

CCT's Institutional Strategic Plan in respect of Teaching, Learning and Assessment effective from 2024-2027.

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Annual Report [2024-2025], East Tennessee State University

University Level Committee Year End Reports

No abstract provided.

Whose Role Is It Anyway? A Mixed Methods Study Of Ifc And Npc New Member Educator’S Sense Of Agency, Stephen Hopson

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The new member education period is a peer-led onboarding program that introduces new members to the history, values, and social norms of an organization. Much of the research regarding new member education has been focused on new members and risk-related behaviors and little research has investigated or studied the new member educators (NME). NME are crucial positions that influence the membership experience and retention rates of new members. By understanding how NME view and execute their role, we can create more informed training and support This can lead to a decrease in hazing behavior and more ethical leadership. This research …

Uncertain Futures, Unfinished Journeys: The Complex Realities Of Belonging Among International College Women Of Color In The U.S., Matheeha Majeeth

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study explored the complex and personal lived experiences of International College Women of Color (ICWOC) as they navigated the complexities of developing of a sense of belonging within their U.S. higher education institution (HEI). Guided by Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of Intersectionality (1991,1989) and Strayhorn’s College Student Sense of Belonging theory (2012), this research study used an interpretive phenomenological approach to explore how racism, ethnocentrism and misogyny shaped the ICWOC participants’ academic and social journeys in their U.S. HEIs. Through individual, semi-structured interviews with the participants, this study revealed that belonging was not simply about institutional access or inclusion. It …

2025 Tennessee Higher Education Fact Book, Tennessee Higher Education Commission

Higher Education Fact Book

This document is an overview of data collected by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Document revised and updated in July 2025.

The Relationship Between Superintendent Servant Leadership Behavior And Principal Job Satisfaction In South Dakota, Matthew Alley

Dissertations and Theses

The increasing complexity of educational leadership and rising principal turnover rates pose significant challenges for school districts across the United States. This study explored the relationship between superintendent servant leadership behaviors and principal job satisfaction in South Dakota's public K–12 schools. Grounded in Greenleaf's servant leadership theory, Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Motivation, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, and the Job Characteristics Model, the research examined how superintendent leadership traits affect principals' satisfaction in their roles. Data were collected using the Servant Leadership Survey (Van Dierendonck & Nuijten, 2011) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire – Short Form. Findings revealed statistically significant correlations between …

Teacher Practice Improvement Tool: A Summary Of The Underpinning Research, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Marijne Medhurst, Michelle Lasen, Christina Rogers, Pauline Taylor-Guy

School and system improvement

In 2025, ACER published the Teacher Practice Improvement Tool (TPIT), as part of its family of improvement tools. A comprehensive review of international research was undertaken to inform the development of the TPIT, which resulted in the inductive development of five inter-related domains that holistically capture the practices of highly effective teachers. This document summarises the research evidence underpinning each of the five domains of the TPIT, drawing on a review of 102 studies. While recognising the interconnections between domains, it presents a structured narrative of key evidence and research-informed considerations for each domain. This summary offers a high-level overview …

The Role Of Educational Administrators In Shaping School Culture, Bo B. Culver

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative multiple-case study explored the role of educational administrators in shaping and sustaining positive school culture across three high schools in Alabama: a suburban public school, a rural public school, and a private Christian academy. Guided by transformational and ethical leadership theories, the study examined how administrators influence school climate, navigate challenges, and respond to external pressures. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and cultural artifact review. Findings revealed that administrators who modeled ethical leadership, maintained visibility, and fostered relational trust were more effective in cultivating inclusive, resilient, and values-driven school cultures. Shared leadership practices and …

"What Is Title Ix? What's It Mean?": An Instrumental Case Study In Today's Secondary Schools, Kristin Haggerty

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Sexual harassment and assault, as defined by Title IX, are widespread issues in middle and high schools, yet schools often fail to provide sufficient education to students and staff about the policy and its protections (Grant et al., 2019). Title IX is a federal law designed to ensure fair and equal treatment of students and employees in educational settings while also overseeing the handling and adjudication of sexual misconduct allegations (Klusas, 2003). This study was conducted using instrumental case study research. 36 staff members from the middle school, high school, and administration of a mid-sized school district in Southeastern Pennsylvania …

Domestic Student Engagement With International Peers: Local Insights, Global Connections, Alissa Sutton

Masters Theses

As competition to recruit international students grows, institutions must prioritize fostering a sense of belonging that supports their retention and success. Central to this is the quality of interactions between international and domestic students, which shape both groups’ social and academic experiences. This study examines the barriers and facilitators influencing domestic students’ engagement with international peers and the role of institutional support in promoting meaningful cross-cultural connections. Findings reveal that domestic students recognize the importance of engaging with international peers but they often encounter challenges such as lack of awareness, uncertainty about how to connect, and limited institutional opportunities. Support …

The Influence Of Family-School Communication On Junior High School Students’ Academic Success, Stephen Junior Amoah

Masters Theses

This study examines the influence of family-school communication on students' academic success in the context of Ghana, with a particular focus on Junior High School (JHS) students. While existing research emphasizes the importance of family involvement in educational outcomes, limited studies explore how family-school communication directly affects academic success in Ghana. By using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative and qualitative data collection. The quantitative component includes an online survey distributed to JHS graduates, assessing the frequency, impact, methods, and barriers of communication between families and schools, as well as their perceived effect on academic performance. The survey includes …