Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Grit: Structural Determinants Of Resilience Among College Women With Children In The U.S., Juliana Kahrs

Dissertations of Practice

This critical quantitative analysis explores how social determinants of health, including basic needs security, caregiving and work responsibilities, healthcare access, discrimination experiences, and institutional support predict resilience among U.S. college women with dependents. Using data from the Spring 2021 ACHA-NCHA III survey (n = 4,417), this study integrated the Health Equity Framework with the Social Ecological Theory of Resilience to examine multilevel influences on resilience. Descriptive analyses highlighted disproportionate burdens among single, first-generation, and racially minoritized groups. Bivariate chi-square tests revealed significant associations between resilience and sense of belonging, basic needs security, employment, healthcare utilization, and self-assessed overall health. Multinomial …

Understanding The Challenges And Satisfaction Among The Medical Professional Preceptors, Cornelia Ko

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study evaluates the Penn Medicine Family Medicine Clerkship program through a mixed-methods approach, exploring the challenges and factors influencing the satisfaction of medical professional preceptors when precepting students. A quantitative survey with 54 preceptor participants reveals the top challenges preceptors face: workload, conflicts with patient care, and limited clinical space. Despite this, there is strong support for the program, with 89% of preceptors enjoying the role and 85% expressing willingness to continue to precept for the next three years. Finally, data analysis shows no statistical correlation between preceptor motivation with gender, ethnicity, age group, years of serving, or total …

Where Honors Education And Faculty Development Meet, John Zubizarreta, Victoria M. Bryan

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs

Development is a contradictory terrain, as seen in the persistence of multiple and conflicting goals, uneven and unequal outcomes, and varied definitions and approaches to teaching and learning in higher education. How might universities support faculty development as a process rather than as isolated educational events? This collection highlights inherent complexities and challenges in sustained professional development and presents new ways of supporting faculty and designing curricula to encourage learning-centered teaching, experiential learning, collaborative undergraduate research, progressive forms of assessment, and other dynamic, inspiring forms of instruction. Engaging in interdisciplinary thinking ranging from Education and Education Policy, Biochemistry, Philosophy, Environmental …

Honoring The First-Year Seminar: Exploring High-Impact Learning Experiences For The First Year In Honors, Anton Vander Zee, Trisha H. Folds-Bennett

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Strategies and Structures for the Honors First-Year Seminar, Anton Vander Zee

Westminster University: Program Profile, Richard Badenhausen

Keeping Company: Genuine Conversation as a First-Year Honors Seminar Pedagogy, Richard Badenhausen

Oregon Institute of Technology: Program Profile, Christopher J. Syrnyk Bringing the Idea of Ideas to Life, Christopher J. Syrnyk

College of Charleston: Program Profile, Trisha H. Folds-Bennett, Jesslyn Collins-Frohlich, and Robert Maynor

Disrupting Privilege: Community Engagement in the First Year, Trisha H. Folds-Bennett, Jesslyn Collins-Frohlich, and Robert Maynor

Virginia Commonwealth University: Program Profile, Christy Tyndall and Jacqueline Smith-Mason

Flourishing in the First Year and Beyond: Promoting Personal Wellbeing and …

Transforming Partnerships: Developing A Model For Experiential Learning In Honors, Grace Troupe, Tamy Burnett

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Although the collaboration between the University Honors Program (UHP) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and UNL's Center for Transformative Teaching involves several elements, this essay focuses on one element with significant impact: the development of curricular components and co-curricular programming facilitating students’ engagement with experiential learning. Experience-based education is learning that occurs through direct, hands-on experiences such as internships, research, education abroad, and teaching practicums. When UNL moved toward requiring experiential learning for all undergraduate students, the partnership between UHP and CTT was transformational in facilitating UHP’s building on its existing framework for experiential learning and thus serving as …

The Ethics Of Student Attrition In Healthcare Education Programs, Kent Haina Jr, Peter A. Depergola Ii

Journal of Health Ethics

Student attrition is a problem in healthcare education programs, but there is little in the literature regarding the organizational ethics of lowering it. Some argue that lowering attrition is unethical, because it would lower academic and professional standards, potentially impacting patient care. Others say students deserve to make decisions about when to leave a course of study. However, these arguments ignore inequities in attrition, as well as the conflicts of interest in, and moral obligations of colleges and universities. Lowering attrition rates in healthcare education programs is inherently ethical because it levels the playing field for underrepresented minorities that disproportionately …

Academic Management Strategies For Public Universities In Henan Province, People’S Republic Of China To Enhance The Digital Literacy, Jiepei Jin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research aimed to 1) study the conceptual framework of public university academic management and the digital literacy. 2) analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of academic management of public universities in Henan province, China to enhance the digital literacy. 3) develop academic management strategies for public universities in Henan province, China to enhance the digital literacy. A multi-phase mixed methods research design was employed integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample consisted of 38 universities in Henan Province, People’s Republic of China. The informants were university administrators and faculty members. The instruments used for data collection included questionnaire, …

นวัตกรรมการมีส่วนร่วมของผูู้ปกครองที่ส่งเสริมความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย, ชรินรัตน์ ทองเป็นใหญ่

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจ (resilience) เป็นกระบวนการที่เด็กและเยาวชนในปัจจุบันจำเป็นจะต้องมีเพื่อที่จะรับมือกับความยากลำบากและความท้าทายในชีวิต ความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจสามารถส่งเสริมได้ตั้งแต่ปฐมวัยและผู้ที่มีบทบาทสำคัญที่สุดคือผู้ปกครองซึ่งมักจะถูกจำกัดบทบาทการมีส่วนร่วมในโรงเรียน จากสภาพปัญหาดังกล่าว งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาระดับความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย 2) ศึกษาความต้องการจำเป็นของการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ปกครองที่ส่งเสริมความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย และ 3) พัฒนานวัตกรรมการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ปกครองที่ส่งเสริมความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย การวิจัยใช้ระเบียบวิธีวิจัยแบบผสมวิธีพหุระยะ แบ่งออกเป็น 3 ระยะ ได้แก่ ระยะที่ 1 เป็นการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณ เพื่อศึกษาระดับความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย กลุ่มตัวอย่าง ประกอบด้วย ผู้ปกครองนักเรียนชั้นอนุบาลของโรงเรียนสังกัดกรุงเทพมหานคร จำนวน 381 คน โดยได้กลุ่มตัวอย่างเริ่มจากการสุ่มแบบง่าย (simple random sampling) และเพิ่มเติมด้วยการได้กลุ่มตัวอย่างแบบสะดวก (convenience sampling) เพื่อให้ครบจำนวนที่กำหนด เครื่องมือวิจัย คือ แบบประเมินระดับความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยสถิติเชิงบรรยาย ได้แก่ ค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน ระยะที่ 2 เป็นการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณ เพื่อศึกษาความต้องการจำเป็นของการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ปกครองที่ส่งเสริมความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย กลุ่มตัวอย่าง ประกอบด้วย ผู้บริหารโรงเรียน ครูอนุบาล และผู้ปกครองนักเรียนชั้นของโรงเรียนสังกัดกรุงเทพมหานคร จำนวน 603 คน โดยได้กลุ่มตัวอย่างเริ่มจากการสุ่มแบบง่าย (simple random sampling) และเพิ่มเติมด้วยการได้กลุ่มตัวอย่างแบบสะดวก (convenience sampling) เพื่อให้ครบจำนวนที่กำหนด เครื่องมือวิจัย คือ แบบสอบถามความต้องการจำเป็นในการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ปกครองฯ วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยสถิติเชิงบรรยาย ได้แก่ ค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐานและค่าดัชนีความต้องการจำเป็น ระยะที่ 3 เป็นการวิจัยแบบผสมวิธี โดยใช้ทั้งข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพและเชิงปริมาณ เพื่อพัฒนานวัตกรรมการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ปกครองที่ส่งเสริมความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจของเด็กปฐมวัย โดยใช้การทดสอบนวัตกรรมเชิงกระบวนการและสื่อการเรียนรู้ และการสนทนากลุ่มจาก ผู้บริหารโรงเรียน ครูอนุบาล และผู้ปกครองนักเรียนชั้นของโรงเรียนสังกัดกรุงเทพมหานคร 1 โรง จำนวน 7 คน ใช้วิธีเลือกแบบเจาะจง ระยะเวลาทดสอบ 4 สัปดาห์ วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพโดยการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา การจัดกลุ่มข้อมูลและการสังเคราะห์บทสรุป และวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงปริมาณด้วยค่าเฉลี่ยและส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน ผลการวิจัยพบว่า 1) ระดับความเข้มแข็งทางจิตใจ ด้านการกำกับตนเอง อยู่ในระดับค่อนข้างมาก 2) ความต้องการจำเป็นของการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ปกครอง พบว่า …

นวัตกรรมการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตามแนวคิดภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม, พฤฒยา เลิศมานพ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) เพื่อศึกษาระดับภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรมของผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษา 2) เพื่อศึกษาความต้องการจำเป็นของการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตามแนวคิดภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม และ 3) เพื่อพัฒนานวัตกรรมการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตามแนวคิดภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม การวิจัยใช้ระเบียบวิธีแบบผสมวิธีพหุระยะ แบ่งออกเป็น 3 ระยะ ได้แก่ ระยะที่ 1 เป็นการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณ เพื่อศึกษาระดับภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรมของผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษา กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ ผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสังกัด สพฐ. จำนวน 380 คน โดยสุ่มตัวอย่างแบบง่าย เครื่องมือวิจัยคือแบบวัดระดับภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรมของผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษา วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยวิธีการวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยสถิติเชิงพรรณนา ได้แก่ ค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐานและค่าดัชนีความต้องการจำเป็น ระยะที่ 2 เป็นการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณ เพื่อศึกษาความต้องการจำเป็นของการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตามแนวคิดภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ ผู้อำนวยการสำนักงานเขตพื้นที่การศึกษามัธยมศึกษา จำนวน 62 เขต ประธานคณะกรรมการสถานศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐานและครูที่ปฏิบัติหน้าที่หัวหน้ากลุ่มสาระการเรียนรู้ ในโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสังกัด สพฐ. จำนวน 760 คน โดยสุ่มตัวอย่างแบบง่าย เครื่องมือวิจัยคือ แบบสอบถาม วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยสถิติเชิงพรรณนา ได้แก่ ค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐานและค่าดัชนีความต้องการจำเป็น ระยะที่ 3 เป็นการวิจัยแบบผสมวิธี โดยใช้ทั้งข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพและเชิงปริมาณ เพื่อพัฒนานวัตกรรมการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาและตามแนวคิดภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม โดยใช้การสัมภาษณ์ การสนทนากลุ่มและการประเมินจากผู้ทรงคุณวุฒิที่ได้รับการคัดเลือกแบบเจาะจง จำนวน 17 คน วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพโดยการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา การจัดกลุ่มข้อมูลและการสังเคราะห์บทสรุป และวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงปริมาณด้วยค่าเฉลี่ยและส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน ผลการวิจัย พบว่า 1) ระดับภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรมของผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษา โดยภาพรวม อยู่ในระดับมากที่สุด (= 4.85, SD = 0.37) 2) ความต้องการจำเป็นของการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตามแนวคิดภาวะผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม พบว่า ด้านการเรียนรู้แบบกลุ่ม (PNImodified = 0.158) มีลำดับความต้องการจำเป็นสูงที่สุด 3) นวัตกรรมการพัฒนาผู้บริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาที่ได้เป็นนวัตกรรมเชิงกระบวนการ ซึ่งประกอบด้วย 3 นวัตกรรมย่อย ได้แก่ (1) นวัตกรรมค่ายผู้นำเชิงคุณธรรม (Virtuous Camp) (2) นวัตกรรม E-Virtuous Interactive และ …

Stories Of Seventh-Day Adventist Teachers Of Color And Their Voluntary Job Mobility During Their Early Years Of Teaching, Dollene Trott-Smith

Dissertations

Problem

Teachers of Color in the Seventh-day Adventist school system experience voluntary job mobility and attrition, contributing to increasing teacher turnover rates in the U.S. Since the 1954 federal mandate to desegregate U.S. public schools, this phenomenon has become more pressing. Despite racial and ethnic diversification in school staffing, the White teacher population remains around 80%, with Teachers of Color making up only 20%. While extensive research exists on public school teacher turnover, limited studies focus on private school educators, including those in the Seventh-day Adventist school system.

Method

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explored the voluntary job mobility of …

Food Insecurity And Academic Self-Efficacy: Military Students And Student Veterans, Kim E. Bullington, Matthew J. Smith, William L. Nuckols, Dennis E. Gregory, Joshua L. Howell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Food insecurity (FI) affects households worldwide and is also seen on college and university campuses with adverse effects on student success. We examine FI and academic self-efficacy levels of military students and student veterans enrolled in higher education in the United States which has not been extensively studied regarding FI. Military students and student veterans may have access to G.I. Bill funds and may not be perceived as requiring additional assistance. The results reveal that military students and student veterans have some level of FI. The qualitative analysis yielded five themes that center on FI, economic vulnerability, inequities in the …

Assessing The Content Validity And Usability Of An Implementation Fidelity Checklist For The Assessment, Evaluation, And Programming System, 3rd Edition (Aeps-3), Cameron A. Tyrrell

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The included studies examined the content validity and useability of an implementation fidelity checklist for the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) for Infants and Young Children 3^rd Edition (AEPS-3). Study 1 assessed a revised version of an implementation fidelity checklist for item clarity and criterion clarity. After further revisions, Study 2 asked administrators of early childhood educational programs to implement the fidelity checklist in a classroom environment and assess the clarity of items, criterion, and feasibility of scoring different items. In addition, administrators included the length of time it took the implement the checklist and the strengths and …

Surveying Teaching Rewards For Effective Behavior Management, Maggie M. West-Johnson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study investigated the implementation of teacher reward systems within School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) in K–12 educational settings. While the PBIS framework has been extensively studied for its impact on student behavior and academic outcomes, limited attention has been given to supporting and motivating educators through systematic reward systems. This research aimed to identify the types of teacher rewards used, methods of selection and distribution, and staff perceptions of effectiveness and social validity. Using a structured 39-item survey distributed to SWPBIS team members across eight schools in Minnesota, the study gathered quantitative and qualitative data on current …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session February 5, 2025, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes (December 12, 2024 Meeting)

Remarks by the Vice 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

Employee Graduates

Climb Onward – A Look-in on WMU Athletics’ Strategic Plan

Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

Western Michigan University Board of Trustees Annual Officer Election

Delegated Board of Trustees Authority to Confer Degrees

Faculty Senate Constitution Amendments

Campus Master Plan 2025 and Beyond

2025 General Revenue Bonds

Consent Item

• Personnel Report
• Curriculum Proposals …

Change Is People: How Faculty, Staff, And Administrators Engage With And Shape A Substantive Organizational Change Process, Karen Bellnier

Open Access Dissertations

Creating substantive organizational change (SOC) in higher education can face numerous challenges including navigating complex sets of rules and relationships, negotiating potentially conflicting perspectives, and balancing the motivations and goals of peers (Engeström, 2018b; Kezar, 2018). Each SOC change agent brings a unique perspective, identity and motivation (Eteläpelto et al., 2013; Gess-Newsome et al., 2003) to their conception of and relationship to the planned change (Hay et al., 2021; Weick, 1995). This dynamic nature makes SOC difficult to conceptualize as a whole - either as a researcher or a change agent - and therefore difficult to understand how change processes …

How Elementary Schools Support Families In Mandatory Middle School Choice: A Comparative Case Study, Eleni Filippatos

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examines the role of New York City elementary school leaders in shaping fifth graders' middle school choice processes in two public schools serving predominantly economically disadvantaged, Latino families. As school choice increasingly influences students' academic trajectories, understanding how leaders engage families in this decision-making process is essential for promoting educational equity. The study explored how public elementary school principals, counselors, and teachers support families during the universal middle school application process.

Using a qualitative comparative case study design, I conducted semi-structured interviews, field observations, and document analysis to compare leadership practices at two demographically similar elementary schools with …

Demonstrating Deservingness In College Tuition Crowdfunding Campaigns, Siqi Han

Journal of Student Financial Aid

College tuition creates a substantial financial burden for students and families in the United States. Exhausting their own financial resources to pay for their college tuition, some students seek to crowdfund their tuition – a new channel for higher education finance that may become more prevalent in the future. Distinctively, crowdfunding campaigns are not reviewed or approved in the same way as traditional funding applications, leaving space for students’ own justification for deservingness. This paper identifies the embedded semantic features in online college tuition campaigns that raised more money than the rest on a major crowdfunding platform and derives the …

The Demand For Educational Functions Of Study Tour Products: From Students’ Perspectives, Yaqi Yu, Azizan Marzuki

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Few academic studies have comprehensively examined the actual demands of students regarding the educational function of study tours. This paper develops a demand index system based on three dimensions: cognitive, affective, and behavioral demands. A questionnaire survey was administered to 397 students. Initially, student demands were categorized using the Kano model. Subsequently, the “dependence” and “expectancy” characteristics were analyzed through the dissatisfaction index (DI) and satisfaction index (SI). The impact of fulfilling each demand on dissatisfaction and satisfaction levels was then determined. The results indicated that among the three dimensions, there were 7 must-be demands, 6 one-dimensional demands, 8 attractive …

Including Conscientiously: How Charter School Educators Experience Inclusion Education Implementation, Joe A. Petty

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry examined how charter school educators experience inclusive education implementation while confronting ableist systems that maintain exclusion through seemingly neutral practices. This research emerged from my lived experience of how educational structures systematically marginalize disabled students while appearing progressive. The study investigated two research questions: how support structures and leadership practices either perpetuate or dismantle ableist assumptions embedded in educational practice, and how educators negotiate tensions between implementing evidence-based inclusive strategies and addressing environmental factors that create the need for those strategies.

Data collection employed semistructured interviews with eight credentialed educators across two Southern California charter school sites, …

Sealing The Deal: A Case Study Of A Private, Southeastern, Regional College’S Student Onboarding Practices, Alicia R. Gaston, Kristen Meyer, Tyler Ogden, Jennifer Perkinson, Casey Yocum Michaels

Doctor of Education Capstones

Each year, higher education institutions offer support to new, incoming students through an onboarding process that requires dedication and collaboration across multiple departments. Offering streamlined guidance and clear communication throughout the onboarding process is essential to ensure incoming students understand action steps without becoming overwhelmed with new terminology, processes, and environments. This explanatory case study is set to understand the current communication practices and technology use across onboarding departments at Brightside College – also referred to as Brightside or BC (pseudonym). The research team aimed to understand Brightside's onboarding staff's perspective of current processes and practices. With emphasis on the …

Out Of The Woods: Mount Lawley Teachers College, The First Decade 1970 - 1980, Glen Phillips, Sybe Jongeling, John Renner, John Sherwood

ECU Books

This book focuses exclusively on the visions and contribution of Robert (Bob) G.Peter, the first Principal, appointed to build a radically new teachers’ college, the first new tertiary institution in Australia since the end of WWII.It covers the first decade or so of the College,1970-1979.The story describes how Bob Peter based his visions on modern educational thought and practices and how he enthused his selected foundation staff to work with public works department architects to incorporate these new ideas in the design and building of this new tertiary institution.

Undergraduate Students' Perceptions Of Philanthropy, Importance Of Affinity-Based Giving And Impact On Student Giving, Kristine Herrington

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As technology continues to advance, and alumni donor numbers decline, fundraising professionals are exploring new ways to encourage alumni to give back to their alma mater and continue building a strong donor pipeline. With a myriad of economic and political factors contributing to increased and inflated costs for colleges and universities, and students alike, maintaining a steady pipeline of donors to ensure ongoing philanthropic support is important. As budgetary concerns and funding cuts continue to work their way into the higher education landscape, college and university annual giving departments are increasingly tasked with exploring student philanthropy programs (SPPs) on campus …

Impact Of An Online Teaching Faculty Development Course On Student Social Engagement, Preston P. Bennett

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ample evidence supports the impact of greater student social engagement on student success outcomes, particularly for first time in college freshmen students (Avison et al., 2007; Tinto, 1997; Wilcox et al., 2005). Keeping students engaged socially online can be challenging for some faculty due to reliance on strategies that worked previously within face-to-face environments (McQuiggan, 2012). At the University of North Florida, a Teaching Online (TOL) certification course provides instructors with evidence-based online pedagogy aimed at bolstering social engagement.

This dissertation investigated whether and how faculty implementation of TOL design principles impacted freshmen students’ social engagement with both peers and …

I Can’T, I’M On-Call: The Psychological Effects Of On-Call Duty On Graduate Assistants In Residence Life, Dyjerlynn T. Peter

Masters Theses

Graduate Assistants (GAs) face various demands such as conducting research, completing coursework, holding assistantships, and other personal responsibilities. GAs working in housing and residence life (HRL) departments face unique challenges, especially those who serve as crisis responders for students who live on-campus. This study examines the mental health challenges faced by graduate assistants in housing and residence life who live on-campus and serve in on-call roles at higher education institutions. It explores the effects of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout, offering key findings, trends, and recommendations while sharing personal stories of GAs balancing on-call duties with graduate studies.

Block Schedules In Virginia Schools: Purposes, Outcomes, And Policy Considerations, David Naff, Meleah Ellison, Jamelle Simmons, Xun Liu, Martin Darby, Crystal R. Bell, Shelby Garofalo, Obed Boateng, Wendy Rodgers, Audrina Farrar, Karli Johansen, Mysia Perry, Maggie Szydlowski, Fatemah A. Khawaji, Katherine Urban

MERC Publications

When schools and divisions choose a daily schedule structure to follow, it is important to consider its purpose and potential impacts on students, educators, and families. The purpose of this MERC research and policy brief is to inform the work of school division leaders and school board members making decisions about whether to adopt or continue the use of block scheduling in middle and high schools. It explores the following questions:

1. What are block schedules and where are they used?

2. How are school schedules related to student outcomes and educator quality?

3. What policies at the federal, state, …

Supporting Students In Transition To And From Elementary School, Meleah Ellison, Jamelle Simmons, David B. Naff, Taryn G. Traylor, Meredith Dean, Sooyeon Moon, Jia Jia Liu, Latonja Y. Wright, Cameron Parkins, Jennifer Locasale-Crouch, Dana V. Yarbrough, Audrina Farrar, Obed Amoakoh Boateng

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of elementary school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from elementary school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions to …

Teaching Under Political Influence: A Multiple Case-Study Examining The Impact Of Curricular Restriction Policy On Community-Connected Instruction (Cci) In Full-Service Community Schools (Fscs), Isaiah Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars describe the political landscape as polarized, where partisanship —loyalty to a particular political party— dictates one’s beliefs. In education, this partisanship is best exhibited through conservative policy restricting curricula regarding race, racism's pervasiveness, gender identity, and how history is taught in public schools. Conversely, Community-Connected Instruction (CCI) affirms students’ culture and builds critical thinking skills in an authentic environment. While studies suggest its benefits to students, the current curricular restriction policy challenges its usage. This form of teaching is closely associated with Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS), which primarily serve underserved student populations. This study examines how FSCS educators in …

Understanding First-Generation College Students’ Perceptions Of Sorority Recruitment, Megan Morecraft

Masters Theses

This study explores first-generation college students’ discovery of sororities, influences for going through a recruitment process, and motivations for selection. There is a gap in the literature when it comes to first-generation college students and greek organizations, specifically sororities, and this study aides in bridging the gap and providing information regarding strategies for recruitment and marketing practices. With more informed practices on first-generation student populations, an increased quality of marketing and programming could be implemented, as well as retention. This study and its findings allow for more intentionality and enhancements to occur, especially when promoting the greek experience and sorority …

Overcoming Burnout: Resident Assistant Longevity And Resilience, Amberlyn H. Holman

Masters Theses

As demands on student affairs professionals intensify across United States colleges, resident assistants face increasing vulnerability to burnout while balancing roles as students, employees, and peer leaders. The purpose of this narrative study was to examine the experiences of three resident assistants who pursued a third year in their position after experiencing and overcoming burnout. It was determined that specific support systems and resilience components had substantial impact on their ability to persist, providing indication of what institutional support would be most beneficial. Participants discussed experiences with overwhelming stress balancing academic responsibilities, peer relationships, and administrative duties, alongside factors historically …

From Enrollment To Graduation: How Social Support Shapes Latino Educational Trajectories In Minnesota, Erick Heaney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Latino students represent the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, yet their post-secondary completion rates remain significantly lower than those of other student populations. This study explores the educational trajectories of Latino students in Minnesota, focusing on the role of social support networks in shaping persistence and attainment. The research identifies peer and family support as the strongest predictors of Latino students' confidence to graduate (p < .001), underscoring the central role of close personal networks in persistence. Findings suggest that while financial and structural barriers continue to hinder success, culturally responsive support systems can positively influence degree attainment. Although centered on Minnesota, the study offers broader implications for higher education policy and practice, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions and institutional accountability in addressing equity gaps. Strengthening support for Latino students is essential to advancing educational and economic opportunity nationwide.