Digital Commons Network^™

Seeking Safety And Losing The Self: Affirmative Action Bans And The Whitening Of Mexican American Identity, Bella Bennett

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

No abstract provided.

Teaching Students To Be Resilient: A Campus-Wide Approach, Connie Horton, La Shonda Coleman, Brad Dudley, Stacey Lee Gobir, Sergio Gallardo Palma

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

In response to escalating mental health concerns among college students, Pepperdine University developed the Resilience- Informed Skills Education (RISE) program to equip students with resilience skills. The biblically sound and research-based curriculum focuses on six dimensions: physical, social, cognitive, spiritual, service, and life skills. All first-year students learn resilience skills through the RISE small-group program. Numerous additional opportunities are made available, including resilience coaching, a resilience interest living community, lunch and learns, a yearly summit, a podcast, a newsletter, and a variety of engaging campus programs. Student leaders have been key to the positive response to RISE, as have partnerships …

Effects Of A Pornography Use Reduction Program, Justin Heth, John Foubert, Andrew Courtner

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

Pornography use has been shown to be highly common among young men, with numerous documented deleterious effects. Though the dangers of pornography use are well documented, few studies have attempted to determine what methods can be used to decrease use, including use among men attending Christian colleges. The present study began to address this gap by studying different groups of men who sought to decrease their use. Implications of these results are discussed.

Leading Transition: How Special Education Directors Make Meaning Of Their Leadership In Advancing Pathways To Employment, Deanna Gill

Dissertations of Practice

LEADING TRANSITION: HOW SPECIAL EDUCATION DIRECTORS MAKE MEANING OF THEIR LEADERSHIP IN ADVANCING PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT

Dede Gill, Ed.D.

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

Northern Illinois University, 2025 Kelly Summers, Co-Director Alexios Rosario-Moore, Co-Director

Despite decades of legislative reform and an expanding body of research on effective transition practices, students with disabilities continue to experience disproportionately poor post-school employment outcomes when compared to their non-disabled peers. Nationally, individuals with disabilities are employed at approximately half the rate of those without disabilities, and their poverty rates remain substantially higher. These outcomes persist even as federal and state mandates such …

Superintendents’ Perspectives On Effective School Board Governance: An Analysis Of Key Characteristics In South Cook County, Illinois, Dana R. Nichols

Dissertations of Practice

Effective school board governance plays a critical role in shaping the success of school districts. This study examines the perspectives of 10 superintendents from elementary school districts in South Cook County, Illinois, on what constitutes an effective school board and explores how their views align with or diverge from Dervarics and O’Brien’s Eight Characteristics of Effective School Boards.

A general qualitative inquiry with a descriptive methodology was utilized to capture the lived experiences and perspectives of superintendents regarding school board governance. Data collection involved standardized, semi-structured interviews and a web-based survey, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of superintendent viewpoints. An …

Alumni Perceptions Of Success After Attending A Project-Based Alternative School, Cheryl A. Carter

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT ALUMNI PERCEPTIONS OF SUCCESS AFTER ATTENDING A PROJECT BASED ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL Cheri Carter, Ed.D. Department o f Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations Northern Illinois University, 2025 Tiffany Puckett, Co Director Kelly Summers, Co Director This study used a mixed methods approach to answer the question of what alumni attending a project-based alternative school model employed by a northern Illinois school district perceived as benefits of attending a project-based high school after leaving the K-12 environment. Students of the classes of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 of the Foundation High School campus were …

Girl, You Betta Testify!: Exploring Brave Narrative Spaces And The Transformative Impact Of Story-Sharing Among Women Of Color In Pre-K–12 Educational Leadership, Amonaquenette Parker

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT

GIRL, YOU BETTA TESTIFY!: EXPLORING BRAVE NARRATIVE SPACES AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF STORY-SHARING AMONG WOMEN OF COLOR IN PRE-K–12 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Amonaquenette Parker, Ed.D.

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

Northern Illinois University, 2025

Kelly Summers, Director

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Women of Color in PreK–12 educational leadership roles. Rooted in the cultural tradition of testimony, the study seeks to illuminate the stories of Women of Color, assess existing opportunities for them to share their experiences, and highlight the power of their testimonies. Grounded in critical race theory (CRT) and intersectionality theory, which acknowledge …

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 …

2025 Impact Report, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Foundation Annual Reports

The 2025 Donor Impact Report from the SWOSU Foundation, Inc.

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 …

Exploding The Silos: How Honors And Cetl Collaboration Can Transform Faculty Development, Christine Larson, Evren Celik-Wiltse, Kevin Sackreiter, Rebecca C. Bott-Knutson

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

The Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) at South Dakota State University (SDSU) developed the Faculty Fellows program in the fall of 2018 to provide faculty in each academic college with a peer mentor who would offer tailored professional development opportunities.

A Phenomenological Study On The Assistant Principal's Preparation For Culturally Responsive Leadership, Lakechisa Phillips

Doctor of Education Dissertations

American public schools today are facing an influx of a more diverse student population. This diversity, driven by changes in demographics, is impacting our public schools and the administration of those schools. The role of the assistant principal in promoting culturally responsive leadership in those schools is critically needed. This study explored the significance of culturally responsible leadership by assistant principals and how that leadership can impact student engagement and the culture and climate of the school. The literature review highlighted the importance of administrators having the time and training to become culturally responsive leaders. Twelve administrators were interviewed to …

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, …

Academic Management Strategies Of Private High Schools In Zhejiang, China Based On The Concept Of Digital Entrepreneurship, Jingmei Ma

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aimed to achieve three research objectives: 1) To study the conceptual frameworks of academic management of private high schools and digital entrepreneurship competencies; 2) To identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of academic management in Zhejiang private high schools based on the concept of digital entrepreneurship; 3) To develop academic management strategies for Zhejiang private high schools to enhance students’ digital entrepreneurship competencies. A multiphase mixed-methods research design was adopted, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. The informants included teachers and administrators from private high schools in Zhejiang Province, with a total of 627 respondents. Research instruments …

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 …

Challenges And Issues In Child Care Centers Participating In The Child And Adult Care Food Program, Kristi L. Lewis Phd, Rdn, Shellie R. Hubbard Ma

Institute of Child Nutrition, Applied Research Division

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) plays a critical role in supporting the provision of nutritious meals and snacks in child care settings. Understanding the challenges experienced by CACFP operators is essential for developing resources, training, and technical assistance that support effective program implementation. This study examined the challenges and issues faced by child care centers and other CACFP operators participating in the program.

Using a mixed-methods and participatory research approach, researchers conducted a literature review, consulted subject matter experts, and developed a national rapid response survey. The final survey assessed challenges related to food procurement, training, facilities …

Competencies, Knowledge, And Skills For Chefs Working In School Nutrition Programs, Marjuyua Lartey Gibson Phd, Rdn, Jane Peterson Phd, Rdn, Kymberle Gordon Phd, Shellie R. Hubbard Ma, Travis Brewington

Institute of Child Nutrition, Applied Research Division

As school nutrition programs increasingly employ chefs to enhance menu quality, culinary innovation, and operational effectiveness, there is a growing need to define the competencies required for success in these roles. Building upon previous research that identified the roles, responsibilities, and impact of chefs working in school nutrition programs, this study sought to develop a comprehensive competency framework for school nutrition chefs.

The study was conducted in three phases. An expert panel of school nutrition professionals, State agency staff, United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service representatives, and Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition staff first reviewed and confirmed …

Understanding Shifts In Student Satisfaction Between Peak And Post Pandemic, Brian Verkamp

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates student satisfaction in online learning environments at the University of North Florida (UNF), with a focus on how satisfaction levels have fluctuated between the peak-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Utilizing a combination of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, the research examines the relative importance and satisfaction ratings of various educational factors, including demographic influences such as gender, race, and academic program. By creating a composite measure of overall student satisfaction, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors that most significantly impact student experiences in online courses. Findings highlight the critical role of both satisfaction and importance …

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 …

Shattering The Glass Ceiling, Navigating The Glass Cliffs: A Case Study Of Andrea Luxton As The First Woman President Of Andrews University (2016-2023), Maureen Sakshi Pakalahati

Dissertations

Problems

Research shows glass ceilings are thicker in faith-based institutions heavily governed by traditional beliefs and dominated by men. Research also shows singlism is on the rise in churches. There is limited research on the lived experiences of single, never married woman who reached the presidency (shattering the glass ceiling) in a faith-based institution. Leadership pundits predict a “great resignation”, which is an era of high presidential turnover, due to mounting challenges in the higher education presidency. Great resignation is a gender-neutral phenomenon, but women presidents are subject to stern criticism and penalties, leading to more disproportionate resignations. Furthermore, the …

Do Public School Choice Policies Segregate Schools? Dynamic Effects In Michigan, Danielle Sanderson Edwards, Kaitlin P. Anderson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Interdistrict choice has the potential to exacerbate or alleviate between-district segregation-an increasingly pervasive form of U.S. school segregation-by allowing students to attend schools in districts where they do not reside. Prior research concentrates on the effects of charter schooling on segregation within districts and counties. We used longitudinal enrollment and demographic data from Michigan to examine the impacts of both interdistrict and charter school choice on racial and economic segregation within and between districts in a single setting. We estimated these effects by leveraging between-grade differences in choice use within school systems and years. We confirmed findings from previous research …

Leading Beyond The School Walls: Understanding Principal Community Activism, Jason D. Salisbury, Meagan S. Richard

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ways school leaders perceive and engage in community-focused, activist leadership in response to community needs. We rely on a critical qualitative research design that draws on critical urban theory. Sources of data include a pilot focus group, semi-structured in-depth interviews with activist leaders, and publicly available documents. Findings demonstrate the ways that leaders engaged in activism by developing understandings of the communities they served as a first step to activism, rooting their schools as a physical resource for communities, and responding to community needs via activist practices. Through their work, leaders …

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 …

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 …