Digital Commons Network^™

20260121: President's Papers (Early Marshall History), 1858-1983, President's Office

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the Office of the President at Marshall University from 1858-1986. Items were received over the course of several iterations, but not accessioned until 2026.  This collection combines information from early Principals and Presidents at Marshall, including letters to Principal and President L.J. Corbly. Other items include materials from or about William J. Kenny, A.D. CHesterman, Benjamin Thackston, Michael Allen, Samuel Clagg,, Stewart H. Smith...and more.  Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

Multimedia-Based Interventions To Improve Science Learning Outcomes For Deaf Students At Wangsel Institute For The Deaf., Cheten Tshering Mr., Tshering Wangchuk

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Efforts have been made to ensure inclusive learning opportunities for all students, including those from diverse backgrounds. One key strategy to enhance children’s learning and academic performance involves the thoughtful selection and application of instructional tools tailored to meet learners' specific needs. This study examines the impact of multimedia-based instruction on science achievement among deaf students at Wangsel Institute for the Deaf in Bhutan. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research compared pretest and post-test results between a control group and an experimental group. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (t-test) and ANCOVA. The findings indicated a statistically significant differences (p = …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Jan 16, 2026, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

20260113: Physical Education And Wellness, 1970-1997, College Of Education And Professional Development

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the College of Education and Professional Development at Marshall University from 1970-1997. Items were received in the 1980s and were processed in 2026 and include notable materials from two separate areas... the first one is a WMUL & closed circuit television services, and the second set of materials in this collection is a newsletter titled Well/Fit News that ranges from 1993-1997. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, January 2026, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Shedding The Chrysalis: Black Women Leading In Higher Education, Olga M. Welch, Carolyn R. Hodges

Navigating Careers in Higher Education Series

Shedding the Chrysalis: Black Women Leading in Higher Education features the voices of six experienced and emerging Black females in a variety of academic leadership roles. This book provides a Black feminist perspective, highlighting the need to address racial realism within higher education administration. These personal testimonies focus on a variety of levels in the academic hierarchy to emphasize the continuum across the lived experiences of these women, some of whom have served in multiple upper-level administrative roles. The contributors’ positions range from postdoctoral research fellows to positions reporting to central administration at predominantly white institutions. Shedding the Chrysalis underscores …

20260115: Executive Assistant To The President, 1987-1996, President's Office

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the Office of the President at Marshall University from 1987-1996. Items were received in 1996 or thereabouts and include information from the President's Executive Assistant. Items contain Economic Adjustment Programs, MU's CRP Annual Reports, a proposal for Flexible Manufacturing Center for MURC, and Coal Road (survey of southern WV mining and tourism potential). Lots of economic development materials otherwise. This is not an exhaustive list, but the attached inventory will give a broad overview of what is contained in each of the boxes.

From Contracts To The College Football Playoffs: Stephen Harper’S Unlikely Path To Iu Athletics, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

On Monday night, as the Indiana University football team takes the field with a national championship on the line, Stephen Harper ’11 will be where tens of thousands of IU alumni wish they could—on the sidelines of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

For Harper, Indiana’s chief operating officer for athletics, the moment is the culmination of a journey that began far from packed stadiums and playoff spotlights. Before contract negotiations, NIL policy, and Big Ten championship trophies, Harper was a high school English teacher and basketball coach at Bloomington North High School.

20260114: Curriculum And Instruction, College Of Education, 1971-1976, College Of Education And Professional Development

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the College of Education and Professional Development at Marshall University from 1971-1976. Items were received in 1980s or 1990s and were not accessioned until 2026. Items include the Department of Curriculum and Instructions forms, faculty publications, student teaching pamphlets, methods for student teaching, and a list of each of the department's respective courses by course number at the time (e.g. CI 101 - CI 652). Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

Classroom To Campus: A Qualitative Case Study Of Exemplary First-Year Seminar Instructors In Student Transitions At A Louisiana University, Brianna J. Doucet

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how exemplary first-year seminar (FYS) instructors design and implement pedagogical strategies that support students’ transitions into higher education through the lens of Schlossberg’s (1981) Transition Theory. Conducted at a public university in Louisiana, the study explored how university-identified, award-winning instructors foster academic, social, and emotional adjustment among first-year students, a critical priority amid the impending enrollment cliff and the growing need to retain enrolled students. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, findings revealed exemplary instructors design intentional, relational, and reflective learning environments. They view transition as a shared institutional process, model adaptability and lifelong learning, …

Examining Alumni Engagement Policies Among R1 Universities: A Comparative Analysis Of Best Practices, Howayda Ackleh

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the need to update policies and enhance practices for alumni engagement in higher education institutions. Current alumni strategic plans require evaluation and refinement, while new approaches must be developed to strengthen alumni involvement. By analyzing the challenges institutions face in maintaining alumni connections, this review seeks to identify gaps and establish effective best practices. By examining the questions, how do alumni associations at select public R1 institutions apply Utilization-Focused Evaluation (UFE) principles to assess and improve their alumni engagement strategies, and how does this impact their alignment with institutional goals and objectives? This study aims to evaluate …

Faculty, Staff, And Counselor Awareness Of The Challenges Faced By Autistic Students: A Quantitative Descriptive Study Of Resources, Training, And Support For Autistic Student Success In Higher Education, Erika Rosario

Doctoral Dissertations

Higher education institutions should establish two essential measures to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): they need to implement standardized training for all personnel working on campus and create opportunities for hands-on experience through peer programs and collaborative educational events. The pursuit of equity in education demands nothing less. This study investigates the extent to which university faculty, staff, and counselors are aware of the challenges faced by autistic students, how knowledgeable they are about resources available to aid them, and the degree of their training, support, and collaboration in addressing students’ needs. By answering these research questions, the …

2026 January 12 - University Council Agenda And Minutes, University Council, East Tennesee State University

University Council Agendas and Minutes

The University Council met on January 12, 2026, where Provost Kimberly McCorkle opened the session and members approved the previous meeting’s minutes before hearing updates from governance groups and campus units. A mission moment highlighted the Nurse Narratives initiative, a collaborative storytelling project shaping empathy-centered nursing education. Governance reports noted progress on faculty surveys, staff recognition planning, academic chair training, Appalachian Folk Festival preparations, and athletics achievements. Enrollment management updates emphasized reduced drop-risk student counts, improved outreach coordination, increased fall 2026 applications, and opportunities and challenges related to the TN Direct Admissions pilot program. Additional updates addressed FAFSA improvements, the …

2026 January 12 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

The Staff Senate convened on January 12, 2026, led by President Cody Morelock, who opened the meeting with updates from university leadership and key campus initiatives. Dr. Noland reported confidence in spring and fall 2026 enrollment trends and anticipated stable state budgets, with upcoming budget hearings centered on KPIs and strategic priorities. Additional University Council updates included the premiere of the Nurse: Empathy Heals documentary, ongoing faculty climate survey efforts, athletics challenges related to the transfer portal, and enrollment reports highlighting approximately 2,000 students at risk of non-enrollment, FAFSA verification needs, and international recruitment declines due to global travel constraints. …

Exploring The Leadership Journeys Of Female College Presidents At Health Professions Focused Institutions: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Caroline S. Zeind, Bobbie Ann Adair White, Yoon Soo Park, Tewodros Eguale, Anne Thompson

Journal of Research on the College President

National data on the academic presidency reflect a long-standing gender gap with little known about the presidency at health professions focused institutions (HPFIs). This mixed methods study explored the relationships between the academic presidency and institutional characteristics of HPFIs, and the leadership journeys of female presidents at HPFIs. An analysis of institutional and leadership data for 487 HPFIs was conducted using a quantitative approach, followed by interviews of 15 female presidents at HPFIs to understand their perceptions of the barriers, and factors that helped with presidency attainment. The results of 479 HPFIs revealed that only 36.3% of women served as …

2026 January 8 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

The Academic Council met on January 8, 2026, under the leadership of Provost Dr. Kimberly McCorkle to conduct routine business and receive several informational updates. The meeting featured presentations on two major topics: a proposal to rename the Department of Exercise Science to Exercise and Sport Science to more accurately reflect its academic programs in sport performance and strength and conditioning, and an overview of the newly established Center for Community Engagement, which formalizes the university’s long-standing commitment to outreach, collaborative partnerships, and Carnegie Community Engagement classification efforts. Additional updates included spring 2026 enrollment monitoring, with attention to payment deadlines …

Dean Leslie Named One Of The National Jurist’S Most Influential People In Legal Education, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Cardozo Law News Archive

Dean Melanie Leslie was named one of The National Jurist's 25 Most Influential People in Legal Education for 2026 in recognition of her leadership at Cardozo School of Law. The announcement highlights her role in advancing social justice, innovation, institutional growth, and leadership development in legal education.

Navigating Federal Work-Study: How Informational And Structural Barriers Shape First-Year Student Participation, Sooji Kim

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Understanding the complex nature of institutional and student behaviors regarding the federal work-study program (FWS) is critical to bolstering federal and institutional efforts to implement tangible policy interventions and practical improvements to the program. However, there is scant literature about the mechanisms of students’ FWS decision-making processes. To better understand the “why” of students’ decisions and behaviors around the FWS program, this study explores the determinants of imperfect FWS aid take-up among lower-income, first-year college students. Drawing upon multidisciplinary views on students’ work decisions while in college, a survey was developed and administered at a large public four-year university in …

Forging Pathways: How Low-Income Stem Students Navigate College On A Free Tuition Program, Taylor Wilby, Sarah Madsen, Nathan F. Alleman

Journal of Student Financial Aid

In light of the ever-increasing cost of tuition, colleges and universities are turning to free tuition programs to make college more affordable – especially for those students demonstrating the most financial need. Concurrently, students from low-income backgrounds continue to enroll in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors, navigating rigorous fields of study and anticipating highly lucrative career opportunities following graduation. This project, therefore, sought to answer the following question: How and in what ways is the college-going navigation of low-income STEM students influenced by a free tuition pathway in a selective, affluent university? Utilizing a qualitative, symbolic interactionist …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Delivery Of Trauma-Informed Services To Hospital-Based Clients Ot, Frank Czuba

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Hospitalization can traumatize clients and impact overall health outcomes, leading to increased hospital readmission rates and resulting in a negative impact for both clients and providers. Limited information exists regarding how hospital-based occupational therapists evaluate and address trauma, even though incorporating trauma-informed principles into professional practice can enhance the occupational therapy process. The study explored the comprehension and perceived significance of trauma-informed tenets among occupational therapists delivering services in hospital-based settings. A quantitative research study with an exploratory design was implemented to explore how occupational therapists (OT) understand and utilize trauma-informed practices with their clients in a hospital setting. An …

Advising With Heart: How Institutional Selectivity And Size Shape Emotional Labor In Higher Education Academic Advising, Dallas W. Maddox

Theses and Dissertations

Academic advising serves as a vital bridge between students and their educational experiences and success, yet the emotional complexities of this meaningful work remain underexplored. This mixed-methods study examined how institutional selectivity and size influence emotional labor awareness and application among academic advisors, addressing a critical gap in understanding the human dimensions of advising relationships. The research explored whether advisors at smaller, selective institutions demonstrate enhanced emotional labor competencies compared to colleagues at larger, more inclusive institutions. Eleven dedicated academic advisors participated in this study, representing experienced professionals with 5-17 years of advising experience across four institutional categories defined by …

The Effects Of Youth Extracurricular Involvement On The Home Environment Of Millennial African American Families, Joyce Merius Speed

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study explored how youth extracurricular involvement shapes the home environments of Millennial African American families. Guided primarily by Ecological Systems Theory, with Critical Race Theory as a complementary lens, the study examined how parents navigated interconnected systems of home, school, peers, and community while responding to racialized barriers embedded in youth programs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis with six African American mothers. Seven themes emerged: extracurricular activities, family dynamics, parental involvement, academic achievement, social development, cultural identity, and time management. Findings showed that extracurricular participation strengthened family communication, routines, and cohesion; supported …

Educational Interventions In The Midst Of Reforms: Strategic Initiatives To Foster Change, Mary Oluga

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

East African education systems face continuous volatility driven by global demands, regional integration, and systemic shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper analyzes the Foundations for Learning (F4L) project, a multi-country professional development initiative for Teacher Educators navigating mid-project shifts from Certificate to Diploma qualifications and the adoption of Competency-Based Curricula (CBC). Utilizing a qualitative case study design triangulating policy analysis, stakeholder dialogue, and primary interviews (N=92), the study explores how project fidelity was maintained amidst radical transitions. Anchored in Adaptive Management and Resilience theories, the findings reveal that while policy volatility and human resource instability posed significant risks—including …

In The Circle Of My Sistas: Blackmotherscholars (Re)Defining Scholarly Identity, Dawn Stephens Jenkins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black mothers in doctoral programs develop scholarly identities at the intersections of race, gender, and motherhood within historically white academic spaces. Grounded in endarkened narrative inquiry, the study centers the lived experiences and collective reflections of BlackMotherScholars to interrogate how racialized and gendered mothering shapes scholarly becoming. The research responds to a gap in the literature that overlooks Black maternal experiences as sites of intellectual production and identity formation in doctoral education.

Findings indicate that Black mothering serves as an onto-epistemological foundation for scholarly identity development, shaping participants’ ways of knowing, research commitments, and sense of …

Students Can't Access Education Without Being There: A Systematic Look Into One School's Approach To Improve Access, Shawn A. Bernard

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This improvement science dissertation focused on understanding and reducing the frequency of out-of-classroom removal of students exhibiting challenging behavior in one elementary school. Classroom removals result in lost instruction and reduced access to the general education environment. Baseline data indicated an average of 27.8 classroom removals per day, reflecting a systemic issue impacting both student outcomes and staff capacity. The goal was to reduce classroom removals to fewer than 10 per day by June 2026. The leadership team conducted a root cause analysis to inform a theory of improvement grounded in positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). The team selected …

Organizational Causes Of Chronic Absenteeism: Unpacking The Conditions For Learning To Increase Regular Attendance, Melissa Glover

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This study employed an improvement science methodology, using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles of improvement, to address the persistent problem of chronic absenteeism within the Gateway School District, where annual absentee rates hovered around 45% and were historically 10% higher for students with disabilities compared to their nondisabled peers. The leadership team engaged in a thorough review of parent and student perceptions of school and aligned findings with Chang’s (2019) conditions for learning framework to pinpoint actionable areas for growth. These findings were then organized into a theory of action using a driver diagram approach. This foundational work led to the identification …

Narrating Institutional Becoming: Faith, Leadership, And Identity Reconstruction During A College-To-University Transition, Viviene H. Dyer

Dissertations

Problem

The contributions of faith-based higher education institutions to the tertiary landscape in small island developing states are insufficiently addressed in the scholarly literature. Consequently, there is limited understanding of how these institutions navigate organizational transitions and respond to capacity gaps that the public sector is unable to fill within dynamic cultural and regulatory environments. This gap is especially evident for Seventh-day Adventist institutions, whose efforts to preserve mission and identity during periods of institutional change remain underexamined and poorly documented.

Purpose

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to examine how university administrators influenced the development and ongoing …

Understanding Support And Success: A Cross-Group Analysis Of Student Support Services And Nontraditional Graduate Student Experience, Erica Shudt

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study explored how nontraditional graduate students perceive their experiences with student support services within a Research 1, public university. The purpose of this study was to understand how these services impact their overall academic experience. Findings from semi-structured interviews with nontraditional graduate students and student support staff using a qualitative approach revealed four themes. These themes included (1) a shared emphasis on connection and belonging, (2) flexibility as a foundation for support and success, (3) individualized student-centered support, and (4) the acknowledgement of nontraditional student support identity. Both groups identify that meaningful support is within relationships with faculty and …

A Study Of Apprenticeship Program Expansion Into Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Colby Webb

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Despite substantial policy investment in apprenticeship expansion, fewer than 0.4% of the American workforce participates in registered apprenticeship programs, with adoption rates remaining particularly low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This qualitative multiple-case study examined the rationale, structure, implementation, and sustainability of formal apprenticeship programs across 11 SMEs representing manufacturing, woodworking, healthcare, energy, and food processing sectors. Three supplemental interviews with workforce development intermediaries and state-level apprenticeship support organizations provided contextual insight into regulatory processes and institutional supports. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and analyzed using iterative thematic coding in MAXQDA. Findings reveal that SME …

The Relationship Between Implementation Of Effective Schools Practices, School Performance, And Improvement, Kelly Mchugh Massinople

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Effective schools frameworks describe the evidence-based practices implemented at schools, including those with disproportionately high levels of students living in poverty, that have high levels of student achievement (Edmonds, 1979; Lezotte, 1982; Lezotte & McKee Snyder, 2010; Padilla et al., 2020; Sammons et al., 1995). This study examined the relationship between the implementation of effective schools practices, as described in the research, and school performance and school improvement, as reported in state accountability indicators. The analysis focused on improvement efforts initiated at 21 West Virginia schools identified in the fall of 2022 for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) under the …