Digital Commons Network^™

For Here Or To Go? (Re)Packaging The Takeaway, Randi Polk

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

In this chapter, I intend to walk readers through my thought process for creating a virtual study abroad course and show how it was informed by lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as current pedagogical trends. I will then discuss the implementation, including what worked and what did not go as planned. Finally, I will show how this course culminated in a student-led conference presentation and how this topic has shaped future thinking for Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) honors regarding global learning opportunities.

Re-Reading Local Spaces: City As Text Tm Goes Virtual, Sara E. Quay, Season Ellison, Leslie Heaphy, Amaris Ketcham, Toni Lefton, Andrew Martino

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

This chapter provides honors program faculty and directors with detailed strategies for running a City as Text^TM (CAT) experience in a hybrid or virtual format. It documents specific ways the traditional CAT institute principles were adapted to a virtual space, including changes made to the institute format, destinations, collaborations, and assignments. A new emphasis on multimedia platforms, central to the virtual institute, are discussed. Finally, a summary of what the facilitators learned in the process of shifting a fundamentally in-person experience to online is shared.

Navigating Without Knowing, Elizabeth M. Hodge, Bhibha M. Das, Tim Christensen, Teal Darkenwald, Gerald Weckesser, Wayne Godwin

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

This chapter examines the process and outcomes of how honors college faculty at a southeastern university shifted their introductory freshmen seminar from a traditional face-to-face format to an online one. These shifts included using technological resources, innovative pedagogy, and social media to foster a sense of community within the honors college. The chapter provides several examples grounded in Chickering and Gamson’s “seven principles of good practice,” which readers can utilize to improve teaching and learning. An overview of the course design using Canvas as the learning management system along with pedagogical examples grounded in the nationally recognized Quality Matters standards …

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2023/24, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

The past year has been one of significant growth and achievement for Singapore Management University. As we navigated an increasingly complex and challenging world, SMU remained committed to doing the best by our students, harnessing the collective brain trust that our faculty represent, and the professional expertise of our staff, to deliver impact on our community, country, and region. Our focus on nurturing the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and change-makers continues to be at the heart of our educational mission, and our dedication to the highest quality research for academic and societal impact remains our commitment.

Exploring Black Women Initiative Programs At Community Colleges: Potential Possibilities For Institutional Support, Erin K. Lewis

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The existing literature lacks sufficient exploration of Black women’s experiences of a sense of belonging in institutional-sponsored programs centered around their Black and Woman identities at community colleges. Using a collective case study qualitative methodology, the purpose of this study was to understand Black women's experiences of a sense of belonging in institutional-sponsored initiative programs centered around their Black and woman identities at community colleges. The research question guiding this study is: How do Black women experience a sense of belonging in initiative programs centered around their Black and woman identities at community colleges? And to what extent? The conceptual …

"I'M That Girl": Exploring Black Women College Students’ Identity Expression And Hip-Hop, Fallan S. Frank

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Despite the expansion of the literature on Black women in college student identity development, there is little understanding of how Black college women express their identity and what influences the expression of their multiple identities. This study focuses on understanding to what extent the significant cultural influence of Hip-Hop influences Black women college students’ expression of their multiple identities within the various college environments. As Hip-Hop culture increasingly becomes significant within contemporary college student life, it is more critical than ever to understand its impact on Black college women’s identity expression and lived experiences as they navigate college. Thus, in …

Collaborative Leadership For Research Investigating Stem Teacher Preparation Across Many Institutions, Dana P. Franz, Keith Hubbard, Devon Brenner

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This paper describes the creation of a collaborative research team investigating the impacts of education preparation on the recruitment and retention of science and mathematics teacher candidates in rural settings. Our collaborative research includes a core leadership team across 3 institutions and with collaboration across 14 total universities. We discuss the process from the inception through year two of this program, including the structure of leadership, communication techniques with the large group, and efforts to translate this research into scalable action. Using a framework for transdisciplinary research (Hall et al., 2012), we describe the processes and challenges that we encountered …

Culture And Community: The Importance Of Black Spaces In Community Colleges, La Quirshia Fennell

CGU Theses & Dissertations

At present, California community colleges serve a large proportion of Black students, but these students are not adequately supported to reach their educational goals (The Campaign for College Opportunity, 2019; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2022; Cross & Carman, 2022 Simpson, J., & Bista, K., 2021). Extensive research documents the importance of culturally engaging campuses and student sense of belonging to academic success (Museus, 2014; Museus et al., 2017; Harper et al., 2009; Strayhorn et al., 2010; Sanders, 2016; Tichavakunda, 2020). A puzzle remains in understanding why these aspects of campus support may be falling short for Black students. I …

The High Maintenance Black Girl: Black Female College Students’ Experiences With Intraracial Stereotypes, Alexis Thrower

CGU Theses & Dissertations

While existing literature has extensively documented interracial stereotypes faced by Black individuals, this study delved into the lesser-explored realm of stereotypes emanating from within the Black community itself. This dissertation explored the experiences of Black female college students in predominantly white educational environments, focusing on the pervasive influence of intraracial stereotypes. Grounded in phenomenological inquiry and guided by Black Feminist Critique, the research investigated the impact of these intraracial stereotypes on relationships, sense of belonging, and coping strategies among Black female college students. Four research questions guided this dissertation: What are the intraracial stereotypes experienced by Black female college students? …

Guide To The Athletics Department Records, University Of San Diego Athletics Department

University Records

This collection contains the historical records of the University of San Diego Athletics Department. Records include administrative memos, meeting minutes, correspondence, programs, and historical information as well as newspaper clippings related to USD athletics. The records document the advancement of the athletics program, including budget planning, notable events such as the reintroduction of the football program and the move to Division I, and documentation of the recreation program that served the broader campus community.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. University Records Finding Aids include historical and/or biographical information along with …

Guide To The Founders Gallery Exhibit Records, Therese Whitcomb

University Records

These records consist of the planning materials, newspaper clippings, and photographs gathered for University of San Diego Founders Gallery exhibits between 1971 and 1993.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. University Records Finding Aids include historical and/or biographical information along with a description of the collection and a folder listing of the content.

To view this collection please email University Archives and Special Collections staff at [email protected].

2023-2024 Annual Security And Fire Report – Sayre Campus, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

ANNUAL SECURITY & FIRE REPORTS

This is the 2023-2024 Annual Security and Fire Report of the Sayre Campus by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

2023-2024 Annual Security And Fire Report – Weatherford Campus, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

ANNUAL SECURITY & FIRE REPORTS

This is the 2023-2024 Annual Security and Fire Report of the Weatherford Campus by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Rhizomic Communication Practices Bridging International Students And The Host Society And Beyond, Suvi Jokila, Charles Mathies

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted international student communities while reflecting wider societal inequalities. This study in the Finnish context examined international students’ experiences of the published national crisis communication and media usage during the first year of the pandemic. Using the national COVID-19 crisis communication practices as an example, we examined what kinds of strategies the international students deployed to access information in this non-English-speaking country and how they perceived the information communicated. Theoretically, we based the analysis on the theories of crisis communication and information inequality, which identify communication practices, such as language choice, that …

Educating Future Leaders In Fraternities: Outcomes From Participation In A National Fraternity Emerging Leaders Program, Meghan Grace, Pietro A. Sasso, Kim E. Bullington, Dawn Wiese, Kathleen Stedman, Xinyue "Coco" Liu, Anthony M. Graziani

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Campus engagement opportunities such as leadership development have potential for students to strengthen their personal skills. As such, fraternities and sororities can play an influential role in strengthening students’ leadership skills. The present study examines the efficacy of a fraternity emerging leaders program, which is an educational opportunity focused on the development of new leaders. Data were collected from participants at three time intervals. Findings suggest students develop across several leadership domains, creating a stronger appreciation of their organizational values and fraternity ritual compared to non-participants. Recommendations for practice are included to address the transfer problem of leadership application and …

Students' Perceptions Of Hospitality And Tourism Internships On Career Pathways: Transformational Versus Transactional Internships, Jessica L. Wickey

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Internships provide a platform for students to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting and to gain hands-on experience (Simons et al., 2012). Moreover, internships can help students build networks and connections within their chosen industry, which can later prove valuable in their career development. This qualitative exploratory study investigated students' perceptions of their hospitality and tourism internships on how they perceive their career pathways after completing an internship in a four-year degree program. For this study, a group of Junior and Senior hospitality and tourism university students from a major university were interviewed. The researcher utilized a phenomenological approach …

Carly Kuhlman Honors Portfolio, Carly Kuhlman

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Carly Kuhlman's Honors Portfolio captured in December 2024.

Critical Thinking Skills In Pre-Service Teachers And Their Coursework: Investigating The Preparation Of Teachers In The Rural Midwest With Humans, Ai, And Cyborg Researchers, Tiffany Shonerd

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the plethora of research and literature regarding the relationship of critical thinking and its key role in promoting learning, little research investigated the teaching of critical thinking to pre-service teachers in their coursework along with how they facilitate it in their students. As future teachers worked towards completing their teaching degrees, student teaching permitted them to work in live classroom settings with veteran teachers as mentors. Markedly, scholars argued that future teacher programs needed to understand the importance of critical thinking and utilize facilitation strategies in classroom settings. In this way, the live classroom setting could then create students …

Nomin Senadheera Honors Portfolio, Nomin Senadheera

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Nomin Senadheera's Honors Portfolio captured in December 2024.

2023-2024 Annual Student Assessment Report, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Assessment Center Reports

Annual Student Assessment Report produced by the SWOSU Assessment Center.

Through The Looking Glass: Honors In Virtual Reality, Betsy Greenleaf Yarrison

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Within the context of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the author discusses the potential role of virtual reality technologies in honors programs in instiitutions of higher education.

Exploring Incoming Honors Students’ Beliefs About Online Courses, Kristy Spear, Pavlo D. Antonenko

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

This essay highlights the findings of a 2018 longitudinal mixedmethod explanatory sequential design study conducted at a large research institution with this purpose in mind. The study explored incoming honors students’ beliefs about online courses and how beliefs changed after the first semester of college coursework. Beliefs about online courses were deconstructed using the Community of Inquiry framework (Garrison, Anderson, and Archer 88), a questionnaire aligned with this theory (Arbaugh, Cleveland-Innes, Diaz, Garrison, Ice, Richardson, and Swan 135), and semi-structured interviews. The findings, highlighted in this essay, provide valuable insight into design and instructional strategies that support online learning and …

Online Faculty Professional Development And Community As Nexus, John Zubizarreta, Beata M. Jones, Marca V. C. Wolfensberger

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Our goal is to share ideas and experiences related to the design of dynamic, interactive professional development opportunities that focus on learning skills for managing remote or online teaching but more importantly that create a relationship-rich sense of community. Our Honors International Faculty Learning Online (HIFLO) model is a successful example in honors, but it offers reasonably adaptable strategies that can be used in future virtual professional development ventures inside or outside of honors. No matter what other topics may be addressed in later Honors International Faculty Institute (HIFI) or HIFLO seminars, the essential principle of community will always be …

International Virtual Exchange During And Beyond The Pandemic, Ian Mcintosh

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

The first goal of this chapter is to describe the virtual class. The second is to demonstrate just how easy such exchanges are when using technology such as the CN (Course Networking), which is like Facebook for academia. This software, plus the use of What’s App for free mobile calling, allowed students from both countries to get to know one another and explore course topics well beyond what can be delivered in a classroom setting. Finally, I will share information on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and some of the impressive discoveries made by the students in their respective …

Cultivating Delight, Crossing Divides, And Solving Impossible Problems: Lessons Learned From A Year Of Virtual Conferences, Jon Blandford, Kathy J. Cooke, Erik Liddell, Kathryn M. Macdonald, Tara M. Tuttle

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

This chapter highlights some of the lessons learned from a year of virtual conferences held by three different honors organizations, the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC), the Northeast Regional Honors Council (NRHC), and the Kentucky Honors Roundtable (KHR) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building Virtual Community: The Power Of Peer-Led Engagement, Emily Clossin, Shane Collins, Lisa Ruch, Kristina Horn Sheeler, Kara M. Woodlee

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

The Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Honors College developed a multi-layered strategy to foster interpersonal connection and a sense of belonging among incoming students as well as continued opportunities for engagement among the entire community of scholars. Via social media posts and takeovers, peer mentor commitment, and virtual activities organized and led by students, along with more traditional face-to-face events, our new students developed connections, relationships, and a sense of identity as honors scholars. Our continuing students took on new leadership roles in the honors college, displaying their talents and contributing in ways they had not before in face-to-face formats. …

Before They Set Foot On Campus: Building A Virtual Summer Community For Incoming Honors Students, Laura G. Eldred, Gillian Wenhold, Jacquelyn Mcbride

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Discusses the launching of a brand-new program rooted in community creation during a pandemic, which meant that traditional modes of cohort building were not going to fly. That said, although the impetus was pandemic-specific, the lessons learned about the creation and value of virtual communities are not limited to one historical moment.

Lasting Lessons From Covid-19: A Story Of Successful Community Building, Christian Rubio

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

To state that the landscape of higher education has changed is an understatement. Strategies and approaches have been altered radically since the spring of 2020. After all, college and universities understood that they needed, as Glen Llopsis observes, a “process of reinvention, whether we like it or not. [Because] post-COVID-19 will not look like pre-COVID-19.” Many of these new strategies will undoubtedly become permanent fixtures because their aim was to foster a sense of community in our honors program. It is precisely some of these activities that this article will detail.

Connecting Honors Students In A Virtual Environment: Activities For Engagement, Sarah Sudar, Colin Sisk

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

With a mix of students returning online and staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) Honors Program in Monaca, Pennsylvania, had to adapt our model of extracurricular activities to accommodate students who felt comfortable coming on campus as well as balancing virtual events for those who did not.

Transcending Distance: Connecting During Imposed Seclusion, Lauri B. Cockfield

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Although the world endured many losses because of the COVID- 19 virus, including missing the hustle and bustle of seeing and socializing with our students in person on campus, I am pleased with the way the honors college at Perimeter turned this challenging time into an opportunity to focus on and build the community our students and faculty have told us they want. We are now adept at archiving virtual events, and our practice is to seek permission from all our speakers to record and archive their presentations. Our plan is to track views of these recorded sessions so we …