Digital Commons Network^™

Early Career Women Of Color As Social Justice Change Leaders, Amy Anh Hoang Dinh

Master's Theses

The student affairs profession is predominantly female, but women, especially women of color (WOC), are disproportionately in entry-level positions. The majority of student affairs professionals also believe social justice is important but desire more support for their social justice work. This study examined how early career WOC perceived the power dynamics that they encountered in their social justice-oriented organizational change efforts, the strategies and tactics they utilized to lead change efforts, and the aspects of their identities that were the most salient to them during their change efforts. The study design used a phenomenology methodology and an intersectionality theoretical framework. …

Experiences Of Women Trustees: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study Of Women Trustees At Private Religious Colleges In The South, Amanda Main

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

In the United States, women are underrepresented on college governing boards and trusteeships, occupying only about one-third of those positions (Madsen & Longman, 2020). In the Southern United States, female representation is dramatically lower, with women holding somewhere between 11-15% of those board positions (Madsen & Longman, 2020). Feminist research identifies persistent sexism as the reason for the continued gender inequities. Sexism in social and organizational structures may present as microaggressions, a lack of agency, lack of female role models and mentors, explicit and inherent gender-based biases, lack of flexibility in work arrangements, and women being assigned work that does …

A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of The Experience Of A College Merger On Employee Engagement, Satisfaction, And Burnout In Faculty, Staff, And Administrators At Minnesota North College, Molly Elise Franz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Higher education institutions were becoming more competitive due to meeting the needs of changing demographics of prospective students, increasing costs of tuition, fees, and operations, meeting workforce demands, providing access to high quality technology tools, and more. A merger process impacted employee engagement, satisfaction and burnout. It was important for administrators in higher education to create and maintain a supportive and inclusive culture for employees, especially during each stage of the merger process. It was also important to clearly communicate the purpose of the merger, and to provide employees an opportunity to engage with the planning and implementation stages of …

Facilitators And Barriers To Implementing Effective Interprofessional Education: A Mixed Methods Study Of Academic Health Institutions With Centralized Interprofessional Education Administrative Structures, Liliana Bronner

Theses & Dissertations

Interprofessional education (IPE) is pivotal in preparing future healthcare professionals for collaborative practice, yet its effective implementation remains challenging. The purpose of this mixed methods study of multiple academic health institution cases was to explore and understand how early and late IPE adopters perceive effective IPE implementation in academic health institutions. Combining frameworks for complex innovation implementation and curriculum development with surveys and interviews reveals the facilitators and barriers of effective IPE implementation. Consistent with the framework for complex innovation implementation, leadership and administrative support, resource allocation, logistical planning, and program evaluation emerged as key facilitators of effective IPE implementation. …

Evaluating The Qualitative Aspects Of A Community College Academic Success Program, Joselito Dacillo Coquilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College academic success programs (ASP) frequently include both quantitative and qualitative key performance indicators (KPI). While the quantitative KPIs are typically programmed for evaluation within an ASP’s implementation, evaluating qualitative KPIs is resource intensive and therefore, sometimes overlooked. The problem addressed by this study was the need to evaluate the qualitative KPIs in a large community college system’s 2016 ASP (2016-2020). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to conduct a summative evaluation to determine the extent to which the college achieved its ASP’s qualitative KPI objectives from the perspectives of students. The study was guided by Tinto’s involvement …

Organization Of Change: The Journey From Probation To A Successful Accreditation Review, Erin Dail

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regional accreditation, seen as a necessary hurdle by many in higher education, is required to participate in Title IV funding. However, several studies indicate that the current accreditation process is broken. Institutions with more resources, both in staffing and funding, and more academically ready students are at an advantage for favorable accreditation outcomes. Those institutions serving the most at-risk students rely on Title IV funding the most and may be participating in a process in which they are less likely to succeed. This study seeks to explore the experiences of Accreditation Liaison Officers (ALOs) at Higher Learning Commission (HLC)-accredited community …

Burnout And Work Fatigue In Contingent Faculty During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gina Dimartino

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic and immediate shift to remote learning had a major impact on faculty and students in higher education institutions (HEIs). As a result of the pandemic, many stakeholders in HEIs have experienced burnout and work fatigue, specifically, contingent/adjunct faculty. Contingent/adjunct faculty comprise a majority of faculty who serve students in colleges and universities across the country.

As the needs of students increased during the pandemic, contingent/adjunct faculty experienced increased workloads due to the additional support needed by diverse and challenged students. This further intensified the unique challenges faced by contingent faculty that existed prior to the pandemic in …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Novice Adjunct Nursing Faculty As They Transition From Clinical Expert To Novice Educator, Angelique Tolentino-Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to describe and understand the lived experiences of novice adjunct nursing faculty teaching in the United States in undergraduate nursing programs as they transition from clinical practice to academia. The theories that guided this study are Meleis’ transition theory and Schoening’s nurse educator transition model which provide a framework for the transition experiences for novice adjunct nursing faculty. The central research question is: What are the lived experiences of novice undergraduate adjunct nursing faculty transitioning from clinical expert to novice nurse faculty? Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants who were novice …

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Presentations, Christine Hober

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Objective: The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive pilot study was to determine best approaches for incorporating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into nursing research change project poster disseminations.

Methodology: Following structured course implementation of normally assigned research posters, process modifications for best practices using AI were implemented within infancy parameters.

Findings: Pending further project analysis. Preliminary study findings using aggregated Likert-type survey data analyzed via SPSS © Paired T-Test and open-ended comments using Thematic Analysis via Dedoose©.

Conclusion: This pilot project analyzed transformative applications of generative AI for in person and virtual classroom use of the art and science of nursing …

A Design Thinking Mixed Methods Study On Empathy In A Midwest University Writing Center, Sue Sinclair Edele

Dissertations

The scholar practitioner explored the problem of practice in the role of empathy in writing center services, focusing on tutoring training. The research aimed to determine if empathy training and mindfulness could enhance the empathetic practices of writing center staff, and if such enhancements would make students using writing center services feel more included, seen, and heard during tutoring sessions. The problem of practice was examined through three lenses: tutor training, understanding empathy in the context of a writing center environment, and the perceptions of empathy from the students using writing center services. A mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and …

The Effects Of Ict On Higher Education In Mexico, Wietse De Vries, Germán Álvarez-Mendiola

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Special Issue

Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions (Hsis): Disrupting Institutional Whiteness, Jacqueline Black

Dissertations (1934 -)

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) educate disproportionately large percentages of Latinx and other underrepresented minority (URM) postsecondary students. But as most HSIs are also Historically White Colleges, whiteness permeates their campus structures, cultures, and practices. This study bridges gaps in our understanding around how legacies of historical whiteness on campuses that have recently become or are emerging as HSIs affect their efforts to serve Latinx/URM students. The project focuses on the perspectives of those faculty, staff, and administrators most intimately involved in “servingness” work on these campuses: HSI specialists. Employing a critical qualitative approach and guided by Critical Whiteness Studies and Omi …

The Potential To Be The Most Historic Higher Education Reform Effort Of Our Time: Implementation Of Ab705, Kristina Martinez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The Potential to Be the Most Historic Higher Education Reform Effort of Our Time: Implementation of AB705 As a result of California Assembly Bill 705(AB705, 2017) and California Assembly Bill 1705 (AB1705, 2021), most 1st-year students will enroll directly into transfer level math and/or English courses (Baca, 2021; Lopez, 2022; Melguizo et al., 2022; Sims, 2020). Students once placed into remedial coursework before enrolling in transfer level coursework may need more student support services to ensure course completion and retention (Atkins & Beggs, 2017; Baca, 2021; Cook, 2016; Lopez, 2022; Melguizo et al., 2022; Sims, 2020). The recent implementation of …

College Readiness And Persistence Among First-Year Community College Students On A Caribbean Island, Karen Sylvia Josiah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Upward Trend In Academic Unionization: Drivers And Influences, Andrea Clemons

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Over the last decade, the discourse on collective bargaining has evolved, shaped by the multifaceted challenges confronting contemporary higher education, including shifts in public perception and financial constraints. This article delves into the dynamic landscape of academic labor, highlighting its impact on tenured faculty, contingent faculty, and graduate students. The analysis encompasses the historical context of unionization, the transformation of academic labor structures, and present-day factors such as dissatisfaction with higher education, legislative mandates, and threats to academic freedom. The examination of recent legislative efforts in Florida, the article illustrates an ongoing trend and emphasizes the need for meaningful dialogues …

Understanding The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support And Psychological Well-Being: Perspectives Of Turkish Faculty Members, Ünal Deniz, Cihan Kocabaş

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of our quantitative correlational study is to investigate the relationship between the perceived organizational support of faculty members and their psychological well-being.

Methods: Our study included 450 faculty members from state universities in Istanbul who were selected using a simple random sampling method. We used descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and linear multiple regression analyses.

Results: We found that faculty perceptions of organizational support and psychological well-being vary according to academic title and tenure and are not different by gender. Perceived organizational support significantly predicted psychological well-being while controlling for gender, academic title, and tenure.

Conclusions: Ensuring …

Perceptions Of Instructional Faculty Regarding Their Professional Development Program, Brenda Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study is the lack of understanding of the instructional faculty members’ perspectives at southeastern university (SEU, pseudonym) on the strengths and professional activities for improvement of professional development program. The purpose of this study was to investigate how instructional faculty members at SEU perceive the strengths and opportunities for improvement of the professional development program. The conceptual framework for this program evaluation design study was based on Andragogy Theory. Fifteen instructional faculty members who participated in professional development activities and teach at least one course per year at SEU were interviewed. NVivo was used for …

Making Sense Of English Placement And Its Effect On Emergent Multilingual Students At An Emerging Hsi: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Samantha Glassford

Theses and Dissertations

Language acquisition support for Emergent Multilingual, or EML, students in community colleges across the United States does not receive as much attention in research as it does in K-12 schools and universities, despite the growing number of EML students enrolling in community colleges. With 25% of community college students being from immigrant backgrounds, these colleges - HSIs and EHSIs in particular - support for English language acquisition will need more attention and funding. The purpose of this study was to explore the sensemaking that occurred after the interruption of Guided Self-Placement, as well as the discourses present at an EHSI …

Digital Turn In Higher Education: An Examination Of Enablers And Inhibitors In The Turkish Context, Oğuzhan Bozoğlu

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Relationship Between Intercultural Competence And Inclusion Competence: An Empirical Study Of Faculty At Higher Education Institutions In The United States, Casey Aldrich

Dissertation Collection

This dissertation explores the relationship between faculty’s intercultural competence and their inclusion competence within the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the United States. The construct of intercultural competence refers to effectiveness in engaging people across cultural differences, while inclusion competence focuses on competences critical for effective performance related to inclusive behavior. Studying these two constructs together provides insight into the potential of intercultural education to contribute to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts at US HEIs, especially in terms of fostering inclusive learning environments. Drawing from data collected using two psychometric assessments – the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) …

Who Do We Think We Are? Designing A Higher Education Inclusive Excellence Audit Tool For Review Of Communication Materials, Abby Boyd, Bridget Trogden

Publications

As higher education institutions focus on improving and conveying our commitments to inclusive excellence, it becomes necessary to self-assess our communications. This work describes the development and pilot testing of a simple tool to assess the inclusive excellence of print or electronic materials produced at any scope – from individual department or unit through institution-wide uses. The tool considers several areas of inclusivity at once, allowing stakeholders to identify strengths and weaknesses in their communications and move towards continuous improvement.

Faculty Exodus From Africa: Exploring The Experiences Of African Academic Diasporic Faculty In The United States Of America, André Crenshaw

Theses and Dissertations

African higher education institutions are experiencing a faculty shortage influenced by globalization, internationalization, and brain drain. Prior literature on immigrant African and diaspora faculty exodus from Africa focuses on the brain drain in African higher education. Still, there is a need for further exploration of faculty teaching experiences virtually from the U.S. to Africa using educational technology with multiple academic appointments. This study aimed to assist stakeholders in gaining insight into how African Diasporic faculty adopt educational technology for virtual teaching, faculty development, cross-culture university-to-university collaborations, and exchanges. This research explored the experiences of higher education faculty, Black African academic …

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

Hot Leadership, Cool Leadership: How Education Policies Are Implemented (And Ignored) In Schools, Jeffrey S. Brooks, Melanie C. Brooks

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The article advances an emergent framework for conceptualizing the relationship between principal leadership and education policy implementation. Based on a qualitative study of school principals and policy implementation in Region X of the Philippines, findings suggested that the way in which policies were interpreted and implemented at the school level was influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic dynamics and these were shaped in situ by individual, school and community inhibitors and facilitators. These motivations and localized contexts were critical to implementation, and compelled principals to ignore, monitor, or implement education policies as a priority.

Public - Private In Vietnamese Universities: Exploring Sectoral Distinctiveness In Program Offerings, Lan Hoang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The public-private issues in higher education have been a longstanding important topic of academic and policy interest, especially in the context of the public - private duality in most higher education systems. With PHE’s impressive growth over the past few decades, now enrolling one third of global HE enrollments, the study of PHE has also been expanded, with several national case studies and world/regional edited books yet being mostly ad hoc with minimal synthesis or comparative analysis (Levy, 2024). The current case study of Vietnam, employing Levy’s double distinctiveness approach in sectoral distinctiveness analysis with the intrasectoral dissection on the …

Exploring Human Resources Practices And Challenges To Retain And Develop Millennial Workers For Future Leadership Roles In The Transportation And Logistics Industry: A Phenomenological Perspective, Graciela Pineda-Blasco

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined Human Resources practices in place in the Transportation and Logistics industry aimed at the retention, and development of millennial talent into future corporate leaders in the industry. Despite extensive literature on millennials, there remains ambiguity regarding their specific traits, behaviors, and commitment within corporate settings.

Given the generationally diverse workforce, it is crucial to understand the unique needs and expectations of different cohorts. This study focuses on millennials' communication styles, technological adaptability, and expectations for training and advancement. The findings highlight significant issues in current corporate culture, particularly in HR retention and training strategies, which are …

Leading Change: Components Of Successful Transformational Doctoral Programs In Organizational Leadership, Jennifer Dixon Dinielli, Rebecca Jeanne Farley

Transform

Innovation and transformational change are vital to the birth and rebirth of all organizations. This historical study of the Brandman University Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership utilized the Bolman and Deal (2017) four-frame model to examine the concept and development of the doctoral program with the Alpha Cohort of 2012. Findings from the study reveal five components of successful transformational doctoral programs that grew out of the factors considered and decisions made in the start-up phase of the program. This study contributes to the literature on transformational change and doctoral education by providing detailed analysis of critical factors of the …

Leading Transformational Change By Living Transformational Change: Seven Structures Of Successful Innovation In Doctoral Education, Rebecca Farley, Jennifer Dinielli

Transform

Transformational change is vital to the sustainability of all individuals and organizations. This qualitative historical study of the Brandman University Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership utilized the Bolman and Deal (2017) four-frame change model to examine the evolution of the program from 2013 through 2017. Findings from the study indicate seven key structures of the doctoral program had the greatest impact on the program’s successful transition from start-up to the refinement and scaling phases. This study contributes to the literature on transformational change and doctoral education by providing detailed analysis of critical factors of the program’s successful transformation in the …

Letter From The Editor In Chief, Jeffrey Lee

Transform

The TRANSFORM journal is a space for leaders, mentors, researchers, and practitioners of transformational leadership to be seen, heard, and valued; it is a place for making connections. Relationship-building is central to transformational leadership at all levels of an organization; this fundamental truth is a trending topic in literature. Otherwise, however, leadership can be an isolating experience.

As an ethnographer, I believe the best way to launch an academic, peer-reviewed journal is to do what I do best: storytelling. I want to share my thoughts on transformational leadership through a story in the form of a letter to my younger …

Looking Into The “Dark Mirror”: Autoethnographic Reflections On The Impact Of Covid-19 And Change Fatigue On The Wellbeing Of Enabling Practitioners, Angela Jones, Susan Hopkins, Ana Larsen, Joanne Lisciandro, Anita Olds, Marguerite Westacott, Rebekah Sturniolo-Baker, Juliette Subramaniam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic brought global disruptions to the way universities operate. Online learning abruptly took priority, as the physical campuses in Australian universities became deserted. Staff had to instantly adapt to major changes in work practices, whilst continuing to support students’ engagement and maintain quality teaching and learning. This article discusses how change fatigue during the pandemic impacted the wellbeing of staff working in the enabling education sector. As staff and student wellbeing is interdependent, gaining a better understanding of the influences on staff wellbeing in the post-pandemic era is worth exploring in the context of discussions around student wellbeing …