Digital Commons Network^™

2023-12-06 Academic Department Organizational Changes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Forthcoming academic department organizational changes and its impact on the Faculty Senate as submitted on December 6, 2023.

Examining Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach In Low-Income Schools Upon Completing A Master Of Arts In Teaching Degree, Aisha Collins

Dissertations

Recent teacher shortages after the 2020 to 2022 COVID pandemic disruption of education systems have increased interest in Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) targeting teacher candidates who obtained earlier degrees in fields other than education. This mixed methods research project employed surveys and semi-structured interviews to examine perceptions of early career teachers who completed a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) preparation program in a midwestern U.S. urban, low-income setting. These MAT EPP program completers described their views of their preparation program, including the EPP’s perceived strengths and areas for improvement framed by Danielson’s four domains of teaching responsibility: Planning and …

A Mixed Methods Design Exploring Factors And Experiences Of Ed.D. Graduates And Time To Degree, Brian Willess

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In higher education, the extended time-to-degree of doctoral students creates a gap between those who graduate on time and those who do not. This delay is due to program structures, relationships, and dissertation writing. Academic success requires timely program completion and increases career opportunities for graduates. A long time to degree increases the risk of non-completion, especially during dissertations. Attrition, persistence, and dropping out have been studied, but why students graduate on time needs more examination. Most studies focus on Ph.D. students and programs with different requirements and time-to-degree, so new research must include Ed.D. students and examine doctoral graduates' …

Intercultural Competency Development Model For Extension Professionals: Expert Consensus Using The Delphi Technique, John M. Diaz, Cody Gusto, K.S.U Jayaratne, Lendel Narine, Colby Silvert, Cecilia Suarez, Celina Wille

Journal of Extension

To address concerns about the applicability of existing intercultural competence models to the Extension context, we aimed to develop a systematic intercultural competence framework tailored for Extension professionals through a collaborative and consensual process. A three-phased Delphi approach was utilized with a panel of 36 intercultural competence experts in Extension across academic disciplines to identify and finalize competencies thought to be necessary across career phases. The panel agreed upon 54 competencies in total with 13 competencies to develop in the first year, 37 competencies to develop in the first three years and four competencies in years two through seven.

An Empowerment Evaluation Of Colorado Mountain College’S Mountain Scholars Program Via Latino Alumni Aspirational Goals And Outcomes, Laura Anne Bruch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative inquiry evaluated Colorado Mountain College’s (CMC) in-house Mountain Scholars Program (MSP) via semi-structured interviews with five of its Latino alumni. This study’s assets-based social justice/transformative philosophical framework included David Fetterman’s methodological empowerment evaluation and Tara Yosso’s conceptual community cultural wealth (CCW) theory. This dissertation in practice examined the gap in literature with regards to an in-house student support services program evaluation that partners with the community and focuses on Latinos’ aspirations and aspirational outcomes. I wanted to be a worthy witness to the student demographic group at CMC, as well as at most American postsecondary institutions, considered the …

2023 October 09 - University Council Agenda And Minutes, University Council, East Tennessee State University

University Council Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Emotional Intelligence In Difficult Decision-Making: A Multiple-Case Study Of Community College Academic Deans, Ekaterina Kalinina Brooks

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The decisions made by leaders noticeably impact employee morale and influence the fulfillment of the organizational mission. However, making decisions can be challenging when options are complex and involve multiple risks and benefits. Navigating such decisions in an era of technology when decisions are more transparent than ever before can be particularly difficult for academic deans in community colleges. These mid-level administrators often face internal conflicts stemming from the nature of their positions, campus politics, and the challenge of working between the competing interests of faculty and senior leaders.

Over the last three decades, research has pointed out that strong …

Advancing Community-Engaged Research Via The Food Justice Research And Action Cluster: A Transdisciplinary Ecosystem Model, Elaine Ward, Eleanor Tate Shonkoff, Cynthia H. Carlson, Christopher S. Stuetzle

Education Faculty Publications

Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian College. This single institutional case study shares the work of faculty and the College to institutionalize community engaged research through the development of a Community Engaged Action & Research Cluster (CERC). Through the case study, we elucidate the sphere of influence of faculty with regard to community engagement and the ways in which that sphere of influence can add value to individual careers and the institution as a whole. This case study also demonstrates the impact of institutional engagement initiatives on faculty research and civic engagement in food justice.

Systems Thinking Applied To Higher Education Curricula Development, Reza Rahdar, Mark London, Yuetong Lin, Hong Jiang

Publications

Systems Thinking (ST) is a general and yet nebulous term that describes an approach to understanding and working with complexity in the real world. ST seeks to evaluate different behaviors of individual system elements when they operate in isolation as opposed to when they are integrated as part of a larger system and placed within a particular operating environment. The education environment consists of multiple systems with different digital content, learning goals/outcomes that serve different stakeholders including teachers, learners, and administrators. The inherent complexity and interaction among these various educational system elements and functions make this environment a worthy candidate …

Weak Organizational Culture In Higher Education Leads To Unmet Organizational Goals, Jennifer Willard Matthews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative case study explores the perception of weak organizational culture at one institution of higher education and the influence of weak culture on attaining organizational goals. The general problem addresses a weak organizational culture where department leaders operate independently of organizational policies and procedures, resulting in the inability to reach organizational goals. The study included fifteen survey responses from faculty and staff, two follow-up interviews, two observations of university-sponsored group activities, and current data from the 2021 Work and Well-Being Survey conducted by the American Psychological Association. Themes emerged from collected data and existing literature allowing the researcher to …

Qualities Of Effective Saudi University Presidents, Ziyad Sultan

Theses & Dissertations

The transformation of educational resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was presented as a crucial part of vision 2030 by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2016 as an important part of an overall strategy to diversify the KSA from its over-dependence on oil revenues. Vision 2030 imagined the transformational development of knowledge resources in the KSA including the development of leadership and knowledge applications to support the social and economic needs of the nation. High on the list of priorities was transformation of the 33 public universities in the KSA to be able to operate autonomously. Clearly, …

Gender Disparity In Chinese Academia: A Conceptual Analysis Through Organizational Theory Lens, Sanfeng Miao

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Vamos A Pláticar: The Sense-Making Process Of Career Services Practitioners At California Community Colleges In A Guided Pathways Epoch, Claudia Estrada-Howell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The California Community College system and its vision for success, which includes a focus on increasing students' degree and certificate completion, as well as increasing the percentage of existing Career and Technical Education students who report being employed in their field of study is highlighted. To help support these goals, the California Community College System has adopted the Guided Pathways framework. This framework requires all campuses to fundamentally redesign their programs and support services to ensure they are clear, more educationally coherent pathways to credentials that in turn prepare students for success in the workforce and further education. To do …

For Us By Us About Us: Constructing Latinx-Centered Higher Education Institutions, Cynthia K. Orellana

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Higher education institutions’ organizational identities, cultures, and praxis have neglected to honor the values, culture, and knowledge assets of Latinx communities, making it difficult to gain educational justice and equity, which could be attained through Latinx-centered models of higher education. The Latinx higher education experience needs to be deconstructed and reconstructed by resisting whiteness as normative and including People of Color as “holders and creators of knowledge” (Bernal, 2002). Alternatives to normative higher education institutions are limited in the literature, particularly those that have been founded by Latinx communities. Thus, the purpose of the study was to explore how organizational …

Persistence And Retention Of Adult Learners: Results Of A Program Evaluation Of Tuition Funding Provided By Employers, Andrea J. Gross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the looming enrollment cliff approaches and more adult learners return to higher education, understanding the factors that affect their persistence and retention is vital for higher education institutions. Previous studies have shown that external factors influence post-traditional learners’ pursuit of higher education. This program evaluation aimed to acquire knowledge of up-front employer tuition funding and its effects on adult learners' persistence, retention, and time to degree completion. Through a quantitative approach, this program evaluation examines the differences between students receiving up-front employer tuition funding and those who do not. The results indicated that students who received employer funding retained …

Integrating Behavioral Research Findings With A Liberal Arts Paradigm, Jonathan Peterson

LSU Master's Theses

This paper explores the role of behavioral research in understanding the complexity and relevance of creativity. A brief history of the liberal arts and its current application is followed by a discussion of the importance of variability in generating novel and diverse responses, challenging the notion that creativity is solely a product of innate talent. The effects of reinforcement on variability, and how it relates to a complex relationship between reinforcement and the probability of variable responding leads to a discussion of how the combination of previously trained behaviors can lead to creative problem-solving, emphasizing the role of combinatory behavior …

Inaugural Defense And Security Research Symposium Of The Purdue Military Research Institute, Chad Laux, J. Eric Dietz, John Springer, Randy Rapp, Leon Robert

Purdue Military Research Institute: Inaugural Defense & Security Research Symposium “Academia as a Strategic National Asset”

This document is the full conference proceedings from June 26-27, 2023.

Crisis Leadership In Higher Education: A Case Study Of Administrative Responses During A National Pandemic, Katelyn M. Gerlach

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore institutional crisis leadership during a global pandemic in the athletic departments of five mid-major universities located in the Midwest United States, including Blue University, Red University, Green University, Orange University, and Purple University. This study examined the leadership response and decisions surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic. Research leaders consisted of members of the university’s executive leadership team and the athletic departments senior staffs.

I have gathered data in one-on-one, in person and virtual interviews with each member of the executive teams and gained insight and understanding of their leadership …

Lux Et Fides - Full Issue (Volume 1, 2023)

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Volume 1, 2023

Internationalization Strategies In Chinese Higher Education Institutions: Examining A Selection Of Award-Winning Four-Year Universities, Yuqian Zhang

Dissertations

China is building the fastest growing higher education system, in quality as well as in quantity, in the world and emphasizes internationalization in education policy as a guide to building its own capacity and developing native talent. With regained self-confidence and geopolitical ambition, China is also emerging as a new potential higher education leader along its New Silk Road. The purpose of this study was to explore internationalization strategies employed at select, award-winning Chinese four-year universities, specifically those awarded the National Teaching Achievement Award, the highest national award in teaching and education in the country, for their internationalization efforts.

This …

Measuring The Learning Effectiveness Of Two Courses In A Program In Accounting Data And Analytics, Clarence Goh, Duan Ning, Magdeleine Lew, Gary Pan, Poh Sun Seow

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Driven by rapid technological innovation, information technology (IT) is expected to significantly alter the way that accountants work. However, both accounting researchers and practitioners have observed a shortage of accounting professionals who currently possess the relevant technology skillsets to exploit technological advances. In response, the School of Accountancy of a Singapore-based university launched a second major program in Accounting Data and Analytics in 2018. In this study, we examine the learning effectiveness of two courses – Business Data Management and Data Modelling & Visualization – offered as part of the program. Overall, our results suggest that the courses are effective …

Two Identities Two Impostors One Student, Randy Valdez

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Imposter Syndrome is a well-known psychological phenomenon characterized by a persistent feeling of inadequacy despite evidence of competence and success. While current research has identified five types of Impostor Syndrome, This synthesis offers the existence of an additional impostor type. This study aims to investigate the existence of "Impostor Two-Two-One” (ITTO), where college students coming from underrepresented backgrounds develop multiple social identities in which each social identity carries different fears of being exposed as a fraud or impostor. Data was collected in the form of structured interviews with students who identify as a combination of first-generation, low-income, and students of …

Serving National Strategic Needs, Cultivating Top Innovative Talents—Institutional Logic And Developing Practice Of University Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences In Running Integration Of Scientific Research And Education, Yueliang Wu, Yanfen Wang, Zuomin Xiao, Jianming Miao, Guoqiang Yang, Haoran Li, Zhongping Xu, Xiaoli Niu, Jichang Dong, Depeng Jin, Hui Huang, Xiao Lin, Ji’An Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China regards “invigorating China through research and education and developing a strong workforce for the modernization drive” as a special chapter, and particularly emphasizes that “education, science and technology, and human resources are the foundational and strategic pillars for building a modern socialist country in all respects”. The integration of research and education is an important way to achieve the integrated development of education, technology, and talents. This study traced back to the origin and development of the integration of research and education, analyzed three specific manifestations of …

Interest Convergence And Neoliberalism: Effects On Entry-Level Staff Of Color Who Perform Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Higher Education, Jesse N. Avila

Master's Theses

Higher education was not originally built to benefit people of color. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are many ways in which universities seek to change higher education. However, higher education has a staff retention problem and is at risk of losing more than half of its current workforce. Retention problems also impact entry-level staff of color who perform DEI in universities. Through a lens of interest convergence and neoliberalism, this qualitative study gathered the experiences of entry-level staff of color who perform DEI in student affairs, looked at how their experiences are shaped by the structures of the university, and …

Carrying The Weight : The Racialized Labor Of Multicultural Center Directors Of Color In Higher Education, Sherlene Iris Ayala

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Race-based cultural centers (e.g., Black Cultural Centers) were established on college campuses in the 1960s in response to the neglect experienced by Black students (Chessman & Wayt, 2016; Gorski, 2019; Gorski & Chen, 2015; Hurtado et al., 1998; Joseph & Hirshfield, 2011; Smith, 2008). During the multiculturalism movement of the 1980s, some institutions eliminated race- based cultural centers and established Minority Student Services (MSS) to support all historically marginalized students under a centralized center (Patton, 2011; Patton & Hannon, 2008). Since the establishment of these cultural centers, scholars reported that directors experienced institutional roadblocks (e.g., lack of funding) and resistance …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Board Of Governors Meeting, April 26, 2023, Marshall University Board Of Governors

Board of Governors Minutes

No abstract provided.

A Delphi Study Of Possible, Probable, And Desirable Futures At 4-Year U.S. Higher Education Institutions By 2035, Mary Cutia-Pluff

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe educational changes at 4-year higher education institutions that are possible and probable by 2035 as perceived by a panel of experts. Additionally, the purpose was to determine the level of desirability of educational changes identified as probable by a panel of experts. Finally, the purpose was to describe actions necessary to promote the desirable educational changes by 2035 as perceived by the panel of experts.

Methodology: The Delphi method was used to survey 17 higher education experts from diverse disciplines. Four survey rounds gathered qualitative and quantitative data regarding …

Five Things You Should Know This Week, Georgia Southern University

A Few Things You Should Know This Week (2020-2023)

New non-academic space reservation platform starts this week

USG required cybersecurity training due by April 28

Commencement hosts and candidate assistants needed

Annual Progress Report Supplemental File

Scholarship With A Reach, Lori B. Doyle, Tanya M. Tarbutton, Kellie L. Albrecht

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

While the goal of providing a path to degree completion for master’s level participants is worthy, universities can consider ways for scholarship to have a far-reaching impact beyond the individual benefits to program completers. The field of education is situated in the social sciences and rationale for program development, when tied to a theoretical foundation, provides for theory-to-practice implications. Organizational change theory is an appropriate foundation for a discussion on master’s level culminating research projects designed with a goal of enacting change in classrooms, schools, districts, and even around the globe. One university’s approach will be highlighted and two culminating …

Women In Higher Education: A Brief Report On Stress During Covid-19, Dimple S. Johnson, Aaron D. Johnson, Kristen B. Crossney, Emily Devereaux

Public Policy & Administration Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions have evolved into a more stressful environment. Women have been experiencing higher levels of stress than their male counterparts. With higher education adopting to the onset of the pandemic, this brief report studied women’s perceived stress in relation to perceived organizational and supervisory support, and age during times of crisis. In an era of social distancing, quarantines, and lockdowns, the findings suggest that women’s perceived stress is negatively related to age, perceived organizational support, and perceived supervisory support. Society as we once knew it pre-pandemic will never be the same. Higher education is inevitably going to have …