Digital Commons Network^™

Starting To Feel Like A Clinician: Graduate Student Experiences Of Communication Partner Training For People With Aphasia, Katie A. Strong, Esther S. Kim, Aura Kagan, Nina Simmons-Mackie

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Communication partner training (CPT) is among the most evidence-based interventions for supporting people with aphasia, yet many speech-language pathologists report not implementing it in practice, and graduate students frequently report low confidence communicating with people with aphasia prior to targeted training. This qualitative descriptive study examined graduate students' experiences learning CPT through a course-embedded, multi-modal experiential approach with structured reflection. Written reflections from 79 first-year graduate students across two university programs served as the data source. Reflections were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: Learning by Design, reflecting students' metacognitive awareness of the pedagogical elements most meaningful …

Cultivating Collaboration In Biomolviz: Key Attributes For Building A Stem Educator Community Of Practice, Pamela S. Mertz, Charmita Burch, Roderico Acevedo, Josh T. Beckham, Didem Vardar-Ulu, Kristin M. Fox, Lauren A. Genova, Rachel M. Mitton-Fry, Swati Agrawal, Daniel R. Dries, Kristen Procko

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

BioMolViz is an educational community of practice (CoP) focused on creating resources to improve biomolecular visual literacy instruction and assessment. The community of life science instructors developed in three phases, beginning with a small Core Team that emerged from a conference session and established the domain of interest for the CoP. In-person workshops, supported by short-term funding, drove the initial expansion of the community and the development of shared activities in Phase 2. This CoP was sustained through intentional choices about how members interact, collaborate, and share work. As the community matured in Phase 3, it was supported by longer-term …

Empowering Future Educators: How Service-Learning Shapes Teacher Candidate Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of Book Access, Nancy F. Hulan, Morgan S. Major

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Literacy rates are historically low in areas where access to books is limited. Thus, students with limited exposure to books prior to school pose a unique challenge to teachers, who often feel unprepared to teach students from underserved populations. To help remedy this, teacher candidates need preparation that builds their abilities to provide both access to books and quality literacy instruction for students who live in poverty. The study described in this article investigated the impact of literacy-related community engagement on teacher candidates’ self-efficacy, their understanding of book access, and their perceptions of teachers’ roles in providing book access. Participants …

Embedding Evaluation For Continuous Improvement In A Cohort-Based Doctoral Residency Model: Evidence From An Ed.D. Program, Monica J. Weir

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) includes two required summer residency weeks that serve as signature components of the doctoral experience. Given their central role in supporting academic milestones and scholarly community, program faculty have embedded systematic evaluation into residency design to support continuous improvement. This article describes a multi-phase, utilization-focused evaluation framework examining residency preparation, implementation, and participant experience. The evaluation designer collaborated with program faculty to design pre- and post-residency week instruments that elevate doctoral student voice and support faculty-led reflection. Preliminary findings indicated strong value placed on peer …

Faculty Engagement Practices With Building A Community Of Care, Cathryn Walker, Richard Penny, Lynne Orr, Kathleen Norris, Judith Blakely

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Faculty in a virtual online university benefited from employing elements of the community of care, community of inquiry, and social determinants of health frameworks to strengthen a sense of connection and to develop a community of care in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article presents an overview of practices at one university related to the design, implementation, and benefits accruing from employing strategies anchored in these frameworks. During 2022, two years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, university leaders approached a team of faculty members to facilitate a dialogue series to enhance relationships among faculty, given the …

Community Within Medical Universities: Finding Belonging, Elizabeth Cunio

be Still

This piece highlights the importance of community and belonging in higher education, specifically medical education. This piece reflects on how value of the student in the design process ensures a sense of beloning in the community.

Second Annual Advances In Business Education Conference 2026 Proceedings, Kelsey Metz

Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference Proceedings

Conference Overview: The Second Annual Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference was held on May 21–22, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Hosted by the LMU School of Business, the ABE Conference exists to promote teaching excellence, scholarly inquiry, and regional engagement through innovation and collaboration in business education.

With a focus on fostering meaningful dialogue among educators, researchers, students, and industry professionals, the conference welcomed more than 70 attendees representing 11 institutions from across the Appalachian region and beyond.

The event was structured around four key tracks:

Pedagogy and Teaching Excellence: Showcasing innovative teaching methods, instructional technologies, …

The Impact Of Community On Professional Identity In Computer Science Education, Ian A. Kollipara

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the application of Communities of Practice (CoPs) in Computer Science Education. The work consists of two qualitative studies examining related but distinct populations: (1) K–12 CS teachers and (2) undergraduate CS students. The first study presents a retrospective analysis of conneCTION, an online CoP for K–12 CS educators, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and design considerations that inform future platform development. The second study investigates how participation in a CoP can mitigate negative and exclusionary stereotypes in CS. This study was conducted in an under-explored context: a small, private, religious, Midwestern university, and examines an existing community, the Programming …

Open Education On Social Entrepreneurship: A Comparative Study Between Mexico And Bolivia To Scale Up Complex Thinking, Inés Alvarez-Icaza, Benito Javier Martinez-Briones, Liz Katherine Marco-Torrez, Evelyn Rondon-Jara

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of an open digital educational platform for developing complex thinking competencies through social entrepreneurship education among higher education students in Mexico and Bolivia. Specifically, it assessed changes in perceived systemic, scientific, critical, and innovative thinking and compared learning outcomes across both contexts.

Method: A quasi-experimental pre-post design was implemented with 601 participants (Mexico, n = 509; Bolivia, n = 92). Participants completed a validated 25-item, Likert-scale instrument assessing systemic, scientific, critical, and innovative thinking before and after engaging with the digital platform. Within- and between-group differences were analyzed using permutation-based statistical tests, complemented by …

Community Cultivation: Building Community Health, Growth, And Sustainability Through A Community Garden, Lauren J. Franks

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The Community Cultivation program is a grant proposal project that explores how a community garden can improve access to healthy food in rural areas, with a focus on Hays, Kansas. Guided by the question of how community-based food initiatives can reduce nutrition-related disparities, this project responds to the HaysMed Community Health Needs Assessment, which identifies nutrition and access to fresh produce as critical concerns for Ellis County. The program offers a sustainable, community-centered approach that increases the availability of fresh produce while building individual gardening and cooking skills. With an emphasis on food-insecure and low-income individuals, the Community Cultivation Garden …

Strengthening Communities Through Place-Based University Partnerships, Prajakt Pande, Marc T. Sager, Karen Pierce, Jessica Murillo, Rolonda Washington

Presentations

This multiple case study examines university-community partnerships through Place-Based Community Engagement (PBCE) framework, analyzing two nonprofit organizations participating in Community Connect, a university-led capacity-building initiative. Using thematic analysis, we explore how collaborative partnerships shape place-based relationships between universities and community organizations. Findings reveal complementary organizational strengths. Both cases illuminate shared challenges including transportation barriers, balancing funder requirements with community responsiveness, and achieving sustainable community ownership. Cross-case analysis demonstrates that effective PBCE requires systematic investment in relationship-building infrastructure, flexible evaluation approaches honoring community-defined outcomes, and cross-sector partnerships distributing power and resources. This research contributes to understanding universities' role as anchor institutions, …

Civic Engagement And Faith Perspectives, William O'Brochta

Intersections

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Intersections

No abstract provided.

Global Pathways: Suwon, South Korea - Semester Abroad Program Proposal, Amanda D. Ledger

Capstone Collection

This capstone proposes the Global Pathways: Suwon program, a semester-long study abroad initiative developed in partnership between Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Kyonggi University (KGU) in Suwon, South Korea. The program responds to current limitations in study abroad, particularly the prevalence of short-term tourism-oriented experiences and curricula that prioritizes Western perspectives. A needs assessment consisting of student interviews, surveys, and professional consultation demonstrated strong interest in programs that combine language learning, cultural immersion, and career development. Findings also highlighted the importance of financial accessibility, reciprocal host partnerships, and ongoing advising support. Drawing on Freire’s critical pedagogy and Vygotsky’s sociocultural …

Rural Black Church Leadership And Community Development In Midwest Illinois, Derrick Smith

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative study examines the role of a rural Black church in leadership development and community sustainability within a Midwestern Illinois town. While extensive scholarship documents the historical significance of the Black church in civil rights, political mobilization, and social advocacy, limited research explores the founding of contemporary Black churches and the intentional processes through which they develop leaders and support community sustainability in rural or small-town settings. This study addresses that gap by investigating the establishment and evolution of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (NHMBC) in DeKalb, Illinois, and its impact on leadership development and Black community development.

Guided …

Refusing To Die On The Vine: Black Women's Survival, Resistance, And Dei Labor In Historically White Institutions, Senesta D. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of Black women in non-diversity, non-faculty roles at historically White institutions (HWIs) who engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocacy beyond their formal job responsibilities. Grounded in Black Feminist Thought and guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the study explores how race and gender shape invisible labor expectations, emotional and psychological burdens, and strategies for safety and meaning-making. Semi-structured interviews with 12 Black women staff members yielded seven interrelated themes, including invisible DEI labor, hypervisibility, emotional exhaustion, sisterhood as a form of resistance, respectability politics, self-constructed safety, and purpose rooted in legacy and spirituality. …

Educación Financiera Y Adquisición De Vivienda En Adultos Mayores: Desafíos Y Estrategias En El Condado De Dade, Florida, José Rafael Torres Arocha

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación examinó la influencia de la educación financiera y legal en la adquisición y mantenimiento de vivienda en adultos mayores de 55 años en el Condado de Dade, Florida. El estudio surgió ante el incremento sostenido de los costos de vivienda, la limitada asequibilidad habitacional y la persistente brecha de conocimiento financiero y legal que afecta a esta población, condicionando su capacidad para tomar decisiones informadas.

Se adoptó un enfoque cualitativo mediante un estudio de caso instrumental, que permitió comprender en profundidad las experiencias vividas de cinco participantes que habían atravesado recientemente procesos de adquisición de vivienda. La recolección …

We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education From The Ground Up While They Try To Burn It Down, Shawntay King, Juanita E. Marquez, Keisha Rembert, Jolene Taylor, Thera Tilmon

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

Our text, We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education from the Ground Up While They Try to Burn It Down, examines how recent federal policy shifts, particularly the 2025 Dear Colleague letter and the Project 2025 educational platform, function as deliberate acts of deconstruction. These measures threaten to dismantle equity infrastructures in higher education while intensifying the erasure of Black women’s labor, leadership and legacy in the academy. Through Critical Policy Analysis and Black feminist thought, we argue that these policies operate simultaneously as blueprint and wrecking ball, systematically unraveling decades of progress and constraining the very communities that have sustained …

Global Pathways: Suwon, South Korea, Amanda D. Ledger

Capstone Collection

This capstone proposes the Global Pathways: Suwon program, a semester-long study abroad initiative developed in partnership between Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Kyonggi University (KGU) in Suwon, South Korea. The program responds to current limitations in study abroad, particularly the prevalence of short-term tourism-oriented experiences and curricula that prioritizes Western perspectives. A needs assessment consisting of student interviews, surveys, and professional consultation demonstrated strong interest in programs that combine language learning, cultural immersion, and career development. Findings also highlighted the importance of financial accessibility, reciprocal host partnerships, and ongoing advising support. Drawing on Freire’s critical pedagogy and Vygotsky’s sociocultural …

The Shadow Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On State Comprehensive Universities, Rachel Dolechek, Latisha Haag, Kylie Jank

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

Collegiate faculty at state comprehensive universities (SCU) have an opportunity to reflect on and learn from Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and Remote Hybrid Teaching (RHT) experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and apply the lessons learned to future emergency or crisis situations. This paper focuses on the shadow of COVID-19 and offers insight into building a learning environment that maintains academic design and prepares for the possibility of ERT or RHT, as well as the increased demand for hybrid courses. Findings from an explanatory, mixed-methods study at an SCU suggest a lack of teaching presence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on …

Collaborative Opportunity: Growing A Community Around Integrated Engineering, Rebecca Bates, Emanuela Tilley, Jenna Carpenter, Susan Lord

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

Integrated Engineering is emerging across the world. One commonality among programs is a desire to innovate in ways not seen as possible within traditional engineering disciplines. The inclusive pedagogical approaches seen in integrated engineering programs offer promise for truly transforming engineering education. These student-centered approaches align with caring pedagogies and provide sustainable infrastructure for supporting diverse student experiences. Innovation in engineering education can be challenging to implement and can be challenging to sustain. Community support can make a positive difference. Building on a series of community conversations at multiple international conferences as well as an international symposium in London during …

The Role Of Social Capital In Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness, Participation, And Sustainability: Insights From Service-Learning Evaluation Reports, Mark Anthony D. Abenir

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Social capital, encompassing networks, trust, and shared norms among community members, underpins the success of community development initiatives. This study examines how deliberate efforts to strengthen social capital influence organizational effectiveness, participant engagement, and long‐term sustainability in four urbanbased service‐learning projects in Metro Manila, Philippines. Through a qualitative review of comprehensive endof‐project evaluation reports spanning a junior educator tutoring program, a disaster preparedness intervention, a women’s leadership and organization development project, and project management capacity‐building workshop for conditional cash transfer beneficiaries, the research applied a three‐dimensional social capital framework: structural (network coordination and information exchange), cognitive (shared norms and collective …

Cultivating Community Resilience Through Youth Engagement, Elizabeth K. Anthony, Allison Mullady, Kendelle Brown, Michelle Blagg-Catone, Stephanie Castillo

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This article presents the impact of Arizona State University’s Design Studio for Community Solutions (DSCS) on youth engagement and community resilience. Through a mixed-methods approach, the study assesses the impact of DSCS programs on youth engagement and community resilience. The findings highlight best practices, underscoring the importance of consistent communication, trust-building, and community representation. Additionally, the research offers nuanced recommendations for future investigations, emphasizing the importance of continuous data collection and periodic assessments to drive ongoing improvement and address unmet community needs.

Community Engagement Networks: Utilizing The Untethered, Theresa M. Harrison

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this forum commentary, I discuss those who fall outside the traditional community engagement professional (CEP) roles and how they can be better used in community engagement networks. As a staff member not working in or affiliated with a community engagement office, I feel untethered. Staff, faculty, and CEPs deeply invested in community engagement efforts need community engagement networks both within and outside our institutions that accommodate various roles and their unique contributions.

The Relationship Between Perceived Institutional Support And Student Experience For Employer Selection, Employee Persistence, And Career Path Among Community-Engaged Faculty And Staff Members, James Morgan Lewing

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the potential relationship between the employment decisions of faculty and staff members who participate in community engagement and their perceptions of organizational support for community engagement. Findings indicated that perceptions of organizational support can influence employment decisions, especially for individuals who participated in community engagement activities as students.

Urban University Community Engagement: Questions Of Commitment To Democratic Ethics And Social Change, Khaula Murtadha

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper examines ethical issues underpinning urban university engagement in community spaces. The intent is to encourage an evaluation stance and consider how university representatives and community representatives might justly approach and develop partnerships. The paper questions whether faculty, staff, and community partners take action to cultivate public dialogue, or what might be called democratic voice, to bring about social change. Social change organizations unambiguously try to affect and reshape public and environmental affairs, group dynamics, processes, and outcomes. Are the university administration and faculty, in partnership with community stakeholders, ready to take on the charge of social change organization?

Community Engagement: It Is All About Relationships!, Jennifer June Anderson

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The ability to generate sustainable, mutually beneficial, interprofessional teams becomes a critical skill for today’s emerging professionals. Interprofessional teams can be developed among community-university partners to bridge the intellectual resources of academe through a model of scaffolding interrelated paradigms. This work will provide a conceptual framework for enhancing community engagement through interprofessional collaborative practices for continuing education programs.

In Like Flint: How The Innovation Incubator At Um‐Flint Fosters Social Entrepreneurship In A City Remaking Itself, Nic Custer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper focuses on how the University of Michigan-Flint’s Innovation Incubator supports emerging for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations through programming, business plan development, and ongoing mentorship. The incubator is especially interested in supporting start -ups that address key social issues in the surrounding community, including economic vitality. This goal aligns with the university’s mission, which emphasizes that engaged citizens can exercise some control over the social, environmental, and economic factors in the larger community.

Development Of A Cure In Principles Of Cell And Molecular Biology, Heather Seitz

Sabbatical Projects

This project presentation highlights the work done during sabbatical to develop an authentic research experience into BIOL135 Principles of Cell and Molecular Biology. The sabbatical allowed for development time but further work was done to measure impact and outcomes for future implementation.

Prompting Progress: An Eight-Week Ai Literacy Cohort For Academic Advisors – A Program Evaluation Report, Leo S. Lo

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

As generative AI floods higher education, academic advisors—often the first humans students consult—must learn to partner with the technology, not compete with it. This eight-week, community-of-practice pilot at the University of New Mexico gave 15 advisors guided access to GPT-4 for degree planning, policy queries, and email drafting. Pre/post surveys showed familiarity rising from 2.50 to 3.50, overall AI-literacy from 2.71 to 3.90, and confidence from 3.07 to 4.00 on a 5-point scale. Workflow logs documented recruitment emails produced in minutes rather than hours. Participants highlighted ethical guard-rails as a new competency, not an afterthought. Results suggest advisor-centric programs can …