Digital Commons Network^™

Cultivating Wisdom And Virtue: A Professional Development Model For Teachers Entering Classical Schools, Andrea Lyons Wells

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Andrea Lyons Wells on April 10, 2026.

Exploring Healthcare Career Pathways: Survey Findings From The Unmc High School Alliance Program, Jana L. Wardian Phd, Rachael Jaixen, Jaynie Bird, Heidi Kaschke

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

The ongoing demand for a well-prepared and adequately staffed healthcare workforce in the United States highlights the value of effective educational pipeline programs. The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) High School Alliance (HSA) was created as an immersive, academic enrichment initiative to expose motivated high school students from a range of educational and socioeconomic backgrounds to health professions, with the long-term aim of strengthening the healthcare workforce in Nebraska. This article evaluates the design, curriculum, and measurable impact of the UNMC HSA over its 16-year history. Students participate daily throughout the school year, engaging in courses such as patient …

The Role Of Mentorship: The Lived Experience Of Black Women In Higher Education Leadership, Joseph Fahrney

JWU Dissertations & Theses

The persistent underrepresentation of Black women in higher education leadership raises important questions about how institutional environments shape leadership advancement, belonging, and sustainability. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the role of mentorship in the lived experiences of Black women leaders in higher education in shaping leadership trajectories, professional development, and institutional engagement. Participants included senior leaders serving in roles such as president, vice president, chief officer, and other executive administrative positions across higher education institutions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants (N=17), generating narrative data reflecting their experiences navigating leadership environments and mentorship relationships. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Adaptive Learning Strategies Among Deaf Students In Inclusive Higher Education: A Thematic Analysis, Mayasari Manar, Murni Winarsih

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of learning adaptation strategies implemented by students with hearing impairments in the context of inclusive higher education. The study employs a qualitative approach using an open-ended survey design involving 15 students with hearing impairments who are currently enrolled in or have previously attended higher education institutions. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach to identify thematic patterns related to perceptions of the effectiveness of the adaptation strategies employed. The findings indicate that the majority of respondents perceived the adaptation strategies they used as “fairly effective,” although not yet fully optimal. The …

Bridging The Gap: Design And Evaluation Of Skillbridge: A Case Study In Ai-Assisted Cybersecurity Curriculum Development, Patrick W. Gonzalez

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the aequirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Patrick W. Gonzalez on April 8, 2026.

Street-Level Bureaucrats In Public Higher Education: The Ethical Obligations To Support Psychologically At-Risk Students, Michael Turtz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

To fill the gap in the current literature, the purpose of this dissertation was to explain how and why Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLBs) in public higher education helped psychologically at-risk students during the pandemic. This qualitative study was intended to examine the role of SLBs in public higher education as it relates to their utilization of administrative discretion when advising psychologically at-risk students. In addition to administrative discretion, this dissertation also explored the role of ethical obligations and the use of a therapeutic lens when SLBs are faced with some of the most difficult situations for which they were not equipped …

The Impact Of Social Isolation On Community College Students' Learning Modality Preferences, Melinda F. Walker

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Melinda F. Walker on April 8, 2026.

A Case Study Examining Why Students Succeed When Exposed To Peer Tutors, Van E. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to identify the impact of online peer tutoring on students’ perceptions of their success for students who participated in online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University (a pseudonym used for this research). This research was grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided a comprehensive framework for examining the factors influencing the effectiveness of peer tutoring among students. This study answered three research questions: How do online students use peer tutoring at Summit Faith University, how does online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University shape students’ perceptions of their success at Summit Faith …

Elementary-Level Achievement And Compliance Coach Training Manual, Tara B. White

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Tara B. White on April 7, 2026.

Offloading Learning To A Stochastic Parrot: Generative Ai’S Impacts On Academic Integrity And The Current State Of Best Practices, Mary Broussard

Faculty Journal Articles

Writing-from-sources assignments (also known as research papers) are an integral part of a college education and primarily how librarians support information literacy skill development. While students have always found ways to circumvent learning through plagiarism, generative AI systems’ ability to complete entire assignments means that past recommendations to discourage plagiarism are insufficient. This article reviews previous plagiarism-deterrent recommendations, what has changed in the age of generative AI, and provides suggestions for how teaching faculty and librarians can respond.

The Life And Legacy Of Sherwood Fiske Brown: A Case Study In The Evolution Of American Higher Education, Alden Small '26

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis pursues various avenues of inquiry. I analyzed a multitude of primary sources related to Sherwood Fiske Brown, including his undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, and doctoral dissertation. I visited Colby College over the summer of 2025 and uncovered many biographical documents and papers related to his time at Colby, as well as his sabbatical at MIT in 1957. Of particular interest is a biographical information packet completed by Brown upon his date of hire, which provides his occupational and familial history. I also obtained information from St. Lawrence University, MIT, UMass Lowell, and the Framingham Historical Society. These sources …

Voiceless Experiences: Stress And Coping Of International Students With Language Barriers, Junguen Lee, Hongryun Woo, April Nguyen, Melissa Henry

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

International students’ difficulties and unique needs have been increasingly explored in professional literature, reflecting the expanding number of international students enrolling in the United States’ higher education institutions. Language difficulties appear to be the most challenging issue for international students from non-English speaking countries as they become marginalized as a linguistic minority on campus. Few researchers have focused specifically on understanding international students’ experiences of being voiceless due to language barriers, nor have they postulated the nature of their adaptation process. This grounded theory study aimed to investigate international students’ stress and coping experiences with language barriers and develop a …

A Model Of International Student Retention, Dylan Rust

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper presents a model of international student retention influences that affect these students’ decisions to remain at a university in the United States. The levels of the model, in order of importance, are intentions/background characteristics and finances, academic integration, cultural identity, and social integration. Intentions/background characteristics and finances are related to and influence each other in terms of their impact on retention. While multiple retention theories focus on the socialization of college students, this model posits that financial and academic factors have greater influence. The paper also discusses the influence that being a non-immigrant visa status international student has …

2026-04-02 Annual Review Reporting Policy Changes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

A report titled, "How policy changes have reduced annual review reporting burdens," submitted to the Faculty Senate on April 2, 2026.

2026-04-02 Faculty Senate Newsletter, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate newsletter from April 2, 2026.

Community College Food Literacy Workshop Manual, Loretta Murphy Reid

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Loretta Murphy Reid on April 2, 2026.

Empirical Benchmarks For Interpreting Effect Sizes In Violent Crime Interventions, Kohta James Matsukawa Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Criminal justice researchers apply Cohen’s (1988) benchmarks to classify effect sizes as small, medium, or large, despite these standards never being meant for broad, decontextualized use (Cohen, 1988; Gies et al., 2024; Goulet-Pelletier & Cousineau, 2018; Lakens, 2013; Milner et al., 2023). Repeatedly doing so may weaken statistical validity, distort findings, and impede effective policymaking. This study introduces the first effect size benchmarks specifically designed for violent crime interventions.

Using a quasi-meta-analysis framework, 1,605 effect sizes from 104 violent crime intervention studies from the CrimeSolutions clearinghouse were converted to Cohen’s d. Three new discrete benchmarking methods were created using a …

Fcrh Honors Program: 2025-26 Year In Review, Fcrh Honors Program

FCRH Honors Program Newsletters and Reports

No abstract provided.

Gold & Blue Law Edition, Spring 2026, St. Mary's University - San Antonio, Texas

Gold & Blue Law Edition

This is the Spring 2026 edition of Gold & Blue Law Edition which is St. Mary's University's official School of Law publication.

A Qualitative Examination Of Mentoring Practices For First-Generation, Low-Income Stem Students Through A Critical Intersectionality Lens, Christina Torres Garcia, Laura Zamudio-Orozco, Martin Meraz Garcia

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Arts and Humanities

This study examines the mentoring experiences of first-generation, lowincome, and underrepresented students in STEM through the lens of Critical Intersectional Mentoring (CIM). Drawing on testimonios from McNair Scholars, this study identifies the systemic barriers and power dynamics that shape mentoring relationships and limit academic success. Traditional mentorship models often ignore intersecting identities, leading to experiences of marginalization, mentor absenteeism, and cultural disconnection. The CIM framework integrates Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy to reframe mentoring as a social justice practice grounded in equity, empowerment, and relational trust. Using qualitative content analysis of pláticas, the study uncovers three key …

Cuny Oer Initiative Catalog (Ay 2024-2025), Jahanara Alamgir, Yujin Lee-Hwang, Rachael Nevins, Elliot Galvis, Rebecca Morofsky, Andrew Mckinney, Jojo Karlin

Open Educational Resources

This circulating catalog inventories the reusable teaching objects produced by CUNY campuses in AY 2024-2025! You’ll find textbooks, assignments, syllabi, videos, and more, organized by discipline and with brief descriptions of the resource. This publication (which links to all the resources) is supplemented by a by our online, filterable CUNY OER Initiative Catalog.

The CUNY OLS Research and Publishing Strategy team gathered, described and indexed the work of the campuses. OLS Fellow Hwang-Lee Yujin designed the publication.

Research Showcase Program, St. Mary's University

Program - 2026

No abstract provided.

Navigating Faith, Race, And Belonging: A Qualitative Study Of Students Of Color At A Private Christian University, Eunice Hong

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Corey Ross, Eunice Hong, Steve Beers, Andrew Degroot, Rebecca Crowder, William Buhrow, Aundrea Paxton, Hannah Acquaye, Jacob Banks

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Backlash: How Racial Justice In Higher Education Is Being Trumped By Politics, Aaron N. Taylor

AccessLex Institute Research

This article discusses contemporary social and political backlash to racial justice and how it has overshadowed and flouted higher education antidiscrimination law and principles of racial justice. The first three parts chart the evolution of U.S. Supreme Court precedent in higher education affirmative action cases. Part I interrogates the Court’s fallacious detachment of affirmative action from its racial justice origins in Defunis and Bakke. Part II discusses how the Grutter majority tacitly departed from Bakke, using the vague concept of critical mass to seemingly empower schools to engage in affirmative action as a racial justice tool. Part III explains how …

Congressional Reform Project, Hanna Brant Ph.D.

School of Arts & Sciences

This assignment was developed by SUNY Geneseo Professor Hanna Brant during the spring 2026 semester.

Learning Objectives

• Describe and analyze the legislative process of the United State’s Congress;
• Identify the internal and external factors that influence legislative behavior;
• Critically analyze arguments concerning the appropriate role and powers of the legislature;
• Interpret social science research on the behavior of legislators;
• Evaluate policy strategies for advancing a legislative agenda; and
• Collaborate and communicate with peers on contemporary legislative issues and challenges.

Model Woman: Realizing Frances Folsom Cleveland As A Fashion Archetype Of Gilded-Age America, Olivia R. Sweet

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

This paper is an exploration of former First Lady Frances Folsom Cleveland’s position as an influential figure in women’s fashion during her years in the White House, seeking to fill a gap in historical scholarship regarding her legacy. It proposes the term “fashion archetype” to describe the phenomenon of celebrity that Frances experienced in which her public persona was detached from her individual identity and manipulated by the media to influence American women. Analysis of her early-White House wardrobe and the media attention her style and appearance received reveals the power that clothing held in nineteenth-century American society, as well …

Sjsu Erfa News, Spring 2026, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 39, No 3

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Writ And Roe: How And Why American Evangelicals Responded To Abortion And Roe V. Wade (1960-Present), Caiden Hooks

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Beginning in 1925, evangelical Protestants largely left American politics. During the late 1960s, the pro-life movement was a largely liberal, Roman Catholic cause focused on reversing liberal state abortion laws. After the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion in Roe v. Wade (1973), the political landscape changed dramatically. Over the next decade-and-a-half, evangelicals, including Southern Baptists, re-entered American politics, eventually becoming the face of the pro-life movement and the conservative Religious Right. Southern Baptists in particular, were motivated to join the pro-life movement by statements and material put out by prominent evangelicals, including books, documentaries, and biblical commentary material that laid …