Digital Commons Network^™

Com 320 Facebook Group Survey, Melissa Smith

OUR Assignment Repository

This class research project involved a qualitative study looking at a private Facebook site that focuses on the city of Columbus and the surrounding area. The owner of the site gave permission for a survey to be conducted among the sites more than 17,000 members. The Qualtrics survey was live for two weeks, and then students analyzed the responses. The Communication theories discussed during the semester were chosen to compliment the social media research project. The research and findings were incorporated into the course curriculum, and students were responsible for writing and editing the methodology component of the research paper …

U.S News & World Report 2025 Graduate Program Rankings, Unlv & Unr, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet presents 2025 graduate program rankings for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and for the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) based on the data published in spring 2025 by U.S. News & World Report. The graduate program categories reported include business, education, engineering, fine arts, law, medicine and health care, sciences and mathematics, and social sciences and humanities.

2025 August 19 - Medical Student Education Committee Minutes, Medical Student Education Committee, East Tennessee State University

Medical Student Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Ursinus College Course Catalogue, Office Of The Registrar

Ursinus College Catalogues, 1869-Present

A digital copy of the 2025-2026 Ursinus College Catalog. It contains details of the curriculum, departmental requirements and courses of instruction as well as the Open Questions core requirements, experiential learning and the Common Intellectual Experience (CIE). Academic policies, special opportunities and scholarships, off-campus programs and graduation requirements are also outlined.

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 1, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Social Thought From The Ruins: Quixote’S Dinner Party, David A. Westbrook

Books

Through stories, conversations, and essays, this book pursues interwoven critical and philosophical inquiries into the nature of the contemporary in the North Atlantic, asking how are we to live as intellectuals, individually and in community? Social Thought From the Ruins: Quixote’s Dinner Party is the product of informal discussion and academic work done over the last two decades among an international group of social scientists. An extended critique of academic life today and the context of our own thinking, this book interrogates aspects of our modernity, with its pervasive sense of crisis and uncertainty, and the difficulty of thinking clearly …

Effects Of A Wellness Program On Perceived Stress And Occupational Balance With Occupational Therapy Students, Sean M. Brim, Kristian Llaca, Arlenys Loffredo, Jacqueline Achon, Marcia Hamilton

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Abstract

Occupational therapy (OT) students often experience elevated stress and burnout due to the demanding nature of their academic programs, which can negatively affect their occupational balance and overall well-being. Promoting student wellness is essential to supporting both academic success and mental health. This quantitative pilot study examined the effects of a wellness program on perceived stress and occupational balance among graduate OT students in Southern Florida. Participants attended one of four structured sessions—Prioritization, Organization Strategies, Mindfulness Training, or Yoga—and completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ) before and after each session. Data was collected from …

Transformative Pedagogy: Going Beyond An Inclusive Curriculum, Heather Mcnamee

Feminist Pedagogy

This critical commentary argues that approaches toward inclusion in higher education, particularly within curriculum design, are insufficient for creating true systemic change. While efforts to include marginalized voices in humanities curricula indicate some progress, the foundational frameworks continue to center privileged perspectives, relegating marginalized voices to mere additions rather than centralizing them. Drawing on examples from history, social studies, and anti-violence work, this commentary contends that higher education must move beyond inclusion and toward a reimagining of curriculum that critically examines and dismantles the power structures underpinning knowledge production. The commentary emphasizes the need for a curriculum that not only …

Planting Roots: A Pedagogy Of Action, Veronica Rose Popp, Danielle Phillips-Cunningham

Feminist Pedagogy

We discuss how we put feminist pedagogies into action while developing a collaborative research and writing project about Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961). We also explore how our collaborative research project influenced the development of a happy, fruitful, and long-lasting research partnership that broadens the conversation about incorporating feminist teaching practices into higher education. Burroughs set students on ways to find their own pathways, affecting change in ways they found most important. We engaged in our project with similar commitments.

Building An Inclusive Classroom: Digital Humanities (Dh) And Critical Disability Studies (Cds) In The Francophone World, Vidya H. Surti, Kaliane Ung

Feminist Pedagogy

The purpose of this co-authored article by a teacher and student is to contemplate the feminist implications of infusing Critical Disability Studies and Digital Humanities into the traditional humanities classroom. Furthermore, this article implements strategies for inclusive and flexible pedagogy. This article will contribute a case study for an interdisciplinary project of academic rigor, while mitigating student wellbeing through mechanisms of classroom autonomy.

August 15, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Cohort Space As Experienced By Latina Doctoral Students, Tiana Bierwert

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores how Latina Doctoral Students experience cohort spaces within graduate programs, focusing on the gendered and racialized challenges embedded in these environments. Utilizing pláticas as a culturally grounded method and guided by a Latina Feminist Phenomenological framework, this research examines how cohort models—which are often designed to foster support and collaboration—can instead exacerbate marginalization for students at the intersections of race and gender. Drawing on the conceptual frameworks of White Space and Counterspace, the study interrogates how cohort environments can operate as sites of exclusion and surveillance, where dominant norms are reproduced and where Latina Doctoral Students …

Experiencing Race, Racism And Racialization In Transnational Contexts: Racial Literacies Of First-Year International Asian Students., Nasiba Norova

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research focused on exploring the racial literacies of first-year international East Asian (EA) students, specifically examining their perceptions of and experiences with race, racism, and racialized groups in various social and educational contexts in both their home countries and the United States. The study used critical ethnography to examine the perspectives of EA international students and composition faculty. It involved multiple semi-structured interviews, journal entries, racial literacy autobiographies, site document analysis, and class observations to understand how students perceived exposure to race, racism, and racialized groups and how faculty viewed the importance of racial education for international students in …

Exploration Of Language And Identities Among Study Abroad Participants In Non-Anglophone Context: Experience Of Asian International Students Studying Abroad In Belgium, Long Yat Ding

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This Research Summary examines the study abroad experiences of Asian international students who study in non-anglophone Belgium. This research investigates how the experiences of mobility programme participants impact individual identity, with a focus on national, regional, and global citizenship identity. Eighteen qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews were implemented. Mixed lived experiences and reactions towards national, regional and global identity after participation in mobility programmes were identified. Findings showcase non-anglophone European Higher Education and the study abroad experience of non-anglophone speakers from Asia in the post-COVID-19 era. The Research Summary provides a critical snapshot of Asian International students’ lived experience, especially under …

Exploring The Connection Between Teaching Frameworks And Policies For Assessing Teaching, Barbara J. Bird, Beate Brunow, Eric Kyle, Shawn R. Simonson

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Most faculty policies aimed at faculty review or assessment of teaching do not include specific teaching criteria and standards but instead lean heavily on student evaluations and peer review of teaching. This approach provides no concrete path for using assessment in a feedback loop that enables teachers to improve teaching. Implementing teaching frameworks can improve feedback loops and assessment policies by providing specific criteria and standards. Developing teaching effectiveness frameworks and connecting them to teaching assessment policies can be a critical step in advancing institutional change initiatives focused on teaching effectiveness. This critical alignment enables sustainable and meaningful change. This …

Exploring Identity And Seeking Belonging: Diverse Students’ Experiences With A Campus Women’S Center, Sarah Tucker Jenkins

Journal for Women and Gender Centers in Higher Education

Women’s and gender equity centers (abbreviated as women’s centers) were first established in U.S. universities in the 1960s and currently number in the multiple hundreds across all types of higher education institutions in the country. Women’s centers play a vital role in providing high impact, culturally responsive student engagement; however, research on women’s centers is often informal and infrequent, leading to a dearth of knowledge about the efficacy of student engagement efforts. Women’s centers, and the feminist movement from which they arose, have historically excluded the voices and experiences of women of color and other marginalized identities. While centers are …

Unlocking Reading Success: Addressing The Literacy Crisis In The United States, Jennifer Kaczrowski-Taylor

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper addresses the literacy crisis in the United States. Currently, in the educational system, millions of children lack access to research-based reading instruction and, as a result, struggle to become proficient readers. Despite decades of academic and reform efforts, national reading achievement has been declining. This literacy crisis can be traced back to outdated or inconsistent instructional practices, socioeconomic background, lack of research-based instructional curricula, as well as inconsistent and ineffective implementation of these approaches. Based on recent research and national data, this white paper advocates for aligning teacher education and professional development with the Science of Reading. …

Senior Living: Filling The Gap, Katy J. Johnson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper explores how colleges and universities can help address the housing crisis for Americans aged 65 and older by integrating seniors into college campuses. This approach not only helps to fill dormitories but also provides students with valuable work experience. The paper examines three key issues: the Silver Tsunami (the growing senior population), declining enrollment leading to campus housing vacancies, and the financial burden of higher education. By advocating for intergenerational living, the proposal offers an innovative solution that benefits seniors, students, and universities.

Quarcs Light: Validation Of An Abbreviated Assessment Of Undergraduate Numeracy And Mathematics Affect, Isaac S. Rosenthal, Kate Follette, Vonna L. Hemmler, Catherine Sarosi, Sanlyn Buxner, Erin Galyen, Margaret Shea, Soon-Young Shimizu, Brendan Seto

Numeracy

In this study, we present evidence for the validity of a shortened form of the Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment, a validated instrument assessing the numeracy and math-related affect of undergraduate students in general education/introductory science courses. Previously published analyses of QuaRCS data revealed that 1) roughly 30% of students found the assessment boring, leading to lower self-reported effort and 2) affective factors (e.g. numerical self-efficacy) were significant predictors of QuaRCS score. As a result, we reduced the length of the assessment from 25 to 15 quantitative items, and expanded the affective variable selection from three to eight …

Helping Bipoc, Women, And First-Generation Students Maximize The Value Of Unpaid Internships, Ted Thornhill, Nicole Torres, Christina Van Wingerden

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Internships and practicums are a required component of nearly all degree programs in human services and its subfields—and most are unpaid. These unpaid positions often have a disproportionate impact for BIPOC and first-generation students, especially women—many of whom are economically disadvantaged and must work to support themselves and sometimes their families. Increased student activism, non-profit campaigns, and journalistic accounts show student frustration over their unpaid labor. Despite the righteousness of these students’ cause, the reality is that the implementation of an equitable, robust, and sustainable nationwide system of paid internships, in the near-term, is politically impracticable. Given that most human …

Textbook Cost And Interactivity: Comparing Equity Outcomes And Student Perceptions, Brandilynn J. Villarreal, Kimberly N. White, Kimberly Vincent-Layton, Alice Zhang, Francesca Messina, Christopher W. Harmon

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Significant equity gaps in introductory STEM courses create barriers in the STEM pathway. The current study investigated the impact of equitable access to course resources in the form of different e-textbooks in an introductory chemistry course. The purpose of the study was to determine if the use of a free textbook and/or the use of an interactive textbook enhances students’ academic performance, especially among students from marginalized backgrounds. We analyzed equity data for 199 general chemistry students. Overall, the pattern of course equity gaps suggests there was a positive impact of implementing a free textbook on students’ grades, with the …

Rural Roots, Academic Roads: Exploring College Persistence Among Rural Students, Misty Wilburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the financial and social challenges faced by first-generation college students from rural backgrounds as they transition from K-12 to four-year regional institutions. Using quantitative analysis of secondary data from the class of 2024 at a selected institution, this study examines factors influencing graduation rates and financial aid needs. Key metrics include geographic origins, high school backgrounds, academic assistance, and financial support. By highlighting these challenges, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the structural and social barriers that first-generation rural students encounter.

Inclusion May Affect Marching Band Members Of Black Universities Differently Than Members Of White Universities: Narrative Inquiry: A Case Study, Derrick K. Yates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a lack of research on the emotional connection and support students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities may seek through their band experience versus students of Predominantly White Institutions. Some studies demonstrate that those who participate in music ensembles express heightened self-esteem, a sense of connectedness, and a positive impact on their mental and psychological well-being. This narrative inquiry research study focuses on the unexplored perspectives of three band members from historically black and three predominantly white university marching bands, regarding their emotional connections to their programs and the emotional connections and support they receive from them. The …

Predictive Correlation Analysis Of Admissions Criteria To A Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program And Graduation Success, Mark Amir

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational study was to examine the relationship between admissions criteria and academic success in a non-traditional, weekend-format Doctor of Physical Therapy program known as Palisades Weekend University. This study contributes to the literature by exploring how cognitive and non-cognitive variables may predict student outcomes. The sample included 112 participants enrolled between 2016 and 2021 at a private university in New York. Data was collected using the General Self-Efficacy Scale via Google Forms, and archival admissions data was obtained from the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service. Logistic regression analysis assessed the predictive relationship between self-efficacy, …

Transgressive Body, Open Mind, And Perceptive Spirit For Nurturing Soul: A Reflection On Teaching To Transgress, Akie F. Wenk

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

In this reflection essay, I discuss my journey into the liberatory pedagogy bell hooks champions. As a foreign-born Japanese woman, who speaks English as her second language, being in the classroom itself can be seen as a transgressive act. Positioning myself as an educator who strives to creates an environment that is liberatory for me and my students, I discuss my specific experience and relationship to theories surrounding critical feminist pedagogy and how I practice these theories in my own classroom.

Elizabeth Female Academy: A Historical Case Study Revealing Antebellum Mississippi's Role In Shaping The Southern Belle, Summer Cutrer Tierno

Dissertations

Historians and educational scholars have extensively examined the subject of women's education, resulting in a rich body of literature that traces its evolution over the centuries. Moreover, this body of work encompasses significant movements advocating for women's rights to education and the establishment of colleges specifically for women. Scholars have also analyzed the challenges women encounter in accessing educational opportunities, including societal norms, economic barriers, and institutional discrimination. Notable works highlight the contributions of key figures, such as Mary Wollstonecraft, who advocated for women's education in both historical and contemporary contexts. Overall, this comprehensive scholarship not only documents the advancement …

Exploring The Connection Between Emotional Intelligence And Academic Achievement In Senior Nursing Students, Kimberly Smith

Dissertations

The need for nurses is now greater than ever, with a projected shortage of nearly five million nurses by 2030. Several factors exist that hinder the number of practice-ready nurses, causing nursing programs worldwide to explore and re-examine admission practices and increase student retention rates. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2024) reported that over 100,000 students were denied enrollment in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2024, indicating that maximizing admission processes is crucial in addressing the current nursing shortage. This emphasizes the need for greater participation to ensure that all students have access to the educational …

Graduate School Of Engineering And Management Academic Catalog 2025-2026, Graduate School Of Engineering And Management, Air Force Institute Of Technology, Walter F. Jones

AFIT Documents

No abstract provided.

Impact Flc Report Spring 2025: A Report By The Impact Evaluation Team, Evaluation And Learning Research Center, Impact Evaluation Team

IMPACT Reports

This is the 2025 Spring report of Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT) Week. IMPACT was created in 2010, and is a large collaborative initiative on the Purdue West Lafayette campus involving multiple key partners across campus including the Office of the Provost, Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE), Purdue Online (PO), Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies (Libraries), the Evaluation and Learning Research Center (ELRC), and Institutional Data Analytics and Assessment (IDA+A). IMPACT works with instructors to redesign large enrollment, foundational courses with the aim of engaging students more fully in their learning and creating a more student-centered …

Uni Impact: Faculty/Staff Scholarly Publications And Featured Awards Newsletter, V3i2, 2024, Rod Library. Research & Sponsored Programs. Uni Foundation. University Of Northern Iowa.

UNI Impact: Faculty/Staff Scholarly Publications and Featured Awards Newsletter

Highlights the scholarship, research, and other scholarly work produced by University of Northern Iowa faculty, students, and staff.

This issue covers the period of July - December 2024.