Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Stories Of Early-Career Student Affairs Professionals And Free Speech Issues On College Campuses, Kimberly C. Farrer

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This qualitative research study explored the stories of early-career student affairs professionals on their experiences responding to free speech issues on college campuses. Additionally, this studied explored how they were prepared for those responses. This study was important because early-career student affairs professionals are managing free speech issues on college campuses but lack the training and preparation to do this (Duran Leftin & Duran, 2021; Harris & Ray, 2014). This study utilized both authentic leadership theory (Avolio & Gardner, 2005; Gardner et al., 2005; Luthans & Avolio, 2003; May et al., 2003; Northouse, 2025) and Kohlberg’s (1976) theory of moral …

Wellness Participation Of Student-Serving Staff: The Impact On Well-Being And Student Support, Ashley L. Oostveen

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study examines the relationship between student-serving staff’s wellness engagement and overall well-being, their job satisfaction, and their perceived support for students. A convergent mixed-methods approach was applied while maintaining a theoretical framework rooted in Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), integrating the concepts of Hettler’s Six Dimensions of Wellness (1976). Forty-one student-serving staff across universities in a public university system in Pennsylvania participated in this study. A quantitative survey was used to measure overall well-being, wellness engagement, and support to students, while concurrent focus groups were conducted to gather insight on work-life well-being and staff’s perceived support to their …

"They Just Gave Me The Syllabus": A Mixed Methods Study Of Music Therapy Educators' Preferred Pedagogies, Christina Danielle O'Brien

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

In 2022, the workforce analysis of music therapists, the American Music Therapy Association reported that approximately 80% of all board-certified music therapists are white/Caucasian-European (Iwamasa, 2025). However, the AMTA does not determine the origins of race or ethnicity among postsecondary music therapy faculty in the U.S., nor does it assess their potential impact on the expansion of multicultural curricula for preservice professionals. The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods dissertation is to examine the perception of lived experiences as a pedagogical tool to enhance effective teaching practices. Twenty-six postsecondary faculty from the U.S. were recruited. Quantitative data were collected via Qualtrics …

Pilot Program For Telemental Health Access To Rural Underserved Localities, Traci Brickhouse Jones, Sarah Kott, Oswaldo Moreno, Aneida Winston

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

This proposal recommends legislation directing Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a two-year pilot program focused on expanding telemental health access in rural Virginia. The purpose of the pilot is to address persistent behavioral health disparities in areas where residents face major barriers to obtaining timely mental health care.

The legislation is designed to build on existing telehealth infrastructure and aligns with Virginia’s Statewide Telehealth Plan under § 32.1-122.03:1, which already supports broader use of telehealth services across the Commonwealth. By creating a focused pilot first, the state can test implementation strategies before considering broader expansion.

Unlocking Testing Potential: Establishing A Unified Testing Hub To Support Student Success, Pallavi Singh, Yonella Demars, Maggie Christ, Ewa Way, Lisa Domico, Karolina Aberg

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

This project evaluates the feasibility and strategic impact of establishing a centralized testing hub at VCU. By analyzing current practices, stakeholder needs, and peer models, the study aims to assess benefits such as improved testing integrity, accessibility, and operational efficiency. Findings will inform actionable recommendations for implementation, with the potential to enhance student success, reduce administrative burden, and position VCU in the forefront of secure, standardized academic assessment for both in-person and online education.

New Media For New Marijuana: An Initiative Addressing The Challenges Of A Changing Cannabis Landscape And Its Impact On The Driving Safety Of The Vcu Community, Kelsa Bartley, Peter Henry, Donisha Terry, Emily Yeaman, Quingguo Xu, Matthew Winheim

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

Cannabis products today are significantly more potent and more widely available than in previous generations, creating new health and safety challenges for college students. This project aims to develop an evidence-based awareness campaign that delivers information about the health risks of emerging cannabinoid products and the consequences of impaired driving due to cannabis use. The campaign aims to increase student awareness, encourage responsible decision-making, and contribute to a safer, healthier VCU community.

2025-2026 Library & Learning Annual Review, Library & Learning, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Library & Learning Annual Reviews

Digital version of the 2025-2026 Annual Review for Library & Learning at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

2026 Jan Term Course Catalog, Saint Mary's College Of California

Jan Term Course Catalog

No abstract provided.

Intentional Reflection Of Student Experiences During Graduate Nursing Education, Laura Gray Phd, Steven Busby, Aine O'Connor, Julie Honey

Funded Scholarship

Background: Nurse practitioners can help fill needs for primary care providers but first must successfully transition from registered nurse through graduate education, which presents challenges and opportunities for growth.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of nurses during the first semester of graduate school. Methods: Reflections of 23 students were analyzed by nursing faculty using qualitative descriptive methods.

Results: Five main concepts were identified by students: Academic performance, Challenges, Emotions, Linking coursework to future role, and Support.

Conclusion: Reflective journaling may help students process and adapt to challenges of graduate school.

The Influence Of Metacognition On College Readiness And Persistence, Michael L. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined the influence that metacognition has on college readiness and its most traditionally used metrics: performance-based outcomes and persistence. Specifically, this study addressed to what degree underlying metacognitive structures differ between college students’ successful metrics of performance and persistence compared to a more general sample of college students.

The research characterized metacognition along three domains of analysis: (a) selfefficacy/ motivation, (b) soft skills/psychological capital (Psycap), and (c) expected value of control (EVC). The quantitative study included 54 college students and a crosssectional design. Participants completed a four-part Likert-style survey, where their responses were measured along the three …

Effect Of Employees’ Breakfast Choices On Energy Levels In The Hispanic Population Working In Healthcare In South Florida, Jennifer Rivas

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the effect of employees’ breakfast choices on perceived energy levels among Hispanic healthcare workers in South Florida. As breakfast consumption has been widely associated with cognitive function, productivity, and metabolic stability, this research focused on understanding how specific breakfast patterns influence daily energy in a population that plays a critical role in regional healthcare delivery.

A qualitative survey was developed by the researcher and was used to collect data from Hispanic employees working in a variety of healthcare settings. Participants completed a structured survey assessing breakfast habits, nutritional quality, frequency of consumption, and …

Instructional Systems Design In Lesson Planning For Substance Use Treatment Groups: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study, Michelle Robin Gould

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored lesson planning for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment groups, investigating the presence of components from the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) instructional systems design (ISD) process in routine facilitator lesson planning practices. Using an exploratory mixed-methods convergent parallel design, data were collected via an online survey featuring closed- and open-ended questions regarding self-reported planning activities and perceived effectiveness. Quantitative analysis confirmed that SUD facilitators perform tasks associated with all five ADDIE phases. Qualitative findings showed that facilitators perceive themselves as effective planners despite logistical and organizational constraints. However, facilitators do not appear to conceptually link instructional …

Exploring The Benefits Of Virtual Learning Environments For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kenton Louis-Jean

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological applied dissertation explored the lived experiences of K–5 teachers who worked with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in virtual learning environments. As virtual instruction became increasingly prevalent in K–12 education, limited research had examined how teachers adapted instructional practices to meet the cognitive, sensory, and engagement needs of students with ASD in online settings. This study addressed that gap by examining educators' firsthand perspectives on implementing virtual instruction for students with ASD.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight K–5 teachers who had experience teaching students with ASD in virtual or hybrid learning environments. Participants …

Perceptions Of Black And African American Nurses On Leadership And Access To Professional Opportunities In Healthcare Within A Multicultural Workplace And How This May Impact Their Decision Making: A Phenomenological Study, Saeeka S. Richards

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation is designed to provide a more compelling understanding of the perceptions of leadership and access to professional opportunities in healthcare within a multicultural workplace among Black and African American nurses. It is designed to explore their feelings and actions in dealing within a multicultural workplace as these relate to how they view leadership and how they perceive professional opportunities in their field. It will highlight how they manage themselves and cope with feelings of cultural dissonance when aspects of their own culture may collide with characteristics of other cultures. This research aims to bring awareness to the …

Exploring The Academic Trajectories Of Transfer Students Enrolled In An Introduction To Proof Course And Their Self-Efficacy For Proving, Sundas Hussain

Mathematics Dissertations

Transfer students entering proof-based mathematics courses face a double transition: they are adjusting to a new institution while simultaneously learning to construct mathematical proofs. Although transfer students have been widely studied in higher education and self-efficacy for proving has received increasing attention in mathematics education, little research has examined the intersection of these two areas. The purpose of this study was to better understand how transfer students’ academic trajectories shape their self-efficacy for proving. This multiple case study examined twelve transfer students enrolled in an Introduction to Proofs (ITP) course, using Bandura's (1997) four sources of self-efficacy as the …

Course Portfolio For A New Course On Data Analysis And Visualization In Animal Research, Jessie C. Morrill

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio describes the design and development of a new course focused on data analysis and visualization in animal research at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. The course was developed to meet the needs of students enrolled in Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy graduate programs in the Department of Animal Science as well as those in the Master of Applied Science in Beef Cattle Production program. The new course was taught on an exploratory basis in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025; the perspectives of both students and the instructor are contained within this portfolio. The reflections …

Assessing Global Citizenship Pathways In A Communication, Advocacy, And Global Citizenship Classroom In The Midwest, Satveer Kaur-Gill

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

To assess instruction in an undergraduate communication course titled Communication, Advocacy, and Global Citizenship, this qualitative inquiry examined how undergraduate students at a Midwest university engaged with global citizenship as a communicative process by conducting a content analysis of student assignments, guided by three key research questions formulated from four course objectives. The assessment found that place-based learning on global issues enhanced students' understanding of the meaning of global citizenship in a globalized world. Based on a qualitative evaluation of their key assignments, students successfully articulated threads and connections between local community concerns and issues as globally situated communicative phenomena. …

First Portfolio – Mngt 475: Business Strategies, Lisa Tschauner

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

MNGT 475: Business Strategies serves as the undergraduate strategic management capstone course in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business. The course integrates knowledge from accounting, finance, economics, marketing, management, supply chain management, analytics, and entrepreneurship while providing students with opportunities to apply strategic frameworks to authentic business challenges. This portfolio documents the design, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of the course, with particular attention given to experiential learning and the comparison of two instructional models: a traditional case-study project and a real-world industry-partner consulting project. Drawing upon Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, self-reflection, self-efficacy, and teamwork constructs, the portfolio examines …

Durable Skill Development Through The Lens Of The Center For Stem Excellence At Eku, Autumn Whitson, Lisa Middleton, Rachel Maggard, Judith L. Jenkins

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

This report explores how Learning Assistants (LAs) in Human Anatomy and Physiology develop durable skills relevant to future healthcare careers. Using surveys and reflections, we assess gains in communication, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and student-centered practice. Findings highlight LA programs’ dual impact: enhancing student learning and preparing LAs for future careers.

The Limits Of Daca: Affordability- And Access-Related Barriers To Health Professions Education, Nicole Perez, Laura Hirshfield

Journal of College Access

The U.S. is currently facing a shortage of health professionals from underrepresented backgrounds. One potential pathway to decrease this shortage is through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a policy that provides temporary relief from deportation for individuals who migrated to the U.S. before age 16. This study, using 15 life-history narrative interviews, investigates the experiences of Latinx young adults who were pursuing health professions education or working as health professionals. Nine of the participants were DACA recipients, while the remaining six were second-generation (i.e., children of immigrants). An iterative, inductive approach to data analysis was used to …

Graduate Catalog 2026-2027, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Motivational Factors Influencing Military Service: A Structural Equation Model Of Rotc Students And Service Members’ Motivation-Confidence To Serve, Brian J. Vansingel

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Amid declining college enrollment across the United States, academic institutions with United States Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs must consider underrecruited populations, such as military-bound young adults, in their recruiting strategies. To support this effort, this study examined the motivational factors associated with individuals’ decisions to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. This study utilized a quantitative, correlational research design with a survey comprising multiple sections: sociodemographic variables, items across six motivational factors for military service, and a Motivation-Confidence to Serve scale. The study used data from a convenience sample of 709 respondents, including college military science students …

Comparison Of Enrichment Interaction Duration Between Male And Female Panthera Leo Leo, Maegen G. Meldrum

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

African lion (Panthera leo leo) populations have declined significantly over the past century within their natural habitats, increasing the importance of effective management strategies for individuals in human care. Environment enrichment is a critical tool for promoting species typical behavior in human care; however, enrichment practices are often generalized and may not account for sex-specific differences. This study examined how sex, enrichment types, behaviors, and time of day influenced enrichment interaction duration in a small pride of African lions (n = 4) housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Two enrichment types were evaluated: cognitive/occupational (CO, a manipulable barrel) …

Graduate Student Retention: Examining Why Master’S Students Leave And What Motivates Their Return In A Large Public University System, Sonja Prophete

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate student persistence is a relatively unexplored area in the literature of higher education studies; specifically, at a multi-institutional scale at the master's level. This research study examines the factors which cause students to discontinue their master's degrees, and what conditions could possibly support them returning to their program at a large urban public university system. The current study was guided by Hoyt and Winn's (2004) distinction between non-returning students, and Bean & Metzner's (1985) theoretical model of student attrition. A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the institutional and environmental influences on students' decision-making processes.

The quantitative data …

Friends Of The Library Newsletter, Spring 2026, Hillary Richardson

Fant Library News and Reports

No abstract provided.

A Follow Up Metal Detecting Survey At The Blue Licks Battlefield Resort State Park, Adrian Mandzy

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

In March and April 2008, faculty and students from students from Morehead State University’s History program, along with members of the Battlefield Restoration and Archeological Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) conducted a survey of the Blue Licks Battlefield. Previous studies of the battlefield suggested that the area had been adversely impacted by modern development and that little or no resources connected with the events of 1782 remain. As a result of the 2008 survey, we were able to establish the precents of artifacts related to the events of 1782.

At the end of the 2008 field work, additional testing was called for, …

"No Shame In My Game": Rethinking Academic Probation In College As Transformative, Kathryn Callahan

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of college students and/or alumni who were on academic probation at some point during their undergraduate studies. All participants in this study are or were enrolled at a small, private, faith-based institution, where they experienced academic probation. This study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 2007) Ecological Systems Theory and Macia Baxter-Magolda’s (1992, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2012) Self-Authorship Theory, to learn how participants’ lived experiences can inform the design and improvement of institutional support programming that promotes student growth, development and retention. Twelve current or former students who experienced academic probation at some …

Fear, Uncertainty, And The Chilling Effect: A Case Study Of Organizational Racialized Omission, Annie Jones

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Florida passed House Bill 7 in 2022 and Senate Bill 266 in 2023, both policies that restrict how race and racism are discussed and taught in the public higher education setting. Although scholars of race and racism contend that colorblind ideology drives the “new racism,” the U.S. is experiencing a resurgence in similar curriculum bans explicitly based on topics related to race and racism. With these trends has emerged a need to understand how explicitly racialized policies fit within the “new racism” framework. Using Victor Ray’s Theory of Racialized Organizations, this study analyzes how colorblind ideology and racialized threat are …

Feeling Seen By Being Heard: A Constructivist Critical Incident Study Of The Listening Experiences Of Ciswomen Of Color For The Development Of An Inclusive Listening Praxis For Leaders, Christina Zhong-Wen Chang

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines how listening shapes inclusive workplaces by exploring the listening experiences of 23 professional cisgender women of color working in predominantly white institutional spaces. Although listening is a fundamental part of communication, it is frequently undervalued and overlooked in leadership literature. Using the constructivist critical incident technique (CCIT) methodology, the research analyzed 88 significant moments when participants felt distinctly heard or unheard by leaders. Findings reveal that listening operated as a relational practice signaling respect, affirmation of voice, and anchoring leadership in accountability, while enabling leaders to engage perspectives beyond their own. Four listening types emerged: Listening Withheld, …

Bridging Worlds Of Care: A Qualitative Exploration Of Integrating Non-Western Healing Modalities With Mental Health Counseling, Douglas Valdez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The aim of the study is to explore the experiences of practitioners who treat individuals presenting with depression and anxiety using culturally integrative non-Western healing modalities. Participants included 15 experienced practitioners (minimum five years of practice) who identified as Traditional Chinese Medicine providers (e.g., acupuncturists, herbalists) and/or Curandero/x/as. The approach was qualitative, utilizing open-ended survey responses collected electronically and analyzed with thematic analysis. Results indicated six primary themes: (a) Philosophies in Healing, highlighting culturally grounded conceptualizations of depression and anxiety; (b) Traditional Chinese Medicine Interventions, including acupuncture, botanical, nutritional, manual, and movement-based practices; (c) Curanderismo Pláticas and Integrative Western Healing …