Meeting Their Needs: Experiences Of Uc Berkeley International Graduate Students Navigating Financial Strain, Ryann M. Hirt

Master's Theses

Of prior research on student experiences with financial strain, little has specifically focused on international student experiences in higher education while studying in the U.S., in tandem with financial strain. This qualitative study, through utilization of narrative methodology, explores the ways in which international students–in particular, graduate students–experience and navigate financial strain during their studies at a large, R1: Doctoral university: the University of California, Berkeley. The research was guided by three questions: (a) What are UC Berkeley international students’ stories of navigating financial strain? (b) What are the experiences of UC Berkeley international students with external and internal (campus) …

Perceptions Of Novice Career And Technical Education Teachers Regarding Teacher Evaluations, Felix Quayson, Chris Zirkle

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

As states expand funding for alternative teacher-licensure pathways, this qualitative descriptive case study examined how 38 novice Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers in a Midwestern research university’s alternative licensure program perceived teacher evaluation during their first years in the profession. Analyses yielded ten major themes with three subthemes each, which were synthesized into the DEEPS conceptual evaluation framework: Development, Evaluation, Engagement, Partnerships, and Skills. We arranged the acronym DEEPS based on data analysis for conceptual coherence rather than order of occurrence. Participants described evaluation as misaligned with the specialized demands of CTE instruction and called for tools that better …

Higher Education Faculty Members’ Perspectives On Implementing Student Engagement Practices In Courses, Kimberly L. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Faculty Advisor's Role In Student Retention And Success: A Case Study From The Student Perspective, Alice Lorraine Buchanan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the role of faculty advisors in student retention of traditional full-time undergraduate students in their final year of study at a four-year university. Guided by Bean’s theoretical model of student attrition, this study examined how organizational interactions influence students’ attitudes, advising satisfaction, and subsequent intent to leave. The Central Research Question was: How do faculty advisors influence student retention for traditional full-time undergraduate students in their final year at a four-year university? The setting was a small, faith-based, highly residential, private university in the Midwestern United States, where faculty advisors …

The Role Of Leadership Style On Perceived Effective Communication And Job Satisfaction In The Community College Virtual Workplace, Julie I. White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Advances in technology enable the creation of virtual workspaces, allowing geographically dispersed virtual employees to collaborate in teams and complete tasks. We must understand the advantages and challenges that virtual teams encounter. This research examines the relationships among leadership styles, perceived effective communication, and job satisfaction within virtual teams, specifically in community colleges. Transformational, servant, and authentic leadership styles of virtual leaders in higher education were evaluated. Participants include full-time and part-time virtual faculty from community college institutions. Data was collected through online surveys. A quantitative correlation research design was employed to explore the experiences of virtual faculty working at …

Who Gets To Be Taken Seriously? Three Atypical Scholars Navigate Doctoral Education At The Intersections Of Race, Neurodivergence, And Veteran Identity, Sr. Richard De La Garza

Dissertations

As a first-generation, neurodivergent, Mexican American/Chicano veteran, I entered the University of San Diego's doctoral program having had experiences that most institutional intake processes would label as risk factors. The Findings chapter of this dissertation begins by describing those experiences—not as a confession, but as the foundation for a systematic inquiry into how doctoral legitimacy is produced, withheld, and defended. The description of my life experiences is followed by a discussion of the doctoral journeys of two other study participants who also were atypical doctoral candidates.

The central argument being advanced is this: What higher education calls "fit," "rigor," and …

Building Resilience: Empowering Baccalaureate Nursing Students For Enhanced Well-Being And Success, Jessica Imrie Dnp, Emily Nowak Phd, Roxanne Wilson Phd

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Providing baccalaureate students with resilience-building modules such as stress management, mindfulness, optimism, socialization, and reflection can increase psychological well-being and success through a nursing program. It can also decrease the number of meetings faculty have with students regarding psychological concerns

Improving Quality Of Distance Education: An Illustration And Implications For Universities, Sadia Raisa, Ismet Anitsal, Nebil Buyurgan

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Learner-Centered Education As A Model For Promoting Client-Centered Care In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Shanna R. Callewaert, Sarah M. Ginsberg

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

As the student voice is increasingly valued in teaching and learning within higher education, learner-centered education (LCE) has gained traction as a method of creating classrooms that are unique to students’ desires and expectations (Barr & Tagg, 1995; Weimer, 2002). Similarly, client-centered care can be employed as a way for clinicians to shape treatment based on clients’ individual goals (Barry & Edgman-Levitan, 2012; Epstein & Street, 2011). This paper explores the relationships between LCE and client-centered care, noting the importance of engaging communication sciences and disorders students in LCE as it can promote the use of client-centered care in their …

Crisis Preparedness And Confidence Levels In Faculty & Staff At Rowan University, Paige Bathurst

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined faculty and staff confidence and preparedness in responding to crisis situations at Rowan University. As higher education institutions face an increasing range of emergencies, understanding how employees perceive their readiness is essential for strengthening institutional crisis management efforts. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through an anonymous online survey distributed to all faculty and staff. The survey measured participants’ confidence across multiple crisis scenarios, perceptions of preparedness and response competency, and participation in crisis-related training. A total of 135 participants completed the survey, and descriptive statistics, including mean confidence and agreement scores, were used to …

Looking For Inclusivity In Higher Ed? Start In The Classroom!, Michelle Carpenter

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Saying “Yes, And” To A Changing Legal Profession Through Improv, Ben Bratman

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

As legal practitioners confront the potent impacts of society’s latest technological innovation, legal education can and should say “yes, and” to all the change and uncertainty by leaning into the teaching of human skills. That’s “yes, and,” as in the guiding principle of improvisational theater, or improv. As a form of embodied learning through play, improv exercises are a proven tool for building and refining fundamental human skills, often called the “soft” skills, within a low-stakes learning environment. They can and should be a part of any law school’s effort to graduate confident and skilled communicators who are strong team …

Sesquicentennial Commencement [Program], May 15-16, 2026, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

Contents:

Brief History of UNI --- 2
Board of Regents --- 3
Institutional Leadership --- 3
Ceremony Symbols & Traditions --- 4
Commencement Over the Years --- 6
University Honors Program --- 8
Graduation with Honors --- 8
Legacy Graduates --- 8
Military Science --- 9
Merchant Scholarship --- 9
Outstanding Student Leader --- 9
Commencement Student Speakers --- 9
Purple and Old Gold Awards --- 10
Lux Service Award --- 11
7 p.m. Program --- 13
College of Education --- 15
David W. Wilson College of Business --- 22
10 a.m. Program --- 29
College of Humanities, Arts & …

The South Got Somethin' To Say!: Black Student Affairs Professionals Sustaining Equity Work Amid Dei Dismantling, Jaborius D. Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Scholarship within the academy extensively interrogates the realities of Black faculty but neglects the lived experiences of Black Student Affairs Professionals (BSAPs). This omission renders BSAPs labor and experiences institutionally invisible while reinforcing the narrative of equity work being a racial obligation pushed on Black professionals rather than institutional responsibility. Although representing 15% of the higher education workforce, this gross percentage is disproportionately concentrated in lower-paying, non-exempt staff positions (e.g., service, office/clerical) rather than in decision-making authority (CUPA-HR, 2025). Despite structural marginalization and inconsistencies, institutions rely on Black professionals to bear the brunt of racialized equity labor work classified as …

Tracing Hazing Across Adolescence: Examining How Prior Hazing Experiences Shape Hazing Motivation And Tolerance Among Newly Initiated Ifc Fraternity Members, John Michael Vanhorn

Theses and Dissertations

Hazing remains pervasive and underreported, disproportionately affecting adolescent and emerging adult men, particularly within athletic teams and fraternity contexts. Although hazing is most often studied within collegiate organizations, many students encounter hazing behaviors prior to college, yet little is known about how these early experiences shape later hazing perceptions, motivations, tolerance, and masculine norms. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model, this dissertation conceptualizes hazing as a developmental process shaped by repeated social interactions, individual characteristics, contextual environments, and time across adolescence and emerging adulthood. Using a two-paper approach with a quantitative, longitudinal survey design, study 1 examined fraternity new members’ …

Unveiling Unseen Obstacles: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Women's Tenacity In Doctoral Programs, Yolanda V. Jackson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This phenomenological study explores the lived and student experiences of Black women pursuing Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degrees in the United States, centering the underexamined internal barrier of Imposter Syndrome — the persistent experience of intellectual fraudulence in the face of demonstrated competence.

The study investigated Black women's perceptions of Imposter Syndrome, the lived and student experiences that contribute to feelings of imposterism, and the coping mechanisms and strategies they employ to persist and succeed in doctoral programs. A pre-screening survey administered to 124 Black women enrolled in doctoral programs across the United States measured …

Student-College Match And Retention For Students With Disabilities, Robert Cohen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Outcomes of the student-college matching process have been shown to influence important postsecondary outcomes, including persistence, retention, and degree attainment. However, limited research has examined how matching outcomes operate for students with disabilities. This dissertation investigates student-college matching patterns for students with disabilities and compares the results with matching quality for students without disabilities. This study also examines the relationship between matching outcomes (undermatch, equal match, and overmatch) and first-year retention. Particular attention is focused on the nature of these relationships and any differences by disability status. Data is used from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:12-17), and filtered to …

Faculty Perceptions Of Transfer Students: How Characteristics And Experiences Inform Faculty Predispositions Toward Transfer Students In Senior Institutions, Tracey Ann Dubard

Theses and Dissertations

Faculty perceptions of student populations have been widely discussed, but the conversation has seldom focused on the transfer student population. Because a third of community college students choose to transfer into four-year institutions, the elements of the environment awaiting them are worthy of exploration. The classroom setting is a shared experience for transfer students. Therefore, faculty can play a significant role in creating a climate of support for this population. However, the opposite may be true. Transfer students often arrive on campus to find an environment that is mostly focused on traditional students. The lack of a supportive environment may …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Influencing The Trajectory Of Black Women Mid-Level Managers Into Senior-Level Administration At Predominantly White Institutions, Christine Hampton Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Black women in mid-level, non-faculty management roles at public Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) in the Southeastern United States, with a focus on how these experiences influence their pathway into senior-level administrative positions. Grounded in Black Feminist Thought, the research utilized narrative inquiry to center the voices of Black women, recognizing their lived experiences as valuable and often underrepresented sources of knowledge in higher education leadership literature. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What experiences do Black women consider the most significant in their trajectory from mid-level manager to senior-level administrator at Predominantly …

The Role Of Math Anxiety – And Associated Support Mechanisms And Strategies – In The Academic Success Of Stem College Students, William Jacob Tschume

Theses and Dissertations

Math anxiety has been widely documented as a barrier to student success, yet its role within institutional student success frameworks – particularly in gateway STEM courses – remains underexamined. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between math anxiety, academic support mechanisms, and academic performance among undergraduate STEM students enrolled in a gateway mathematics course at a large, public, research-intensive university. Guided by the Debilitating Anxiety Model, student success frameworks, Social Cognitive Career Theory, and equity-oriented perspectives, this study addressed three research questions: (1) how student demographic characteristics relate to levels of math anxiety, (2) the …

The Purdue Rising Scholars Experience: Exploring Student Success, Robert M. Stwalley Iii, Carol S. Stwalley, Roger Tormoehlen

Purdue University Press Books

Many intelligent low-socioeconomic status high school students correctly view STEM majors as a way out of poverty, but the challenges to ultimate success are plentiful. For those who applied but did not initially gain admittance into an engineering department, the Rising Scholars program at Purdue University offered these undergraduates a pathway through college that brought them into contact with a network of professional mentors, including university professors, staff, and graduate students. Program participants were also provided opportunities to engage in team-building activities and teaching seminars that involved writing research papers focused on postgraduate careers. Although no longer in operation, the …

"Hopefully This Thing Is Legit:" Student Experiences Of Administrative Burden With A Promise Program, Rosa Maria Acevedo, Denisa Gándara, Sasha Smith

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Despite the expansion of tuition-free college (Promise) programs as a financial aid strategy, little is known about how students learn about, navigate, and experience them. This qualitative case study examines how second-year students encounter administrative burdens in a Promise program (PROMISE) at a large university that seeks to minimize compliance costs. Findings reveal a tradeoff between ease of access (low compliance costs) and program-related information (high learning costs). Minimal eligibility requirements contrast with limited marketing, leaving students misinformed about key aspects of their aid. Elevated learning and psychological costs generate stress and uncertainty. Despite these challenges, students draw on navigational, …

Readiness Roadblocks: Identifying Financial Challenges And Financial Wellness Among First-Year College Students, Vanessa Peña, Daniel J. Wilson, Susan P. Farruggia, Annette Wright, Aisha El-Amin

Journal of Student Financial Aid

This paper explores the financial challenges and financial wellness of first-year students from a large, public, urban research university in the Midwest. Utilizing a financial wellness lens, we uncover students’ financial preparation and identify key financial challenges they face in managing college expenses while exploring how institutions can better support students in understanding and planning for the financial costs of higher education. Our findings highlight students were encouraged to attend college but lacked financial preparation and support, limiting their ability to manage their college expenses; the financial advice and resources provided often did not align with students’ actual experiences and …

African American Faculty Members’ Perspectives On The Challenges To Obtain A Position At Predominantly White Colleges In The Southeastern United States, Sonya D. Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Reining It In: From Reflexive To Intentional Instructor Self-Disclosure, Rona Miles, Alla Chavarga, Chelsea Blaney

Essays in Education

Instructor self-disclosure is often promoted as a means of humanizing the classroom environment and improving learning outcomes. Though disclosure has the potential to be highly beneficial, it also carries a risk to students and learning that is often overlooked. This paper presents a point of departure perspective that instructor self-disclosure should be approached with far greater caution than most educators consider. We argue that disclosures should occur only when they are justified with a clear pedagogical purpose. Casual or spontaneous disclosures, by contrast, carry sufficient potential for unintended harm such that their risks outweigh presumed benefits to classroom rapport and …

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …

Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.

Belonging, Identity, And Agency: A Qualitative Study Of Muslim Students In U.S. Higher Education, Amir Duric

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of Muslim students in U.S. higher education, focusing on how they navigate identity formation, search for belonging, and exercise agency within two predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the Northeast. Drawing on 40 semi-structured interviews and four months of fieldwork, the study demonstrates how Muslim students navigate not only their religious identity and practices in secular contexts but also how the racialization of their Muslim identity is shaped by U.S. foreign policy and the Global War on Terror. Three central findings emerged from the data. First, Muslim students demonstrated sustained and deepening religious commitment through …

Identity-Based Philanthropy In Higher Education: Investigating The Information Contexts Of Black Greek Letter Organization Collective Giving, Rachel Elizabeth Vassel

Dissertations - ALL

There is a need to increase philanthropic donations at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) to remain competitive and meet increasing operational costs. Diverse and underrepresented alumni of these institutions are a growing constituency of potential donors who are not always cultivated through the traditional fundraising pipeline and efforts. To address the need to increase institutional donations, it is incumbent upon advancement operations in higher education to consider incorporating identity and culturally based strategies as part of their cultivation efforts. Building upon identity-based philanthropy theories, particularly Drezner’s Philanthropic Mirroring Framework, I extend prior work in this space by examining the information contexts …

Spring Commencement, 2026, Marshall University

Marshall University Commencement

Program for the Commencement of Marshall University, Saturday, May 9, 2026 held at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, West Virginia.