Digital Commons Network^™

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

District-Level Supervisors: Leaders And Advocates For School Counseling, Thomas M. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

All school counselors are expected to serve as leaders and advocates in their school communities. However, many are underprepared for the work after they complete graduate-level training. The present study explored the experiences of district- level school counseling supervisors in facilitating leadership development with professional school counselors. District-level supervisors are ideally placed to support school counselors in their leadership development and advocacy work. Through a semi- structured interview process, eight district-level school counseling supervisors provided information about their leadership development experiences. Data analysis yielded four themes in this descriptive phenomenological study involving social justice, role advocacy, barriers to effective leadership, …

Perceptions Of The Specialized Literacy Professional: A Performance Profile, Julie S. Dauksys

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a performance profile of specialized literacy professionals. The International Literacy Association provided suggestions on how to prepare these professionals through the publication of The Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals (ILA, 2018); however, there is little awareness of these standards in the field, nor of the proposed definitions of the roles and responsibilities of literacy professionals (Bean et al., 2017).

The findings of this explanatory sequential mixed methods design provided insight into the daily work of the specialized literacy professional. This data is significant because the findings support the overarching goal …

15th Annual Higher Ground Women's Leadership Conference Booklet, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

The practice of leadership is most often understood within the

context of relationships inside organizations and institutions. The

boundaries that dictated our lives months before have all but

dissolved, prompting the need to reconsider our definition of

leadership, where it takes place, and who controls it.

Circumstances and opportunities have required women to

readjust their expectations and what is expected of them. While

the past 18-months took a physical, emotional, social, and political

toll on many families, it has also provided a moment for reflection,

resignation, recovery, and reimagination of what our lives could

be beyond this moment. It has …

A Comprehensive Audit Of Professional Development For K-12 School Leaders In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Melissa Davis Hill, Melisa J. Naumann, Timothy M. Tillman, Major R. Warner Jr.

Doctor of Education Capstones

The intent of this paper is to provide a mixed-methods audit of professional development provided to K-12 school leadership in Virginia's diverse landscape to include identification of providers, funding, effectiveness, and expectations.

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, geographical, political, and socio-economical differences across 132 school divisions cause variability in leaders' experiences with professional development. A mixed-methods approach was used, including a review of current literature, an online survey, virtual interviews, and virtual focus group discussions. This data collection results in a comprehensive audit of professional development provided to school leaders in Virginia's diverse landscape. The study defines effective professional development …

Mettle Under The Stars, June Forte

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A woman in her 30s enlists in the Army in pursuit of the GI Bill education benefits. Through her assignment as a photojournalist at Fort Carson, she came to know three Fourth Infantry Division Generals whose strengths of character and leadership styles profoundly influenced her life.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. …

Leadership Lessons Learned, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Katherine Donowitz, Carole Ivey, Aniket Jadhav, Marcel Jennings, Emily Lilley, Patricia Sobczak, Tammy Williams

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

Leaders at VCU were interviewed to gather their lessons learned, their triumphs, and their challenges in regards to COVID-19. More than ten interviews were completed with leaders across both VCU campuses and at varying positions at the university. Their responses, gathered in a multi-media case study of “lessons learned,” were collected to serve as inspirations for learning about leadership through success in a crisis.

Communication Strategies For Connecting Onevcu, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Jason Jacobus, Amy Lutero, Mary Peace Mcrae, Shravan Renapurkar, Kristin Richardson, Christian Wernz, Tonka Williams

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

This project analyzes and makes improvement suggestions for communication to VCU faculty and staff. The COVID-19 crisis has brought to light a variety of communication needs. Faculty and staff are feeling overwhelmed by a flood of emails, while at the same time are missing key information. We have assessed the current communication infrastructure, and together with the key VCU communicators have identified improved processes and policies.

Evaluating Academia During A Pandemic, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Fain, Nicholas Georges, Janina Golob Deeb, Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth, Rita Shiang, Patrick Smith

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

COVID-19 disrupted educational instruction which transitioned into remote learning and testing modes. Faculty adopted various platforms of remote learning, however, the students' perception of efficacy and adequacy remains unclear. Curriculum delivery transformation should be based on student feedback to align it with their needs and expectations. As remote learning evolves, it is important to identify perceptions from faculty and students. Our project might help improve and potentially enhance remote teaching and learning techniques.

Challenging The "Good Fit" Narrative: Creating Inclusive Recruitment Practices In Academic Libraries, Jennifer Stout, Sojourna Cunningham, Samantha Guss

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

As a profession, we talk the talk of valuing diversity and inclusion, but do we walk the walk with our hiring practices? The profession stresses the importance of “a good fit” when hiring, but we rarely interrogate the fact that “a good fit” can be a reflection of our implicit biases. Academic librarians conducted a survey of hiring policies with a focus on the processes (or lack thereof) of recruiting candidates from underrepresented groups. This session will report on their findings and recommend the implementation of specific practices designed to create an inclusive candidate pool and an equitable search

A Case Study Of Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of A Principal’S Behaviors That Influence School Climate, Classroom Practices, And Student Achievement In A Title I School, Kristy F. Budny

Theses and Dissertations

Public schools have increasingly transformed throughout the years, and the growth in suburban areas has brought many diversified schools that sometimes mirror schools in an urban setting (Kneebone and Berube,2013). Building principals, particularly those in charge of Title I schools, face numerous challenges each day within their buildings (Kahlenberg, 2001). Not only have the demands of high-stakes testing increased over the years, other external factors also present challenges within the school setting. While the school stakeholders play an integral role in how the school is shaped, the building principal’s behaviors ultimately serve as the overarching guide in shaping how the …

Leadership Influence And Organizational Culture Influence In Private Schools: A Comparative Multiple Case Study On The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Strategic Leadership, Julia E. Tucker-Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

The top leader of an organization influences the organizational culture, and the organizational culture influences the leader. Strategic thinking on the part of the leader is a result of organizational culture and/or will impact organizational culture. This qualitative study is a comparative multiple-case study that examines the relationship between leaders and organizational culture and what the leader’s strategic decision-making and organizational changes indicate about the relationship between leadership and organizational culture. The organizational context of private schools is used to better understand the dynamics between leadership and organizational culture.

This study uses an interview protocol with CEOs of private schools, …

Training Neurodegenerative Disease Support Group Leaders: A New Support Group Functioning Scale, Therese V. Cash, Christopher Kilbourn, Sarah K. Lageman

Neurology Publications

Support group leaders play pivotal roles in maintaining healthy community support groups; however, these leaders also have personal support needs and typically lack formal training in managing complex behaviors of neurodegenerative disorders. A support group well-being questionnaire, assessing support group functioning, was developed and piloted among participants of an educational training program designed for support group leaders of various neurodegenerative disorder-specific support groups. An exploratory factor analysis evaluated the questionnaire’s psychometric properties and identified a reliable single factor five-item solution, which was titled the Support Group Functioning Scale (SGFS). Preliminary interpretation guidelines were proposed. Development of this scale is a …

Leadership Skills Development For Pediatric Residents, Hadi Anwar

Health Sciences Education Symposium

Physicians are expected to be leaders. Pediatrics residents have identified a lack of leadership development in their training. Some residency programs have developed skills-based leadership curriculums that are perceived positively by participants. A leadership curriculum is being developed for VCU pediatrics residents in a fellowship track. A needs assessment was done to identify high-priority leadership skills. The curriculum aims to improve communication, conflict resolution, decision-making, and time management skills using role-play, reflection, and feedback from direct observation. Expected challenges are developing appropriate instructors and time constraints. Curriculum creators will collect evaluations from participants and qualitative feedback to continually improve the …

The Experiences Of School Counseling Directors In Relation To Job Satisfaction And Leadership, Robyn Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

The current literature on school counselor job satisfaction does not address the experiences of school counseling directors. This is a unique set of counselors due to their role as leaders and supervisors in the building. Therefore, this study sought to better understand the experiences of school counseling directors in relation to job satisfaction and leadership. The researcher collected data through 10 interviews with participants having met the criteria of serving as a school counseling director of a middle or high school, supervising a department of at least two counselors, and working in the role for at least two years. Data …

Professional Development In Libraries: One Size Does Not Fit All, Patricia D. Sobczak, Agnes K. Bradshaw

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

With the constantly changing landscape in 21st century libraries, it would seem that professional development would be more important than ever. However, research indicates that few libraries have formal professional development programs and there are mixed messages from library leaders regarding the necessity and importance of professional development. It is no secret that libraries always seem to be facing budget cuts and funding for professional development is often seen as a low priority. We were curious to understand how professional development is viewed and executed in other academic libraries.

Professional development means different things to different people. To some, professional …

Recognizing Her Characteristics As A Leader: An Examination Of The Self-Assessment Of Women Leaders As Shaped By Social Identity Theory And The Concept Of Double Consciousness, John C. Gregory

Theses and Dissertations

Women leaders are grossly underrepresented in police and Army organizations and relevant research suggests that women face the most significant challenges in reaching leadership positions in male dominant organizations. Although there have been recent policy changes to increase opportunities for women in police and Army organizations, women are still barely represented in senior command and primary staff positions in police and Army organizations. When women are underrepresented, particularly at the most senior ranks, there are implications regarding cultural, structural, and attitudinal challenges that simply should not still exist in these organizations. Using qualitative methods, this study examined the experiences of …

Book Review: The Happiness Track, Laura Ferber

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success by Emma Seppala, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Leadership And Decision-Making, Vijay Saxena

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Leadership and Decision-making by Victor Vroom and Philip Yetton, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Creativity, Inc., Marah R. Archer

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Built To Last, Melanie A. Kulesz

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Discover Your True North, Haley Swindler

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Discover Your True North, by Bill George, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Give And Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, Patricia Sobczak

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Give and take: Why helping others drives our success, by Adam Grant, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, Rohan Mathur

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: Outliers, Howard Newell

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: The Empress Has No Clothes, Natalie Sympson

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of The Empress Has No Clothes: Conquering Self-Doubt to Embrace Success by Joyce M. Roche with the help of Alexander Kopelman, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Book Review: The Tipping Point, Meghan Wright

MGMT 641 Leadership Book Reviews

Book review of The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell, written for the Spring 2016 Semester MGMT 641: Organizational Leadership and Project Team Management class.

Claiming A Seat At The Table: Inclusive Paths To Leadership In Academic Libraries And Beyond, Megan Hodge, Patricia Sobczak

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

The topic of leadership development in academic libraries is recent area of interest for the profession. There is nascent scholarship in the areas of how to prepare librarians to advance into a first formal management position as well as in the area of leadership capacity-building for librarians and library organizations. This poster combines two independent research projects with the common theme of leadership development in academic libraries. It is not often that separate scholarship integrates effectively and cogently, but these studies coalesced in such an impactful way that all parties felt the need to share the content as well as …

Blue Devil 2, Malik Hodari

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A soldier in Vietnam continues to face interpersonal conflict as he fights to keep his team alive and complete his mission.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Blue Devil 1, Malik Hodari

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A soldier in Vietnam keeps his team alive and moving while grappling with interpersonal conflict.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.