Digital Commons Network^™

Surviving At The Top: A Critical Case Study Of Female Administrators In Higher Education, Renanda Wood Dear

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Women encounter significant barriers as it relates to their gender and leadership traits. The strong patriarchal system has made it more difficult for women to advance in higher education. Research has previously examined a number of factors, including characteristics, institutional influences, and practice efforts to increase the representation of women in leadership in higher education. However, exploring the persistence of gender inequality at the highest ranks of executive leadership is essential to understanding the underrepresentation of women in executive leadership positions in higher education (Bonebright, Cottledge & Lonnquist, 2012; White, 2012). Even though women have been a part of higher …

Becoming Opianchoctalirican: A Black Man In A Multiracial World, Michael Williams

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This inquiry explores my journey of understanding my multiracial identity. Being multiracial by heritage, but identified and labeled Black socially and governmentally, contradicts my racial identities. Who am I? What am I? These are the questions that have plagued the back of my mind as I become multiracial, more accurately, Opianchoctalirican. I am mixed with racial heritages, partially Ethiopian, partially Native American, partially Italian, and partially Puerto Rican. I am OpianChocTaliRican.

Theoretically, I draw upon many theorists’ work on the fluidity, complexity, and dynamics of racial identities (e.g., Baldwin, 2008; Bhabha, 2004; Coates, 2015; Fanon, 2004, 2008; Gaztembide-Fernandez, 2009; Ibrahim, …

Aerodynamic And Modal Analyses Of Small Scale Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine With Various Numbers Of Blade Design, Emile Maroha

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With the global energy demand rising to unprecedented numbers, the need for alternative energy sources is ever prevalent. Wind energy is the most alternative renewable sources today due to its year-round availability and pollution-free nature. Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT) are the most popular because of their higher efficiency. The aerodynamic characteristics and vibration of small scale HAWT with various numbers of blade design have been investigated in this numerical study in order to improve its performance. SolidWorks was used for designing CAD models, and ANSYS software was used to study the dynamic flow around the turbine as well as …

Student Motivation And Intent To Take Online Courses, Ashley W. Cullum

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Motivation Orientation Scale – Student Version (MO-SV) and Unified Theory of User Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT) were used to predict to what extent motivation orientation impacts student intent to take online courses, to examine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators of students that drive them to take online courses, to examine the relationship between motivation to take online courses and motivation to take face-to-face courses, and to determine if demographic variables influence behavioral intent to take online courses. A sample of 394 full-time and part-time students at a large, public, research university with an integrated health center in the Southeast …

Developing The Whole Teacher: A Phenomenological Case Study Of Student Teachers' Emotional Experiences In One Teacher Education Program, Kathleen M. Crawford

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Student teaching serves as the culminating field experience in the majority of teacher education programs, and studies have revealed the need to investigate the connection between pre-service teachers and the emotions they experience, express, and manage. Therefore, the overarching purpose of this phenomenological case study was to examine how one Early Childhood (PreK-5^th) Education Program addressed and prepared teachers for the emotional dimensions of teaching, as well as to examine the emotional experiences of the student teachers. The results of this study revealed the need for teacher education programs to amend the ways in which they prepare pre-service …

The Influence Of Middle School Teacher-Student Relationships On Future Academic Decisions Of African American Males, Andrea R. Williams-Baugh

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of middle school teacher-student relationships on students’ future academic decisions after dropping out of high school. With a national dropout rate of 30% and in some urban areas of 50%, among poor black minority youths, it is crucial that educators strongly consider the possibility that teacher-student relationships may play a vital role in the future decision-making or planning of middle school students (Kafele, 2012). Middle school research suggests that indicators of student disengagement can be traced back as early as elementary school when student reading and math scores begin …

Enhancing Project Management With Lean World Class Manufacturing In Construction, Jacob Randles

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In construction, the goal of commercial projects is to turn a profit. This is achieved by minimizing inputs and maximizing outputs while building a product that meets the customer’s perception of value. Value is determined through pre-negotiated specifications, plans, and material quality. Even in U.S. military construction, the unit executing the construction wants to complete the task on time and on budget, which can be difficult to do. Studies on project completion showcase a surprisingly high rate of failure in reaching the aforementioned “on time, on budget” goal. It is important to understand the nuances and details of U.S. Army …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Needs Of Mothers In College In The Rural Southeast, Danielle N. Bostick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of my study was to understand student mothers that attended college in the rural southeast by using an ecological framework to examine the barriers and challenges that they encounter on college campuses. Additionally, the study identified support and the lack of support that the mothers received. The theoretical concepts of intensive mothering, role strain, and role conflict were also used to comprehend how parental obligations can conflict with the expectations of being a college student. In total, 14 participants that attended a mid-size university in the rural southeast agreed to be a part of the study. The criteria …

The Relationship Between Secondary Schools' Plc Characteristics And Literacy Achievement, Jennifer C. Topper

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative, non-experimental, correlational study examined the relationship between secondary school staff perceptions of their school’s effectiveness and the change in student literacy over a one year period. The staff perception data was elicited through an anonymous, electronically administered survey, the SEDL’s School Professional Staff as Learning Community Questionnaire (SPSLCQ) (Hord, 1996). Perceptions were gathered and measured based on the responses to descriptors in the five PLC domains of shared and supportive leadership; shared vision and values; collective learning and application of learning; supportive conditions; and shared personal practice. The populations whose perceptions were measured were the staffs of middle …

"We're In The Business Of A Good Education": Schooled To Profit Or Educated To Create?, Nicole Nolasco

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this inquiry, I ask the questions: What could my career, my life, and the world be like in the future? How could public education be impacted by the frenzy over accountability, standards, and the belief that competition and unrestricted capitalism will reform American schools, especially for students of color and from the working and lower classes? How can I, a high school English teacher, address pressing social and educational issues to affect change? I explore these questions through a work of fiction I have created. Theoretically drawing from critical pedagogy, I use arts based research and fiction as methodology …

An Exploration Of The Impostor Phenomenon And Its Impact On Black Women Administrators In Higher Education In The South, Marian Muldrow

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies document Black student and faculty underrepresentation in higher education and the obstacles blocking their access to the classroom either as students or as instructors. As Black women students work toward graduate degrees, Black women administrators are needed so these students can see their identity reflected in their academic leaders.

As a result, this study focused on the particular challenges that limit upward mobility to senior-level administrative positions and highlighted some of the obstacles and conflicts that arise when Black women pursue leadership positions at institutions of higher education. The highlighted historical events related to education, as well as …

Charter School Governance: An Exploration Of Autonomy And Board Effectiveness, June A. Erskine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite the increased numbers of charter schools each year, we understand very little about their governing boards. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation (2004) factors that correlate with charter school success such as accountability, public support, and institutional capacity to progress toward established goals are typically under the management of a charter school governing board. While there is no shortage of governance recommendations for charter schools, there are few empirically validated prescriptions. There are empirically validated characteristics of successful Non-Profit Organization (NPO) governing boards (Herman & Renz, 2008). The methodology for this research was designed to determine if governance …

Dystopian Identities: Exhuming The World Of Zombies Through The Camera's Eye: A Documentary, Julie Kimble

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research seeks to understand how engagement in zombie media culture helps its participants to navigate their everyday fears, develop identity, and form meaningful communities through this interaction. Curriculum studies enables us to see that knowledge is fluid and we often learn more from our interaction with our world outside of the expected sites of education—like schools. Media and pop culture provide a place for this knowledge to begin. Participants in zombie culture invest themselves and connect in ways that transcend entertainment and seem to become sites of transformation. Standardization and testing have become the driving force in education, creating …

The Effects Of Thermal Opportunity And Habitat On Physiological Performance In Ecologically Distinct Populations Of The Florida Scrub Lizard Sceloporus Woodi, Lauren K. Neel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

An ectotherm’s ability to thermoregulate affects many physiological traits. Therefore, thermal factors are paramount when considering behavior, activity time, body temperatures, energy budget, and performance capabilities. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a ground-dwelling lizard that occupies longleaf pine and sand pine scrub habitats in the Ocala National Forest. Here, this species’ habitat is maintained by either clear-cut logging in scrub stands, or prescribed burning in long leaf pine stands. These habitat types differ in their dominant vegetation, canopy cover, and availability of vertical perches and thus are ecologically different. I used biophysical models to measure the …

Flight Of The White Feather: The Expansion Of The White Feather Movement Throughout The World War One British Commonwealth, Kimberly Elisa Stevens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The historiography of the First World War in Great Britain has focused mainly on military matters, leaving home front experiences temporarily unexplored. While the soldier’s experience remains invaluable to historians, studies of women and the home front are significant. The White Feather Campaign, which called for women to give white feathers denoting cowardice to men in civilian dress, who allegedly had not enlisted, remains vivid in British historical memory, but few scholarly works have examined it thoroughly. Historians such as Nicoletta F. Gullace and Susan R. Grayzel have shed light on British women in the war, but there remains further …

Assessing Shoreline Change And Vegetation Cover Adjacent To Back-Barrier Shoreline Stabilization Structures In Georgia Estuaries, Katherine R. Wakefield

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Anthropogenic stabilization of erosional shorelines by hard-armoring structures is used for protection of property, especially if buildings, historical monuments, cultural resources, or other infrastructure are present. The post-installation effects of shoreline stabilization structures on adjacent shorelines in the back-barrier marshes of coastal Georgia are a concern, and interest in living shorelines as erosion control devices has increased because of their use of natural materials and vegetation. AMBUR shoreline analysis software was used to calculate pre-and post-installation shoreline change rates of shorelines adjacent to riprap and bulkhead structures. There was no significant difference between the post-installation shoreline change rates of the …

In Search Of Financial Literacy: A Qualitative Analysis Of Student Money Management Centers In The U.S., Jenny E. Cotton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Financial stress and obligations have been identified as the number one reason students leave college. In an effort to address this, colleges and universities have begun to reevaluate their role and responsibility as it pertains to financial education. This has led some institutions to create student money management centers. These centers serve as a resource for students to receive financial counseling and education.

This research explores how administrators within college money management centers perceive and meet the needs of college students on issues of personal finance. Charmaz’ Constructivist Grounded Theory (2006) approach to qualitative research was utilized as the theoretical …

Exploring The Connection Between Christian Colleges' Mission And Finance, Farrah Rachele Senn

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Two main issues currently threatening Christian colleges include mission conflict and financial viability, and research suggests that there is a relationship between these two. However, current literature about the relationship between mission and finance is mostly qualitative in nature, either being case studies or observations of practice. This research set out to establish the nature of the relationship between mission fidelity and financial health using quantitative methodology. A survey instrument was used to quantify mission fidelity for 81 colleges in the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), a national organization of Christian colleges, using Benne’s (2001) Typology of Christian …

“At-Risk” Rural Middle-School Students’ Perceptions Of Problem-Based Learning In Mathematics, Deborah A. Bowers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Middle-grade students who fail math have at least a three-in-four chance of dropping out of high school (Neild & Balfanz, 2006). Furthermore, these students, especially female students, at risk of failure in mathematics and consequent dropout, may not be well served by traditional teaching methods because of their inequitable instructional practices (Lerner & Sadker, 1999). This case study of eight seventh-grade students from a rural school in Georgia sought to gain insight into whether PBL (problem-based learning) was perceived to be an effective teaching method for “at-risk” middle-school mathematics students and female students in particular. The goals of the study …

Effects Of Salinity And Ph Change On The Physiology Of An Estuarine Fish Species, Fundulus Heteroclitus Heteroclitus, Shauna M. Tietze

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sapelo Island, Georgia is a pristine environment characterized by many variable salt marsh habitats. Throughout the island, salinity ranges from freshwater to full strength seawater and acidity levels range from low pH (pH < 4.4) to above neutral (pH > 8). Fundulus heteroclitus (Mummichog) is a resident organism of the salt marsh environment that has evolved coping strategies to withstand fluctuations in temperature, salinity and pH. Field and laboratory studies have shown F. heteroclitus to exhibit broad tolerance of individual environmental stressors; however, there is limited information on their ability to handle multiple stressors simultaneously. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to low …

An Investigation On A Mobile Robot In A Ros Enabled Cloud Robotics Environment, Theodore C. Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In modern day robotic applications, the use of cloud computing is being considered as a viable option giving rise to development of cloud robotics environment. Robots are also being developed to operate under an organized framework of robot operating system (ROS) for flexibility and better integration with robots of different types. In this work, an investigation is presented on the development of a mobile robotic platform and its integration in a ROS enabled cloud robotics environment. A mobile robotic platform was built with different sensors including a depth camera, integrated with Arduino and raspberry pi for interfacing the sensors, the …

Deans Of Students’ Responsibilities In Campus Crisis Management, Patrice B. Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to discover the responsibilities of the dean of students in managing campus crisis. The literature clearly identifies the dean of students as a member of the crisis management team (Benjamin, 2014; Zdziarski, 2001, 2006, 2016). However, a gap in the literature exists concerning the specific responsibilities of the dean of students in responding to campus crisis.

The five phases of crisis management as defined by PPD-8 are Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery (US Department of Homeland Security, 2011). In signing PPD-8, President Obama mandated all state and federal organizations develop comprehensive …

Creating Spaces Of Imaginative Engagement For Gifted High School Honors And Advanced Placement English Students, Patty T. Bradshaw

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Gifted students may have safety needs beyond the universal needs for security that all students have in order to learn. I investigated the needs of gifted students first hand through interviews with nine gifted students with diverse backgrounds. Interview questions and findings were organized around five major themes: characterization of self, characterization of classmates, characterization of teachers, characterization of classroom, and characterization of strategies and activities. Conclusions show that gifted students share commonalities in personality, needs, and characteristics as well as commonalities among the challenges they face, conditions in which they learn, and the environment in which they feel safe …

Do Placement And Repetition Of Information In Pictorials Affect Comprehension And Memory Of Medication Instructions?, Jessica Le

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how text and picture pairings affected comprehension and memory for medication instructions. Participants viewed instructions on how to prepare a mock oral suspension drug. These instructions either had the picture repeat the information in the text, or complement information in the text. The text instructions were also either integrated into the pictures, or were separated from the pictures. Next, participants were assessed on their comprehension and memory including memory for the order of the steps and their belief in their ability to carry out this task effectively. The results indicated that participants …

Animal Sentience: The Other-Minds Problem, Stevan Harnad

Animal Sentience

The only feelings we can feel are our own. When it comes to the feelings of others, we can only infer them, based on their behavior — unless they tell us. This is the “other-minds problem.” Within our own species, thanks to language, this problem arises only for states in which people cannot speak (infancy, aphasia, sleep, anaesthesia, coma). Our species also has a uniquely powerful empathic or “mind-reading” capacity: We can (sometimes) perceive from the behavior of others when they are in states like our own. Our inferences have also been systematized and operationalized in biobehavioral science …

Why Fish Do Not Feel Pain, Brian Key

Animal Sentience

Only humans can report feeling pain. In contrast, pain in animals is typically inferred on the basis of nonverbal behaviour. Unfortunately, these behavioural data can be problematic when the reliability and validity of the behavioural tests are questionable. The thesis proposed here is based on the bioengineering principle that structure determines function. Basic functional homologies can be mapped to structural homologies across a broad spectrum of vertebrate species. For example, olfaction depends on olfactory glomeruli in the olfactory bulbs of the forebrain, visual orientation responses depend on the laminated optic tectum in the midbrain, and locomotion depends on pattern generators …

Cognitive Evidence Of Fish Sentience, Jonathan Balcombe

Animal Sentience

I present a little-known example of flexible, opportunistic behavior by a species of fish to undermine Key’s (2016) thesis that fish are unconscious and unable to feel. Lack of a cortex is flimsy grounds for denying pain to fish, for on that criterion we must also then deny it to all non-mammals, including birds, which goes against scientific consensus. Notwithstanding science’s fundamental inability to prove anything, the precautionary principal dictates that we should give the benefit of the doubt to fish, and the state of the oceans dictates that we act on it now.

Why Human Pain Can’T Tell Us Whether Fish Feel Pain, Victoria A. Braithwaite, Paula Droege

Animal Sentience

In his target article, Key (2016) reviews the neuroanatomy of human pain and uses what is known about human pain to argue that fish cannot experience pain. We provide three reasons why the conclusions reached by Key are unsupported. They consider (i) why it is not sufficient to conclude that only human neural structures can process conscious pain, (ii) why an understanding of pain in humans and non-human animals needs to be based within a framework of consciousness, and (iii) evidence already exists that fish treated with noxious stimuli lose the ability to perform normal behaviours: This was a behavioral …

Robot Fish Do Not Need Sentience, Antonio Chella

Animal Sentience

The target article by Key (2016) discusses the thesis that fish cannot feel pain because of the lack of the necessary neural structure. This commentary suggests the possibility that fish do not need conscious neural processing by taking into account recent results from biomimetic robotics. State-of-the-art biomimetic robot fish are based on a tight interaction between the body and the environment and are typically controlled by behavior-based architectures. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that cognitive architectures are not needed to control a robot fish. This is in line with the thesis proposed by Key: what biomimetic robot fish show is …

On The Sentience Of Fish, Pentti O. Haikonen

Animal Sentience

Key’s (2016) target article, “Why fish do not feel pain,” is based on a moralistic fallacy where conclusions about natural conditions are drawn not from research and experiments, but from subjective moral views on how things should be. Moreover, the neurobiological findings purporting to show that fish do not feel pain are insufficient for drawing this conclusion.