Digital Commons Network^™

March 2020, Lisa Friesen

The CETL Correspondent

It’s March and Spring Break is within reach! We have been busy in CETL with workshops, enrollment, and jumping into grant writing!

Exploring Faculty Perceptions Of Campus Climate Before And After A Consolidation, Stephanie Denise Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consolidations have become a market strategy for both public and private higher education institutions as a way of rebranding to address financial challenges and to remain competitive. Challenges arise when faculty and staff members are expected to merge the racial climates of a non-historically black college and university (NHBCU) and a historically black college and university (HBCU). The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of issues related to inclusion, campus interactions, and diverse campus groups following the consolidation. The racial campus climate framework by Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, and Allen served as the conceptual framework for this …

Appreciative Inquiry Impact On University Instructor's Nonverbal Immediacy, Aviva Gordon

Wayne State University Dissertations

The impact of Appreciative Inquiry on university instructor’s Nonverbal Immediacy was explored. Nonverbal Immediacy has been investigated extensively through the perception of students and rarely used as an instructional strategy or to enhance Appreciative Inquiry. Self-determination Theory informed this research with the constructs competence, relatedness, and autonomy inherent in Nonverbal Immediacy and Appreciative Inquiry. An adapted instrument collected data from Communication courses, twice during one semester. The Coronavirus interrupted research, so the second survey was modified for online. The research question could not be answered conclusively. However, both instruments were found reliable, valid and replicable. The recent online nonverbal immediacy …

"Change Is The Essential Process Of All Existence:" Transformation Through Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement's Theory, Molly Kerby

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

During the early years of the American Association of State Colleges & Universities’ (AASCU) American Democracy Project (ADP), a handful of civic-minded leaders in higher education began to grapple with what it meant to teach students to be engaged citizens. The project began with seven initiatives focusing on efforts such as voting, stewardship of land, political engagement, and citizenship to build a foundation for increasing civic literacy, democratic agency, and community engagement among college students (American Association of State Colleges and Universities, 2019). Membership and participation in ADP grew quickly and it seemed an organic revolution of sorts was building …

The Relationship Between Psychological Contract Breach, Organizational Identification, And Organizational Agility Among Nursing Faculty Members, Yaldez Zeineldin

Nursing

Psychological contract is defined as the unwritten or hidden agreement between both the employers and the employees to ensure reciprocity and safe productive work environment. The concept of the relationship between Psychological Contract Breach (PCB) as one of many recognized antecedents of organizational identification has been emphasises for years. Organizational Identification (OI) is defined as the extent to which both the organisation and the employee’s identities are overlapped. Organizational Identification (OI) has many benefits. For instance, it has a robust effect on the employees’ cognitive abilities, attitude, and behavior including their organizational agility and acceptance to the external and internal …

Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intention In Higher Education: A Study Of Information Technology Professionals In The California State University System, Brooke Ferrier Banks

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey perceived job satisfaction and turnover intention of information technology professionals in the California State University (CSU) system. Employee satisfaction facets (work, pay, opportunities for promotion, supervision, and co-workers), overall satisfaction, and turnover intention were measured. Further, the study identified whether there was a significant difference in perceived job satisfaction or turnover intention based on years of service in the CSU system, gender, or campus in the CSU system. The study also examined the uniqueness of information technology professionals at campuses in the CSU system. This study utilized a mixed-methods methodology with two …

Perceived Roles Of Vice President Of Student Affairs In U.S. Colleges And Universities, Gerald T. Russo-Stannard

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Literature describing the role of the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) is plentiful, but research studies describing the perceptions of those serving as VPSA with regard to the nature of the position and its changes have proven to be fewer in quantity. This study developed a deeper understanding of the perceived role of the VPSA by exploring how its role is construed by current, experienced VPSAs. Q-Methodology was employed to elicit personal constructs from VPSAs as a means of identifying a set of shared viewpoints about the VPSA role. Background information on the participants was collected and was associated …

Dynamics Of Trust And Faculty Involvement In Community College, Lenora Sotlar Clouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complex dynamics of the phenomenon of trust, defined as a psychological state where one is willing to accept vulnerability based upon the positive expectations of a specific other or others, and the influence trust has on faculty involvement in institutional decision-making were explored in this case study. Faculty involvement is a key element of institutional success, yet many faculty at community colleges are not satisfied with their involvement or choose to remain uninvolved. Although researchers have established a substantial body of research on trust in organizations, a gap remains regarding the role trust plays in community college faculty involvement …

Rankism In Higher Education: A Critical Inquiry Of Staff Experiences, Erin M. Christensen-Mandel

Higher Education: Doctoral Research Projects

Missing from the discussions of inequitable treatment of employees in higher education are the experiences of staff members. In work interactions, staff are frequently treated differently (often as inferiors), depending on their level of education and their role in the hierarchy on the non-academic side of an institution (Anonymous, 2006; Young, Anderson & Stewart, 2015). This difference in treatment has been termed, “rankism” in the broad sense or “hierarchical microaggressions” for smaller incidents and is especially troublesome as higher education is presumed to create upward mobility and lead towards a more equitable society (Young et al., 2015).

The research questions …

Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intention In Higher Education: A Study Ofbailey College Of Engineering And Technology Professionals In The California State University System, Brooke Ferrier Banks

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey perceived job satisfaction and turnover intention ofBailey College of Engineering and Technology professionals in the California State University (CSU) system. Employee satisfaction facets (work, pay, opportunities for promotion, supervision, and co-workers), overall satisfaction, and turnover intention were measured. Further, the study identified whether there was a significant difference in perceived job satisfaction or turnover intention based on years of service in the CSU system, gender, or campus in the CSU system. The study also examined the uniqueness ofBailey College of Engineering and Technology professionals at campuses in the CSU system. This study …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Higher Education, Yizhi Ma

Masters Theses

"A perfect storm is hitting higher education. Decreased funding from traditional funding sources, such as State Governments, and transformative changes caused by artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize higher education. Higher education needs to change and evolve quickly and continuously to prepare students for the upheavals in the job market caused by AI, machine learning, and automation.

As AI continues to make inroads into our world and our lives, its impact and effects can no longer be ignored. What kinds of organizational changes in higher education are necessary? How can higher education continue to prepare students for the AI evolution and …

Assembling A Hispanic-Serving Institution: A Campus Landscape Analysis Of A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Brenda Lee Jimenez Sifuentez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post-secondary educational spaces are often thought of as a backdrop to where education takes place. Architectural designs are seen as neutral sites; however, higher education institutions are sites of ideological production and therefore, fundamental exercises of power (Ford, 2017). The study of campus landscapes is relevant to uncovering and illuminating larger social issues of (in)equality in higher education. Literature regarding campus landscapes is scarce and this study seeks to demonstrate how the study of campus landscapes is both materially "real" and socially constructed. This study takes place at a four-year institution of higher education that has received the Hispanic Serving …

Effects Of Lmx And External Environmental Factors On Creativity Among Faculty In Higher Education, Timothy Allen Dupont

All Dissertations

Recent articles in the news clearly indicate that changes are occurring in American higher education requiring universities to rely on faculty who can initiate change through creativity and innovation (Zhou & George, 2001). Creativity is generally defined as the generation of products or ideas that are both novel and appropriate (Hennessey & Amabile, 2010). Institutional theory, leader-member exchange theory (LMX), and the componential theory of creativity provide the theoretical framework for this study. This study explores the effects of faculty perceptions of external environmental pressures in higher education on faculty perceptions of their creativity. This study also examines: (a) the …

Cases Of Contingent Stem Faculty Who Practice Critical Pedagogies With/In The Neoliberal University, Jeffrey Michael Kenney

All Dissertations

An increasingly neoliberal university means diminishing resources and labor security for those located in the lowest echelon, particularly those engaged in critical/radical/activist projects. The purpose of this study was to generate knowledge in an effort to sustain and advance critical pedagogical practices in college teaching. This study focused principally on the knowledge and insights of contingent STEM faculty who practice critical pedagogies in the neoliberal conditions of public universities. Utilizing critical and pragmatic perspectives, I explored both the ingenuity and practicality of the participants’ praxis as well as examined the structural machinations of neoliberal capitalism within their teaching and learning …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Project Management Training And Project Management Self-Efficacy Among Faculty/Staff In Higher Education, Alan W. Stanfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Project management techniques are common within a number of construction related industries, however, higher education is not a field to which the practices of project management are routinely applied. Although multiple factors could lead to the lack of project management application in higher education, this study focused on faculty/staff self-efficacy and project work experience. The purpose was to determine if self-efficacy and project work experience contribute to the lack of project management techniques applied in higher education. The study was based upon Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and how project work experience may affect faculty/staff venturing into applying project management techniques. …

Advancing Faculty Adoption Of Open Educational Resources In Higher Education: A Delphi Study, Stephanie Brasley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify and describe the perceptions of open educational resources (OER) higher education experts regarding the activities needed at colleges and universities in the United States in order to advance faculty adoption of OER over the next 10 years. Also, this study examined those activities that were most important and had the greatest likelihood of being implemented.

Methodology: The researcher utilized a mixed-methods Delphi study technique to identify and describe activities to advance faculty adoption of OER. The target population for the study consisted of a group of OER higher education faculty …

Differences In The Dual Credit Experience Between High School And Institutions Of Higher Education, Micheala A. Steinmetz-Benton

Dissertations

Dual credit courses are college-level courses offered to high school students which are accepted for both high school and college credit (Hughes, 2016). Dual credit positively impacts students by reducing the time to complete a degree, enhancing the high school curriculum, increasing college accessibility, and lessening educational financial burdens (Hughes, 2016). The intention of this study was to survey adjunct instructors who have taught in both high school and college environments to determine their opinions of differences that exist between secondary and postsecondary dual credit experiences. College administrators were also interviewed to obtain insight into any variability of dual credit …

Leadership From The Middle Pays It Forward: An Academic Administrator Of Color’S Career Development Narrative In Postsecondary Education, Cecil Dean Campbell

The Qualitative Report

The ongoing underrepresentation of administrators of color in higher education suggests that traditional career pathways make racial equities in administrative leadership elusive. This personal narrative explores middle-manager educational and career experiences—some often-overlooked aspects of higher education administration. Using leadership and career development theories, I draw on qualitative approaches to examine my own career journey as one academic affairs administrator of color who has experienced a history of career change, lay-off, and non-traditional moves within and across diverse institutions. Through an inductive approach for analyzing data in my career narrative, emergent themes incorporate data references “calling,” citizenship, and cultural change in …

Exploring Organizational Culture In College Athletics: Comparing The Athletic Director And Employee Perceptions Of Present And Preferred Cultures, Ryan Heil

All Dissertations

Using a mixed methods research design, this study compared the athletic director’s perceptions of the present and preferred organizational cultures with the perceptions of the athletic department employees at Big State University. As the pace of change has accelerated in athletic departments, it has become more important for members of these organizations to develop a shared understanding of their present culture as well as the type of cultural attributes that they believe will help them become more successful in the future. This study used the Competing Values Framework as a theoretical construct and the OCAI survey to gather quantitative data. …

A Model For Propagating Educational Innovations In Higher Stem Education: A Grounded Theory Study Of Successfully Propagated Innovations, Raina Khatri

Dissertations

A critical problem in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is the slow uptake of innovative teaching strategies and materials. Developments from the STEM education research community can be shown to improve learning and retention outcomes, but the majority of new teaching strategies go unused by instructors. This problem is increasingly acknowledged by funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, which now calls for “transferability and propagation” to be addressed throughout a project’s lifetime in the request for proposals. However, few publications synthesize what is known about propagating innovations into usable, actionable recommendations for developers in the …

Exploring The Relationship Of Burnout, Retention, And Tenure Between Full-Time Professors Teaching In A Traditional Brick-And-Mortar Environment And Full-Time Professors Teaching In A Fully Online Environment, Scott Dunbar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of educational delivery as it related to burnout in full-time college professors in a Southern California Christian university. The problem addressed was examining the relationship of full-time faculty burnout between two educational delivery methods, traditional brick-and-mortar educational delivery and fully online educational delivery, in a Southern California Christian university. This study was significant as the phenomenon of burnout in relation to brick-and-mortar full-time professors and online full-time professors had yet to be researched in a Southern California Christian university. In addition, burnout in online faculty members had rarely been studied …

Creating A Climate To Realize Institutional Diversification Goals: A Phenomenological Study Of Campus Diversification Best Practices, S. N. Ross Canning

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the diversification plans and goals of four university or college campuses in California examining the insight and perspectives of their respective administrators. Diversification of the institution has been adopted as a strategic plan or mission goal. The investigation analyzes the strides made toward the goal by investigating the efforts of the institutions in the intercultural training of current staff and faculty. Where best practices for diversification of the institution at every level exist, I will review what is being done and contrast those findings with institutions where a diversification goal exists, but training programs for staff members …

Thematic Narrative Of Lgbt Faculty Members' Professional Identity And Activism, Kathy Luanne Williamson Gall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 20 years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals have made progress in attaining the same basic civil rights as heterosexual individuals. As in other civil rights movements, the college campus has played an important role. The LGBT community participates in academic and campus life, and numerous colleges are developing and supporting an inclusive, safe, and respectful culture. However, bias and prejudice continue to occur. While researchers have studied the repercussions of prejudice, discrimination, and low evaluation scores for LGBT faculty, little research has been done to explore professional identity and activism in LGBT faculty at traditional …

Competencies And Strategies Utilized By Higher Education Leaders During Planned Change, Dawn Aziz

Wayne State University Dissertations

In a mixed methods study designed to explore the competencies and strategies utilized by self-described successful leaders of public, four-year U. S. institutions, this study confirmed that there was little difference among academic and non-academic leaders in their approach to successful change beyond that found in terms of non-academic preference for resilience and an academic preference for personal learning. Both leaders (N=47) showed high agreement for the nine proposed competencies, five of which were statistically higher in perceived importance (personal learning, resilience, emotional engagement/creating a safe space, networking/coalition building, and project management). Adapting Bolman and Deal’s four frames (2013) as …

Influence Of Culture In The Implementation Of Change At Small, Private Colleges, Andrew Ralston Flamm

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain essence of understanding of the phenomena of the influence of culture on the change process at small, private colleges. Research questions included cultural characteristics of a campus, the impact of policy and procedure on shaping culture, the role of leadership in shaping culture, and contextual conditions that affect the change process. Two colleges that fit the description of small, private colleges were selected as sites. At each site, six individuals composed of a mix of faculty and administration were secured for semi-structured interviews. Interviews provided a rich understanding of the unique campus …

Disability Resource Specialists' Capacity To Adopt Principles And Implement Practices That Qualify As Universal Design At A 4-Year Public Institution, Cecilia Spencer Grugan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Due to the continuous growth of diverse student bodies on college campuses, creating accessibility for each unique student needs to be considered. Students who have a disability or disabilities are a substantial part of this growing diverse student body. Since disability resource specialists play a significant role in creating accessibility for such students, they can consider implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore where disability resource specialists fall on Lewin's (1951) continuum of change and Reynold's (2009) levels of expertise in regards to implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. Six …

Institutional Diffusion And Implementation Of Internationalization In Higher Education: A Case Study Of G University, Yiwei Qiu

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to provide relevant data and insights that could validate the usefulness of a blended theoretical model of internationalization based on a modified model of van Dijk and Meijer’s internationalization cube with Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory with the long term of goal of generating a universally applicable theoretical model to help guide other higher education institutions toward successful internationalization. The blended theoretical framework adapted in this study was used to review G University’s (GU) policy, support, and implementation dimensions regarding internationalization and illustrate how internationalization at GU fits into the blended theoretical framework. It was also used …

Network Effect: How Social Networks Relate To Beliefs About Organizational Change At Private Colleges, Elizabeth J. Bushnell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the context of an increasingly competitive and complex higher Education market, postsecondary leaders are challenged to sustain the viability of their institutions. In response to these challenges, college and university leaders routinely pursue change and innovation. Yet, the process to implement change successfully is elusive. In other industries, researchers have found that social networks are influential in the success and sustainability of change. The purpose of this study was to explore if there is a relationship between social network characteristics and faculty members beliefs about organizational change at a small, private university. The results showed that the strength and …

Shaping The Image Builders: The Birth And Rise Of The American Association Of College News Bureaus And A New Rhetorical Arena In Higher Education, Gregory D. Cook

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drawing on a qualitative review of historical artifacts, the author explores the birth and rise of the American Association of College News Bureaus and its successive organizations. The author performs a historical study, interlacing an interpretive biographical lens and rhetorical theory. The study seeks to determine what formative events and narratives shaped the Associations progression from 1915 until 1950 and to what extent, if any, the Association and its successor organizations established a new rhetorical arena in Americas higher Education landscape. The expansive horizontal network launched by the group better served colleges and universities with more robust dialogue and public …

Indigenous Student Retention In Arctic Higher Education, Evan Brown

All Capstone Projects

The primary focus of this capstone research is to identify the process of indigenous student retention policy in Arctic higher education institutions and compare these practices to existing retention and social theory. Much of the dominant literature on student retention addresses Euro-centric models, not fully addressing persistence issues with subjugated groups. There is a gap in the research with regard to indigenous Arctic student retention. By conducting a case study, data was gathered via the utilization of a variety of tools including archival records, interviews, direct observations, and document reviews. By adding to the body of work regarding student retention, …