Digital Commons Network^™

How Universities Use Twitter To Communicate About Mental Health, Sarah Elizabeth Polhill

Theses and Dissertations

From a sample of over three million tweets from universities in the US, we described the characteristics of universities' communication about mental health on Twitter, including common keywords, bigrams, linked resources, and hashtags, as well as the frequency of dialogic communication and mental health tweets over time, especially in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study uses data mining to collect tweets from official university Twitter accounts and selected accounts of university wellness and counseling programs. Relevant tweets were collected from a large sample using keywords and bigrams relevant to mental health from the Twitter accounts of IACS accredited …

Critical (Re)Approach To Higher Education Admission Policy: The Impact Of Open Enrollment Policy Implementation, Shirdonna Yvonne Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Federal and state policies affecting higher education, like the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1832, Brown vs. Board of Education, and Higher Education Act of 1965 have posited change regarding the proliferation of diversity and expansion of access (Thelin, 2011).

I analyzed BOT policies for enrollment and conducted a socio-diagnostic CDA on the implementation of admission policy to understand the impact of the policies’ implementation. I focused on 1) exploring how open enrollment (OE) policies were constructed, 2) how institutions adopt and interpret these policies, and 3) how individuals at the institution enact these policies, by conducting a discourse-historical analysis …

“And There The Pagans Reigned”: Epideictic, Shared Appreciation, Social History, Stephen Schloesser

History: Faculty Publications and Other Works

John W. O’Malley, S.J. highlighted the “pagan” origins of the texts recovered from classical antiquity by Renaissance humanists. Although these ancient writers had no relationship to either the Jewish or Christian religions of the Book, their writings were nevertheless valued for offering wisdom and moral insights. Thanks to the epideictic rhetorical genre, shared appreciation across boundaries was emphasized. However, O’Malley also avoided rigidity or literalism in applying principles of the past to contemporary circumstances. Ancient documents are one kind of source; the “social history” in actual practice and application of those documents is another kind of source. This essay surveys …

Unsettling Colonial Structures In Education Through Community-Centered Praxis, Kimberley Greeson, Steven Sassaman, Katherine Williams, Abby Yost

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

In the context of settler colonialism in the US, mainstream education practices function as ongoing enactors of colonial processes. Decolonizing pedagogy seeks to challenge these dominant practices by centering place, Indigenous epistemologies, and rehumanizing values. In this paper, we discuss how faculty and students used community-based experiential learning projects (CBEL) to challenge these dominant and normative educational structures. By integrating an anti-racist and anti-colonial lens, CBEL projects themselves can work to dismantle power structures, build community, and promote experiential learning in a variety of educational spaces. The student projects presented here seek to unsettle colonial educational frameworks of white supremacy …

Faculty And Staff Perceptions Of Their Roles In Preparing Students For College And Career Readiness: A Qualitative Exploration Of High Schools, Community Colleges, And Universities, Monica Ruiz

Theses & Dissertations

In 2020, nearly half of Texas’s 385,000 public high school graduates were unprepared for college-level reading or math. Limited research reveals K-12 faculty perceive limited roles and responsibilities in the college process, relying heavily on guidance counselors and college admissions counselors for preparing students for college and careers. The purpose of this study was to help fill this gap by answering the central research question: How do high school and college-level faculty and staff prepare high school students for college and careers? I chose a qualitative, interpretive design to explore educators’ individual and shared social meanings and interpretations. I used …

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2021/2022, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

The title of the annual report, “Our Evolving Garden”, points to how the University continues to develop and progress as “One SMU”. With the world now learning to live with COVID-19 as endemic, the last year has been one in which SMU students have been able to resume many of the activities that contribute towards providing a transformative education. For example, they were able to attend many more events on campus and to travel overseas for internships, exchanges, and community service projects. Faculty too were able to attend academic conferences and meet with educational partners, business connections and research associates …

Exploring Culturally Relevant Responses To Latinx Student Mental Health, Sarah Elizabeth Herrera

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Social workers have an ethical obligation to challenge systemic oppression. Within the context of Latinx college students, there are many systemic barriers that negatively impact their mental health. Previous research focuses on identifying individual characteristics among Latinx students that promote academic success and psychological wellbeing. However, it is important to hold postsecondary education accountable for creating more inclusive environments that welcome the increased enrollment of Latinx students. The following dissertation explores culturally relevant responses to Latinx college student mental health. The first article is a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis that explores how Latinx-specific programming shapes ethnic identity and psychological wellbeing among …

The Pacifican December 2022, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

Delaying College For Domestic Civic Service: The Gap Year Experiences Of City Year Americorps Alumni, Christopher John Bryson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade the concept of taking a gap year has become mainstream in the US. This idea of delaying enrollment, or taking a break from college, before beginning a bachelor’s degree, has gained popularity, especially as the cost of attendance in higher education has soared and the burden of paying for it has been placed on the student as the consumer. Similarly, the sought-after gap year experiences offered in the private sector are often costly. With the rising popularity of gap years, it is important to identify experiences that are accessible to a wide variety of backgrounds and …

Evidence Of Emotional Intelligence In College Presidents’ Public Writing: Does Their Emotional Intelligence Change Over Time?, Karen Powers Liebhaber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education (HIED) presidents face a wide variety of competing demands and pressures. High emotional intelligence (EI) has been found to be effective in good leadership, but few studies exist which examine HIED presidents’ EI. This quantitative growth model study attempted to expand the understanding of EI and its source of change among HIED presidents. Several conceptualizations link together in this study to better understand HIED presidents’ EI. First, higher EI has been linked to strong leadership and strong communication. Studies show EI can change over time and EI is associated with certain demographic factors. Further, language, particularly written language, …

Vulnerability And Well-Being: International Students’ Experience In North Queensland, Australia

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Accessible And Inclusive Online Course Design In Higher Education, Amy Lomellini

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The growth of online learning has expanded the reach of higher education to more diverse students than ever before; however, students often face barriers to equitable access to online instructional materials, course activities, and assessments. The challenge of meeting the needs of diverse learners was both highlighted and exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid shift to remote teaching and learning at many institutions. Disabled students were one group that was particularly affected. Research has explored faculty and students’ (with and without disabilities) perceptions of online learning; however, less is known about instructional designers’ and their team leaders’ roles …

Full Issue: 14(5) 2022 - Special Issue: Foreign Interference In Higher Education

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Integrating Media Literacy Into General Education Core Courses For Undergraduates, Christen Embry

Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the essential nature of media literacy, evaluate pre-developed higher education classes for existing media literacy context, and recommend best practices for incorporating media literacy into an undergraduate curriculum. This mixed-methods study of media literacy in undergraduate college courses explored the presence and absence of media literacy lessons within core classes by auditing 15 online course shells accessed through the university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Specifically, all the courses surveyed included the first skill of media literacy, Access; 33% of the classes included Analyze; 27% included Creation; 20% included Reflection; and 20% included Action. Once the …

A Nexus Of Literate Activity: The Design Of Writing Assignments In The Disciplines, Lauriellen Stankavich

English Theses & Dissertations

Writing plays a critical role in higher education as students are inducted into disciplinary practices through different genres, methodological repertoires and argumentation strategies. In Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) initiatives, the instructor serves as an embodied reservoir of disciplinary knowledge and an arbiter of literate practices but most crucially employs the mediating capacities of the writing assignment as a potent pedagogical nexus. In this practice space, the instructor acts as designer of the pedagogical experience—the course as a whole and writing assignments in particular. This study used interviews, survey, and the collection of syllabi and other instructional artifacts to examine …

Strengthening The Southern Nevada Workforce Pipeline, Katie M. Gilbertson

Policy Briefs and Reports

This report analyzes the Southern Nevada employment ecosystem by utilizing occupational clusters recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The first section examines occupations in the tourism industry using three occupational clusters: hospitality and leisure; arts, audio/video technology and communications; and the transportation, distribution, and logistics. Next, this report utilizes the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance’s 2022 Workforce Blueprint to identify the top 15 in-demand occupations for Southern Nevada and occupational clusters. A case study of the MGM College Opportunity Program (COP) is presented to demonstrate an existing workforce training program that promotes upward mobility of leisure and hospitality employees …

Visualization Research: Scoping Review On Data Visualization Courses, Fabio Capra-Ribeiro

Faculty Publications

Understanding data visualization as one of the foundational skills of the 21st century, this research aimed to define up-to-date guidelines to effectively teach data visualization courses and–from there–developed the first version of a new data visualization course. To do so, it faced the following questions: What is the current role of data visualization in higher education? What have been the main trends in data visualization courses in higher education? What methodologies have been used to teach data visualization courses? What difficulties have been identified in data visualization courses? What recommendations have been offered by previous professors that have taught this …

Understanding Servant Leadership Through The Lived Experiences Of Higher Education Administrative Leaders, Michael Roberts

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

In a global society steeped in increasingly complex environments, immediate modes of communication, flexible work arrangements, rapid advances in technology, and greater competition, the need for sound leadership has never been more important. Progressive, innovative, stronger leaders have the potential to provide organizations with a competitive advantage. A plethora of contemporary leadership frameworks exist, included among them situational leadership, transformational leadership, authentic leadership, relational leadership, and servant leadership. Each framework has its own unique set of characteristics which are embraced by the leaders who identify with them. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry through a postmodern lens to investigate the …

Improving Student Success In A Large-Enrollment Introductory Accounting Course, Melissa P. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation follows a three-article format presentation. The topic addresses improving student success in a large enrollment introductory accounting course. The first article is a literature review of pre-class activities within a flipped classroom setting in higher education. The review of 34 articles identified as relevant to the literature review explored what the literature tells us about pre-class learning activities and synthesized what instructors can do to design pre-class activities that encourage students' preparation for class. The review showed the importance of pre-class learning in a flipped classroom and that more research is needed to better understand students' behaviors and …

The Pacifican November 2022, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

Neurodiversity Inclusive Practices In Higher Education: Using A Needs Assessment To Spur Change Throughout University Systems, Caitlin Rosica, Otd, Amy Carroll, Otd, Otr/L, Lady Rios-Vega, Otd, Roseann C. Schaaf, Phd

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Introduction

• Approximately 50% of autistic people have average or above average intelligence, and growing numbers of autistic young adults attend college.¹
• Autistic students experience poor outcomes in college despite being academically well qualified. 34.9% of autistic young adults attempt college within 6 years of high school.² Of those, approximately 39% will graduate.³
• In higher education, there may be a mismatch in supports needed by autistic students versus supports provided.
• Autistic students report difficulty with sensory overload, mental health concerns, and daily living tasks.⁴
• The majority of supports for autistic students focus on academics, which is a …

Driving The Southern Nevada Health Economy Forward: Benefits Of A Transformational Unlv Academic Health Center, Tripp Umbach

Policy Briefs and Reports

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) plans to develop an integrated academic health center within the Las Vegas Medical District (LVMD). The academic health center includes UNLV’s five health science schools and mental and behavioral health, which is distributed among several colleges (medicine, liberal arts, urban affairs, and education) in the university. University Medical Center (UMC), a major teaching hospital, will also be an important driver of the academic health center. For the purposes of this report, UNLV’s medical and health science entities along with UMC are referred to collectively as the UNLV Academic Health Center. Additional academic health …

Executive Summary: Driving The Southern Nevada Health Economy Forward, Tripp Umbach

Policy Briefs and Reports

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) plans to develop an integrated academic health center within the Las Vegas Medical District (LVMD).1 The academic health center includes UNLV’s five health science schools and mental and behavioral health, which is distributed among several colleges (medicine, liberal arts, urban affairs, and education) in the university. University Medical Center (UMC), a major teaching hospital, will also be an important driver of the academic health center. For the purposes of this report, UNLV’s medical and health science entities along with UMC are referred to collectively as the UNLV Academic Health Center.

No Dejes Nada En La Puerta: Achieving Equity Through Asset-Based Peer Support, Brooklyn Herrera

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Higher education institutions are becoming increasingly diverse, and Latinx students are a major contributor to this diversity, as they are the largest and fastest growing minoritized population in the United States. Nevertheless, retention and completion gaps for Latinx students persist (Kolluri, 2021). Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) play a pivotal role in promoting educational equity for Latinx students, but they have traditionally been concentrated in urban areas and a small number of states. In future years, new HSIs will emerge largely in rural environments and states with rapidly growing Latinx populations, such as Georgia.

Informed by community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), this …

Language Assessment And Writer Identity In Higher Education: A Qualitative Analysis Of Labeling Learners Through Placement Tests, Tizreena Binti Mohd Ismail, Najeh Rajeh Alsalhi

Information Sciences Letters

This study aims to explore the assessment process that labels the language abilities of students even before they begin their first year of undergraduate education at the University. The study was conducted in three ways: first, enumerating stances in the literature that demonstrate how institutionalized labels as a result of the assessment can lead to conflicting identities in students, especially in higher education; secondly, presenting qualitative data on assessment practices and their relationship in instilling a contradictory, deficit writer identity in students. Thirdly, arguing that assessment which labels students affect learner motivation and writer confidence of students ultimately creating negativity …

Language Assessment And Writer Identity In Higher Education: A Qualitative Analysis Of Labeling Learners Through Placement Tests, Tizreena Binti Mohd Ismail, Najeh Rajeh Alsalhi

Information Sciences Letters

This study aims to explore the assessment process that labels the language abilities of students even before they begin their first year of undergraduate education at the University. The study was conducted in three ways: first, enumerating stances in the literature that demonstrate how institutionalized labels as a result of the assessment can lead to conflicting identities in students, especially in higher education; secondly, presenting qualitative data on assessment practices and their relationship in instilling a contradictory, deficit writer identity in students. Thirdly, arguing that assessment which labels students affect learner motivation and writer confidence of students ultimately creating negativity …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Oct 7, 2022, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on October 7, 2022.

Improving Computer Programming Competency For First Semester Computer Science Students Through Immersive Project-Based Learning, Ubaidah Ubaidah, Minaldi Loeis

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The objective of this research is to describe the implementation of project-based learning (PJBL) in improving computer programming competency in a higher education setting. The method applied in this study is action research with a one-cycle framework with four phases of development: a) planning, b) action, c) observing, and d) reflection phases. This research tries to answer two questions: how to implement PJBL in a programming course to improve programming competency and how to ensure students’ satisfaction in the learning process. The PJBL applied in this research consists of seven steps, including a) a challenging problem or question; b) sustained …

Glocal Community Engagement: The Impact Of Extra-Curricular Activities On College Students’ Self -Authorship, Noha Aly

Capstone and Graduation Projects

College students face a multitude of challenges that incorporate the need to think critically, explore potentials and interests, detect which path to follow, and develop intercultural maturity. Consequently, aiming at navigating life complexity, universities’ learning outcomes are required to correspond to epistemological, intrapersonal, and interpersonal dimensions of development, whose integration constitute what developmental theorists term self-authorship. The purpose of this research study was to examine the impact of college students’ engagement in community based extra-curricular activities on the development of their self-authorship. To achieve this, participants were recruited from three categories of extra-curricular activities practiced at a transnational university in …

Student Voices From A Student- And Faculty-Led Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Committee, Mary C. Wofford, Thales De Nardo, Amy Rose, Yelena Carlisle, Nicholas Fasanello, Emma Himelein-Wachowiak, Karis Kerr, Helen Whiteside

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Speech-language pathologists and audiologists have recognized an increased need for discussions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the profession. The purpose of this work is to describe one evidence-informed approach to forming a departmental student- and faculty-led committee at a university and to highlight participant student voices from the committee. The committee’s formation, organization, and activities are discussed from the perspectives of its members.