Changing Expectations In Higher Education Post-Pandemic, Gregory R. Mackinnon, Tyler Maclean, Mohamad El Maouch, William Yuan, Zhao Kaibin, Bi Dandan, Marwa Saab

Journal of Global Education and Research

A sample of higher education students in Canada and China was surveyed and interviewed to ascertain any changes in their educational expectations given their experiences with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic. In addition, the instructors of these students were interviewed to corroborate student feedback. The research suggested that students in Canada and China expressed expectations of increased flexibility and improved pedagogy. Whereas Canadian students were overtly demanding of the instructor and the educational system, Chinese students were comparatively subtle in their expectation that the post-pandemic level of support be maintained. The primary concern of the Chinese cohort was a …

Learning To Learn With Ai: A Journey From Crisis To Community, Andrew S. Chen

Essays in Education

Generative AI, and the COVID-19 pandemic, transformed teaching between 2019 and 2026. This essay prioritizes trust-based "right relationships" over concerns of integrity or efficiency. It argues that AI’s primary impact is the reconfiguration of ties between educators, students, and knowledge. Ultimately, learning must remain relational and intrinsically meaningful to ensure humans remain active participants in an automated age.

Enhancing Institutional Performance Through Agile Leadership And Knowledge Management: Evidence From Iraqi Universities, Maha Farooq Ezzat

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) operating in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) environments face unprecedented managerial challenges. Over the last few years, traditional hierarchical control systems have become less suitable for developing the agility and innovation needed to maintain institutional performance. To date, research has focused on agile leadership and knowledge management separately, but there is a significant gap in the theoretical and empirical literature on their interaction within the higher education system in Iraq. This paper attempts to fill this gap by exploring the interaction between agile leadership, processes of knowledge management (tacit and explicit), and institutional performance. The …

Examining The Effect Of Having A Disability On The College Experience, Grace Dudley

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Among people 25 or older in the United States in 2022, just 21% of individuals with a disability had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 38% of individuals without a disability had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Previous research has identified a variety of barriers that students with disabilities may face as they pursue postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers students with disabilities (SWDs) face once they arrive at college in order to investigate how higher education may be made more accessible. Barriers were assessed by surveying SWDs attending James Madison University, a …

Adapting To Change: A Mixed Methods Approach To Understand How Colleges And Universities Are Utilizing Animals To Help Students Transition Into Higher Education, Christopher Puglisi, Shalini Mathew, Nicole D. Schutter, Monte Meyerink, Abiah George

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Individuals experience several changes in their lives, with one of the most impactful being leaving home to attend college. It is no surprise that college-age students need mental health support, especially in times of adjustment. To address this adjustment, animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have recently gained substantial attention. In this study, college and university departments that help students transition to higher education were surveyed (N = 59) and interviewed (N = 6) to understand how AAI are utilized. Results indicate that AAI have potential to ease students’ higher education transition, though institutions must establish an outline that states the benefits of …

The Title Of The Dissertation: How African American Males Overcame Challenges To Persist At A Predominantly White Institution In The South: A Phenomenological Study, Kattie Jones-Gore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American males who graduate from a predominantly White institution (PWI) in the South. The theory guiding the study is Vincent Tinto’s dropout theory. The dropout theory suggests students will persist in graduation if they are academically and socially integrated in the college environment. The central research question in the study was: What were the lived experiences of African American males who persisted to graduation from a predominantly White institution in the South? Purposeful snowball sampling was utilized to obtain 10 African American male participants who …

Current Research On The Use Of Ai In Higher Education, Jim A. Mccleskey

Southwestern Business Administration Journal

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT, has introduced profound opportunities and challenges for higher education. This paper presents a thematic scholarly review of recent empirical studies, systematic reviews, and conceptual analyses examining AI’s impact on teaching, learning, assessment, and institutional practice. The literature highlights substantial benefits associated with AI use, including increased academic productivity, personalized and adaptive learning pathways, enhanced accessibility for diverse learners, and new opportunities for pedagogical innovation. At the same time, significant risks emerge related to cognitive offloading, erosion of critical thinking, academic integrity, blurred authorship, assessment …

Leveraging A Model Of Intergroup Competencies: A Reflexive Tool For Developing Diversity Leadership In Higher Education, Arig Al Shaibah

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Despite, or perhaps precisely because of, the current partisan pushback against equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts in Western higher education institutions, universities may be well served to renovate their approaches to leadership diversity development to build greater capacity for advancing mission-critical inclusion excellence priorities. This article describes a promising educational intervention that has broad applicability to more meaningfully develop leadership proficiencies that better enable the advancement of EDI goals in higher education. While individual diversity leadership development programming is a micro-level intervention, it could prove beneficial—though insufficient on its own—as a prerequisite for macro-level equity and inclusion policymaking and …

Nurture: A Heart–Head–Hands–Feet Curriculum Framework For Sustainable Food Systems And Planetary Health Education, Liza Barbour, Devinia Wainwright, Sarah Browne, Clare Pettinger, Jessica Wegener, Tracy Everitt, Liesel Carlsson

School of Health Professions

Introduction: Nutrition and dietetics professionals are vital to food systems transformation; however, the integration of sustainable food systems and planetary health curricula in tertiary education remains inadequate. This article presents the NURTURE framework, a curriculum tool designed in collaboration with an Indigenous artist to support educators in preparing future professionals to address global planetary crises.Methods: The framework organises 35 curriculum concepts previously identified by stakeholders across 27 countries as relevant for entry-level nutrition and dietetics professionals. Drawing on holistic educational models and Indigenous worldviews that emphasise the interconnected relationships between humans and nature, researchers mapped the concepts to four domains …

What Determines Free Speech On College Campuses?, Town Oh, Abbylin Sellers

School of Business and Leadership Working Papers

This paper asks two questions. Which institutional characteristics are associated with stronger or weaker campus speech climates? And do institutions take corrective action when they are publicly ranked near the bottom? A university faces two costs of restricting speech: a legal cost that binds only public institutions, and a reputational cost is paid when its climate is publicly observed and private institutions also bear this cost. The evidence comes from five waves of the FIRE College Free Speech Rankings, 1,112 institution-waves covering 257 colleges from 2022 to 2026, merged with IPEDS. On the first question, being a public institution is …

Leading From The Precipice: How Academic Deans Are Navigating Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education, V. Dozier, Sarina Chugani Molina

Copley Library: Faculty Scholarship

This qualitative case study examines how associate deans at a medium-sized Catholic university respond to the rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Guided by decolonial and feminist frameworks, the study analyzes survey data from seven academic leaders to understand their concerns, decision-making processes, and emerging practices. Our findings reveal uneven adoption, limited institutional guidance, and ongoing concerns about academic integrity, equity, and bias. The study also highlights the often-unseen relational and emotional labor involved in supporting faculty and students. We conclude by recommending flexible, collaborative approaches to AI governance that attend to context, care, and diverse ways of knowing.

Applying Their Capital: Family Motivation And Tension Among Housing-Insecure Undergraduate Students, Vanessa Pena, Susan P. Farruggia, Nicole A. Perez

Journal of College Access

This study examined how housing-insecure undergraduates draw on community cultural wealth to persist in higher education. Findings show that students’ family relationships were deeply embedded in their educational experiences, functioning as a source of motivation and tension. Campus housing emerged as a critical institutional resource that alleviated financial and emotional burdens for both students and their families. Furthermore, campus housing proved to be a source of relief and an important intervention for both students and their families that led to the activation of familial, navigational, and aspirational capital. The results offer implications for supporting students facing housing insecurity and student …

Don’T Let Us Down: A Phenomenological Study Of African American Employees’ Perceptions Regarding The Benefits Of Professional Development In Student Affairs, Courtney Nicole Demings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of student affairs professionals are critical to the success of higher education, allowing for a concentrated exploration of African American student affairs professionals who are often employed in 2-year U.S. community colleges. The general problem was that African Americans may leave student affairs in community colleges if they do not perceive supervisory support for professional development and, in turn, career advancement. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand and interpret their lived experiences, illuminate the barriers to their career advancement, and discuss the impact of supervisory support. As such, this action research employed qualitative research through the …

“Nothing About Us Without Us”: Examining Sense Of Belonging And College Success Through The Experiences Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Courtney E. Mulligan

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Sense of belonging has become an increasingly important indicator of student engagement, persistence, and success in higher education. Despite this, limited research has explored how college students with autism experience and define belonging while at college. As increasing numbers of students with autism pursue postsecondary education, institutions face a growing need to better understand the factors that influence student experiences and outcomes. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the experiences of sense of belonging among current college students with autism and identify the factors that contribute positively or negatively to this experience to inform more inclusive higher …

In The Problem Lies The Solution: How Digital Mindfulness Can Address The College Students’ Mental Health Crisis And Support Holistic Education, Steve Haberlin

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

The mental health of today’s college students remains a serious concern. The alarming trend of greater psychological distress among undergraduates shows no signs of slowing. Excessive smartphone usage, screen time, and social media have been attributed as partial factors. However, what if forms of digital mindfulness and technology-assisted contemplative practices are the key to assisting students with stress, anxiety, depression and other problems? In this article, the author posits that innovations, such as neurofeedback-loop meditation platforms that dramatically increase focus, virtual reality platforms featuring in depth-meditation instruction, and Artificial Intelligence have the potential to address the crisis, establishing a refreshed …

International Students And Spiritual Capital: Meditation As A Tool To Support Student Well-Being, Anna Grigoreva, Anna Lytkina

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

In a new academic environment, international students often face more than just academic challenges, as they also navigate cultural adjustment, identity shifts, digital overload and emotional stress. These multidimensional challenges are further intensified by performance pressures and rapidly evolving educational technologies. This article explores the role of meditation as a contemplative practice that may support international students’ adaptation within the American higher education system. The article focuses on how international students draw upon inner strength, purpose, and resilience to navigate and sustain themselves through periods of transition and difficulty. Using autoethnography as a primary methodological approach, the authors analyze their …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Autistic Students As They Navigate Nutrition In Higher Education: A Hermeneutic Study, Amanda Beeman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to interpret how adult students with ASD in higher education navigate nutritional choices. This study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which explains the relationship between environmental factors and individual health and well-being. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to examine how students with ASD experienced nutrition within the higher education environment. The central research question asked how adult higher education students with ASD experienced and navigated nutrition in the context of college life. The sample included 10 adult participants with ASD enrolled in a higher education institution. Data were collected …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Single-Parent Students Who Attend Higher Education Institutions With Support Services Tailored To Their Demographic, Autumn Inteso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences utilizing parenting student support programs for single-parent students at higher education institutions in the United States. At this stage in the research, the lived experiences of utilizing parenting programs were generally defined as those students who had utilized programs or interventions that had been created or employed to directly or indirectly address the challenges faced by single-parent students while pursuing their advanced education. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The study sought to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of single-parent …

Old Wine New Bottles: Racial Microaggressions Experiences Of Black African International Students In England, Solomon A. Zewolde

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Despite increasing attention to inequality in higher education, the everyday experiences of Black students and how they navigate racialized environments remain underexplored. This study examined Black African international undergraduates’ experiences of racial microaggression and their coping strategies in the context of higher education in England. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, a qualitative approach was used to analyze the accounts of 16 undergraduates studying in 11 English universities.  Findings indicate that students experienced racialized challenges along two interrelated dimensions: identity-based marginalization (including assumptions of poor/inferior previous education in Africa and pathologizing discourse) and social exclusion (including devaluation of classroom contributions, invisibility, …

The Prevalence And Landscape Of Accent Reduction Programs At Us Institutions Of Higher Education, Sandra Greene, Katie Hopkins, Melissa Whatley, Christina W Yao

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Many institutions offering accent reduction programs claim they help international staff and students modify their accent, thereby helping them be more successful within the context of higher education. Despite accent reduction programs being labeled as predatorial, deficit-laden, and pathologizing of accents, programs continue to proliferate on college campuses while perpetuating English language dominance, linguistic racism, and the hierarchization of Englishes. Yet, there is limited research on the scope of these programs within higher education. This descriptive study, informed by QuantCrit, adds to the existing literature by highlighting the landscape and characteristics of the approximately 9% of institutions of higher education …

Decolonizing Raciolinguistic Ideologies In Institutions Of Higher Learning, Chantelle M. August-Mowers, Samantha M. Hoffman

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This article examines how raciolinguistic ideologies shape global higher education (HE), highlighting the intersection of language, race, and systemic inequalities. English often functions as a gatekeeper, privileging certain knowledge systems while marginalizing students and faculty from the Global South (Flores & Rosa, 2015; Pennycook, 2007). Structural inequities persist in faculty recruitment, international student selection, and academic publishing, reflecting colonial legacies and epistemic injustice (Canagarajah, 2013; Quijano, 2000). Racialized and linguistically marginalized students experience exclusion, microaggressions, and limited mobility, revealing contradictions between diversity rhetoric and institutional practices (Sekaja, 2022; Enslin, 2024). The study advocates decolonial and multilingual interventions, including translanguaging, inclusive …

From Fragmented Services To Integrated Support: A Proposal For A Centralized Adult Learner Center, Paul Cullen

Masters Projects

Research shows that higher education institutions provide a wide range of resources to their students. However, limitations in availability, accessibility, and navigation create a fragmented experience for adult learners. This fragmented experience often exacerbates barriers experienced by adult learners, such as difficulty navigating decentralized services and lack of availability outside standard business hours, that negatively impact the learner experience and outcomes, resulting in reduced persistence and retention. This project proposes a solution to this fragmentation and shows how the digital transformation in higher education can be utilized as an enabling approach to improve availability, accessibility, and navigation of services for …

Aligned But Disengaged: Self-Estrangement Weakens Citizenship Behavior In Higher Education, Andrew Krouse, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Higher education depends on discretionary employee contributions that sustain coordination, service continuity, and institutional functioning. Yet contemporary governance and accountability pressures can reconfigure higher education work in ways that erode autonomy, line-of-sight, and intrinsic reward, elevating the risk of work alienation, weakening the discretionary behaviors institutions rely on. This study tests whether person–organization fit (POF) predicts organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and whether multidimensional work alienation mediates this relationship through powerlessness, meaninglessness, and self-estrangement. Using survey data from 325 employees across four U.S. higher education institutions, we applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with bias-corrected bootstrapping. Model comparisons were …

Differential Effects Of Generative Artificial Intelligence On Formative And Summative Assessment Performance: A Quasi-Experimental Longitudinal Study, Md Istiak Morsalin

Master's Theses

Generative artificial intelligence has unsettled a core assumption of course assessment: that scores on unsupervised work reflect what students can do unassisted. This study tests whether the widespread availability of ChatGPT altered student performance differently on formative versus summative assessments in Business Analytics and Foundations, a required undergraduate quantitative-methods course taught by one instructor across nine cohorts. In a quasi-experimental longitudinal design, the Fall~2022 cohort ($n = 90$), the last to finish before ChatGPT's public release, serves as a control against eight post-ChatGPT cohorts spanning Spring~2023 through Summer~2025 ($N = 646$). Outcomes were drawn from McGraw-Hill Connect records using matched …

Investigating Factors That Affect Students' Help-Seeking Strategies In A University-Level Foundational Mathematics Course, Randall I. Haws

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Quantitative literacy, or the ability to understand and use mathematical information, is an important skill developed in college. However, required math courses can be a major obstacle for many students, and those who struggle to complete them are more likely to leave school without earning a degree. Understanding why some students seek help while others do not is key to improving student success.

This study explores how students in a university-level foundational mathematics course (college algebra) seek help and what factors influence their use of available support services. A total of 118 students completed a survey about their help-seeking behaviors, …

Do Universities Underpay Professors? Yes, Especially Women, Zhanhan Yu, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2025-2026, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2026. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Maintaining Excellence Under Pressure: The Stress–Performance Paradox In A Multi-Campus State University System, Rico D. De Asis Dr.

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study examines how multiple stress dimensions (levels, sources, effects, and coping mechanisms) relate to teaching performance in resource-constrained Southeast Asian public higher education, addressing the geographic concentration of faculty stress research in Western contexts.

Methods: Using multiple regression analysis with 80 permanent faculty members across three campuses of a state university system, I assessed relationships between stress factors and teaching performance. The study employed validated stress assessment instruments examining stress levels, sources (student, teacher, environment, work-related), effects (self, family, work), and coping mechanisms.

Results: Self effects of stress demonstrated the strongest negative relationship with teaching performance (R² …

How To Incorporate Media Literacy Into General Education Curricula, Dennis O. Frohlich, David Magolis

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy scholars have long championed the inclusion of media literacy courses in all levels of education, from K-12 to collegiate levels. Universities’ general education curricula are one possible site for inclusion of a media literacy course. However, with each discipline vying for a spot in a university’s general education system, a course in media literacy can easily be overlooked or excluded. In this paper, we detail our efforts to successfully incorporate several media literacy courses into our university’s general education curriculum. This is a process we went through twice under two different general education systems. This paper will detail …

A Phenomenology Exploring The Perceived Influence Of Students’ Disability Disclosure On Faculty's Practices, Shannon M. Bernick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the influence of student disability disclosure on policy practices developed by higher education administrators for faculty at higher education institutions in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of faculty integrating policy practices developed by higher education administrators with students who have chosen disability disclosure at higher education institutions in the United States? Participants in the study included 10 faculty members from diverse educational, professional, and personal backgrounds. The criteria for participant inclusion in …