Digital Commons Network^™

Empathetic Administration: Leveraging Phenomenological Insights To Enhance Student Mental Health Support In Higher Education, Arlissia Lenton Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how students at universities in Texas navigated online mental health resources and coping supports while managing mental health challenges. The central research question that guided this study was: What were the lived experiences of students in higher education who were managing mental health issues? Utilizing Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory as the theoretical framework, the study examined how cognitive appraisals and self-effective beliefs, environmental supports and constraints, and behavioral coping strategies interacted as students interpreted and responded to mental health stressors in academic contexts. Data was collected in a virtual setting …

From Consumers To Creators: Social Media Information Literacy Of University Students., Thuy Thanh Bui, Quyen Trang Mai Nguyen, Tu Thi Thanh Nguyen, Minh Cao Luu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Social Media Information Literacy (SMIL) is increasingly important as social media platforms evolve. SMIL includes skills for navigating, evaluating, managing, creating, and engaging with social media content, aimed at effective information use and critical thinking. Using Heiss, Nanz and Matthes (2023) framework, this study surveyed 410 students via a self-assessment on a 5-point Likert scale. Results indicate students rated their SMIL as average, with the highest scores in appraisal and comprehension, and the lowest in digital creation. Female and senior students, as well as those in Education majors, rated themselves higher. Longer internet usage correlated with better SMIL, especially in …

Decolonizing The Academic Library: Examining The Successful Indigenization Of Ubc And Unm’S Library Services, Emily T. Villars

School of Information Student Research Journal

This article examines decolonization and indigenization initiatives at two academic libraries: the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of New Mexico (UNM). It asks how these institutions have implemented indigenization in their libraries and what lessons can inform broader reconciliation work across North America. Through a comparative lens, it analyzes how national and organizational frameworks, such as the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations and the American Indian Library Association’s (AILA) organizational goals, can shape these efforts. The study highlights three core strategies: decolonizing access and classification, transforming library spaces, and expanding …

Ethically Integrating Ai In Occupational Therapy Education: Enhancing Learning And Practice For The Future, Amy Sadek, Sabrina Gowette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around since the 1950s and is gaining traction in higher education and among health care professions. In this era of technology, it is imperative we equip both educators and students to have tech centric skills to support learning, improve efficiency, and enhance skills. Faculty and students alike need to be able to understand the ethics behind using digital information, such as that from AI tools and sources. As educators and students become more reliant on technology, and specifically AI, it is imperative not to lose the human connection in education. Educators are an integral part …

An Investigation Into The Student And Faculty Knowledge, Perception, And Usage Of Chatgpt, Isabella Burns

Honors Theses

Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT) has become a significant topic in academia. Professors and university officials have been contemplating an all-out ban on utilizing such tools for undergraduate academic work. Sullivan et al (2023) noted “…student behaviors led some universities to ban the use of ChatGPT…” (p. 32). Instead of teaching students how to leverage ChatGPT as a powerful resource to enhance the learning process, universities have deemed use of ChatGPT unacceptable, equating its use with serious academic dishonesty offenses consistent with plagiarism (Hawdon et al., 2025). Directly copying from ChatGPT can constitute plagiarism and poses a significant issue for college-level studies, …

Protecting Free Speech And Promoting Civility: The Dueling Responsibilities Of American Colleges And Universities, Tara N. Parsons

International Journal on Responsibility

Freedom House estimates that 75% of the world’s population lives in countries that experienced a democratic decline in 2020. Even in long established democracies, liberal democratic values have been shaken. As democracy requires an enlightened citizenry cultivated by a college education, many American universities and colleges adopt civic instruction and engagement as a core responsibility and mission. However, growing anti-intellectualism has drawn increased scrutiny and suspicion towards the programming, curriculum, and core values of universities. Powerful political figures regularly accuse universities of stifling conservative voices and discouraging free speech. The tension between free speech and civic dialogue requires a reframing …

The Fact Of Learning Economics At National University Of Laos During The Pandemics Covid-19 In Lao Pdr, Phousith Phongsavath, Agus Hermawan, Imam Mukhlis

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

The out-breaking of Pandemics Covid-19 which is affected to many countries and regions in the world in the term of education. This study uses a qualitative approach which is the type of research is Phenomenology (case study). This type of phenomenological research is used due to it is oriented to the topic of teaching-learning economics course of teachers and students in National University of Laos. The determination of this research subject with the Snowball Sampling technique and the data collection techniques with in-depth interview and documentation. The finding results of this research found that learning economics in National University of …

Student Higher Education Experience Journey From High School To Career Transition: A Holistic Approach, Musa Pinar, Matthew T. Luth, Coleen Wilder

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Hypocrisy Of The Wizards—A Proposal To Correct Incentives In Higher Education Loan Financing, Caden Benedict

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper explores the origins of the student loan debt crisis and proposes tying university incentives to graduates' repayment plans and disclosing median earnings for degrees before students apply. Specifically, while there are numerous factors explaining why the price of education has increased dramatically since the 1970s, this paper proposes solutions that will specifically target university moral hazards by requiring universities fund: (1) the current subsidies to federal student loan repayments under income-driven plans as the House of Representatives intended before the Senate removed "risk-sharing," and (2) bankruptcy law discharge amounts. Moreover, requiring universities to disclose the median earnings of …

Instructors' Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Hart Kains

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

A Case Study Examining Why Students Succeed When Exposed To Peer Tutors, Van E. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to identify the impact of online peer tutoring on students’ perceptions of their success for students who participated in online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University (a pseudonym used for this research). This research was grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided a comprehensive framework for examining the factors influencing the effectiveness of peer tutoring among students. This study answered three research questions: How do online students use peer tutoring at Summit Faith University, how does online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University shape students’ perceptions of their success at Summit Faith …

International Student Transition: An Autoethnographic And Archival Study, Abdulsamad Olajide Yusuf, Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Within the framework of a globalized university campus, this study investigates the process that an international student goes through while adapting to a new culture. Using autoethnography and archival research methods, this study recounts the personal and lived experiences of a doctoral international student navigating the cultural adjustment contexts of a southeastern public university, providing an understanding of how the challenges and opportunities faced by international students are historicized and located within a broader cultural and social context. This approach includes maintaining a reflexive journal, self-analysis, personal conversations, and analyzing historical records and correspondences, including policy papers, factbooks, and institutional …

Back To Basics: The Benefits Of Children’S Literature In Higher Education, Max A. Bufkin

Honors Projects

The historic undervaluing of children’s literature has resulted in little research or application of the genre in higher education. However, what research is available has shown that engaging with children’s literature as an adult can have many benefits, including better mental well-being, understanding of multicultural perspectives, and enhanced critical thinking skills. Due to patriarchal ideologies over who can and cannot engage with literature, as well as the work of children’s literature critics, the genre has been marginalized from much debate and discussion. Through student-centered learning and group reading sessions, college students from nearly every discipline can learn to utilize and …

Clark Magazine, Spring/Summer 2026, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Spring/Summer 2026 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is "From Dream to Destiny: 100 Years Ago, Robert H. Goddard Put Humanity Aboard a Rocket Ride to the Future".

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Effective Support Services For Black-African International Students, Amy V. Rutledge

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Currently, 1.5 million F-1 and M-1 students are enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2025). Although support services for international students are improving, substantial gaps remain in helping these students transition to the next phase of life (Weiner & Ghazarian, 2024). This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of six recently graduated Black African international students (BAISs) to identify effective support services for graduate programs, licensure, or legal employment. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling for interviews, which were analyzed using descriptive coding (yielding 61 codes) and thematic analysis (producing six themes). …

The Role Of Institutes Of Higher Learning In Deepening Social Impact, Steve Loh, Janna Wong

Asian Management Insights

Institutes of higher learning do more than generate knowledge. At their best, they connect partners, evidence, policy and capability to make social impact more credible, cumulative and durable. 

The Cost Of Silence, Sabine Benoit

Asian Management Insights

From wellness myths to financial hype, the real risk is not just misinformation—it’s misinformed decision-making. When confidence becomes a proxy for credibility, strategies and sensibility drift. Here’s how leaders can raise the evidence bar and institutionalise independent challenge.

Cotheorizing Healing With Undergraduate Queer And Trans Latina Survivors Of Power-Based Violence, Kimberly Correa

Dissertations

Current research on healing from power-based violence highlights the importance of integrating victim-survivors’ personal culture and identities into healing approaches, yet few studies actually focus on the culturally distinct healing processes of victim-survivors (O’Brien & Macy, 2016; Sinko et al., 2023). Grounded in Jotería theory (Alvarez, 2023) and Latina/Chicana feminist frameworks (Garcia, 1989), this qualitative study employs queer pláticas as both a methodology and method to center culturally rooted dialogue, reciprocity, and cariño as a political praxis. This study explores how six queer and trans Latina undergraduate victim-survivors conceptualize healing from power-based violence and how their identities, cultural values, and …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Community College Presidential Job Announcements And The American Association Of Community Colleges Competencies For Community College Leaders, Leslie M. Boon

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Women are overrepresented as students and employees of community college, yet they are underrepresented in presidential leadership roles. Prior research has examined the career trajectories and experiences of women aspiring to community college presidencies; however, less research has examined how discourse shapes expectations of leadership. Because community colleges have been described as gendered, the language used to describe leadership competencies may reinforce gendered assumptions about effective leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine the discourse of community college presidential job announcements and the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Competencies for Community College Leaders (4th edition) to examine …

Diversity Is More Than Non-Discrimination: Groupthink In Higher Education, Adam Goldstein, Sean Stevens, Nathan Honeycutt

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

In this Article, we seek to advance three claims. First, intellectual diversity is an essential bulwark against groupthink. Second, conflating intellectual diversity and non-discrimination undermines both concepts. Third, intellectual diversity should be pursued for its own sake and recognized as a separate and important goal of higher education.

We begin by sharing a set of definitions to identify the problem more precisely. Next, we examine the stakes of groupthink setting in. Then, we will introduce some of FIRE’s research on campus climate, which suggests the presence of an existing monoculture. Through the lens of a case study at Harvard …

Beyond The Survey: Performance Assessments For Higher-Order Sustainability Literacy In Higher Education, Gregory Vincent Massara, Courtney B. Ryan, Mary Ellen Mallia

Educational Policy & Leadership Other Graduate Student Scholarship

Purpose This study explores how a performance-based assessment measures students’ higher-order sustainability competencies in ways that multiple-choice or scaled-survey tools, common ways to assess sustainability literacy, may not.

Design/Methodology/Approach This exploratory case study created a performance task for a first-year honors writing and critical inquiry course. Students (n=9) analyzed a scenario across environmental, social, and economic domains. A rubric measured students’ abilities to address all three domains and articulate a feasible and balanced solution supported by credible evidence.

Findings Students demonstrated proficiency in defining the three sustainability domains but tended to struggle to balance them. Choosing scenarios in familiar local …

Tpack On Differentiated Instruction: Students' Critical Listening Literacy Skills, Deby Luriawati Naryatmojo, Imam Baehaqie, Mohamad Yusuf Ahmad Hasyim, Ahmad Nur Cahyo, Muhammad Azam

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

The integration of Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) has been widely advocated in technology-enhanced learning; however, empirical evidence linking TPACK-based differentiated instruction to the development of critical listening literacy in higher education remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining the pedagogical impact of a TPACK-integrated differentiated instructional model on undergraduate students' literal and critical listening competencies. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was employed involving 72 students from two Indonesian public universities. The experimental group (n = 37) received TPACK-based differentiated instruction, while the control group (n = 35) underwent conventional teaching. Data were analyzed using parametric …

The Academic Lives Of Commuter Students: Examining The Use Of The Physical And Digital Spaces Within The Contemporary University, Rebecca Turner, Rao Namrata, Christie Pritchard, Oliver Webb, Emily Pinn, Asal Baharloo, Harriet Ball

Professional Services

It is estimated that 40% of UK undergraduates commute to study, travelling varying distances, and often daily. Although commuting can be challenging, many learners see it as a way to access university, whilst maintaining existing commitments and support networks, and offsetting growing costs of higher education (HE). This study employed a novel participatory mapping technique to stimulate focus groups of second- and third-year undergraduates who commute. We explored participants’ engagement with their institution’s campus, and online/digital spaces. Our findings show commuters have nuanced and intentional interactions with the University’s physical and digital landscape. We consider how these interactions may be …

Rooted And Rising: A Case Study Of Chinese American Undergraduates' Career Pathways At A Pwi Post-Covid, Rebecca Yin-Chow Martinez

Theses & Dissertations

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese American undergraduate students have navigated complex intersections of intergenerational expectations, racialized experiences, and evolving career aspirations within higher education. This qualitative case study explores how Chinese American undergraduate students at a predominantly white institution (PWI) choose their educational and career goals in a post-COVID climate. Guided by the Asian American Intergenerational Model of the Psychology of Working (AAIM), this study examines the influence of familial expectations, personal interests, institutional supports and barriers, and experiences of racism on students’ career decision-making processes. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, observations, Career …

Enhancing Learning With Ai: The ‘Icing On The Cake’ Approach, Ejike Okonkwo

Essays in Education

Drawing on a narrative review based on inductive thematic analysis, this paper examines the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The analysis shows that while AI offers useful educational benefits, they often come into conflict with concerns about how AI affects learning, including risks of overreliance and potential constraints on learners’ critical thinking and creative capacities. Consequently, the paper develops the “icing on the cake” conceptual framework, which conceptualizes AI adoption as non-linear and positions AI as a complementary tool rather than a substitute for human learning. The framework is grounded in reflection, metacognition, and skill development, and …

2025 Jcihe State Of The Field: An Annual Report, Rosalind L. Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

The Journal of Comparative and International Education (JCIHE) presents the 2025 Annual Report. This report shows the growing readership for the journal, the diversification of authors, and the range of topics being published. A key finding from this report is that it shows how JCIHE is meeting its goals for increasing visibility and for increasing the diversity of authorship and their global institutional affiliations.

Determinants Of Critical Thinking In The Ai Era: The Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy In Digital Literacy And Students’ Social Interaction, Annisa Arrumaisyah Daulay, Atikah Asna, Devi Eka Yulita Br Tarigan

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The importance of critical thinking in higher education has become increasingly prominent amid the rapid advancement of digital technology and artificial intelligence. This study aims to examine the effects of social interaction and digital literacy on students’ critical thinking skills, with self-efficacy serving as a mediating variable. Employing a quantitative approach with path analysis, data were collected from 650 university students during the 2024/2025 academic year and analyzed using SmartPLS. The results indicate that self-efficacy has a significant effect on critical thinking (β = 0.455, p < 0.001) and functions as a mediator linking digital literacy (β = 0.286, p < 0.001) and social interaction (β = 0.166, p = 0.001) to critical thinking ability. Furthermore, digital literacy exerts a significant indirect effect on critical thinking through the enhancement of self-efficacy (indirect effect = 0.234, p < 0.001). These findings underscore that strengthening digital literacy and social interaction within educational curricula, along with fostering students’ self-efficacy, can effectively enhance critical thinking skills, which are essential for addressing academic and professional challenges in the digital era.

Emerging Trends And Challenges In International Student Research: A Content Analysis Of Recent Dissertations (2022–2024), Krishna Bista, Oluwasegun Adesola Oladipo, Lin Ge, Tian Qin

Health Care Administration Faculty Research

This study presents a content analysis of 470 doctoral dissertations published between 2022 and 2024, examining emerging trends, theoretical frameworks, and research approaches related to international students. Using a qualitative content analysis approach and descriptive statistics, the study systematically analyzed the dissertations to identify recurring themes and issues. The key themes identified include teaching and learning; academic practices; acculturation and intercultural competence; career development and leadership; experiences and challenges; mobility and policy contexts; social diversity and inclusion; institutional support; and well-being. The findings show a predominant use of qualitative methods, a concentration on U.S.-based contexts, and a strong disciplinary focus …

Teaching The Future: Incorporating Generative Ai Use In An Information Studies Course, Annette Bochenek

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Generative AI has impacted the creation, consumption, and dissemination of information across disciplines. Information, Culture, and Society is an online undergraduate course that is foundational to the Information Studies minor at Purdue University. In this course, students examine how information, culture, and society have shaped and affected one another in the past, present, and how they might continue to influence one another in the future. In order to enhance the lessons pertaining to the future of information, culture, and society, specifically focusing on AI, the instructor participated in a university-led AI Academy program to learn about available AI tools and …