Digital Commons Network^™

A Critical Narrative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Latino Male Graduate International Students Attending A Pwi, Cesar Miguel Castellon Gort

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative study examines how Latino male international graduate students navigate identity, belonging, and exclusion within U.S. higher education. Although international enrollment has increased, the experiences of this student population remain largely invisible in research and institutional practice. Guided by Intersectionality and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), this study investigates how intersecting dimensions of race, language, age, gender, and immigration status shape these students’ academic and social experiences. Using a critical narrative methodology, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and identity web exercises with four participants. Employing story chaining to link individual narratives, four central themes emerged: 1) Racialized and …

Reframing Leadership: The Role Of Gender, Race, And Identity In Shaping Women’S Leadership Journeys In Higher Education, Tania Carlson Reis, Kaitlyn A. Kaesebier

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This chapter outlines the history of women in higher education. It begins with a description of the disproportional entrance of female students in higher education and how delayed access led to gender imbalance in current college and university leadership. It outlines the intersection of social role theory and barriers that impede the progress of female leaders, and the challenges of women's choice as an explanation for the low number of women university presidents. Barriers experienced by women leaders is also discussed. The chapter closes with solutions to current higher education practices that could improve gender balance in leadership.

[In] Transformation President's Impact Report, Bryant University

Bryant University Communications and Press

The 2025 President's Impact Report highlights Bryant University’s continued excellence in higher education, from its top-tier rankings and dynamic campus life to its hands-on learning experiences and strategic partnerships. Strong financial foundations and visionary leadership solidify its position as an innovative and forward-thinking institution. IN the Lead Bryant's international rankings and thought leadership in prestigious publications reinforce its position as a leader in higher education.

2025 F1rst Look, Nova Southeastern University

First Look

No abstract provided.

2025 Nsu Fact Book, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Fact Book

In 2025, NSU was recognized by the Carnegie Classification system as one of only 21 universities nationwide to hold all three of the following designations: Very High Research Activity (R1), Community Engaged Institution, and Opportunity College & University (OCU). Its R1 classification places NSU among the top tier of U.S. research universities, a milestone that reflects our continued growth and commitment to research that leads to real-world impact.. As an R1 institution, NSU is shining a new light on scientific discovery, medical breakthroughs, and technologies that advance quality of life: from pioneering treatments in neuro-immunology and cancer, to safeguarding coral …

The Role Of Mentoring In Combating Racism And Sexism In Higher Education As A Blueprint For Other Historical Institutions In The United States, Michelle R. Gherardi

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Racism and sexism create a bottleneck to advancement for women in higher education.

This qualitative study and dissertation investigate the role of mentoring in combating racism and sexism in higher education in the United States as a blueprint for other historical institutions. Twenty-six women of color in four categories (presidents/provosts/chancellors, deans of law and medical schools, vice presidents of diversity, equity, and inclusion/student affairs, and graduate students) of higher education were interviewed to explore their experiences with racism, sexism, and mentor relationships. Findings demonstrate all but one participant (96%) disclosed racial victimization in higher education, all participants (100%) disclosed sexist …

Uncertain Futures, Unfinished Journeys: The Complex Realities Of Belonging Among International College Women Of Color In The U.S., Matheeha Majeeth

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study explored the complex and personal lived experiences of International College Women of Color (ICWOC) as they navigated the complexities of developing of a sense of belonging within their U.S. higher education institution (HEI). Guided by Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of Intersectionality (1991,1989) and Strayhorn’s College Student Sense of Belonging theory (2012), this research study used an interpretive phenomenological approach to explore how racism, ethnocentrism and misogyny shaped the ICWOC participants’ academic and social journeys in their U.S. HEIs. Through individual, semi-structured interviews with the participants, this study revealed that belonging was not simply about institutional access or inclusion. It …

Masculinism, Institutional Violence And #Metoo: Understanding Australian University Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily Gray, Jacqueline Ullman, Mindy Blaise, Jo Pollitt

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article offers an analysis of data from the project Sexism, Higher Education, and Covid-19: The Australian Perspective. The authors argue that the gendered impact of the pandemic in Higher Education Institutions constitutes a form of institutionally perpetrated sexist harassment, and that raising awareness of the ways in which institutions themselves enable and perpetrate such harassment is consistent with the aims of the #MeToo movement. This article is intended to act as testament to the ways in which Australian universities function as masculinist institutions that, during this time of crisis, deployed tactics that were experienced by women and minority-identifying research …

Open Educational Resources In Epidemiology: A Case Study Of Student Perceptions, Kiam Padamsey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Textbooks are fundamental in epidemiological education, but their rising costs and static nature present challenges in an ever-evolving academic landscape. Open Educational Resources (OER) offer a potential solution by providing free, adaptable, and high-quality alternative learning materials. This study examined student perceptions of an OER textbook compared to a traditional epidemiology textbook across undergraduate and postgraduate epidemiology units at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. A total of n = 164 students responded to a survey assessing textbook quality, alignment with course objectives, clarity, and perceived impact on learning. Results indicated students perceived no significant differences between the traditional and OER …

Cinderella On The Path At Midnight: Students On Regional University Campuses And Equity, Colleen Carlon, Lucinda Aberdeen, Robyn Eversole, Merete Schmidt, Janet Congues, Kylie Wrigley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Just as Cinderella’s prospects for attending the ball seemed elusive, so does higher education for people living in rural, remote and regional locations in Australia. The concentration of university campuses in Australian capital cities systematically diminishes opportunities for people living in regional locations. Indeed, most regional communities in Australia do not have access to a local university campus. This article presents research that captures the voices and experiences of students studying on three small regional university campuses through semi-structured interviews. Acknowledging their intersectional diversity linked to gender, ethnicity, caring and cultural responsibilities, disability, and socio-economic status, a thematic analysis of …

Relational Employability Matrix (Rem): A Guided Framework For Self-Reflection And Professional Growth, Ros Sambell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Relational Employability Matrix (REM) is a practical tool for self-assessment and planning, grounded in the Relational Employability Framework (REF). The REF was developed and tested by Cook through a body of research that includes a narrative review, doctoral thesis, and applied studies (Cook, 2022; Cook, 2023a; Cook, 2023b; Cook, Doherty, & Wallace, 2024; Cook & Sambell, 2025). It brings together three interconnected dimensions of relational employability: Foundational Career Development and Identities, Interactions with Others, and Contributions to Local and Global Challenges. The REF works as a reflective, practice-focused guide for building these capabilities over time. The REM takes these …

How Socially Comparing Emerging Research Institutions To Established Research Institutions Informs Proposed Amendments To The Bayh Dole Act, Clovia Hamilton

Marquette Intellectual Property & Innovation Law Review

Emerging research institutions have a problem with their lack of tech transfer, including start-up business formations. This study investigates that issue using social comparison theory as the framework for a novel experimental design. A group of 245 respondents, comprised of STEM faculty members and STEM administrators at emerging research institutions, completed a stated- choice survey based on the social comparison theory. The respondents were assessed on the level and extent that they compare their emerging research institution to well established research institutions with respect to research, technology commercialization, and academic entrepreneurship. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in America were …

The Impact Of Teaching Students Stress And Trauma Alleviation Techniques For Coping With Distressing Materials In First-Year Composition, Faye Monique Scott

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Trauma can impact the way a student learns and focuses. In higher education, without instructors realizing it, classes may retraumatize or trigger students with the texts, media, or materials utilized. Research suggests that little attention is given to helping students deal with potentially traumatizing course materials and students inside the classrooms may be impacted by trauma whether the teacher is aware or not. This dissertation examined the effects of teaching students specific coping strategies—Trigger Warnings (TWs) and Stress and Trauma Alleviation Techniques (STATs) —while reading, writing, and reflecting on possibly distressing materials in First-Year Composition courses through a mixed methods …

Physical Education And Sport-Focused Degree Programs: An Exploration Of Symbolic Boundaries And Policy Negotiations, Ellen Jones, David Aldous, Andrew P. Lane, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article explores the negotiation of contemporary policy agendas in physical education and sport-focused degree programs. Centring on one Higher Education Institution in Wales, the article pursues three foci in negotiations that are integral to the everyday work, relations and identities of academic staff: the commodification of university sport; quality learning and teaching; and changing relations with industry. Conceptually, the article draws upon Bernstein’s concept of symbolic boundaries to critically explore the translation and enactment of different policy agendas, and pursue constraints and possibilities arising for subject, professional and learner identities. Data from focus groups and interviews with 16 participants …

Pitch It Big: Cultivating Entrepreneurism Through Use Of An Innovative Competitive Business Plan And Presentation, Margaret (Peggy) Grill, Erin Epley

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This educational innovation aimed to explore the effectiveness of a student assignment titled ‘Pitch it Big,’ designed to enhance understanding of the business aspects outlined in the accreditation standards for occupational therapy programs. Limited research evidence exists for business education related to occupational therapy. Working in self-chosen groups based on their targeted area of interest, students collaboratively wrote a business plan for a fictitious occupational therapy business or product invention. Students then participated in a competition modeled after the popular television program Shark Tank, where they pitched their business proposals to a panel of experts acting as judges. The panel …

The Influence Of Student Personality Traits On Satisfaction And Success In Online Education In Higher Education: A Systematic Review, Elizabeth G. Hunter, Jayna Niblock, Samantha Barefoot, Jackson Miller, Jason Hughes, Lydia Kite, Edith Scarletto

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Online learning is a growing area in occupational therapy education. It is important for faculty to use the modality of online learning to understand the influence of student personality traits, defined as relatively stable characteristics that influence thinking and behavior, on student satisfaction and success in graduate level programs. By understanding the influence of personality traits, faculty can better develop online materials that are flexible enough to support individuals who may have a higher risk of low satisfaction and success. There has been plentiful research in the areas of education and psychology assessing the influence of personality on the online …

Disparities Between Reported And Actual Study Habits And Perceptions Among First Year Occupational Therapy Graduate Students, Melisa P. Kaye, Marcella Mccollum, Sydney Hanzalik

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Studying for exams forms a significant part of the occupational therapy graduate school experience. While successful completion of exams is a central focus for students, little time is devoted to explicitly teaching new graduate students how to most effectively study. Instead, when they enter their occupational therapy programs, students experience a steep learning curve, and often rely on previous habits or trial and error to discover the most efficacious study strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the study behaviors, habits, and beliefs of new graduate students to gain insight into the prevalence of use of various study …

Belonging And The Lived Experiences Of Underrepresented Occupational Therapy Students, Daniel Cezar Da Cruz, Angela Murphy, Zara Mahmood

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Belonging has been explored in research in higher education with a focus on student engagement or performance and the impact of psychological aspects on individuals' learning. Few studies focused on underrepresented occupational therapy students’ belonging. Our research aimed to explore the lived experience of occupational therapy students regarding belonging at university. This phenomenological study was conducted with six occupational therapy students from the United Kingdom who volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was carried out through Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). Three themes were constructed: Theme 1: Representation and belonging - “I was the only non-white person in the …

Impact Of Academic Advising On Student Satisfaction And Persistence, Michelle Pickett

Dissertations of Practice

Enhancing college student success is a critical challenge for higher education. Traditionally measured by retention and graduation rates, student success is now viewed through a more holistic lens. This dissertation of practice examines the impact of developmental academic advising on student satisfaction and persistence at a four-year regional public university in the Midwest, focusing on first-year students. Using a quantitative approach, this study addresses gaps in the literature by examining the impact of developmental advising on student satisfaction and persistence.

Findings indicate that while developmental academic advising positively impacts student satisfaction with their advising experience, it does not significantly influence …

Digital Community Policing: Using Social Media To Engage Students And Enhance Campus Safety, Dathan C. Jackson

Dissertations of Practice

Campus police increasingly rely on social media to reach students, yet little is known about how these efforts influence trust, collaboration, and perceptions of safety. This qualitative case study examined how one public research university’s police department uses social media to support community-policing goals. Data came from student interviews, departmental policy analysis, and a review of social media content.

Findings showed three central patterns. First, top-down, compliance-oriented messaging limited connection and failed to meet students’ expectations for open, two-way communication. Second, consistent and authentic engagement, online and in person, helped build shared responsibility and strengthened trust in campus safety efforts. …

How Inclusive Are Degree Programs In Operations Research And Analytics In The U.S.?, Michael P. Johnson Jr., Tayo Fabusuyi, Elham Hesari, Salina Chu

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

Academic programs in colleges and universities in the United States have increasingly embraced principles of equity and inclusion to support student success and diversity within professions. Innovations in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in university programs require baseline data on students, faculty and administrators, curricula, and programmatic support. A review of data shows that underrepresented groups in the US workforce have limited visibility in operations research and analytics. A review of DEI-related research reveals some relevant insights including a gap in studies specific to operations research and analytics.

To provide evidence in support of DEI initiatives in OR/analytics, we describe …

The Role Of Social Media In Students’ Learning: Perceptions From The Us And China, Jia Pang

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In an era where digital technologies permeate nearly every aspect of daily life, social media emerged as a powerful yet contentious tool in education. This study aims to addresses the broader challenge of understanding how social media reshapes student learning experiences, both positively and negatively, in an increasingly interconnected and information-driven world. The theoretical framework of this qualitative study is built on the principles of connectivism and Phillips’s Model. The data sources for this study include interview data from 30 participants in the United States and China, as well as university policy documents related to social media usage from universities …

The Ethics Of Student Attrition In Healthcare Education Programs, Kent Haina Jr, Peter A. Depergola Ii

Journal of Health Ethics

Student attrition is a problem in healthcare education programs, but there is little in the literature regarding the organizational ethics of lowering it. Some argue that lowering attrition is unethical, because it would lower academic and professional standards, potentially impacting patient care. Others say students deserve to make decisions about when to leave a course of study. However, these arguments ignore inequities in attrition, as well as the conflicts of interest in, and moral obligations of colleges and universities. Lowering attrition rates in healthcare education programs is inherently ethical because it levels the playing field for underrepresented minorities that disproportionately …

A Comparison Of Service Needs For Face-To-Face To Online Programs, Ali Ardalan, Roya K. Ardalan, G. Steven Rhiel

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions strive to gain a competitive advantage over similar programs offered by other institutions. A criterion for comparing programs is the quality of service. The definition of quality from the customer's view is "fitness for use," which incorporates the value generated by the product. Each learner may evaluate programs differently from other learners. It is impossible to develop a unique standard for program quality that is defined by a specific set of factors and specific level for each of these factors. This study presents an extensive set of factors that may affect learners' satisfaction. Higher education administrators should …

Examining How Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, And Social Support Influence Academic Satisfaction, Zoe Caldwell

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

College students face many challenges while working toward their educational goals (Meneghel et al., 2019). Although stressors may not seem significant, they are important to address as the effects accumulate over time and can have a negative impact on students' performance (Gresham & Karatekin, 2023). Without the impact of ACEs, children would be better equipped with skills that could help them continue with higher education, gain better employment, and break the cycle of trauma for any future children. Resilience can help students cope with challenges and improve their chances of graduation and academic success (Myat Zaw et al., 2022). One …

Artful Approaches For The Study Of Multiracial Student Experiences: Not Artifact, But Aperture, Orkideh Mohajeri, Victoria Malaney-Brown

Educational Leadership & Higher Education Administration Faculty Publications

Within higher education, various methodologies are used to collect data on student experiences, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This paper highlights the importance of attending to artful methodologies particularly when learning with/from mixed and multiracial postsecondary students. We share three artful productions generated by multiracial undergraduate and graduate students from three separate studies, conducted over a range of time from 2017 to 2020. We argue that in each case, the art itself goes far beyond an artifact or "thick description" and instead serves as an aperture to new possibilities for inquiry and analysis. Not only are artful methods a …

Using The Background Of Occupational Therapy To Argue Our Role In Stress Management: Proposed Lines Of Inquiry, Klaire M. Gowins

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

The purpose of this ALE presentation is to present research in support of the development of the Student Stress Management Center (SSMC) at EKU. The researchers’ long-term proposition, beyond the scope of this poster, is to effectively communicate to various audiences the importance and occupation-based characteristics of a Student Stress Management Center for students within the higher education setting. In preparation for that goal, this poster reviews scholarly literature relevant to the field of occupational therapy and its philosophical roots to lay groundwork for clarifying whether and how a revised articulation of the philosophical base is needed, relative to the …

Understanding The Identity Work And Aspirations Of Indigenous Males Navigating Elite Australian Higher Education, James A. Smith, Garth Stahl, Andrew Harvey, Braden Hill, Himanshu Gupta, Sam Moore, Jianing Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia, there has been increased attention to attracting Indigenous peoples into higher education but, despite a recent growth in enrolment numbers, they remain severely underrepresented. This underrepresentation is particularly notable among Indigenous males, who are the least likely to attend. In this paper, we investigate the experiences of four Indigenous young men who attended an elite higher education institution. Aligned with other research on the experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic males in higher education, the article captures how their experience in privileged institutions compels them to reflect on their own positionality and the cultural interface between Indigenous and …

Career Resources And Securing Quality Work: Graduate Perspectives, Denise Jackson, Claire Lambert, Matalena Tofa, Ruth Bridgstock, Ruth Sibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Empowering graduates to secure quality post-graduation employment is a key goal for higher education institutions and their students. University support in developing career resources may aid transition to work by enhancing social support and networks, fostering a strong sense of professional self, promoting career self-management, and instilling career confidence. Yet there lacks empirical understanding of these resources and the role they play, including how they interrelate, how they vary by personal characteristics, and how they are developed. This study examines how graduates fare in the labour market, characterises their career resources, and explores the relationship between career resources and graduate-level …

Educator Professional Subjectivities In Gamification: Knowing, Being And Doing, Natalie-Jane Howard, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Gamification has emerged as a prominent innovation in contemporary education, yet its influence on the enactment of educators’ professional subjectivities remains underexplored. As such, little is known about how online gamification applications like Kahoot shape the dynamic ways educators perceive, understand and enact their professional selves within higher education contexts. Adopting a tripartite framework of knowing (epistemological), being (ontological) and doing (praxiological), this qualitative study employed visual-elicitation interviews and remote observations with ten lecturers at a Middle Eastern college. The analysis revealed three key themes shaping educator subjectivities: creating and sharing quiz content; conforming with institutional culture; and infantilizing students …