Digital Commons Network^™

Incredi-Bull-Ly Inclusive?: Assessing The Climate On A College Campus, Aubrey Lynne Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students have unique experiences on campus such as discrimination, exclusivity, and homo/transphobia. Stated simply, this research project intends to address these issues by 1) identify students' perceptions of gender identity and sexual orientation diversity on campus, 2) identify the experiences of LGBT students during their time at the institution, and 3) acknowledge suggestions from the student body for ways the University being studied is, or may continue to be, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Through the application of the campus climate framework and modification of existing climate surveys, a student-centered campus climate …

Deconstructing Pre-Service Teachers’ Field Experience Narratives: The Role Of Epistemological Beliefs, Rebecca B. Bays, Carol Ashong, Teresa E. Ward Phd, Nannette E. Commander

i.e.: inquiry in education

Teacher development programs incorporate field experiences for pre-service teachers (PTs) to gain first hand teaching experiences. The purpose of this study is to examine PTs’ perceptions of field experiences, and more specifically, to investigate whether these perceptions relate to PTs epistemological beliefs. A sample of 115 undergraduate educational psychology students completed the Epistemological Beliefs Inventory (EBI) and a Field Experience Questionnaire. Results indicated that PTs’ beliefs about teaching and learning influenced their perception of teaching. Students holding more sophisticated epistemological beliefs, as measured by the EBI, reported more positive perceptions of field experiences, while students holding more naïve epistemological beliefs …

Working Students’ Perceptions Of Paying For College: Understanding The Connections Between Financial Aid And Work, Mary Ziskin, Mary Ann Fischer, Vasti Torres, Beth Pellicciotti, Jacquelyn Player-Sanders

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

For many students at urban commuter colleges, the process of financial aid is unknown or mysterious; and so they work—often many hours a week—to pay expenses that financial aid might have covered. Missteps, unforeseen events, and limited resources can have severe consequences for the academic progress of these students. The broader study, of which this paper is a part, represents an effort to explore and describe students’ college-going, working, family responsibilities, and academic success at three commuter institutions in a metropolitan region in the Midwest. The encompassing project aims to introduce new qualitative data and situated description into the study …

2013-2014 - Graduate Council Annual Report, College Of Graduate And Continuing Studies, East Tennessee State University

Graduate Council Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Impact Of Role-Playing On Peer Feedback In An Online Case-Based Learning Activity, Yu-Hui Ching

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explored the impact of role-playing on the quality of peer feedback and learners’ perception of this strategy in a case-based learning activity with VoiceThread in an online course. The findings revealed potential positive impact of role-playing on learners’ generation of constructive feedback as role-playing was associated with higher frequency of problem identification in the peer comments. Sixty percent of learners perceived the role-play strategy useful in assisting them to compose and provide meaningful feedback. Multiple motivations drove learners in making decisions on role choice when responding to their peers, mostly for peer benefits. Finally, 90% of learners reported …

The Effects Of Student Engagement On Retention: Comparing Male Undergraduate Stem Majors To Non-Stem Majors, Tourgee D. Simpson Jr.

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Researchers suggest certain benchmarks of student engagement (i.e., student-faculty interaction, level of academic challenge, enriching educational experiences, active and collaborative learning, and supportive campus environment) positively influence student success. This study investigated the relationship between student engagement and the retention of male, full-time undergraduate students in STEM majors by comparing male, full-time undergraduate students in select science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors to male, full-time undergraduate students in non-STEM majors to identify best practices to improve retention and increase degree completion among men in STEM fields.

Students were invited to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). …

2014 June 16 - Graduate Council Minutes, College Of Graduate And Continuing Studies, East Tennessee State University

Graduate Council Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Empowerment Of Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Minority College Students In The United States: Developing And Testing The College Student Empowerment Scales For Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Lindsey Therese Back

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Empowerment, a core value of community psychology, is defined as a process by which people, organizations, and communities gain mastery over issues of concern to them in their lives (Rappaport, 1987). In community psychology, empowerment is understood as a construct particularly and primarily salient for minority t,>roups who hold a marginalized position in society, as psychological empowerment is a product of an individual's interaction with his or her context. Consistent with a social justice framework, community psychology attempts to empower those who have traditionally been disenfranchised in particular contexts. One such population is underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students in higher …

In Search Of Social Justice Praxis: A Critical Examination Of Senior Student Affairs Officers' Leadership Practices, Ryan P. Barone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the highest ranking administrators in divisions of student affairs, Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) have the substantial opportunity to perform leadership in a manner which realizes social justice processes and goals. Framed by critical postmodernism (Tierney & Rhoads, 1993), this study uses educational criticism and connoisseurship (Eisner, 1976, 1998, 2002) to document the social justice leadership practices of two SSAOs. In depth narratives give rich descriptions of the nuances of social justice leadership as enacted by the SSAOs. Critical interpretation and evaluation of these practices is woven throughout the study. Themes relevant for the field of higher education in …

New A*Star-Smu Centre Combines High-Powered Computing And Behavioural Sciences To Study People-Centric Issues, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Singapore Management University (SMU) will establish a Centre for Technology and Social-Behavioural Insights (CTSBI) to tap on high performance computing technology, big data analytics and behavioural sciences to study people-centric issues and human behaviour including how people think, feel and act in different settings. Such information can be used to enhance planning and address issues in different areas such as retail, logistics, urban planning, education and community development.

Examining Fully Online Degree Students' Perceptions Of Online Student Support Services: A Mixed Method Study Using Grounded Theory And Rasch Analysis, Tamara Dean Heimberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The higher education market is becoming much more competitive as more students are attracted to online courses and online degree programs. In order to remain competitive, higher education institutions must provide students access to online support services. However, an online student support services plan is an often overlooked component of an online initiative even though it is a critical factor in the overall success of an online program.

This research specifically focuses on online student support services for students enrolled in fully online degree programs in an effort to identify the most important online student support services from students’ perspectives, …

Developing Compassion Through Travel, Leeann Bartolini

Collected Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Stopping Short In Higher Education: Do More Remedial Courses Add Up To Debt With No Degree?, Elaine Baldwin Wootten

Theses and Dissertations

Federal need based financial aid receipt and remedial course load were the central foci of an integrated model designed to predict six-year bachelor's degree attainment. Data represented 2004/09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) respondents who graduated from high school in 2003 and enrolled the same year as full time bachelor's degree seekers in four-year public and private institutions. Only those who designated "student" as primary role, specified English as first language, and were classified as dependents were included in the sample. Student background and precollege academic attributes, college experiences, including remediation, financial factors, incorporating federal need based aid, and …

Undergraduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 17, 2014

Bryant University Commencements

Bryant University Undergraduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 17, 2014.

Meaning-Making Among Medical Students: Development Of A Quantitative Measure Of Self-Authorship, Robert Fallar

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Preparation for and application to medical school, as well as the subsequent medical training of matriculating students, can have an important impact on psychosocial development. The premedical baccalaureate is the traditional preparation for medical school, although many medical schools also offer a separate entry path through early assurance programs that provide conditional acceptance in the sophomore year of college. These programs may provide freedom in the remainder of the baccalaureate program to explore the liberal arts, which could be a source of differential development of non-cognitive skills among medical students. Self-authorship is defined as the ability to define one’s beliefs, …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes May 12, 2014, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on May 12, 2014.

Serving Those Who Served: Understanding The Needs Of Student Veterans, Jessica Catherine Hayden

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Following the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill), higher education witnessed a nationwide influx of student veterans. In the last decade, this population has continued to gain significant momentum as a result of the educational benefits offered to service members and their families within the Post-9/11 GI Bill of 2008. James Madison University recognized this growing trend and researched how to best serve the academic and personal needs of the student veteran community by conducting a needs assessment. The data from the needs assessment and literature from several university veteran taskforces were reviewed and used to develop program recommendations …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes May 2, 2014, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on May 2, 2014.

Comparing Factors Of Bachelor's Degree Attainment For First And Continuing Generation Students, Holly Gilbertson Hoffman Phd

Dissertations

Colleges and universities have recently been under great pressure to increase institutional graduation rates, due to a surge in consumer demand for accountability and the use of graduation rates to deter nine effectiveness and funding. Many colleges may choose to achieve higher graduation rates by simply increasing selectivity. However, this strategy has the potential to exclude at-risk student populations, namely first generation students, who lack a family track record of college completion and have been shown to be less likely to graduate than continuing generation students. To allow for continued access for first generation students, institutions have the ability to …

A Creative Journey In Higher Education: The Story Of Personal And Organizational Change, Iryna Zorianna Molodecky

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores my personal and professional journey as a teacher in higher education and how it parallels the unique journey of the institution where I teach, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. This is a story about the pursuit of creativity in education and the transformation as a result of creativity. Drawing on current theories of creativity, in particular the 4 P’s (person, process, product and press), it examines what factors played a role in initiating and managing change. Presented as a narrative, this project documents the various aspects of personal and organizational change. The questions asked include: “What sparked …

The Nontraditional Community College Student: A Phenomenological Approach To The Educational Experience, Alexander D. Tuel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nontraditional students make up a larger population at community colleges than their traditional counterparts making this study a necessity to further explore their experience (American Association of Community Colleges, 2013). To better understand this population, a phenomenological approach was taken with an emphasis on a social constructivism framework. This qualitative study utilized Seidman's (2013) three step interviewing process with the aid of photographs taken by the participants to elicit in-depth interview responses. Moustakas' (1994) modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method of Analysis of Phenomenological Data was used in this study. Four themes emerged from participant's photographs and interviews: motivation, helpful faculty/staff, external responsibilities, …

Social Media Use During The College Transition, Kevin J. Yurasek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Starting college is an exciting and pivotal time for students. During this time, the student will be faced with challenges of his or her social identity and will need to develop or modify identities based on new social situations. Previous research shows that social media play a role in identity development, but there is little information regarding the extent. Are new college students using Facebook during their transition to communicate their new identity/social group to new peers? Are they using Facebook to maintain nostalgia for previous identities/social groups? This information will be valuable to higher education professionals working with these …

Addressing The Elephant In The Room: A Descriptive Analysis Of Weight-Based Harassment On College Campuses, Lynnsie Doty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the bullying and harassment literature, over 50 percent of adolescents reported that they were targets of harassment at least once a month. A major gap within this literature is that most of these studies focus predominantly on adolescents and none focuses on older cohorts. To date only five studies have focused on college populations, but none focus on weight specifically as a factor. Although many individuals may disagree, weight-based harassment is comparable to harassment based on race and sexual orientation and affects victims just as negatively. Therefore, it is time to address the elephant in the room and …

The Effects Of An Academic Values Clarification Exercise On Academic Performance Of College Students, Dana Goetz

Honors Theses

Values exploration exercises, in which individuals are typically asked to rank order their values and describe values that are most important to them, have been used for many purposes including reducing the racial achievement gap in academic performance (Cohen, Garcia, Apfel, Maseter, 2006), increasing acceptance of health related issues (Harris & Napper, 2005), and increasing academic success (Chase, Houmanfar, Hayes, Ward, Vilardaga, & Follette, 2013). However, little research has addressed the mechanism or mechanisms through which values clarification exercises impact outcomes, particularly academic achievement. This paper analyzes values clarification exercises used in educational settings during the 1970s and the roles …

Community-Based Philosophy And Service-Learning: A Case Study At Barry University, Christian A. Schlaerth

Open Access Dissertations

Service-learning, as a pedagogical technique, presents unique learning opportunities for students, where they get to use their skills and knowledge from courses to help improve communities that have particular needs. Barry University has recently begun to expand it program across the school, reaching into disciplines that are not often associated with service-learning. Barry is also a school that presents itself as aware of inequality, with the goal of helping to diminish it. However, there is a clear lack of philosophical direction behind the application of service-learning. This research seeks to ascertain the extent to which community-based philosophy is being employed …

Impacts Of Website Visibility And Family Income On Use Of The Net Price Calculator, Hunt Chouteau Helm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Higher education attainment benefits individuals and society. But access to higher education is not equitable. Students from low-income families, even those with equal qualifications, are underrepresented throughout the education pipeline, and the gap by family income increases at each educational milepost. The major impediments to increasing college-going rates for lower-income families are financial, experiential, motivational and informational. A key informational impediment is the difficulty families have in understanding information about college costs and financial aid. In 2011, the federal government attempted to improve information access for all by requiring colleges and universities to post a Net Price Calculator on their …

The Pacifican April 10, 2014, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

V. 81, Issue 18, April 9, 2014

Archway (1946-2020)

No abstract provided.

The Pacifican April 3, 2014, University Of The Pacific

All Issues - Student Newspaper, The Pacifican, Pacific Weekly

No abstract provided.

V. 81, Issue 17, April 2, 2014

Archway (1946-2020)

No abstract provided.