Powered By People: Staffing And Capacity In Library Publishing Programs, Michelle Brailey, Melissa Chim, Lauren Collister, Heather Hankins, Alyssa Huffman, Bailey Lake, Barbara Loomis, Miranda Phair, Anita Walz

LPC Publications

This report is comprised of the results of the LPC’s Staffing Survey where respondents answered questions related to staffing and capacity within their library publishing programs.

The Role Of Games In Hospitality Management Education, Arghavan Hadinejad, Samira Zare

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Building upon game-based learning, this study compares hospitality students’ cognition, metacognition, engagement, satisfaction, and performance in a course across two academic terms at an Australian university. One term featured teaching content without any games while the second term incorporated gamification. A quasi-experimental design was used in which surveys, interviews and students’ evaluation reports were utilized. Students demonstrated more favorable cognitive thoughts, and higher levels of engagement and satisfaction in the gamified course. Students’ performance in assessments across the two courses as well as their metacognition were found to be similar. This study presents a game effectiveness matrix with Kahoot as …

Women Are Discriminated Against On The Basis Of Sex: Anti-Trans Epistemologies In Australian Universities, Emily M. Gray, Jacqueline Ullman, Mindy Blaise

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article offers an analysis of qualitative data from a multi-phased project entitled Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities. The project’s key aim was to improve the ways in which gender-based discrimination is understood and addressed in Australian universities. It achieved this aim through adopting a situated, intersectional, and creative approach to data generation and analysis. The authors examine data from phase three of the project, a large-scale survey that was distributed across 12 of Australia’s 39 public universities, yielding 1257 responses. The survey was designed to encourage academic staff of all genders to participate and aimed to …

To Pursue Or Not To Pursue An Academic Doctoral Degree: Perceived Motivators And Barriers Of Women Working In Allied Health Educational Programs, Karen J. Honeycutt, Betsy Becker, Victoria Kennel, Sarah Mcbrien, Makayla Schissel, Tammy Webster

Journal Articles: Medical Laboratory Science

BACKGROUND: Women faculty in allied health education frequently transition from clinical roles without formal training in teaching or research methodologies. This study examined motivators and barriers of women faculty in an allied health educational setting when determining to pursue an academic doctoral degree. Data was collected from faculty working in 48 allied health programs in Nebraska representing 14 professions.

METHODS: Women faculty were invited to complete a confidential online survey. Using a four-point Likert scale, participants responded to perceived motivators (nine) and barriers (nine) related to their decision to pursue or not pursue a doctoral degree.

RESULTS: Responses from 142 …

Ai-Resistant Activities For Online And Large Enrollment Courses, Jason Bock, Eric Lemley

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

The rapid adoption of generative AI tools has fundamentally challenged traditional assessments in higher education, particularly in large-enrollment and fully asynchronous online courses where instructor presence and grading time are constrained. While many instructors have responded by restricting AI use or adopting detection tools, research increasingly shows that detection-based approaches are unreliable and labor-intensive. We propose a design-centered alternative: reshaping assessments so that AI use becomes insufficient, rather than prohibited.

Drawing on a systematic process of testing proposed and original assessment ideas directly against multiple generative AI models (using both simple and advanced prompting strategies), we present a curated playbook …

Guidebook For Artificial Intelligence Integration Into The University Environment, Mark J. Uline, Tarek Shazly, Grace Cosby

Reports

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a peripheral or speculative technology in the university setting, it is rather a rapidly evolving transformational force that will reshape research, teaching, and administrative operations. Recent systematic reviews conclude that generative AI tools are already being widely used by students and instructors and can positively affect learning outcomes and academic performance when thoughtfully integrated into instruction (Hon, 2025; Qian, 2025).

At the same time, case studies warn that unmanaged or poorly governed AI use can undermine academic integrity, exacerbate inequities, and create new institutional risks (Mangundu, 2025; Şen et al., 2026). AI adoption brings unparalleled …

Values-Based Behavioral Frameworks As Contributors To Organizational Culture In Higher Education: A Literature Review, David J. Park Do

Posters

Colleges and universities almost universally publish statements of institutional values, yet a gap often persists between those stated values and the regularly observed behaviors. This review examines how that gap relates to culture in higher education institutions and specifically explores how translating values into observable behaviors contributes to organizational culture. This literature review used a structured, criteria-guided approach to source identification, selecting sources against three constructs: 1) institutional adoption of values-based behavioral frameworks, 2) organizational culture in higher-education settings, and 3) the perceptions through which organizational members perceive culture. The resulting corpus of 40 sources spans organizational culture scholarship, virtue …

Social Dirt Or Fertile Soil: A Phenomenological Study Of Contingent Faculty, Ann M. Hiloski-Fowler

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The experiences of contingent or adjunct faculty affect their professional identity development. Contingent faculty use has increased since the 1970s. By 2013, two-thirds of U.S. higher education faculty were contingent (Finkelstein et al., 2016). While institutions use contingent faculty to fulfill their educational missions (Haviland et al., 2017; Kezar & Sam, 2011; Kimmel & Fairchild, 2017), their status as academic laborers stigmatizes them in academia, developing what Levin and Shaker (2011) term a “hybrid identity” (p. 1479), as both professionals and laborers, professors and temporary employees. Historically, the professional status of the professoriate has been defined on the tenure track …

Wellness Participation Of Student-Serving Staff: The Impact On Well-Being And Student Support, Ashley L. Oostveen

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study examines the relationship between student-serving staff’s wellness engagement and overall well-being, their job satisfaction, and their perceived support for students. A convergent mixed-methods approach was applied while maintaining a theoretical framework rooted in Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), integrating the concepts of Hettler’s Six Dimensions of Wellness (1976). Forty-one student-serving staff across universities in a public university system in Pennsylvania participated in this study. A quantitative survey was used to measure overall well-being, wellness engagement, and support to students, while concurrent focus groups were conducted to gather insight on work-life well-being and staff’s perceived support to their …

Exploring The Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging At Their University: A Q-Methodological Approach, Jose Acevedo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

       The transition to higher education is a significant life event requiring substantial social, academic, and psychological adjustment, during which a powerful sense of belonging is critical for student success and retention. While traditional models of student retention often prioritize support services and academic integration, they frequently overlook the intricate relational dynamics and deeply personal subjective experiences that shape belonging. This research utilized Q methodology to explore the multifaceted ways undergraduate students at the University of North Florida (UNF) understand and prioritize the determinants of institutional belonging. Guided by an integrated conceptual framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self-Determination Theory, Social …

Values-Based Behavioral Frameworks As Contributors To Organizational Culture In Higher Education: A Literature Review, David J. Park Do

Papers

Colleges and universities almost universally publish statements of organizational values, yet a gap often persists between those stated values and the regularly observed behaviors. This review examines how that gap relates to culture in higher education institutions and specifically explores how translating values into observable behaviors contributes to organizational culture. This literature review used a structured, criteria-guided approach to source identification, selecting sources against three constructs: 1) institutional adoption of values-based behavioral frameworks, 2) organizational culture in higher-education settings, and 3) the perceptions through which organizational members perceive culture. The resulting corpus of 40 sources spans organizational culture scholarship, virtue …

From Mandate To Implementation: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Early Childhood Coursework In Educational Leadership Preparation Programs, Anna Louise Puryear

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Research on principal leadership in the P-3 continuum is limited, even though leadership is second only to teaching in its impact on student outcomes. Most leadership preparation programs emphasize K–12 content, with little focus on early childhood education. Illinois is the only state to codify legislation requiring early childhood content in educational leadership programs, offering a unique case to examine how such mandates are implemented. This study employed qualitative content analysis to investigate how institutions of higher education represent mandated early childhood content in graduate-level coursework. Data sources included program-level documents from 22 Illinois leadership preparation programs and course-level materials …

Mindful Pedagogy As A Contemporary Pedagogical Approach In Applied Learning: Conceptual Foundations And Early Insights From Higher Education, Annette Sweeney, Jolanta Burke

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Mindful pedagogy employing mindful practices for learning shows promise as a modern teaching strategy for Applied Learning (AL) in higher education. This qualitative study investigated the feasibility of this strategy, exploring the logic model of a culinary arts module, The Mindful Kitchen Health and Wellbeing for Chefs to describe initial insights from the AL pathways that are shaped by a mindful pedagogical approach. Data analysis of a graduate focus group (n = 6) a co-educator-designer interview and the researcher’s co-educator-designer reflection revealed three emerging themes: mindful pedagogy positively reframed the learning environment for students and educators; uniquely, it empowered creativity …

Impact Of Instagram Flyers In Higher Education: Within Resident Assistant Program Attendance Marketing, Mary J. Mcdonald

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

This exploratory pilot study examines whether posting Instagram digital flyers affects Resident Assistant (RA) program attendance in the higher-education Housing and Residence Life (HRL) context. Instagram has emerged as a dominant channel of communication among Generation Z (1997-2012). As a result, higher education institutions have increasingly used social media to prompt student engagement and foster belonging, in hopes of strengthening retention. Using a quasi-experimental matched comparison design, attendance data from the 2024 academic year without Instagram flyers were compared to the 2025 academic year with Instagram flyers. The independent variable was the implementation of Instagram digital flyers, and the dependent …

Professional Identity Exploration And Commitment Development By Stem Undergraduates From Underrepresented Groups During Near-Peer Mentoring, Joseph A. Brobst, Joanna K. Garner, David Hartenstine, Perry Fizzano

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This study examines near-peer mentoring as a context for professional identity development by undergraduates from groups that are underrepresented in STEM higher education. Mentees were students in a computer science/mathematics‑focused scholarship program, with a two-tiered near-peer mentoring component that paired 1st-2nd‑year undergraduate mentees with 3^rd-4^th year mentors and 3^rd-4^th year mentees with early‑career professional mentors. We analyzed mentoring conversation summaries from three mentor–mentee pairs, spanning one academic year. Mentoring relationships provided safe spaces for students’ professional identity exploration and the development of commitments toward career paths and life goals. Across all cases, conversation summaries …

Generative Artificial Intelligence Application In Occupational Therapy Education, James Wersal, Justin Mason, Mary Shotwell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a developing technology within Higher Education Institutions with substantial potential to transform teaching pedagogy, improve individualized learning experiences, and automate administrative functions. GenAI has the potential to bring significant enhancements by advancing adaptive learning interfaces, customized learning materials, and automate administrative support. Despite these benefits, ethical considerations, data privacy, and the risk of over-reliance should be considered prior to using GenAI. The authors highlight how GenAI is supported by adult learning theory and provide practical strategies for incorporating GenAI in the occupational therapy curricula and to support the faculty role. The impact of GenAI on …

Enhancing Academic Literacy Through Ai-Supported Writing Analytics In Multilingual Higher Education, Riki Nasrullah, Septia Rizqi Nur Abni

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the longitudinal impact of AI-supported writing analytics on academic literacy in multilingual higher education. Using a quasi-experimental design over two semesters with 124 undergraduates, the treatment group employed a GPT-based analytics tool, while the control group relied on conventional feedback. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design and repeated-measures analyses, the study found significant group effects and significant Group × Time interactions, indicating that the treatment group achieved larger and more sustained gains in academic literacy. Process-oriented indicators and learning analytics further showed a shift from surface editing to global revision, accompanied by deeper metacognitive engagement.

Retention In A Community College In A Rural State In The Midwest: Factors Associated With Persistence And Withdrawal, Samantha Reeves Grady

Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative case study examined the factors associated with students’ persistence or withdrawals from courses during the Fall 2025 semester at a community college in the Midwest. Guided by research questions exploring what factors supported students in completing their courses and what prompts course withdrawals. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students who had withdrawn from one or more courses during the Fall 2025 semester. Using thematic analysis, several key themes emerged. Findings indicated that academic difficulties contributed significantly to student withdrawals. Additionally, course load intensity and competing external factors further hindered student persistence. Students, in …

Graduate Student Retention: Examining Why Master’S Students Leave And What Motivates Their Return In A Large Public University System, Sonja Prophete

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate student persistence is a relatively unexplored area in the literature of higher education studies; specifically, at a multi-institutional scale at the master's level. This research study examines the factors which cause students to discontinue their master's degrees, and what conditions could possibly support them returning to their program at a large urban public university system. The current study was guided by Hoyt and Winn's (2004) distinction between non-returning students, and Bean & Metzner's (1985) theoretical model of student attrition. A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the institutional and environmental influences on students' decision-making processes.

The quantitative data …

Post-Secondary Participation And Graduation, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Ian Teo, Amanda Haddow, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This systematic review examines systems and institutional policies impacting Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sectors globally. Specifically, it seeks to address the impact of access, participation, retention, and graduation policies, and support the development of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 by responding to equity and inclusion challenges, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.

Students’ Perspectives On Authentic Assessment: An Experiential Learning Framework For Work-Readiness And Employability, Claire Lambert, Madeleine Ogilvie, Stephanie Meek

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Universities are increasingly pressured to enhance graduate employability by embedding career readiness into curricula. Authentic, industry-based assessments offer a means to link theory with practice, yet little is known about their impact from the student perspective. Purpose: This study explored how an industry-based authentic assessment supports students’ transition to work through the lens of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Method: Using a qualitative design, guided-introspection questionnaires were completed by 20 marketing graduates 2 years after completing an industry-based social marketing project. Directed content analysis identified themes aligned with ELT stages and mechanisms of confidence, networks, and professional enculturation. Findings: Authentic …

Innovativeness And Self-Efficacy In Lecturers’ Intentions To Use Cloud Computing Services In Teaching And Learning In South African Higher Education, John Mangundu, Laizah Sashah Mutasa, Senali Madugoda Gunaratnege, Martin Ujakpa

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There has been an acceleration of the adoption of cloud computing in higher education institutions (HEIs), especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift to virtual and blended learning environments, led to a migration of HEIs’ information management processes to cloud-based systems. Despite its advantages, cloud computing adoption in South African HEIs remains low. This study applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to examine how self-efficacy and innovativeness influence lecturers’ intentions to use cloud computing services. A quantitative design was applied, and stratified random sampling ensured representation across the lecturer population. Data were collected through an online questionnaire …

Sexisms And Gender-Washing In Australian Academia: Public Front, Private Realities, Jacqueline Ullman, Emily Gray, Mindy Blaise, Lucy Hobby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper offers an analysis of selected survey findings from a mixed methods research project, entitled Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities. The project is situated within the context of the negative impact of gender-based discrimination upon the higher education sector in Australia and internationally. The findings discussed in this paper relate to quantitative analyses of selected items from a national survey of over 1200 Australian academics, recruited through 12 public universities. In this paper, the ways in which different participant groups responded to items designed to explore their attitudes towards sexism in the academic workplace, both broadly …

Where’S My Tweed Jacket With Leather Elbow Patches? The Challenges Of Aging Gracefully In Higher Education, John A. O’Rourke, Christina Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents an examination of one veteran academics’ experience in higher education. Via an autoethnographic reflection of a two-decade career, the work-related situations that impact on job enjoyment and challenge motivation to bring enthusiasm year-after-year are discussed. Veteran academics have seen higher education transform dramatically during their tenure and the pressure points that impact on wellbeing are discussed and aligned to contemporary research. In response to the challenges associated with aging in higher education, this paper examines how veteran academics need to prioritize self-care and explores ways that universities can maximize the accumulated knowledge and pedagogical skillset of these …

Science Sojourners: The (Un)Making Of Women Scientists From China To America, Jane Jia-Yin Wang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Science is often imagined as a borderless profession in which knowledge, careers, and talent circulate freely across national boundaries. Yet scientific careers remain embedded within institutions that correspond to immigration regimes, geopolitical tensions, and unequal social structures. Drawing on 32 in-depth interviews with early-career Chinese women scientists trained in the U.S., this dissertation examines how globally mobile scientists navigate decisions about careers, migration, and everyday life between China and the U.S.

Rather than treating migration as a series of discrete decisions driven by labor markets or state policies, this dissertation argues that career and life orientations are fundamentally intertwined through …

Recruitment Strategies For Rural Black Students At Georgia Colleges And Universities: From An Admissions Counselor Perspective, Jayde B. Nelson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the recruitment practices of admissions counselors at colleges and universities in the state of Georgia, with a focused lens on their efforts to engage and enroll Black students from rural high schools. The study investigates how geographic isolation, racial identity, and systemic inequalities converge to shape the college access landscape for underrepresented students in rural communities. Using a qualitative approach grounded in Culturally Responsive Leadership as the theoretical framework, this research examines the strategies, barriers, and institutional priorities that influence outreach efforts and recruitment outcomes. By analyzing admissions counselor perspectives and institutional approaches, the study found that …

Book Review: Exploring Student Loneliness In Higher Education: A Discursive Psychology Approach, Patrick Leung

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Book Review: Exploring Student Loneliness in Higher Education: A Discursive Psychology Approach

Role Of Ethical Principles And Ai Characteristics In Shaping Generative Ai Use In Higher Education And Its Impact On Academic Performance, Mostafa Al-Emran, Mohammed A. Al-Sharafi, Behzad Foroughi, Noor Al-Qaysi, Nelson K.Y. Leung, Zaher Mundher Yaseen, Nor’Ashikin Ali

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid integration of Generative AI in higher education has transformed teaching and learning, yet limited research explores the factors driving its adoption and impact on academic performance. This study addresses the gap in understanding how ethical principles (fairness, accountability, transparency, accuracy, autonomy) and AI characteristics (perceived anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence) influence students’ use of Generative AI tools and their subsequent academic outcomes. The research aims to develop and test a theoretical model that integrates these factors to explain Generative AI adoption and its effect on perceived academic performance among university students. Data were collected through surveys from 318 students and …

Understanding The Journey To Higher Education: Decision-Making Insights From Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Students, Melissa Fong-Emmerson, Claire Lambert, Braden Hill, Maria M. Ryan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigates the decision-making process of Indigenous Australian students in pursuing higher education, addressing a gap in understanding their educational choices. It identifies the key factors influencing university enrolment decisions and how these shape students’ educational pathways. Using a narrative-inquiry approach, the study explored the lived experiences of Indigenous students from two Western Australian universities. Through written autobiographies, yarning sessions and one-on-one interviews, participants shared rich, nuanced insights into their journeys to higher education. Findings reveal the pivotal role of ‘sparks’ in normalising higher education as a viable option. Students relied minimally on formal information search, depending heavily on …

Investigating The Potential For First Year Residential Field Courses To Facilitate The Establishment Of Teacher-Student Relationships In Biological Sciences Undergraduate Degrees, Anne Plessis, Alison Stokes

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Teacher-student relationships (TSRs) in higher education impact many aspects of the student experience, including engagement and performance. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms of establishment of TSRs, and in particular how these are influenced by specific learning environments and contexts. Here, we undertake an exploratory investigation using first year biological sciences undergraduate residential field courses to examine how this teaching context affected the frequency and nature of teacher student interactions, and consequently the development of TSRs. Data were collected from teacher and student participants using questionnaires and focus groups. We found that interactions during fieldwork took place frequently …