Digital Commons Network^™

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

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

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

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

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

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

From Curriculum To Career: A Grounded Theory Of Ai-Driven Employability In Higher Education, Sandra Baroudi, Christina Davison, Maryam Juma

All Works

This study examines how undergraduate students navigate employability within an AI-driven labor market, highlighting the role of digital social capital, personal branding, and multicultural identity management in a rapidly modernizing, culturally diverse setting. Employing a constructivist grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 undergraduates across STEM and humanities disciplines. Data were coded iteratively using constant comparative methods until theoretical saturation. Five major categories emerged: experiential learning, professional networking, digital self-promotion, cultural identity tensions, and technological adaptability. The study proposes an ‘AI-Driven Employability Framework’ that integrates Human, Social, and Cultural Capital theories and develops two context-specific extensions: digital social …

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

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

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

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

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

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

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

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

Master's Theses

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

Making Sense Of Generative Ai: A Qualitative Single Case Study Examining How College Students Describe Its Use In Academic Coursework, Hollie L. Reese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Generative artificial intelligence has become increasingly present in higher education, creating opportunities and challenges related to teaching, learning, academic integrity, and student preparation for future professional settings. The problem addressed in this study was the growing misalignment between students’ use of generative artificial intelligence tools and the guidance, expectations, and policies provided within college courses. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how college students described their use of these tools in academic courses and to identify the benefits and challenges associated with integrating them into learning experiences. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with undergraduate students …

Enhancing Net-Zero Strategies At Rit Dubai Campus Through Life Cycle Assessment, Razan Ali

Theses

Net-zero commitments are pushing higher education institutions to measure their environmental impact more rigorously. RIT Dubai has aligned its sustainability targets with the UAE Net Zero 2050 initiative, and earlier greenhouse gas reporting identified commuting and electricity as the campus’s dominant emission sources, with transportation modelled only from city-level estimates. This thesis develops an individual-level, use-phase Life Cycle Assessment of transportation at RIT Dubai across the entire campus community of 2,795 members in seven segments: local and international students, faculty and staff, and the contracted service staff who travel to campus daily. A transportation Life Cycle Inventory was built from …

College Algebra: A Key Element To Degree Completion, Christopher Charlie Jett, Gregory Downing

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

College Algebra is often under scrutiny because it serves as a critical gateway to graduation for students enrolled in our nation’s undergraduate degree programs. In this paper, we problematize the authority typically ascribed to this course and discuss meeting students’ discipline-specific needs in core mathematics courses such as it. To help facilitate college student success with respect to mathematics course requirements, we recommend that educational constituents and leaders expand dual-enrollment opportunities, infuse culturally relevant practices, and leverage other core mathematics courses as alternatives to College Algebra. In doing so, we add to the ongoing conversation about addressing this issue in …

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

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

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

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

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

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

Higher Learning Research Communications

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

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

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

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

Journal of Media Literacy Education

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

Integrating Ai Into Media Analysis Projects: Students’ Insights On Using Chatgpt, Serpil Yalcinalp, Hacer Turkoglu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research aims to explore students’ perspectives on their use of ChatGPT during a media analysis project in a media literacy (ML) course. Additionally, it investigates what the assigned media literacy project has contributed to them. Qualitative analysis results from 48 students indicated that they believed their media analysis positively contributed to their media awareness of messages, media genres, social justice, technical aspects, and analytical skills, such as inquiry and creativity. Many students appreciate ChatGPT, noting that it encourages learning across disciplines through deep searches and dialogues with the tool. They especially appreciate its contribution when they compare the results …

Modern Instructional Science, Ai Integrated Pedagogy & Innovation In Higher Education, Yasmeen Ahmed

Presentations and Posters

The rapid evolution of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping teaching, learning, and knowledge production across higher education. This one-day faculty development workshop, Modern Instructional Science, AI-Integrated Pedagogy & Innovation in Higher Education, explores contemporary approaches to designing, delivering, and enhancing student-centered learning experiences in both face-to-face and online environments. The workshop introduces key principles of instructional science, course design, active learning, formative assessment, and learner engagement, supported by established educational theories and evidence-based best practices. Participants examine strategies for developing well-organized, outcome-aligned courses; fostering collaboration and meaningful interaction; and enhancing student success through effective instructional planning …

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

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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

Occupational Therapy Holistic Admissions At A Public, Urban Research University: Process, Outcomes, And Transitions, Ashley Stoffel, Dalmina Arias, Toni Van Denend, Caitlin Smith, Jenica Lee, Maria Larson, Gail Fisher

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Implementing a holistic admissions process reflecting the mission of the university provides the means to expand enrollment of students from diverse backgrounds who have life experiences and values that are well matched to the communities they serve. This article explores the historical significance, outcomes, and transitions of a holistic admissions process in a public, urban research university.

The holistic admission process outlined in this article offers a balanced and equitable approach to student selection by considering a broad array of backgrounds, experiences, and attributes beyond traditional metrics, such as grades. With a commitment to inclusivity, access, and belonging, the department …

The Ppp Model In Action: Empowering Tertiary Vocational Students Through Digital And English Training, Hüsem Korkmaz, Ali Geris, Cenk Yoldaş

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the stakeholder perspectives in a public–private partnership project as a remarkable initiative to enhance quality education at the tertiary level in Turkey. In this regard, the motivations behind participating in the partnership, perceived benefits and challenges, significant outcomes, and recommendations for similar prospective partnership programs were investigated empirically.

Method: The study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design, which relies on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with the key stakeholders of a public–private partnership project to empower vocational higher education. The data were collected from the representatives of Enerjisa Üretim Company (n = …

Values-Based Leadership In Public Discourse: How University Leaders Frame Character And Commitment, Heather Carroll, Jeff Fritz, Sarah Williams, Cheryl A. Maurana

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Public leadership speech is a consequential site of ethical positioning where institutional values are named, contested, and interpreted under pressure, and where the choice of virtue language shapes where attention is directed. Analyzing published quotations from university leaders during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, we examine how virtue language functioned as a public act of values-based leadership through a socio-ecological framework for flourishing that treats character as dynamic and relational. We find that leaders constructed ethical stances by anchoring commitment to moral virtues that named goods, intellectual virtues that narrated deliberative process, and occasionally pairing both …

Cultivating Narratives: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Higher Education Student-Led Farms And Gardens, Maximilan Sherard, Marc T. Sager

Publications

Despite extensive research on community agriculture, little attention has been paid to student-led farms or gardens (SFGs) in higher education contexts. SFGs represent a unique site for community agriculture due to their diverse stakeholders, academic affiliations, and the institutional policies they navigate. This study examines online promotional materials from 42 SFGs located on land-grant higher education campuses across the United States. Using critical discourse analysis, we (1) map these organizations’ practices and (2) identify competing discourses about community and agriculture within their promotional narratives. We identify and explain four core practices (membership, growing, distribution, and purpose) and connect these practices …

Alumni Voices. Beyond Graduation: The Lifelong Global Impact Of A Uk Education, Sladana Krstic, Alexander Towne

Higher education research

The third round of the British Council Alumni Voices survey provides robust and timely evidence of the enduring value of a UK higher education experience. Drawing on three years of longitudinal survey data, supplemented by a number of interviews, the findings highlight how UK education continues to deliver skills, support professional progression, and foster long lasting international networks that extend well beyond graduation and national borders. Nearly three quarters of respondents report that in the last 12 months they have maintained contact with people they first met during their UK studies, and almost 84 percent have recommended a UK study …

The Effect Of Vaccine Mandates On Disease Spread: Evidence From College Covid-19 Mandates, Riley K. Acton, Wenjia Cao, Emily E. Cook, Scott A. Imberman, Michael F. Lovenheim

Research Collection School Of Economics

Nearly 700 4-year U.S. colleges mandated students receive COVID-19 vaccinations in fall 2021. Using data on college policies and county health, we estimate how mandates affect surrounding communities. Event studies from August to November 2021 show that mandates covering all colleges in a county reduced COVID-19 deaths by 5.6 per 100,000 persons, a 4.6% reduction in the U.S. total during this period. Mandates reduced COVID cases by 504 and ICU admissions by 16.2 per 100,000, though we see no statistically significant impact on hospitalizations. Impacts are larger in counties with larger college populations and low estimated ex-ante student vaccination rates.

Building Adaptive Leaders: Examining The Relationship Between Undergraduate Co-Curricular Leadership Roles, Change Readiness, And Leadership Self-Efficacy, Reneldo N. Randall

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The contemporary workforce is characterized by ongoing organizational change, requiring individuals to demonstrate adaptability and the capacity to lead within evolving conditions. Institutions of higher education increasingly emphasize leadership development as a mechanism for preparing students for these demands; however, limited empirical research has examined how participation in formal co-curricular undergraduate leadership roles relates to students’ readiness to engage with organizational change. This study addresses the gap by examining the relationship between leadership self-efficacy and resistance to change among undergraduate student leaders.

Guided by the Leadership Identity Development (LID) model, this quantitative study employed a non-experimental, correlational design. Data were …

Overcoming Current Challenges In Higher Education Through Team Teaching, Carol Rogers Shaw, Corinne Brion, Katelyn Case

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Team teaching in online higher education courses provides an innovative approach to meeting the needs of students and enhancing the teaching experiences of instructors. In this study, two instructors collaborated to team teach a course in an online doctoral program; this article shares their experiences. A multi-method qualitative approach was utilized to explore the benefits and challenges of team teaching. Data included questionnaire responses from students, journal entries written by instructors, and interviews with program administrators. The findings offer possible solutions to common challenges in higher education today such as increasing …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 10, Issue 1, Spring 2026

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2026 issue (Volume 10, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

This issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence brings together articles that explore innovative instructional approaches and emerging technologies for strengthening teaching and student learning in higher education. The contributions examine team teaching as a model for building instructor collaboration and reducing burnout in online doctoral courses, cross-curricular instruction in speech-language pathology clinical education, guidance for graduate students undertaking single-case research design in the social sciences, an experiential SNAP Challenge assignment for …

Supervision Practices, Institutional Conditions, And Undergraduate Research Quality: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study In A Clinical Nutrition Program, Noura Mohammed Saleh Eid

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Medical Sciences

Background: Effective research supervision is vital for developing students' scholarly and professional competencies in higher education. The quality of undergraduate research depends heavily on the supervision practices, structural conditions, and institutional support that shape students' learning experiences.
Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to (1) assess the distribution of supervisory support across research phases, (2) evaluate the influence of institutional conditions on supervisory capacity, and (3) examine the alignment between faculty disciplinary expertise and student research outputs.
Design: A mixed-methods pilot study design was employed.
Methods: The study integrated a retrospective analysis of 50 undergraduate student research projects conducted between …

The Efficacy Of Open Educational Resources On Achievement Outcomes In Higher Education Institutions, Charles Trevor Alder

Theses and Dissertations

Achievement gaps remain a concern in higher education, reflected in differences in academic performance, retention, and persistence. These gaps often affect students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and underserved populations. Open educational resources (OER) have been suggested to reduce financial barriers and support student success. This study examined whether student-level and institutional-level factors predict academic performance in a business management course using OER. Average quiz scores were collected from students across 12 higher education institutions and analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Colleges were included in the analysis to determine whether outcomes differed based on the proportion of minority and Pell-eligible students. …

Barriers And Beliefs: Narratives Of Mental Health Help-Seeking Among First-Generation Latino/Hispanic College Students, Karina L. Alba Lockhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health challenges among college students in the United States have increased in recent years, yet first-generation Latino/Hispanic college students continue to underutilize available services while facing unique cultural and structural barriers to care. This qualitative narrative study explored how first-generation Latino/Hispanic college students made meaning of mental health help-seeking in relation to perceived barriers, perceived benefits, and cultural values such as familismo and stigma. Guided by the health belief model and cross-cultural psychology, this study recruited 15 participants from four-year institutions in the United States and collected data through an online asynchronous questionnaire. Thematic and narrative analysis revealed that …

The Role Of Chatgpt In Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review Of Applications, Perceptions And Ethical Implications, Mahmoud Abdelrahman, Shiyu Hu, Ons Al-Shamaileh, Ramy Hammady, Nishara Nizamuddin

All Works

Purpose – This study aims to systematically review the emerging literature on ChatGPT in higher education, focusing on its applications, impacts and ethical implications from the perspectives of students and academic staff. By synthesising evidence across disciplines and geographical contexts, the review identifies key benefits such as enhanced learning efficiency and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, alongside challenges including academic integrity risks and unequal access. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive, student-centred understanding of ChatGPT’s role in higher education and to offer actionable insights for policy, practice and future research. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) …

Face-To-Face Versus Distance Education In Competence-Based Maritime Education And Training, Clara Borén, Marcella Castells-Sanabra, Manel Grifoll

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for higher education, with universities being shut down and face-to-face teaching and assessment shifting to an online format. This presented an opportunity to focus on the continuity of learning through distance education, especially in the maritime context, due to the on-board training requirements, and even though five years have passed, this shift has reshaped the education landscape, proving that remote learning has come to stay.

At the Barcelona School of Nautical Studies, we have developed a weather routing software in the framework of distance education and teaching innovation. We conducted a teaching trial alternatively …