Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Cracking The Quotas: The 1948 New York Fair Educational Practices Act And The Jewish Quest For Color-Blindness, Miyuki Kita

FIU Law Review

This article explores how vigorously Jews pushed to enact the 1948 New York Fair Educational Practices Act to fight anti-Jewish quotas in higher education. The Act was the first state-level legislation to prohibit higher educational institutions from excluding, limiting or otherwise discriminating against persons seeking admission as students because of race, religion, creed, color, or national origin. Seeking a way to overcome discrimination in university admissions, Jews sought to combat it by promoting racially and religiously neutral admission procedures within the broad context of the expansion of opportunities in higher education after World War II instead of directly attacking antisemitism. …

Importance Of Library Metrics And Effective Methods Of Communication With Provosts, Katy Zane

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Provosts and librarians share a common goal of needing to measure library activity in such a way that appropriately conveys how it contributes to the institution’s campus initiatives and strategic planning. The goal of this research was to determine how best to analyze these activities through agreed upon metrics and preferred communication styles. By combining the two aspects of analytical metrics and communication methods, this research would provide a common ground that both provosts and librarians could build upon for the future growth and development of the library.

Manifesting A Shift In The "Overton Window": The Threat Of Project 2025 On The Lgbtq+ Community In Higher Education, Athena M. King, Sara Sanatkar

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Since the first Trump administration, historically marginalized groups in the United States have been subjected to greater instances of bigotry and discrimination due to conservative influence on sociopolitical institutions. These actions suggest a shift in the "Overton Window," whereby policy preferences previously deemed "unacceptable" are given consideration in the mainstream, especially by conservative policy actors. "Project 2025" is a comprehensive plan to restructure the federal government according to conservative dictates in the second Trump administration. This article is an examination of how higher education may be impacted by this plan, especially as it relates to LGBTQ+ faculty, administration, staff, and …

Should We Clear The Cobwebs In Our Minds Or Dismantle Racial Structures? Reflections On The Lack Of Critical Thinking Of Higher Education Staff In The Uk, Chrissie Da Costa

Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

Higher education in the UK constantly emphasises  critical thinking for students. However, analysis of comments made about *Black students and staff indicate that some academic staff fail to critically analyse their thoughts, words, and deeds. This paper sets out to analyse these utterances of HE staff and to investigate whether they actively reproduce and are intended to reproduce racist practices in HE, which could affect the experience, performance, and confidence of some of these students and staff who identify as Black and Global Majorities.  Applying critical race theory and socio-ideological analysis of language (Bakhtin 1981 and Voloshinov 1973) to analyse …

The Promise Of Lived Experience: Assessing Race And Merit After Sffa, Taonga Leslie, Claire Comey

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

70 years after Brown, students of color remain underrepresented in U.S. colleges and universities and in professions like law, medicine, business, and academia, which, in turn, drives inequitable social and economic outcomes. Recent Supreme Court decisions threaten to further exacerbate this inequity by preventing schools from considering race when making admissions decisions and shaping their classes. This article contends that by placing greater emphasis on applicants’ experiences of race, admissions officers can more accurately assess merit, improve services to disadvantaged communities, and achieve the pedagogical benefits of diversity. The article situates the lived experience approach within a well-established tradition permitting …

Book Review Of Lorena Basso, Magdalena Cardoner, Paula De Bonis, Mariana Ferrarelli, Stefanía Martínez León And Pedro Ravela. Aprender En Comunidad: Prácticas Colaborativas Para Transformar La Evaluación (Learning In Community: Collaborative Practices To Transform Assessment), Montevideo: Grupo Magro Editores

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Reflective Practice Of Early Career Teachers: Identifying And Mitigating Major Instructional Challenges, Saheeh Shafi

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper employs a qualitative descriptive research design to determine how early career teachers (ECTs) use reflective practices to identify and mitigate major instructional challenges in the context of Bangladeshi higher education. A questionnaire was given to 20 ECTs working in different universities to collect data on their reflective practices related to instructional challenges. Analysis of the responses of the ECTs to the questionnaire via thematic analysis revealed three major challenges: (a) inadequate logistic support, (b) diversity of students and pedagogical context, and (c) inadequate comprehension of the students. Solutions to these challenges include (a) three levels of collaboration, (b) …

Controlling Anti-Asian Conduct On College Campuses: Can Including Ethnic Studies Programs Help?, Hani Morgan

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered hostile acts against Asian college students. One of the ways to respond to these acts is to increase Asian American ethnic studies programs and courses. Although critics argue that ethnic studies cause divisiveness, research indicates that they are beneficial to students from all groups. University administrators may fear implementing these programs because they sometimes associate them with the violence that occurred during the late 1960s when students demanded ethnic studies to be included in the college curriculum. But this to a great extent by the poor representation of racial minority groups in the curriculum and …

Understanding Social Media As A Communicative Tool To Facilitate Critical Discourse: Using #Blackgirlmagic To Explore How Black Women In Higher Education “Talk Back", Crystal Spruill Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Black women have engaged through social media platforms, as a mechanism to uplift their embodiment, despite being relegated to the margins. The hashtag #BlackGirlMagic (BGM) is linked to narratives of Black women in higher education that are empowering and problematic. The development of the popular social media movement during a time when Black women were being portrayed negatively made engaging in the discourse "talking back" possible. This study explores the lived experiences of Black women college students and recent graduates, using currere as an analytical tool for my own communication journals entries as a data source to structure my reflections …

The Right To Inequality: Conservative Politics And Precedent Collide, Jonathan Feingold

Faculty Scholarship

The “end of affirmative action” is the beginning of this story. In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA), the Supreme Court struck a near fatal blow to race-consciousness. Many institutions have since pivoted to “race neutral alternatives.” This is a natural turn. But one that faces immediate headwinds.

The same entities that demanded Harvard pursue racial diversity through colorblind means have sued public high schools for doing just that. These litigants assert a “right to inequality”—a theory that would pit the equal protection clause against equality itself. Even if normatively jarring, a right to inequality might seem a …

Study Abroad Angst: A Literature Review On The Mental Health Of International Students During Covid-19, Daisuke Akiba, Michael Perrone, Caterina Almendral

Publications and Research

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique and unprecedented challenges for international students, those studying at institutions of higher education outside of their home countries, due to their distinct circumstances and vulnerabilities. This literature review examines the multifaceted mental health burdens they experienced and highlights the need for targeted support and interventions. Methods: A rigorous search across three databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO, and ERIC) yielded 50 empirical studies for inclusion in this literature review. A six-phase thematic analysis framework was employed to identify and synthesize key themes. Results: Seven prominent themes emerged: (1) academic and professional disruptions; (2) challenges navigating international …

Reparations And Higher Education: How Public Universities May Offer Reparation Scholarships To Black Students In The Post-Affirmative Action Era After Students For Fair Admissions V. Harvard, William Y. Chin

Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Women Students With Mobility Disabilities Accessing Higher Education In Oman, Zalikha Al-Marzouqi, Aida Al-Dhoani

Journal of International Women's Studies

The higher education system in Oman offers various services to support disabled students to create a positive relationship between students with disabilities, their families, and the community. Both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Development share the responsibility of educating students with disabilities. However, women students with disabilities, particularly those with mobility disabilities, still face challenges within higher education institutions. While Omani law allows women with disabilities to pursue higher education, it is uncertain whether women students with mobility disabilities encounter difficulties in accessing education at higher education institutions. Notably, there have been no studies specifically exploring …

A Qualitative Study Of The Career Experiences Of Asian And Asian American Female Administrators In U.S. Higher Education, Yunru Shen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences of Asian and Asian American women administrators’ career paths in U.S. higher education. The research fills a gap in the literature regarding the careers of Asian and Asian American women administrators. The recruitment process was completed between May 13 and July 9, 2024. Recruitment emails were sent to 25 potentially qualified participants, including a network of 17 people made up of mentors, professors, and colleagues, as well as eight professional associations and LinkedIn. The participants were six Asian and Asian American biologically female administrators at U.S. colleges and universities. These participants currently hold …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Chatbots In Providing Personalized Academic Advising And Support To Higher Education Students: A Narrative Literature Review, Manal Dawood

All Works

Academic advising is essential for university and college students to achieve success since it provides guidance in many aspects of their academic journey. According to Drake (2011), having a solid relationship with an academic advisor is necessary for students to succeed in university settings. Students often have questions about university policies, processes, and resources, and they seek assistance from their academic advisors, who may be lecturers or other staff members. However, these demands can sometimes overwhelm the advisors. Although modern technology has reduced these demands (Ghonmein et al., 2023), advisors continue to face challenging tasks. Artificial Intelligence (AI) conversational agents …

Core Operating Manual, 2025-26, Butler University

Policy Documents

This Core Operating Manual is intended to 1) provide students, faculty, and advisors an overview of Butler University’s core curriculum requirements and the value of the core, 2) provide faculty teaching in the core information about what is expected in core courses in terms of content, activities, and assignments, and 3) provide guidance on how the core is and should be administered. It is primarily a practical document; those seeking to learn about the original philosophical undergirding of the core should consult the Appendix, which is taken from our core curriculum’s original guiding document.

Using Bloom's Taxonomy To Visualize Antiracist Teaching Strategies., Lucian Rothe, Cara K. Snyder

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

2020 marked a surge in the uprisings for racial and social justice in the United States and around the globe. Universities met the moment with aspirations to become antiracist institutions. However, there has often been a disconnect between universities’ antiracist goals and support for educators in their day-to-day instruction. Moreover, many educators – primarily those racialized as White, who have seldom had to consider their racial identity in predominantly White environments – are unfamiliar with antiracist teaching strategies. This essay is for university instructors who are new to antiracist pedagogy but want to use its principles to transform their teaching. …

Out Of The Cave: Technology And The Importance Of Community To Learning And Mental Health, Richard England

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This essay draws upon Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” to examine student use of personal electronic devices and emphasize the value and power of conversation in learning communities. Observing the isolation that often characterizes the five minutes prior to class time, the author considers the psychosocial challenges to building classroom community in a technological age. Literature review provides ample testimony on how emergent technologies contribute to social fragmentation, emotional instability, and pedagogical hurdles. Noting current smartphone bans in K–12 education, the author acknowledges similar challenges to tertiary education, suggesting that individualized “caves” of ubiquitous personal (and highly personalized) technology are …

Face-To-Face: A Sociologist Looks At College Students' Mental Health, Maureen Kelleher

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

While both individual honors programs and their broader campus communities have implemented new initiatives and intervention strategies to address undergraduate mental health, significant needs remain unmet and concerns unaddressed about the long-term implications for students. This paper provides a framework for understanding the current (2023) environment on many campuses by presenting national legislation that shapes campus response, offering cases of specific institutional responses to crisis, and exploring the impact of face-to-face interaction between faculty and students in classrooms. Awareness of these three levels of response—national, campus, and classroom—equips and empowers the honors community to understand and effectively deal with myriad …

Clark Magazine, Fall 2024, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Fall 2024 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is 'Does the World Need Poets? Yes, historians and philosophers, too. But as the humanities evolve in the digital age, Clark is finding new ways to think, and research, and create'.

Experiential Learning From Stakeholder Perspectives At A University Partnership Program, Maggie M. Shader

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative survey study was to determine the stakeholders' perspectives on experiential learning at Canvas College. Experiential learning has potential benefits for students as stakeholders, and internship can be a vehicle for experiential learning. Experiential learning can involve benefits such as employability, real-world experience, calling confirmation and spiritual growth, soft skills, and immediate application of learning. Stakeholders in an internship are not limited to students. Faculty and internship leaders are also stakeholders; however, a partnership program encompasses more stakeholders, including church staff, alumni, and host university staff. The survey was researcher developed and the Cronbach’s alpha …

The Disconnect Between Student And Educator Perspectives On Effective Technology Usage In Higher Education, Matt Marino

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article explores the disconnect between student and educator perspectives regarding practical technology usage in higher education. As technology continues to play an increasingly prominent role in the educational landscape, understanding the differing viewpoints of students and educators is crucial for designing impactful technology integration strategies. Through a comprehensive literature review, this article examines the factors contributing to the disconnect and its implications for teaching and learning in higher education. Additionally, recommendations are provided to bridge this gap and promote a more aligned understanding of effective technology usage between students and educators.

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In Kinship With The World: Developing A Novel Instrument To Assess Human-Nature Relational Values, Kimberly Post

Educational Studies Dissertations

In the nascent field of human-nature relational values, there is a growing body of literature suggesting their transformative potential in sustainability education. The ability to analytically distinguish relational values from other valuations can both inform pedagogical approaches and help to identify how people understand and value their relationships with the living and more-than-living biospheric inhabitants. To address this need, an overarching question was posited: Can a relational values-specific assessment instrument be designed and validated for use in post-secondary sustainability education? Through a survey of the literature, thematic analysis of validated human-nature connection instruments, and multi-method qualitative research, a pilot instrument …

A Delphi Study Defining Catholic Identity In American Diocesan Catholic Higher Education, Katherine E. Grooms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 60 years, there have been general comments and outcry that Catholic higher education schools simply are not Catholic enough anymore. The concern about the lack of identity started with the decline in ordained leadership and mounting pressures to compete with secular institutions. To measure if Catholic identity has declined, a working definition of Catholic identity is needed. This study employed the Delphi methodology to define Catholic identity among a subset of Catholic higher education institutions—diocesan-sponsored schools. The primary research question was how the identified schools defined Catholic identity, with subquestions that included who was responsible for the …

On The Lower Levels Of The Ivory Tower: What Color Collars Do Adjunct Faculty Wear?, Frederick Tucker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Institutional reliance on tenure-line faculty reached a historic low after the Great Recession in 2009, remaining at approximately a third of all faculty through 2022. Postsecondary institutions have steadily increased their reliance on full-time adjunct faculty over the last two decades. Part-time adjuncts, meanwhile, were hired in great numbers before and during the Great Recession, as student enrollment increased, but have steadily declined since 2012, as college enrollment waned. Almost all evidence suggests that tenure expansion would benefit both the recipients of tenure and their students, but would come at a cost. There are few studies, however, that distinguish between …

The Impact Of The First Language Usage For Chinese Undergraduate International Students, Qiunan Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

English as the “lingua franca” serves as a bridge across diverse nations, cultures, and economies and plays an important role in modern society, which has increased the number of English language learners around the world. In the United States, over 30% of international students are from China, with the majority being undergraduate students. A significant number of Chinese students need to enroll in English learning courses when they attend universities in the U.S. due to insufficient English language test scores. Chinese international students often incorporate their first language (L1) when they are learning English in the U.S. Therefore, understanding the …

Researcher-Practitioner Collaborations: Applying Developmental Science To Understand Sport Participation And Positive Youth Development, Andrea Vest Ettekal, Lily S. Konowitz, Jennifer P. Agans, Richard M. Lerner

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

We report data from the first year of a three-year collaboration between a sport-based youth development program, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), and a university-based research institute. The theory of change of PCA was tested with youth athletes, representing multiple sport types (e.g., individual/team) and seasons (e.g., fall/winter), who completed self-report surveys indexing a key facet of positive youth development—character. Noting assets and challenges of such researcher-practitioner collaborations, we discuss the results of the first year of data derived from this collaboration and differences in their use to the researchers and practitioners. Using this collaboration as a sample case, we discuss …

Grounded In Liquidity: Writing And Identity In Third Space, Alicja Syska, Carina Buckley, L Heggie

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper argues that writing for publication has the potential to support the creation, negotiation, and stabilising of the professional identities of third space (Whitchurch, 2013) practitioners in higher education. Caught in the impermanence and unpredictability of ‘liquid life’ (Bauman, 2005), third space opens up unique opportunities in writing that afford its practitioners a means of building and sustaining identity. Third space expands academic writing beyond its normative constraints, creating a tension between the apparent permanence and solidity of writing and the liquidity that allows for the negotiation of meaning andidentity. As such, writing, particularly for dissemination, provides third space …

Navigating The Academic Labyrinth: Describing The Landscape Of Women Faculty In Hospitality Higher Education, Kelly A. Way, Clarissa Mason, Betsy Garrison

Human Development and Family Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to describe faculty women’s perspectives of the workplace environment in hospitality higher education. Design/methodology/approach

Female faculty members in hospitality (n = ∼50) completed an online survey about their beliefs about women’s experiences, advancement characteristics the glass ceiling and gender equity. Findings

Respondents concurred that being self-directed, assertive and a risk-taker were essential; leadership is the most important characteristic for advancement and the glass ceiling is prevalent and prominent. It may be assumed that the milieu of academia would be free or freer of the glass ceiling, but research, including this study, suggests otherwise. …