Digital Commons Network^™

An Investigation Of International Students’ Satisfaction With Their University Experience Using An Expectation Confirmation Theory Lens, Mehraz Sarker, Jonathan Worae, Jason D. Edgerton

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study examines how various challenges and support systems influence international students’ satisfaction, as reflected in their intention to recommend their university. Using the Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), it examines whether students’ initial expectations moderate the relationships between challenges and satisfaction, and between institutional support and satisfaction. Analysis of survey data (N = 712) indicates that the majority of international students report satisfaction with their university experience. Ordinal logistic regression analyses reveal that perceived institutional support and higher initial expectations are associated with increased likelihood of recommending the university. Conversely, academic and discrimination challenges are associated with decreased likelihood of …

Approaches To Enhancing University Rankings, Mustafa Bulut, Servet Özdemi̇r

i.e.: inquiry in education

Owing to the intense globalization of higher education, competition between universities in national and international settings has increased in speed, and in parallel with this development, a demand for tools has emerged to meet the information needs of stakeholders of higher education institutions. Currently, a large part of this need is met by university ranking systems. Today, there are several types of these systems, which have been subjected to intense criticism with their popularity and wide audience. In this study, which was designed as a qualitative research; in-depth interviews were conducted with local and foreign researchers, policy makers, system administrators …

Autism In Higher Education: A Systematic Review, Katie Webber

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

As students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly represented in higher education, these students need to have their needs met, and many institutions lack the resources to do so. This systematic review synthesizes research on the experiences of students with autism in college, focusing on barriers, support services, and institutional interventions. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2025 identified 17 relevant articles. Findings reveal that students often experience difficulties with social integration, executive functioning, sensory sensitivities, and mental health, all of which can affect academic performance and retention. Evidence suggests that individualized supports, mentoring, structured …

Influence Of A High-Impact Practice Government Course On Retention, Graduation, Gpa, And Student Integration Among First-Time-In-College (Ftic) Students, Amy L. O'Dell

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Just over half of the students who start a bachelor’s degree in the United States, fail to complete it within four years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). As a result, millions of people with some college no credential (SCNC) struggle with student loan debt, lower income, and the threat of default. In response, many colleges and universities are using high-impact practice (HIP) classroom pedagogy to help more students persist and graduate. This study investigated the effect of a HIP government course, known as Town Hall, on first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at a mid-sized, rural, R2 university in the southern United …

Navigating Dual Worlds: The Complex Experiences Of Concurrent Enrollment Instructors, Teri St. Pierre

Concurrent Enrollment Review

Despite the rapid expansion of dual enrollment programs in the United States, limited research has examined the experiences of concurrent enrollment instructors (CEIs), high school teachers who deliver college-level courses within secondary school settings. This qualitative collective case study explores how twelve CEIs within Maine's public universities navigate their unique position at the intersection of K-12 and higher education systems. Guided by role theory (Katz & Kahn, 1978), this research investigated how CEIs perceive their dual role and navigate competing institutional expectations. Five major themes emerged from the analysis: dual system role navigation, pedagogical practices and classroom autonomy, professional relationships, …

Conflict Clarity: How To Teach Students To Turn Disputes Into Growth Opportunities, Eileen Paige Petzold-Bradley

Learning and Educational Center Virtual Teaching and Learning Conference

Conflict is an unavoidable part of learning and working in today’s fast-changing industries. Faculty often observe students struggling with teamwork, communication breakdowns, and emotional self-management during group projects or internships. This session equips educators with practical strategies to help students build durable skills—conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness—that translate directly into professional success.

Drawing on research in conflict management, leadership, and organizational psychology, participants will explore the “Conflict Clarity” framework: a set of teaching tools, reflection prompts, and case scenarios designed for classroom use across disciplines. Faculty will learn how to integrate conflict styles, the CLEAR conversation framework, and role-play …

The Effects Of Academic, Extracurricular, And Co-Curricular Engagement On Undergraduate Employability And Compensation, Jack Gault, Steve Bok, Evan Leach, Marc Duey

Marketing Faculty Publications

Employers worldwide are increasingly seeking undergraduates who combine strong academic performance  with professional competencies developed through extracurricular and co-curricular activities. This  empirical investigation surveyed 651 U.S. and multinational hiring managers (HMs) to assess how these  factors influenced their internship and entry-level hiring decisions. Results indicate that while superior  academic performance (AP) remains paramount, HMs assigned well-rounded students engaged in relevant  ECAs and CCAs, higher perceived employability and compensation premiums (CPs). Candidates holding  leadership roles in activities directly related to their position of interest commanded the highest CPs.  Implications include early-career guidance for students, counselors, recruiters, and other higher education  institution …

Integrating Goal-Setting Into An Urban Community College Developmental Mathematics Course: A Multi-Perspective Learning Experience, Tamie S. Dickson

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Developmental mathematics (DM) students often encounter systemic and contextual obstacles in higher education. Low self-efficacy, math anxiety, multiple external demands, and pervasive gaps in prerequisite knowledge can all undermine the strategic behaviors needed to manage the academic environment independently. Although DM reforms are widely researched, the literature lacks a firsthand perspective on the daily processes students apply as they assume control over their learning. This qualitative action research study investigated the integration of intentional goal-setting into a recently redesigned one-level pilot DM course at an open-access, urban community college. The practitioner-researcher created the PATHway framework—rooted in Zimmerman’s (2000) three-phase Self-Regulated …

Breaking Barriers: Mentorship Pathways For Hispanic Women In Leadership Roles, Ana Paola Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the unique lived experiences of 10 Hispanic Latinas serving in leadership roles in 2-year community colleges in Texas. As the graduation rate of Hispanic women increases, institutions must identify mentorship programs that motivate women who continue to graduate to seek leadership positions within their institutions. Through life stories and lived experiences, the study's findings illustrate that mentorship is essential to creating, but that self-determination and self-advocacy also make it possible to find paths to leadership. Through thematic analysis, three themes emerged from the data: identity and representation, mentorship and support structures, and resilience and advocacy. …

The Ai-Powered Learning Loop In Higher Education, Oualid Abidi, Vladimir Dzenopoljac, Aleksandra Dzenopoljac

All Works

Purpose – This study examines how generative AI tools affect business students’ academic performance by investigating whether flexible AI policies promote deeper learning, enhance self-efficacy and facilitate tacit knowledge acquisition in a Middle Eastern context, while ensuring efficiency and academic integrity. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative, exploratory study observed 20 final-year business students in Kuwait during five in-class activities using generative AI tools. Semi-structured interviews complemented the researcher’s observations. Thematic analysis revealed patterns in benefits, challenges and learning processes, leading to the development of the AI-powered learning loop framework to explain academic performance outcomes. Findings – The study indicates that generative …

Leading Beyond The Lecture: A Case Study Exploring How Community College Students Experience Their Instructors’ Positive Leadership Strategies, Mandy Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive leadership, an approach to leading individuals to the point of flourishing, has been studied in corporate contexts. While the student-to-instructor relationships only distantly compare to the employee-to-supervisor dynamics, the relationships and power differential have similarities, making the pillars of positive leadership relevant in the context of higher education. Given the critical nature of student success to stakeholders in higher education and the students themselves, discovering instructor strategies that enhance student success can demonstrate an upward spiral of positivity that extends from the student, to the instructor, to the college, and ultimately to the community. Framed by leader-member exchange (LMX) …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Vii, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude VII is the last of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Vi, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude VI is the sixth of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

The Paradox Of The Broker: Why Educators Of Color Must Be Supported, Not Just Celebrated, Tatiana C. Parker

Gatherings

In this article, Dr. Tatiana C. Parker examines the transformative potential of social capital brokering within the higher education system, particularly for communities that have been systematically excluded through opportunity hoarding and network closures both historically and presently. Institutions of learning have long served as sites for the transmission of instrumental (tangible) and expressive (emotional) social capital returns. Yet, the same system that has supported mobility is now under attack through the divestment of education, ideological resistance, and the longstanding disenfranchisement of educators of color.

Drawing on her research regarding Black women and upward mobility, she asserts that when educators, …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude V, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude V is the fifth of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Iv, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude IV is the fourth of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Iii, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude II is the third of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude Ii, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude II is the second of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Guerrillera Blesson Interlude I, María L. Arroyo Cruzado, Julie G. Fogden

Gatherings

Interlude I is the first of seven reflective pieces interwoven throughout the journal. Each interlude represents a collaborative fusion of María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado’s narrative and Julie Fogden’s visual art, capturing the transformative experience of attending The State of Women of Color in New Higher Education symposium. These interludes draw inspiration from the symposium’s presentations, including thematic content, visual motifs, and the symbolic patterns found in the attire of the presenters. They honor the dedication and labor that women of color invest in both professional and personal spheres, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of these responsibilities while celebrating the …

Introduction: Building Space For Gathering In Hostile Times, Roberta Hurtado

Gatherings

This introduction serves as a means to share with you, the reader, about an upstate New York symposium that occurred in March of 2025. The event aimed to create a space where we could explore the trials, tribulations, and jubilations that women of color in New York higher education experience. Speakers and attendees gathered from all over the state—and, indeed, country—on a cold wintery day in a spirit of togetherness and awareness of where we find ourselves in this moment. We were there to learn and grow, and to find community.

Gatherings 2.1 Acknowledgement, Table Of Contents And Editors, Roberta Hurtado

Gatherings

Roberta Hurtado, "Acknowledgement" -- Table of Contents -- Editorial Board.

Gatherings 2.1 (Complete Volume), Roberta Hurtado

Gatherings

Proceedings from The State of Women of Color in New York Higher Education.

Roberta Hurtado, "Acknowledgement" -- Table of Contents -- p. vi: Editorial Board.

Journal contents follow: p. 1: Roberta Hurtado (Ed.), "Introduction" -- p. 7: Liz Gil, "Community, Reflection, Wisdom" -- p. 9: Luisa Arroyo Cruzado (narrative) and Julie Fogden (image), "Guerrillera Blesson Interlude I" -- p. 11: Heather Hathaway Miranda, "Round Tables" -- p. 13: Estela López, "Guerrilleras: Speaking Truths and Strategizing Futures" -- p. 17: María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado (narrative) and Julie Fogden (image), "Guerrillera Blesson Interlude II" -- p. 19: Jeanine Irons, "No More Hester …

The Benefit Of Qualified English Language Teachers In Non-English-Speaking Countries, Tina M. Allen-Abulhassan

Journal of English Learner Education

Abstract

This study explores the impact of qualified English language teachers on English Language Learners (ELLs) in their home countries, assessing how English language instruction can enhance their preparedness for higher education in Western universities. The need for effective English language education is underscored by the scarcity of qualified ESL instructors, which leaves L2 learning ill-equipped for academic success. Utilizing Vygotsky’s social development theory, particularly the Zone of Proximal Development, this research examines the role of social interactions with qualified native speakers in fostering language proficiency and academic achievement. The literature review highlights significant barriers ELLs face, including inadequate teaching …

The Influence Of Gender-Based Violence On Women’S Career Development: Perspectives From Higher Education Career Guidance Practitioners In Ireland, Lianne Rooney

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Women and girls are disproportionately subjected to GBV and the effects for victim-survivors are multiple and long-lasting. An under-considered dimension is the profound influence GBV has on the careers of the women who experience it.This qualitative study aimed to explore this issue from the perspective of career practitioners. The research set out to understand how career practitioners working in Irish Higher Education institutions understand GBV, how they identify this in a career context and the professional competencies they require to support female clients who may be affected by it.

Higher Education Cybersecurity: A Vulnerability Assessment Of The U.S. South’S Institutional Websites, Zachary W. Taylor, Vivi Vo

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As technology continues to advance, it is critical to understand how higher education institutions protect digital information of their stakeholders including students, faculty, and staff through cybersecurity measures. Although conceptual research has articulated various aspects of cybersecurity, no empirical research has explored the cybersecurity of higher education (.edu) websites through a vulnerability scan of these websites via an open PortScan and analysis. To fill a critical gap in the literature, this study conducted a vulnerability scan and open PortScan and analysis of all higher education websites in three of the lowest-income states in the United States: Louisiana (n=112), Mississippi (n=52), …

Power Of Meaningful Learning Moments: Relationships In Academia, Jillian Bollinger, Ots, Rebecca Loughran, Ots, Alexandria Krasin, Otd, Otr/L, Madison Via, Bs, Audrey L. Zapletal, Otd, Otr/L, Cla, Chse

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

• The demanding nature of graduate-level coursework creates rigorous academic environments that can strain student-faculty relationships.¹⁻⁶
• Graduate students often come from diverse backgrounds, which shape their approaches to coursework, classroom engagement, comfort in accessing resources, and relationship-building with faculty.⁴
• In such settings, faculty may question students' academic integrity, potentially undermining mutual trust and camaraderie.¹
• However, fostering a culture of expressed gratitude in academia can help students acknowledge the meaningful contributions faculty make to their education while enhancing their learning and behavior. This, in turn, enhances faculty motivation and may reduce burnout.2,³,⁶
• By encouraging gratitude in academic environments, institutions can strengthen …

Leadership And Institutional Change And Their Impact On The Curriculum, Andi Koci, Alma Lama, Denis Celcima

UBT International Conference

Educational institutions need visionary leaders who can handle complex institutional changes because global educational systems keep evolving. The research investigates how leadership methods affect educational program development and institutional transformation through their influence on educational program structure and direction and their ability to maintain program relevance in the twenty-first century. Academic institutions face rapid changes in their environment because of technological progress and global trends and student requirements so leadership stands as the essential power for creating lasting educational transformations and updated curricula. The research bases its understanding of institutional change through transformational and distributed leadership theories which show that …

Motivation For English Language Learning Among Macedonian Academic Staff: Analyzing Key Motivational Drivers, Vesna Prodanovska Poposka

UBT International Conference

In a world where academia is more connected than ever, English proficiency has become the master key for Macedonian scholars seeking to unlock international opportunities. This study investigates the motivation for English language learning among academic staff in North Macedonia, focusing on the identification of the most and least influential motivational drivers. Based on the data collected from 72 respondents across public and private universities, an adapted Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) was used to measure both instrumental and integrative motivation. The results indicate a clear hierarchy of drivers i.e. the highest scores for international career advancement ("useful in getting better …

Professional Development Program: Sexual And Gender Minorities Education And Training, Aiden Echols, Bs, Madison Via, Bs, Audrey L. Zapletal, Otd, Ms, Otr/L, Cla, Chse, Karla A. Bell, Pt, Dpt, Phd, Fnap

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

LGBTQ+ communities experience health care and health disparities; some reasons include:

• barriers in care
• negative attitudes
• lack of awareness by healthcare providers.

Studies have found healthcare professionals are not adequately trained in LGBTQ+ care

Educators benefit from professional development related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity in higher education.

Gamification And Collaborative Learning In Physical Geography: Teaching Geological History In Higher Education, Pablo Fraile-Jurado

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper evaluates the impact of a collaborative gamification approach designed to help university students better understand and retain abstract content in geological and climatic history. Inspired by the board game Timeline, the activity required students to physically organize themselves to represent a chronological sequence of key geological and climatic events. Conducted within a first-year physical geography course, the intervention was tested by comparing learning outcomes between an experimental group engaging in this gamified activity and a control group receiving traditional lecture-based instruction. Results show that students in the gamified group performed significantly better on assessments administered one week and …