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Leaving College In Rural Central Appalachia: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Lived Experience And Meaning-Making, Amanda Sawyers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how individuals raised primarily in rural Central Appalachian communities interpret and make meaning of their decision to engage in college departure prior to degree completion. The study examined college departure as a lived experience shaped by family obligations, cultural identity, and rural structural conditions. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina who had enrolled in higher education but did not complete a degree. The main research question was: How do rural Central Appalachian residents interpret their college departure? Hermeneutic phenomenological thematic analysis …

Intersectionality And Belonging: Higher Education Mathematics, Ashley Natalie

Mathematics and Statistics

Students with intersecting marginalized identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, or first-generation background) often face unique challenges in advanced mathematics that affect confidence, participation, amounting to a sense of belonging. These experiences remain underrepresented in mathematics education research. This qualitative, narrative-based study examines how these students experience classroom dynamics and belonging in upper-level mathematics courses. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to identity, classroom culture, instructor behavior, and peer interactions. Findings aim to highlight barriers and supportive practices, informing more inclusive teaching strategies and equitable learning environments in advanced mathematics.

Intersectionality And Belonging: Higher Education Mathematics, Ashley Williams

Mathematics and Statistics

Students with intersecting marginalized identities (such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, or first-generation background) often face unique challenges in advanced mathematics that affect confidence, participation, amounting to a sense of belonging. These experiences remain underrepresented in mathematics education research. This qualitative, narrative-based study examines how these students experience classroom dynamics and belonging in upper-level mathematics courses. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to identity, classroom culture, instructor behavior, and peer interactions. Findings aim to highlight barriers and supportive practices, informing more inclusive teaching strategies and equitable learning environments in advanced mathematics.

A New Approach To Generate Combinatorial Patterns In Logical Analysis Of Data And Its Application To Predict College Retention, Salihah Ahmed E. Jaafari

Theses and Dissertations

Student retention and degree completion remain central challenges for higher-education institutions, with significant implications for student success, institutional effectiveness, and public accountability. While advances in predictive analytics have enabled earlier identification of students at risk of withdrawal, many commonly used machine learning approaches suffer from limited interpretability, constraining their practical usefulness for advising, intervention, and policy decision making. This dissertation addresses the problem of predicting student persistence by developing and evaluating optimization based, interpretable classification models within the Logical Analysis of Data (LAD) framework. Building on existing LAD formulations, this research introduces two novel pattern generation models, the Best Term …

Transition Experiences Of Early Middle College Completers: A Grounded Theory Study, Sarah Louise Drabik Cheatham

Dissertations

Early middle college (EMC) students arrive at universities academically prepared yet institutionally undefined, occupying a space between traditional first-year and transfer student identities. Emerging through the Early College High School Initiative, EMC programs were structured to expand college access by embedding college coursework within the high school experience (Edmunds et al., 2012; Edmunds et al., 2017a; Haxton et al., 2016; Miller et al., 2013). Students frequently graduate from EMC with significant college credit, up to an associate’s degree, and demonstrate strong rates of post-secondary credential attainment and accelerated progress toward a bachelor’s degree (Edmunds et al., 2012; Edmunds et al., …

Maga's Blue State Strategy: How Democrats And University Leaders Helped The Reactionary Right Weaponize Antisemitism Against Higher Education, Jonathan Feingold, Isaac Kamola

Faculty Scholarship

The professors are the enemy. Professors are the enemy. Write that on the blackboard 100 times and never forget it.

—President Richard Nixon, 1972¹

[I]f any of us wants to do the things we want to do[,] . . . we have to honestly and aggressively attack the universities in this country.

—J.D. Vance, 2021²

October 7, 2023 was many things. One of those things was a lucky break for the Heritage Foundation (“Heritage”). For decades, Heritage and its allied think tanks, donors, and officials had labored to discredit and, if possible, take over higher education in the …

Predicting Well-Being Outcomes With Job Demands And Resources In A Higher Education Setting, Makinzy D. Hoxsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Faculty in higher education face growing pressures that impact well-being and engagement. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework, the present study examined how perceptions of institutional changes, job demands, job resources, and personal resources such as grit and tolerance for ambiguity related to perceptions of well-being outcomes among teaching faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University. Job demands encompass dimensions of workload, emotional labor, work-life conflict, and role conflict, while job resources include elements of autonomy and social support. A multivariate multiple regression (MVMR) analysis was conducted using survey data from faculty members (n = 98). Results indicated that …

Richard Vedder Interview By Alex Morris, February 27, 2026, Richard Vedder, Alexander Morris

HIST 4798/5798: Recording Memory: Methods and Uses of Oral History

In this 2026 interview, Richard Vedder, Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus at Ohio University, discusses his life in Athens and his career in economics. He has been continually affiliated with OU since 1965, when he joined the economics faculty immediately after completing his PHD at the University of Illinois. Some topics discussed are the evolution of both Athens and OU since his arrival, along with his memories of notable events on campus. Among such occurrences that Dr. Vedder provides anecdotes about are the protests against the Vietnam War, pushes by faculty for unionization, as well as the visit of notable …

Food And Housing Insecurities Among Undergraduate Students: A Case Study Examining Academic And Social Integration, Brittany Profit-Rheinwald

New York Journal of Student Affairs

This single holistic case study examined how food and housing insecurities impacted the academic and social integration of five undergraduate students at a public regional university. Using Tinto's (1993) student integration theory as a framework, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, food and housing logs, and archival event records. Findings revealed that food and housing insecurities created significant barriers to academic success through stress, concentration difficulties, and class attendance challenges. Socially, students remained engaged through campus events offering free food, but avoided social activities requiring financial expenditure. Some academic departments provided food pantries, though access remained limited. Implications for practice …

Empathetic Administration: Leveraging Phenomenological Insights To Enhance Student Mental Health Support In Higher Education, Arlissia Lenton Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how students at universities in Texas navigated online mental health resources and coping supports while managing mental health challenges. The central research question that guided this study was: What were the lived experiences of students in higher education who were managing mental health issues? Utilizing Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory as the theoretical framework, the study examined how cognitive appraisals and self-effective beliefs, environmental supports and constraints, and behavioral coping strategies interacted as students interpreted and responded to mental health stressors in academic contexts. Data was collected in a virtual setting …

Learning Spaces As Pedagogy In Audio Education: Designing For Collaboration, Listening, And Mixing In Higher Education, Dean Belcastro

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

The rapid transformation of the music and audio production industries has significantly altered how people engage with audio creation and learning. While technologies for music production have become more accessible and decentralised, the pedagogical challenge of developing critical listening and audio mixing skills remains ongoing. This paper reflects on the design principles underpinning group learning environments intended to support the teaching of critical listening and audio mixing within higher education. Drawing on practice-led reflection, learning-space literature, and industry change, the paper argues that intentional learning-space design plays an active pedagogical role in fostering engagement, collaboration, and the development of shared …

A Phenomenological Study: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Veterans During Their Separation Transition, Nereida Valentine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the phenomenon of the lived experiences of U.S. veterans’ during their transition into civilian life across all military branches. The theory guiding this study was Schlossberg’s 4S theory on adult transitions, this theory identifies what factors influence how veterans adapt to their transition into civilian life. Data analysis was led from this central research question: “What are the lived experiences of veterans’ and their academic readiness during their transition into civilian life?” The methodology used was transcendental phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of 12 participants and how they adapt …

A Qualitative Case Study On Leadership And Organizational Dynamics In The Adoption Of A Learning Management System In Higher Education: A Post-Positivist Approach Using The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam), Ashley Hudson Tharpe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this flexible design, qualitative, single case study was to explore the process of a learning management system (LMS) transition and the perceptions of administrators, course designers, and faculty during that process at a higher education institution. The study focused on understanding perceptions of LMS adoption, using the technology acceptance model as a conceptual framework. Three research questions were used to address the problem by providing insights into the procedural, relational, and strategic elements of LMS adoption. Data was collected through 30 semi-structured one-on-one interviews, 33 reflective journal responses, and multiple institutional artifacts related to LMS migration. Six …

Beyond Barriers: A Universal Design Guide, Sydney F. Bunk

Masters Projects

Research has shown that students with reported visual impairments are continuously underrepresented in study abroad programs, despite institutions promoting study abroad as a high-impact practice that benefits students of diverse backgrounds. Although study abroad participation has been increasing in recent years, students with disabilities, and particularly those with visual impairments, engage at disproportionately low rates. A lack of comprehensible information about program environments and available accommodations are contributing factors to this trend. This project is intended to improve the clarity of study abroad program materials through the development of a Universal Design for Study Abroad Guidebook. Guided by the principles …

Healing In Brave Spaces, Brian Arao, Michiko Kealoha, Jose Napoles

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article explores the evolution of the "brave space" framework, moving beyond its original application in social justice education to purposefully integrate a human rights-based approach to healing and community repair. Amidst increasing global divisiveness and legislative volatility, the authors argue that access to community healing is an intrinsic human right and a critical state of mental and social well-being. By centering the concept of "transformative agency," the paper illustrates how educators and administrators can utilize brave space praxis to analyze systemic trauma, foster interconnectedness, and restore human dignity.

The authors draw upon personal narratives and professional experiences in higher …

Decolonizing The Academic Library: Examining The Successful Indigenization Of Ubc And Unm’S Library Services, Emily T. Villars

School of Information Student Research Journal

This article examines decolonization and indigenization initiatives at two academic libraries: the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of New Mexico (UNM). It asks how these institutions have implemented indigenization in their libraries and what lessons can inform broader reconciliation work across North America. Through a comparative lens, it analyzes how national and organizational frameworks, such as the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations and the American Indian Library Association’s (AILA) organizational goals, can shape these efforts. The study highlights three core strategies: decolonizing access and classification, transforming library spaces, and expanding …

The Fact Of Learning Economics At National University Of Laos During The Pandemics Covid-19 In Lao Pdr, Phousith Phongsavath, Agus Hermawan, Imam Mukhlis

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

The out-breaking of Pandemics Covid-19 which is affected to many countries and regions in the world in the term of education. This study uses a qualitative approach which is the type of research is Phenomenology (case study). This type of phenomenological research is used due to it is oriented to the topic of teaching-learning economics course of teachers and students in National University of Laos. The determination of this research subject with the Snowball Sampling technique and the data collection techniques with in-depth interview and documentation. The finding results of this research found that learning economics in National University of …

The Lived Experiences Of Remote, Part-Time Faculty Members With Transformational Leadership: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study At A Private Christian College In Appalachia, Edward Christian L. Chicko

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of remote, part-time faculty at a private Christian college in Appalachia as they encountered transformational leadership in their professional roles. Faculty morale was defined as the emotional, psychological, and professional well-being of faculty as shaped by their perceptions of institutional leadership in a remote teaching environment. Guided by transformational leadership theory, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, this study examined how leadership behaviors influenced faculty engagement and institutional connection. A transcendental phenomenological design was used to examine participants’ lived experiences. Purposeful sampling recruited 11 …

The Experiences Of Service-Learning From The Perspectives Of Physician Preceptors: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Claudia Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of supervising medical students for physician preceptors at service-learning sites in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The theory guiding this study was the experiential learning theory, posited by Dewey and refined by Kolb, concerning service-learning and undergraduate medical education. This study explored four research questions presented to physician preceptors to examine the barriers to implementing service-learning requirements at medical schools. These questions stemmed from the central research question: What are the lived experiences of supervising medical students for physician preceptors at a service-learning site? This research …

The Lived Experiences Of Community College Faculty Working With Students With Cross-Categorical Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Michelle Rosalie Amenta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the preparedness towards disability for faculty members at community colleges. The theory guiding this study was Oliver’s social model of disability, as the theory explained the relationship between environmental, institutional, and attitudinal barriers and disabilities. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of community college faculty who instruct students that self-disclose their cross-categorical disabilities? The research sample included thirteen faculty members from community colleges in varied disciplines across the United States. Data collection consisted of individual interviews and focus groups, with analysis using Moustakas’ modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Exploring Inclusion Of Latinos In Higher Education In Bilingual Programs, Carmem Charette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of promoting the inclusion of Latino/a students through bilingual programs at higher education institutions in the United States. To include Latinos in higher education administrators redesigned courses originally taught in English into Spanish and Portuguese at several colleges and universities nationwide. This qualitative research was designed as a hermeneutic phenomenological study, and three data collection methods were used: journal prompts, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. Data were collected from educational leaders, including administrators, deans, faculty coordinators, advisers, and professors, who shared their perspectives and experiences as …

Championing Success: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study On Higher Education Leadership’S Role In Supporting Women Of Color, Inez Annette Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and understand the role of higher education leadership in providing institutional support to women of color. The lived experiences of women of color as students was analyzed to understand the factors influencing their persistence at higher education institutions nationwide. The theory guiding this study was Rendón’s theory of validation as a process that encourages and supports students’ academic and personal growth, initiated by both in-class and out-of-class influences. This study focused on the Central Research Question: How do leadership practices and institutional supports in higher education influence the persistence of …

A Case Study Examining Why Students Succeed When Exposed To Peer Tutors, Van E. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to identify the impact of online peer tutoring on students’ perceptions of their success for students who participated in online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University (a pseudonym used for this research). This research was grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided a comprehensive framework for examining the factors influencing the effectiveness of peer tutoring among students. This study answered three research questions: How do online students use peer tutoring at Summit Faith University, how does online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University shape students’ perceptions of their success at Summit Faith …

Instructors' Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Hart Kains

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Higher Education Faculty Towards Inclusion Of Racial And Ethnic Minority Students With Disabilities, Aimee Grace Regala

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of higher education faculty toward the inclusion of racial and ethnic minority students with disabilities at a historically Black college and university in the mid-Atlantic region in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Alexander Astin's input-environment-outcome (I-E-O) model. Transcendental study captured the essence of higher education faculty's experiences in implementing inclusive practices for racial and ethnic minority students with disabilities. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and focus group interviews. Data were analyzed through epoché, phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation to answer the …

International Student Transition: An Autoethnographic And Archival Study, Abdulsamad Olajide Yusuf, Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Within the framework of a globalized university campus, this study investigates the process that an international student goes through while adapting to a new culture. Using autoethnography and archival research methods, this study recounts the personal and lived experiences of a doctoral international student navigating the cultural adjustment contexts of a southeastern public university, providing an understanding of how the challenges and opportunities faced by international students are historicized and located within a broader cultural and social context. This approach includes maintaining a reflexive journal, self-analysis, personal conversations, and analyzing historical records and correspondences, including policy papers, factbooks, and institutional …

Women Leading In Higher Education: Exploring The Experiences Of Women Leaders In Student Affairs, Amelia Lindsay

Honors Theses

Student affairs is a field within higher education that works to support students’ out-of-classroom needs and provide them with a college experience that promotes holistic growth. This study examines the experiences of women leaders in student affairs at a mid-sized university in the southeastern United States and the opportunities and barriers they encountered in their pathways to their careers. Through in-depth, qualitative interviews, clear themes emerged regarding both facilitators of and challenges to their progression to leadership. Data show that their early life characteristics, self-perceptions, collegiate involvement, and mentorship were the largest catalysts in their career trajectories while the challenge …

Clark Magazine, Spring/Summer 2026, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Spring/Summer 2026 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is "From Dream to Destiny: 100 Years Ago, Robert H. Goddard Put Humanity Aboard a Rocket Ride to the Future".

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Asset And Deficit Thinking In English Instructors’ Mindsets And Feedback On Student Writing, Rebecca R. Simataa

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Educators are trained to diagnose and fix gaps in students’ skills and knowledge. This pedagogy often leads to deficit thinking, where instructors blame students’ identities or backgrounds for challenges in school. With deficit thinking leading toward inequitable outcomes, recent research has responded with asset thinking to recognize students’ strengths, yet its intersection with instructors’ feedback remains largely unexplored. Drawing on deficit thinking scholarship (Davis & Museus, 2019; Valencia, 1997) and Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model, this qualitative phenomenological study explored asset and deficit thinking in instructors’ mindsets and feedback practices. Participants consisted of five higher education English Language Arts …