Digital Commons Network^™

“I Love What I Do, I Just Don't Love Where I Do It,”: An Exploration Of Job-Related Tension And Well-Being Of Professional Academic Advisors, Cynthia Cruger

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the intersection of job-related tension and workplace well-being among professional academic advisors through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. The purpose of the study is to address a gap in advising scholarship by exploring job demands and resources in advisors’ experiences in different advising models and institution types. A scoping literature review addresses advising as a profession, positive organizational psychology frameworks such as the PERMA model, and job-related tension concepts like role overload and ambiguity. Existing research indicates advisors have high job satisfaction despite job tension, and the JD-R theory is used to set a …

Building Shields: Accreditation, Insurance, And Public-Private Partnerships As Tools To Safeguard Critical Race Theory And Democracy In Higher Education, Taifha Natalee Alexander

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Following the racial justice uprisings of 2020, universities have become increasingly vulnerable to coordinated political campaigns aimed at dismantling antiracist teaching, training, and research. These attacks, ranging from legislative bans on Critical Race Theory (“CRT”) to executive efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, expose the fragility of higher education’s role as a guardian of democratic pluralism. This Essay demonstrates that universities cannot rely solely on moral suasion or First Amendment litigation to resist these escalating, structural assaults. Instead, colleges and universities must build a multilayered legal strategy that renders the teaching of CRT and the pursuit of …

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

LPC Publications

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

The Hope Industrial Complex: Resisting Manufactured And False Hope With Critical Hope In Peace Education, Thailand's Refugee Context, Staci B. Martin, Hayso Thako, Rey Ty, Sudarat Tuntivivat, Rattanak Ly

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Our Point of Departure (POD) argues that the type of hope fostered within the Karen refugee community in Thailand – manufactured, false, or critical – shapes the impact of peace-building and higher education efforts. Through a dialogue among a Karen scholar, his supervisor, and a migration researcher, we demonstrate that manufactured hope, often driven by external aid, sustains dependency and overlooks core conflicts. In contrast, false hope arises from the gap between student desires and institutional barriers, leading to unmet expectations. We aim to show that by applying critical hope, the pedagogical approach enables the Karen community to enhance its …

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

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

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

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

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

Reports

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

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

The Communicative Constitution Of Resilience In Graduate-Student Parenthood: Ventriloqual Analysis, Intersectionality, And Sociomaterial Assemblages, Lin Lin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Graduate education is often organized around norms of uninterrupted productivity, flexibility, and professional availability, making graduate study especially challenging for students who are simultaneously raising children. Although prior research has documented the structural barriers faced by graduate student parents (GSPs), less attention has been paid to how resilience is communicatively enacted within the intersection of academic work and family life. This dissertation examines how GSPs communicatively constitute resilience while navigating work-life disruptions. Drawing on Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR) and the communicative constitution of organizations (CCO) perspective, particularly ventriloqual analysis, this study explores how resilience emerges through interactions among human …

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

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

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

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

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

Posters

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

Exploring The Quality Of Educational Climate In Ethiopian Health Sciences Education: A Comparative Study Of Public And Private Institutions, Yenuse Molla, Temesgen Fereja, Ayenachew Assefa, Tegbar Yigzaw

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Educational environment plays a pivotal role in shaping the quality of health professionals' training. In Ethiopia, disparities in institutional resources, governance, and student support systems between public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) have raised concerns about the overall quality and equity of health science education. This study aimed to assess the status of the educational environment in selected public and private HEIs and propose targeted recommendations for its enhancement.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional case study research design was employed. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was administered to final-year undergraduate students across medicine, nursing, midwifery, and radiologic …

Beyond The Book: Charting New Progressions Through Improvisational Experience In Higher Education Jazz Performance Programs, Jacob L. Manny

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Jazz improvisation is a historically rich and culturally relevant art form that is also an underutilized pedagogy in higher education music performance programs (HEMPPs). Previous research has extensively unmasked the relationship of creative, social, and cognitive benefits of improvisational learning. Yet, postsecondary institutions continually rely upon Western European colonialist practices through the isolation of music history, music theory, piano, and compositioncourses. This disconnect results in curricular designs that fail to recognize the importance of experiential learning. In this qualitative inquiry semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants who perform and educate globally. Participant stories unearthed not …

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

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

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

Experiences Of Marginalization At The Intersection Of Race, Ethnicity, And Disability In Higher Education, Nora L. Portillo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Black and Latine college students with disabilities navigate higher education at the intersection of racism and ableism, yet their experiences remain underexamined. Autism and ADHD are particularly underrepresented in research and public discourse; moreover, unlike other disability categories in which students of color are overrepresented, Black and Latine children are less likely than white children to be accurately identified, and both disabilities are often framed around white prototypes. Guided by Disability Critical Race Theory, the present exploratory qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with ten undergraduates identifying as Black and/or Latine and with ADHD and/or on the autism spectrum attending a …

Navigating Relationships In Social Care Practice: Student Experiences On Placement In Ireland., Louise Mcanarney Mrs, Geraldine Fay Ms.

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

The professionalisation of social care in Ireland has reshaped the sector for workers, educators and students. With the advent of CORU regulation, social care education and practice has changed dramatically, necessitating a focus on the evolution of relational processes.

Quality relationships are the cornerstone of effective social care practice and form the basis for developing other essential skills (Morrison, 2015; McSweeney & Williams, 2018; Kaushik et al., 2023).  This concept is firmly embedded within the Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers as set out by the Social Care Workers Registration Board (SCWRB). Considering the significance of interpersonal dynamics; education …

Who, What, When, Where And Why? Breaking Down The Creation And Adoption Of New College Programs And Their Impact On Higher Education: A Quantitative Study, Chandler Thomas-Scott Sagal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Institutions of higher education have historically been designed as engines of innovation and knowledge dissemination in the United States and across the world. Whether this comes by way of short-term credentialing programs at community colleges or through R1 research programs at prestigious universities, all institutions deliver value and knowledge through their academic programs. Over the past decade, colleges across the country have been adding new programs at a frantic pace. While some of these programs seem to provide a clear path forward to gainful employment, some have fallen flat and proven to be bad investments by both the institution and, …

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

Papers

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

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

Journal Articles: Medical Laboratory Science

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

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

RESULTS: Responses from 142 …

Between Self, Family, And Becoming: Mindfulness And The Transition Experiences Of Latinx Clinical Counseling Graduate Students, Orlando R. Alvarez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Latinx graduate students transitioning into their first semester of clinical counseling master’s programs often navigate substantial challenges as they embark on their academic journeys. While transitions into any new role can be difficult, the changes that accompany the beginning of a graduate program have been associated with increased role and identity strain, anxiety, depression, and feelings of fraudulence and imposterism, negatively impacting student success, performance, and attrition rates (Halladay et al., 2019; Murphy, 2021; Vidic & Cherup, 2019). Although mindfulness practices provide benefits for graduate student wellbeing, there is no current scholarship that has examined how mindfulness practices support Latinx …

Academic Outcomes Of Associate Degree Transfer Students From Selected Two-Year Campuses To A Public Urban Research University In The Northeast U.S: An Empirical Analysis Using Administrative Unit Record Data, Michelle Bianchi

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study examined academic outcomes for associate degree transfer students at an urban, public research university in the Northeast United States. In particular, this study examined differences in rates of retention, rates of graduation, and cumulative upper-division grade point average (GPA) at graduation between associate degree transfers and direct-entry undergraduates at the same institution, taking into account the two-year college attended. This approach provides a lens into campus effects, considering the profiles of associate degree transfers from identified two-year colleges to search for similarities and differences in academic outcomes for transfers by two-year college attended.

The study relied on student-level …

Student Codes Of Conduct, Institutional Isomorphism, And Restorative Justice: Practice And Implementation In The State University Of New York (Suny) System, Alexandra Athens

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The student conduct field constantly must balance the legal requirements of the federal and state governments with providing an educational environment for students to learn and develop valuable skills in conflict management, problem solving, and communication. Each higher education institution has a student code of conduct detailing the policies and procedures by which students are expected to abide. These codes of conduct carefully combine the legal requirements and educational goals of each institution’s conduct office. This study analyzed the prevalence of restorative justice practices and other common practices in the codes of conduct at 4-year institutions in the State University …

An Ethnographic Study Of First-Generation Alumni At Dartmouth College: Perspectives From Alumni, Faculty, Staff, And Administrators, Brittney A. Roden

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

First- generation college students (FGCS) often face challenges adapting to the academic and social environments of elite institutions like Dartmouth College. Lacking familial experience in higher education, they must decode unspoken institutional norms, contributing to stress, social isolation, and barriers to accessing institutional support. This study examines how FGCS experience academic pressure, social belonging, and engagement with campus systems, and how these shape their personal and professional trajectories. Drawing on participant-generated audio diary journals with alumni, qualitative interviews with faculty and staff, and a review of existing literature, this research highlights the interplay of academic stress, coping strategies, cultural capital, …

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

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

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

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

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

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

Análisis De La Relación Entre Las Competencias Digitales Y El Rendimiento Académico En Estudiantes De La Carrera De Educación En Un Centro Universitario De La Región Este De La República Dominicana, Ángel Erich Cedano Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada examinó la relación entre las competencias digitales y el rendimiento académico en la formación docente de la República Dominicana. El estudio abordó la escasez de evidencia empírica en el Centro Universitario de la Región Este, situación que limita el desarrollo de políticas educativas y estrategias pedagógicas fundamentadas en datos locales.

Se empleó un diseño cuantitativo, no experimental, correlacional y transeccional con una muestra de 120 estudiantes de las menciones en Educación Básica, Inicial y Física. Los datos se recolectaron mediante el Cuestionario para el estudio de la Competencia Digital del Alumnado de Educación Superior (CDAES) y los …

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

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

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

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

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

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

Racial Discrimination And Racial Identity Among Asian College Students: The Moderating Role Of Interdependent Self-Construal, Foong Yan Lee, Qianyi Wang, Eunseon Gong

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

The current study examined the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and racial group identification among 130 Asian college students at a U.S. institution. Using moderation regression analyses, results indicated that perceived racial discrimination was associated with lower racial group identification, and this relationship was significantly moderated by interdependent self-construal. Specifically, racial discrimination was negatively associated with racial group identification among students reporting lower levels of interdependent self-construal, whereas this association was not significant among those with higher interdependent self-construal. These findings suggest that individual differences in self-construal shape how Asian college students interpret …

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

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

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

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

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

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

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

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

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