Digital Commons Network^™

Global Synthesis Report. Methodology, Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility

Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility

This is a Methodology Report that provides background and detail of the approach taken by the Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility in developing a synthesis of its eight years of research work for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Detail about the Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility can be found here.

Alumni Giving At A Christian Liberal Arts College That Originated As A Bible College, Joel K. Johnson

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Alumni giving is a critical revenue stream for Christian liberal arts colleges that originated as Bible institutions. This dissertation includes an in-depth case study of the patterns and determinants of alumni donations, focusing on the transition from Bible colleges to liberal arts institutions and the subsequent impact on alumni giving behaviors. Quantitative data from a member institution of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities were analyzed to explore the influence of demographic variables of age, marital status, and era of institutional operation on alumni contributions. This research addressed six key questions, including comparisons of the participants' mean giving to …

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 …

Fostering Relationships With Faculty, Peers, And Parents To Support Undergraduate Honors Students’ Mental Health, Allison Buskirk-Cohen, Alicia N. Shenko

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Honors students are typically high-achieving, academically motivated individuals. Confronting the stressors of emerging adulthood makes them particularly vulnerable to heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and stress surrounding their performance and support networks. This essay blends developmental theories and research with personal reflection to underscore the importance of nurturing relationships among students and faculty, peers, and parents for promoting student well-being. Authors advocate honors programs and practitioners facilitate positive social interaction, appropriate parental involvement, and personal development. Strategies, such as smaller class size, non-traditional assessment, extracurricular engagement, and familial support, can help create caring communities within honors. Authors suggest that prioritizing …

Honors Is More Than A Grade: Removing The Experiential Ceiling In Honors, Justin L. Rheubert, Marisa Prisco, Paige A. Grum, Abby L. Kalkstein

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

The stress created by academic pressure may prevent honors students from exploring curricula beyond that required by their majors. Challenged with additional workload and extracurricular requirements, students in honors often confront added stress caused by a desire to perform favorably in all academic pursuits. This pressure may result in hesitancy to explore new ideas, nurture curiosity, or break free from the rigors of a defined program of study—the opposite of what honors pedagogy and practice purport. This essay presents the process of converting a weighted grading system to pass/fail in an effort to provide students with opportunities for academic exploration …

You Are Not Alone: An Innovative, Collaborative Approach To Student Wellness And Mental Health In Honors, Sheryl Ford, Joshua Stockley

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This essay presents an innovative, proactive solution to the growing mental health needs of honors students. Authors discuss the ways in which one program at a large public university revised curriculum, created programming, and formed strategic partnership with the university’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program to understand and address student mental health in honors. Acknowledging a growing national trend of depression, anxiety, and suicide among college students, authors posit that dynamic outreach and dialogue with students about their struggles with assignments, activities, and academic expectations can create effective strategies for nurturing student development and well-being.

Charting A Course For Belonging: Creating An Honors Mindfulness Learning Community, Kristy Spear, Gayathry Prabhakaran

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

In today’s post-pandemic world, a sense of belonging within and in the larger relational world is something that many people struggle with, particularly those individuals leaving home to enter college. Socially engaged mindfulness can connect individuals with their breath, thoughts, emotions, and one another to promote and support well-being. This essay presents a programmatic overview of a Mindfulness Learning Community (MLC) in honors. Created for incoming first-year students (N = 31) to aid in their transition to college life, the multi-semester academic, social, and experiential-based learning community aims to teach honors students the psychological and physiological value of mindful practice, …

Mental Health Among Honors College Students: Evidence From College Entry Essays, Mohini Gobin, Jaclyn Kopel, Eric Osborne-Christenson, Anna Shostya

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This study explores the effect of preexisting mental health issues on college students’ academic performance. Using unique data from the honors college at a medium-sized urban private university, authors examine college entry essays (N = 1,062) in five classes (two pre-pandemic and three post-pandemic), as well as advisors’ (N = 7) notes. Mental health (MH) concerns are grouped into six non-mutually exclusive categories: depression/anxiety, neurodiversity/learning disabilities, identity-related concerns, grief/loss, trauma, and the mental health of others whose lives impact the student. The study finds that the number of honors students citing mental health in their entrance essays more …

The Well-Being Of Honors College Students Compared To Non-Honors College Students Accounting For Prior Gifted Experience, Hannah C. Dewald, Allyson S. Graf

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Student wellness is a growing concern among educators. Previous studies on the well-being of honors students as compared to other undergraduates result in mixed findings. This study examines the trajectory of gifted programming in education and specific challenges to the collegiate experience, presenting differences between honors students (N = 49) and non-honors peers (N = 138) using two well-being indicators (academic anxiety and academic self-efficacy) and three related factors (perceived past school competitiveness, maladaptive perfectionism, and pressure due to labeling). While authors posit that honors students may have higher academic anxiety and lower self-efficacy than those not enrolled …

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 …

Nsu Kpcom Link - Fall 2024 - Volume 3.3, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Florida Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

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'.

Why He Sings: An Action Research Study Using Counternarratives To Affect The Deficit Narratives Attributed To Students Of Color, Tiffany Jones Early

Theses and Dissertations

There is ample research that shows that students of color are less likely to graduate from college than their White peers. Meanwhile, the demographics of students who enroll in college continue to be more diverse than previous generations. As universities struggle to understand retention disparities, the voices of the students are often eliminated from the discussion. Many university staff members, instead, opt for a deficit narrative to blame what they believe students of color lack that inhibits them from persisting in college until graduation. The purpose of this study is to use narrative inquiry to better understand the educational experiences …

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 …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of And Preference For Interactive Computer Training With Student-Generated Examples, Sylvia C. Aquino, Stephanie Hood, Tara A. Fahmie, Richard Tanis

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Designing effective and preferred teaching practices for undergraduate students are common goals in behavior analytic training programs. A preliminary study by Nava et al. (2019) showed that undergraduate students generally rated peer-generated examples of the principles of behavior analysis as more preferred, relatable, and culturally responsive than traditional textbook examples. However, peer-generated examples did not result in any improvement in performance on concept knowledge assessments. The current study extended the study by Nava et al. by embedding peer-generated examples within interactive computer training (ICT) to provide opportunities for active responding, prompt fading, automated feedback, and practice with examples and nonexamples. …

The Effect Of Modality On Spirituality Outcomes In Theological Higher Education, Johnnie H. Peyton

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this research study was to examine differences in perceptions of spirituality outcomes between online and in-person students taking theology courses at a Christian liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States. Using a validated instrument, the Religious Education Survey (RES), 71 students were surveyed. A one sample t test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of mean perceptions of spirituality between the online and in-person students. The difference in mean score perceptions of spirituality between online and in-person students was not statistically significant, and the null hypothesis was retained. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used …

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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Understanding International And Regional Partnerships For Sustainable Development Goals In Higher Education: A Focus On The Asia Pacific Region, Ella Joy A. Ponce, Catherine Joy T. Escuadra

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal, indivisible, and transformative objectives set by the United Nations to guide global development. Achieving these goals requires collaboration between industry, government, and academia. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in this process due to their contributions to research, innovation, and knowledge dissemination. Previous reviews have underscored the need for more publications and collaborations among HEIs related to SDGs both globally and regionally. However, no comprehensive review exists for the Asia Pacific region. This review aims to analyze the status and evolution of higher education for sustainable development research in the Asia …

Gec Meeting Minutes For Sept 25, 2024, General Education Committee

General Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Aac September 2024 Meeting Minutes, A-State Assessment Committee

Accreditation and Assessment Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Gec Meeting Minutes For September 25, 2024, A-State General Education Committee

General Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

How State Universities Are Addressing The Shortage Of Cybersecurity Professionals In The United States, Gary Harris

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cybersecurity threats have been a serious and growing problem for decades. In addition, a severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals has been proliferating for nearly as long. These problems exist in the United States and globally and are well documented in literature. This study examined what state universities are doing to help address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals since higher education institutions are a primary source to the workforce pipeline. It is suggested that the number of cybersecurity professionals entering the workforce is related to the number of available programs. Thus increasing the number of programs will increase the number of …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Sept 20, 2024, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on September 20, 2024.

Integration Of Innovation And Independent Cultivation Of Talents Experience For High-Quality Development Of Higher Education In China, Yangsheng Xu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

At present, it is essential for universities to grasp the historical responsibility for the national initiative of high-quality development in the higher education sector as well as to encourage exploration of comprehensive education reform. To this end, this study uses the innovative and successful strategies adopted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen as a case study to illustrate how cooperative universities serve national and regional strategic needs, learn from international management rules and standards, build up global talent cultivation network as well create promising educational environment. It also gives suggestions on key tasks for high-quality development of higher …

Gc Minutes Sept 19, 2024, Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Biblical Counseling Curriculum: Building A Counseling Curriculum To Train Ministry Students To Counsel Advanced Topics, Nicholas A. Piervicenti

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project was dedicated to the creation of a higher education curriculum that would support the needs of ministry students who study at West Coast Baptist College. Counseling is at the heart of what Christ committed himself to during His earthly ministry. (Mark 2:16–17, King James Version). The skills to counsel advanced topics in the local church arena should be an essential element of instruction that takes place in colleges that train ministry leaders. In order to effectively transfer these truths to students, a qualitative research project was implemented which utilized thirty-six interviews of alumni in order to assess areas …

Social Media, Technology, And The Higher Education Classroom, Brian F. Mcfadden, Nicole R. Clarity, Susan J. Drucker

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

This paper reflects on the ways that media technology infiltrate, push, and pull educators in the 21^st century. The authors write about the importance of including new technology in our courses to better prepare students for their future careers and lives while also acknowledging the challenges that inclusion can present. By highlighting how technology serves as a facilitator for classroom participation and the ways the emergent technology can enhance a journalism curriculum, the paper points to some of the ways that emergent technology in our classes can have an enduring positive effect on our students in the future. However, …

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 …

Review: Higher Education Internationalization And English Language Instruction: Intersectionality Of Race And Language In Canadian Universities, Alicia Brienza

The Writing Center Journal

This review focuses on the main points, methodology, and contribution to writing center studies in Higher Education Internationalization and English Language Instruction: Intersectionality of Race and Language in English Language Instruction by Xiangying Huo. Contributions to the field include a critical perspective of a non-native speaker's experience as an English-language instructor across three research sites and an example of autoethnography as an effective methodology. The primary finding is that non-native students are less likely to initially perceive non-native English language instructors as legitimate.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Sept 6, 2024, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

Meeting minutes for the Faculty Senate held on September 6, 2024.