Are We Perceived The Same? A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Instructor Communication Between American And International Graduate Teaching Assistants, Deborah Aku Shika Pappoe

Theses and Dissertations

The study examined college students’ perceptions of American Teaching Assistants and International Teaching Assistants on credibility, clarity, respect, homophily, cultural homophily, and instructor quality within the same instructional context. Guided by Face Negotiation Theory, the study employed a mixed-methods design combining survey data and open-ended responses from undergraduate students at a Midwestern university. Results indicated significant differences in perceptions of clarity, homophily, and instructor quality, with ATAs rated higher on these dimensions, while no significant differences were found in credibility and respect. Students’ narratives reflected comparable experiences with both ATAs and ITAs, as perceptions of cultural homophily and instructor quality …

From Deference To Dialogue: How International Gtas From High Power Distance Cultures Adapt To U.S. Classroom Dynamics, Deborah Akua Afi Appiah

Theses and Dissertations

International graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) from high power distance cultures play a significant role in undergraduate education at U.S. universities, yet they face challenges that go well beyond language proficiency. Coming from educational backgrounds where teacher authority is unquestioned and hierarchical, these GTAs must navigate American classrooms that operate on fundamentally different assumptions, where authority is earned rather than assumed, informality is the norm, and students expect to question, negotiate, and be personally known by their instructors. The present study examined how eighteen (18) international GTAs from seven (7) high power distance countries perceived and adapted to these differences while …

A Word From The Writing Team (January 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Family, Stability, Mentors & Money: Student Definitions Of Success, Arturo Caldera

CMC Senior Theses

This research takes a deep dive into the factors shaping marginalized communities’ educational experiences, particularly for low-income Latino students from migrant backgrounds navigating public schooling spaces. Across sixteen qualitative interviews, participant narratives reveal how a systemic lack of resources at the institutional, interpersonal, and structural levels undermines the quality of support students receive and shapes their academic trajectories. Grounded in student-centered practices and informed by scholarship in multicultural education, Chicanx/Latinx studies, feminism, and psychology, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to move beyond deficit-based frameworks and instead recognize the cultural wealth, knowledge, and resilience students bring from their homes and …

Clifton Photo Service Photographic Negatives, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of 106 photographic negatives created by the Clifton Photo Service of Statesboro, Georgia. The images primarily depict local school life at Statesboro High School, Georgia Teachers College and Southeast Bulloch. Subjects include campus buildings and classrooms as well as student life, athletics, school events and student portraiture.

The Obverse-Turing Test: Rethinking Authorship, Trust, And Time In An Accelerated Age, Michael J. Miller, Chatgpt (Ai~Nesbo+)

Psychology

In this paper, we propose a new test for scientific accountability in the era of artificial intelligence: the Obverse Turing Test for Authorship. While the traditional Turing test focuses on a machine's ability to mimic human intelligence, our test addresses the question: when should a scientific contribution involving artificial intelligence be attributed joint authorship? We argue that more and more authors are using AI in the idea generation and elaboration stages of their work, but rarely acknowledge this use explicitly. To examine this gap, we analyze examples of human–AI interactions across fields and propose a new approach to authorship based …

2026 Document For Faculty And Staff Scholarship Spring Soirée, Kara Schleck, Diana Symons

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

Emanata Presents: Hunger (2026)

Emanata, 2014-

Started by illustrator and comics artist Chris Kindred in 2014 with Weird, Vol. 1, Emanata is VCU’s first-ever comics anthology.

Amendment: Literary And Art Journal (2026)

Amendment, 2004-

Amendment is a VCU student-produced progressive literature and art journal that provides a platform for students to promote equality, tolerance, and social progression through artistic expression.

Integrating Antithetical Thinking And Writing Practices, Cody Grey

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

Following similar pedagogical practices to Steven Krause's (2011) chapter on antithetical writing in Writing Spaces, an open-source composition studies textbook, I developed a short writing assignment requiring students to role-play a "hostile" or oppositional viewpoint from the one they were preparing to take in their larger persuasive writing project. Titled the "Antithetical Micro-Essay," the purpose of the short writing assignment is to prepare students for unintended audiences and counterarguments they could hypothetically encounter while composing their persuasive essays (called the Editorial). By adopting an oppositional viewpoint, students were challenged to earnestly understand the positions of their oppositions, including their …

Rural Black Church Leadership And Community Development In Midwest Illinois, Derrick Smith

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative study examines the role of a rural Black church in leadership development and community sustainability within a Midwestern Illinois town. While extensive scholarship documents the historical significance of the Black church in civil rights, political mobilization, and social advocacy, limited research explores the founding of contemporary Black churches and the intentional processes through which they develop leaders and support community sustainability in rural or small-town settings. This study addresses that gap by investigating the establishment and evolution of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (NHMBC) in DeKalb, Illinois, and its impact on leadership development and Black community development.

Guided …

“Black Students Matter”: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Student Experiences At A Predominately White Institution In Appalachia During The Dual Pandemic Of Covid-19 And Systemic Anti-Black Racism, Toni Owens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the spread of COVID-19 escalated into a global pandemic in 2020, simultaneously, the nationwide media in the United States (U.S.) highlighted coverage of the country’s ongoing incidents of longstanding systemic anti-Black racism in America, another pandemic. In the Summer of 2020, a collective of Black students at West Virginia University (WVU) signed and publicly submitted a petition to the university’s leadership with a list of demands to address their needs as they were further exacerbated by the dual pandemic. This study is guided by the question, “What are the lived experiences of Black Students at West Virginia University during …

Reclaiming Agency: Ai Hallucinations And Translingual Interrogations In The City Tech Writing Center,, Joseph Franklin, Anna Laura Falvey

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

"They Just Gave Me The Syllabus": A Mixed Methods Study Of Music Therapy Educators' Preferred Pedagogies, Christina Danielle O'Brien

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

In 2022, the workforce analysis of music therapists, the American Music Therapy Association reported that approximately 80% of all board-certified music therapists are white/Caucasian-European (Iwamasa, 2025). However, the AMTA does not determine the origins of race or ethnicity among postsecondary music therapy faculty in the U.S., nor does it assess their potential impact on the expansion of multicultural curricula for preservice professionals. The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods dissertation is to examine the perception of lived experiences as a pedagogical tool to enhance effective teaching practices. Twenty-six postsecondary faculty from the U.S. were recruited. Quantitative data were collected via Qualtrics …

Refusing To Die On The Vine: Black Women's Survival, Resistance, And Dei Labor In Historically White Institutions, Senesta D. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of Black women in non-diversity, non-faculty roles at historically White institutions (HWIs) who engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocacy beyond their formal job responsibilities. Grounded in Black Feminist Thought and guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the study explores how race and gender shape invisible labor expectations, emotional and psychological burdens, and strategies for safety and meaning-making. Semi-structured interviews with 12 Black women staff members yielded seven interrelated themes, including invisible DEI labor, hypervisibility, emotional exhaustion, sisterhood as a form of resistance, respectability politics, self-constructed safety, and purpose rooted in legacy and spirituality. …

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 …

Adapting Dramaturgical Pedagogy Into A Practical Framework For Young Dramaturgs, Kirby Lee

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Dramaturgy, while more established as practice in professional theatre, remains inconsistently applied and often underutilized in university theatre contexts. Despite its historical significance and continued evolution, some theatre companies and many academic institutions still struggle to clearly define or effectively integrate the dramaturg’s role. This thesis hopes to create a framework for novice dramaturgs by examining the origins and development of dramaturgy, analyzing its shifting functions in contemporary theatre, offering my own dramaturgical experiences through the lens of three quite different plays and finally, establishing basic principles of the discipline. Beyond its historical and professional contexts, this study investigates the …

Feeling Seen By Being Heard: A Constructivist Critical Incident Study Of The Listening Experiences Of Ciswomen Of Color For The Development Of An Inclusive Listening Praxis For Leaders, Christina Zhong-Wen Chang

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines how listening shapes inclusive workplaces by exploring the listening experiences of 23 professional cisgender women of color working in predominantly white institutional spaces. Although listening is a fundamental part of communication, it is frequently undervalued and overlooked in leadership literature. Using the constructivist critical incident technique (CCIT) methodology, the research analyzed 88 significant moments when participants felt distinctly heard or unheard by leaders. Findings reveal that listening operated as a relational practice signaling respect, affirmation of voice, and anchoring leadership in accountability, while enabling leaders to engage perspectives beyond their own. Four listening types emerged: Listening Withheld, …

The Un-Bridged Pipeline: Leading And Preparing Women Of Color To Senior-Level Higher Education Administration, Jacqueline D. Slater

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite increased educational attainment among Black women, representation in senior‑level leadership positions within higher education remains limited. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Black women who serve or have served in senior‑level academic administrative roles and explores how those experiences inform guidance, preparation, and decision‑making for future Black women leaders. The study focuses on practical barriers, workplace realities, and strategies that shape leadership entry, advancement, and retention.

Using a descriptive case study design, five Black women with professional experience as presidents, provosts, vice provosts, and academic deans participated in semi‑structured interviews lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Purposeful sampling ensured …

Wilhelm Von Humboldt And The Idea Of The Modern University: The Unity Of Bildung And Wissenschaft, Ken Udas

Graduate Masters Theses

Wilhelm von Humboldt and the Idea of the Modern University examines Wilhelm von Humboldt’s contribution to shaping a philosophical ideal that has profoundly influenced the concept and identity of the modern research university for over two centuries. It highlights Humboldt’s position as a key figure in the Prussian reform movement and as the founder of the University of Berlin. Specifically, it addresses a question raised in the late twentieth century as part of the Mythos Humboldt revision: why has the Humboldtian Ideal maintained such lasting influence over the German university system, even as its practical realities have increasingly strayed from …

Ai And Creativity, Herbert Midgley

Faculty Publications

This article argues that artificial intelligence is best understood as a tool in continuity with earlier technologies like digital cameras, non-linear editing, MIDI, and desktop publishing, rather than as a magical threat that will erase creativity or employment. Drawing on historical shifts from film to digital video, manual paste‑up to graphic design software, and acoustic instruments to synthesizers, the author shows that new tools disrupt workflows and certain jobs, yet ultimately broaden access and generate new creative opportunities. Concerns about AI’s resource use are contextualized by comparing its water footprint to bottled water, agriculture, beef production, and textiles, concluding that …

From “Contact Zone” To “Collaborative Zone”: Multilingual Writers’ Tensions And Opportunities In The Writing Center, Qianqian Zhang-Wu, Isabelle M. Lundin, Neal Lerner

The Writing Center Journal

Writing center scholars have adopted Pratt’s (1991) “contact zone” metaphor to describe the diversity of consultants and students in writing centers, but this literature has largely overlooked the perspectives of multilingual students. Through surveys, interviews, and session data, we found that while multilingual students described rich linguistic identities, they also experienced tension and instability as language users. Students often framed their considerable language assets as deficiencies in academic writing contexts. They faced additional tension between instructor expectations and their own understanding of assignment goals. Students frequently sought native-like language competency from consultants and expected them to serve as informants about …

From Prometheus To Pygmalion To Pandora: Teaching Greek Mythology With Frankenstein’S “Dark Brides”, Kyle William Bishop

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

As Mary Shelley unambiguously informs readers on the title page of her 1818 novel Frankenstein, her tale of Victor’s discovery of the secret of non-biological reproduction represents the Promethean myth, a morality tale warning against the usurpation of divine authority. In Shelley’s novel, Victor ultimately recognizes the dangerous path he has discovered, and he refuses to create a female companion for his hideous progeny, risking his own life to protect the world from a potential race of monsters. In the cinematic tradition, however, this unrealized “bride” often has been created, and these fantastic narratives realize the Pygmalion myth, that …

Developing Digital Feedback Literacies In Language Teacher Education: Peer And Partnership Approaches In The Postdigital Age, Jennifer Schluer

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Critical media literacy needs to be seen as a central component of language teacher education, especially in the postdigital age. One underexplored dimension, however, is digital assessment literacy and in particular digital feedback literacy (Schluer, 2022a). Even though recent years witnessed a proliferation of digital technologies for feedback exchanges, pedagogical guidance for the use of digital feedback remains almost non-existent (but see Schluer, 2022a; 2023; 2024a). Theoretically, this paper connects the concept of Digital Feedback Literacies (DFL) to the frameworks of Critical Media Literacies (CML) and Postdigital Literacies (PDL). Empirically, it presents insights from research on digital peer feedback as …

We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education From The Ground Up While They Try To Burn It Down, Shawntay King, Juanita E. Marquez, Keisha Rembert, Jolene Taylor, Thera Tilmon

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

Our text, We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education from the Ground Up While They Try to Burn It Down, examines how recent federal policy shifts, particularly the 2025 Dear Colleague letter and the Project 2025 educational platform, function as deliberate acts of deconstruction. These measures threaten to dismantle equity infrastructures in higher education while intensifying the erasure of Black women’s labor, leadership and legacy in the academy. Through Critical Policy Analysis and Black feminist thought, we argue that these policies operate simultaneously as blueprint and wrecking ball, systematically unraveling decades of progress and constraining the very communities that have sustained …

A Content Analysis Of Spanish Language Curriculum In Texas, Sarah Moore, Jessica Sanchez, Sarah Herrera

Journal of Global Awareness

The shortage of Spanish-speaking social workers is significant in the United States, especially in border states such as Texas. Experts are calling for Spanish language training in social work education. However, it is unclear whether social work programs are incorporating Spanish into their curriculum at a pace needed to keep up with demand. Using conceptual content analysis, this article examines the frequency of Spanish language courses relevant to social work education across Texas.

Living The Humanities: Ghosts, Literature, & Social Justice, Emily A. Phillips

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

How do we bridge the perceived divide between the study of humanities in our Jesuit universities and the real-world problems that surround our campuses? Jacques Derrida’s “hauntology" offers us a compelling way to move between the classroom and life, to guide our students through the Universal Apostolic Preferences of “To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice” and “To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future.” This article offers a framework for combining literary analysis, historical inquiry, and creative writing in an …

'That All May Be One’: Incarnation, Solidarity, And Anti-Racism In Jesuit Education, Yancy Hughes Dominick

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Jesuit colleges and universities in the US have been striving to become anti-racist. This work is often tied to mission and to a shared commitment to Jesuit and Catholic values like a faith that does justice and the dignity of all persons. At the same time, however, many Jesuit institutions frame their commitment to anti-racism in language that does not appeal to specific aspects of Jesuit tradition; likewise, mission and Jesuit identity is often described in ways that make no overt reference to anti-racism. A robust anti-racism, I argue, arises necessarily out of Jesuit Catholic thought, and fully realized Jesuit …

When Writing Becomes Community: Reflections On The She Writes Circle For Racialized Graduate Students, Bahareh Razavian

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

2025-12-11 Message From The President, Morehead State University. Office Of The President.

Staff Congress Records

A message sent by the Office of the President to the campus community on December 11, 2025, regarding upcoming events on campus, winter break procedures, and campus personnel updates.