Education Commons^™

Take Their Feet Off Our Necks: A Descriptive Study Of Sexual Harassment In Higher Education, Megan Michelle Bolter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines survivors’ perceptions of sexual harassment experienced as members of higher education (e.g., faculty, staff, students, and administrators). Individually, an examination of the survivors’ perceptions of perpetrator consequences and how institutional responses occurred. This study aims to provide insight into the survivors’ experiences and understandings of sexual harassment experiences, further than the well-established health and career consequences. I utilized the Sexual Harassment in the Academy data set created by Dr. Karen Kelsky. In this study, there is a sample of 1,230 members of higher education who experienced sexual harassment. The sample of self-identified sexual harassment survivors allows the …

How Orientation Programs At West Virginia Community Colleges Affect Mid-Level Administrators' Perceptions Of Adjunct Faculty Quality, Gina M. Taylor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the relationship between the presence of orientation programs for adjunct faculty at West Virginia community and technical colleges and mid-level administrators’ perceptions of adjunct faculty quality. Using data obtained through an Internet-based questionnaire administered to 91 mid-level administrators at West Virginia community and technical colleges, the study resulted in several notable findings, many of which reinforced similar findings uncovered in the review of the literature. Most researchers agree that the results of high-quality orientation programs can be a tremendous asset to adjunct faculty, leading to an adjunct group that knows what …

Making It Work: Factors That Influence The Success Of Programs At Rural Community Colleges, Rebecca Calwell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Community colleges are expected to contribute to economic development efforts by implementing new programs that respond to the needs of business and industry. Program development is complex, especially for community colleges in rural areas where business and industry are scarce. This qualitative study explores the factors that influence successful occupational programs at rural community colleges. Participants included administrators, faculty members, and students associated with three rural community colleges in West Virginia, as well as one state-level administrator and a former community college president. This study indicates the importance of five factors that influence the success of occupational programs: demand for …

Measuring The Success Of Kentucky's Community And Technical College System In Educational Attainment And Advancing Workforce Development, William Daniel Bissett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the educational attainment and income of nontraditional students in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and its connection to workforce development efforts in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The population for this study included first time students between 25 and 64 years of age who attended KCTCS either full-time or part-time during the academic years of 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009. The Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics provided archival data that included information from this population regarding the type of educational credential earned. The data were analyzed to determine the relationship between the types of …

A Study To Determine Whether A Relationship Exists Between Attending A Public, Two-Year Community College In The United States With Or Without Campus Housing And The Retention Of First-Year Students, John F. Yaun

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Student retention is a growing and common concern among community college administrators across the United States given the low retention rates at two-year institutions. With little change in the retention rates of first-year students at community colleges, administrators are searching for successful strategies and models within these heterogeneous educational environments to address the costs and consequences associated with low retention rates at two-year institutions.

The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship existed, if any, between attending a public, two-year community college in the United States with or without campus housing and the retention of first-year students. This …

An Analysis Of Institutional Policies And Practices Critical For Effective Leadership In Developmental Education Programs, Carolyn Gaughan Sizemore

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to identify the most critical institutional policies and practices deemed essential for the effective development and governance of systemic, effective developmental education programs in community colleges through the perspective of community college administrators. This study ranked community college leaders’ ratings of what policies and practices should be implemented to improve developmental education programs. Expert opinion by the participating developmental education administrators and college presidents were compared and ranked to identify priorities for change. The results could serve as guidelines for the improvement of developmental education programs for student success in community colleges. This non-experimental, …

Teacher Perspectives On Performance Based Student Assessment In Career And Technical Education In West Virginia Public Schools, Brenda L. Tuckwiller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate career and technical education teachers’ level of knowledge and use of performance based student assessment practices in West Virginia’s secondary and post-secondary career education centers. In addition, this study sought to determine what relationships, if any, exist between levels of knowledge and use of performance based student assessment practices. Finally, this study described factors identified by respondents as supports or barriers to implementation of performance based student assessment. A researcher-developed survey was used to collect data. The study population consisted of engineering, hospitality and health occupations teachers in career and technical education …

Creating Pathways For Low-Skill Adults: Lessons For Community And Technical Colleges From A Statewide Longitudinal Study, Carol A. Perry

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the educational experiences and outcomes of low-skill adults in West Virginia’s community and technical colleges, providing a more detailed profile of these students. Data for the variables were obtained from archival databases through a cooperative agreement between state agencies. Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine momentum point attainment, milestone achievement, persistence, and pre- and post-educational mean wages of first-time students age 25+ who enrolled in a West Virginia community and technical college over a five year period beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year. Chi-square tests for independence were used as well as …

A Study Of Prior Learning Assessment In Degree Completion, Jean Marie Chappell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of prior learning assessment (PLA) in postsecondary degree completion for adult community college students at Mountwest Community and Technical College (MCTC). The study group consisted of 339 MCTC graduates, who applied PLA credits toward degree completion between the academic year 2006 and 2011. A comparison group was comprised of 321 MCTC graduates from the same time period, who did not apply PLA toward degree completion. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis found statistically significant relationships between time to degree completion and the application of PLA from military credits and institutional …

Predictors Of Student Outcomes In Developmental Math At A Public Community And Technical College, Linda Darlene Hunt

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the wide range of abilities of community college students, proper course placement is crucial. Therefore, having better predictors of success can help improve placement of students for their achievement. This study analyzed student predictors, instructor predictors, and classroom predictors in relation to student final exam score and student final grade in Elementary Algebra and Intermediate Algebra classes. Student predictors included gender, ACT math score, SAT math score, community college enrollment, math pretest score, and ASC grade. Instructor predictors included gender, employment status, Mozart music use, and ALEKS software use. Classroom predictors included time of day, number of class meetings …

Enrollment Management Administrators’ Perceptions Of Community College Student Retention Practices, Merle Dempsey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was three-fold: (a) to determine the retention practices most frequently used by community colleges to retain full-time, associate degree-seeking students from their first-to-second year of enrollment as perceived by enrollment management administrators; (b) to determine the level of importance placed on these practices as perceived by enrollment management administrators; and, (c) to determine if differences exist between those practices most frequently used and those considered to be the most important when the enrollment size and campus geographic setting of the institution are considered. An online survey, developed by the researcher, was distributed to a sample …

Employment Success Of Community And Technical College Program Graduates As An Indicator Of Economic Development In West Virginia, Kristin L. Mallory

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to analyze existing wage data to quantify the employment success of community and technical college graduates by program as an indicator of economic development in West Virginia. Data for the variables were obtained from archival databases and a cooperative agreement between state agencies. Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine employment rates, range of earnings, and employment in-industry of community and technical college graduates from 23 programs from 1997 to 2002. Graduates in the health fields demonstrated both the highest and lowest ratios of employment, with the mean employment rate for all programs of 68.12 …

Predictors Of Employer Satisfaction With Workplace-Based Contract Training Programs At Community And Technical Colleges In West Virginia, Mark Edward Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Workplace-based contract training for employers is a growing area of the mission of community and technical colleges across the nation, and determining what factors predict satisfaction for sponsoring organizations may help ensure the success of such programs. This is especially important in West Virginia, where higher education legislation in 1995 and 2000 mandated such programming as essential. State institutions that fail in this area may lose their status as independent colleges. Community and technical colleges, therefore, that use data from this study may be able to design and deliver workplace-based contract education and training programs, using limited existing resources, efficiently …