A Values-Based, Holistic Approach Towards School Mission In A U.S. Islamic School, Salim S. Yusufali

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

U.S. Islamic schools endeavour to foster the development of moral practices and values stemming from Islamic teachings. Their efforts are demonstrated in classes (such as Islamic studies and Qur’an study), ritual practice (such as daily congregational prayer), and faith-based assemblies. Yet the schools often lack awareness, structure, and procedures for a focus on character, morality, and spirituality to permeate all aspects of schooling. They also tend to have limited resources for embarking on large-scale change initiatives. This Organizational Improvement Plan is written from the standpoint of the author, a scholar-practitioner, and Dean of Mission of a U.S. based K-12 Islamic …

Increasing International Student Retention: Improving Organizational Structure And Culture To Support International Student Success, Theon O'Connor

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

Organization X is a private, for-profit post-secondary institution that has for the past few years been experiencing a high rate of attrition, primarily with its international students. International students make up a large percentage of Organization X’s total on-campus student population. The organization operates in a traditional hierarchical environment where decisions are made from the top and are passed down to those at the lower levels of the organization. This hierarchical structure has made it difficult for the organization to pivot when challenges arise because it does not allow for flexibility and diversity in the decision-making process, which exacerbates …

A Faculty-Based Approach To Engaging University Alumni, Osman Hamid

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Alumni engagement is widely defined as the level of relationship graduates have with their alma maters. Universities have an opportunity to leverage benefits from having strong connections with their alumni. Furthermore, graduates generally have a stronger affinity to the academic departments they graduated from than to the universities where these departments are based. Additionally, the fiscal and regulatory pressures facing Canadian universities within the province of Ontario highlight the advantages that come with having an engaged alumni community. The Problem of Practice (PoP) investigated in this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is the lack of alumni engagement within a faculty of …

Frozen In Time? Exploring Faith-Based Admission Standards In Christian Higher Education, Carol C. Burbee

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Low enrollment is a significant problem in small Christian liberal arts colleges. It is my position that addressing the adaptive challenge of organizational identity will create an inclusive, accessible, and relevant faith-based college community which appeals to applicants and thereby grow enrollment. Drawing on process organization theory, situated learning theory, and adaptive leadership theory, I propose in this organizational improvement plan a change process enacted by a community of practice to foster sensemaking about organizational identity through college admissions work. This plan identifies portfolio-based admissions and critical policy analysis as ways to invite applicants to demonstrate their strengths; the approaches …

Virtually Constructed Leadership: A Study Of Accountability In An International Non-Profit Organization, Kristopher Ph Tharris

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Through the eyes of a leader within a virtual non-profit organization (referred to as the Centre), this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores the lack of formal accountability amongst an international team of volunteers. The lack of formal accountability has the potential to hinder all interactions of the team, decreasing efficiency of the organization and ultimately decreasing its impact on beneficiaries. The relationship between the volunteer leaders and the Centre is described as organizational volunteerism, where organizations are voluntarily contributing their human resources to benefit the international community. This improvement plan examines a combination of complementary leadership approaches that form a …

Jamaican Secondary School Principals' Work And Occupational Well-Being, Annette R. Walker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This qualitative research explores Jamaican secondary school principals’ work and occupational well-being. Research on the topic of principals’ work and occupational well-being has largely been conducted in developed countries (e.g., Canada, Australia, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, etc.). The aggregate conclusion in these countries suggests that principals’ work has implications for their occupational well-being. Given that Jamaica, a developing nation, has adopted North American leadership standards and policies, it is necessary to examine if Jamaican secondary school principals’ work presents occupational well-being issues. Through qualitative semistructured interviews with 12 Jamaican secondary school principals, the study investigated these principals’ work. Specifically, principals’ …

The Trickiness Of Settler Colonialism: Indigenous Women Administrators’ Experiences Of Policy In Canadian Universities, Candace Brunette-Debassige

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Since the release in 2015 of the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, a plethora of new administrative policies has emerged in universities. A variety of interconnecting Indigenous administrative roles has also arisen, many of which have been taken up by Indigenous women who find themselves working in challenging and complex contexts steeped in settler colonialism. Studies of the challenges these women face—indeed of Indigenous educational leadership and policies in higher education in general—are, however, sorely lacking. The present study is a qualitative exploration of the embodied experiences of twelve Indigenous women administrators (including the primary researcher) …

Investigating The Experiences Of Faculty Members And Administrators With Quality Assurance And Accountability In Higher Education In Ontario, Melanie Lawrence

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The main objective of this qualitative case study was to explore the professional experience of six faculty members and three administrators in higher education during a time of increasing quality assurance and accountability policies so to gain a deeper understanding of how neoliberalism is changing their work experience as academics in Ontario, Canada. I have presented the research findings by employing policy sociology as both theory and methodology using the method of the qualitative case study. This form of qualitative inquiry provided an opportunity to explore how each interviewee navigated the current context of neoliberalism within their respective roles in …