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Examining The Nonprofit Leader From The Servant Leadership Theory : Impacts On Board Cohesion, Andrew Wonders Jan 2024

Examining The Nonprofit Leader From The Servant Leadership Theory : Impacts On Board Cohesion, Andrew Wonders

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n the context of nonprofit organizations, servant leadership (SL) has been studied on a limited basis. The present study attempted to forge a new path by examining the impact of SL and cohesion in the realm of nonprofit organizations. A total of 91 board members from 32 organizations participated in the study. Five statistical models of mixed effects linear regression were used in the analysis. The first model utilized the eight subscales of SL as independent variables and overall cohesion is the dependent variable while the other four models used overall SL as the independent variable. Each model also had …


Military Faculty Experience Within A Faculty Learning Community And Its Interest In Learning Technology Integration, Jonathan David Zemmer Jan 2024

Military Faculty Experience Within A Faculty Learning Community And Its Interest In Learning Technology Integration, Jonathan David Zemmer

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This study explored the experiences and perceptions of faculty members at an institution of military education participating in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) focused on educational technology utilization during the 2022-2023 academic year. As the Department of Defense (DoD) emphasizes the importance of technology capabilities and workforce development, understanding faculty experiences in these settings becomes crucial for effective technology integration in teaching and learning. Utilizing a participatory action research (PAR) design, the study collected data through faculty artifacts, researcher reflexive journals, semi-structured interviews, bi-monthly meeting minutes, videos, and presentation materials. The research questions focused on the change of participants' understanding …


Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Program Assessment Practices And Institutional Performance, Nicholas T. Christian Jan 2024

Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Program Assessment Practices And Institutional Performance, Nicholas T. Christian

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Researchers (Stanny & Bryan, 2021; Tinto, 2012) have claimed without empirical evidence that academic program assessment is important to student success. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the relationships between academic program assessment practices and institutional performance based on responses from faculty at U.S.-located four-year institutions of higher education. The theoretical foundations of best practices in program assessment, organizational learning, faculty motivation, and institutional performance were examined and included as the primary variables. Assessment practices in higher education are best summarized by the assessment loop: articulating the intended learning outcomes; selecting appropriate assessment measures; developing curriculum and …


The Relationships Among Organizational Support, Teacher Well-Being, And Teacher Resilience In Secondary School Teachers, Lisa Journell Jan 2023

The Relationships Among Organizational Support, Teacher Well-Being, And Teacher Resilience In Secondary School Teachers, Lisa Journell

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This study examined the relationships among perceived organizational support, teacher well-being, and teacher resilience in secondary school teachers in Ohio public schools. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was employed. In phase one, survey data were collected from Ohio public school teachers (n = 254, grades 6-12), and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the structure of the relationships between the variables of interest. In phase two, using a phenomenological approach, follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of participants (n = 10) to examine the lived experience of teachers with high and low levels of teacher resilience. …


Exploring The Impact Of Personal, Emotional, And Relational Elements That Influence The Decision To Speak Up During Critical Safety Moments, Kelly Rabah Jan 2023

Exploring The Impact Of Personal, Emotional, And Relational Elements That Influence The Decision To Speak Up During Critical Safety Moments, Kelly Rabah

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This qualitative study focused on exploring the relationships between personal, emotional, and relational elements and the decision to speak up during critical safety moments. A phenomenological single site case study was employed using semi structured interviews to examine the healthcare professionals’ stories. The participants shared their lived experiences when making the choice to speak up or not, and the consequences – positive and negative, for themselves, their patients, and the organization. Results showed the decision to speak up is complex. There are many components that influence the decision to raise voice in the face of known risk. Personal elements, including …


Teaching Physics While Female : A Phenomenological Study Of Female High School Physics Teachers, Hope Strickland Jan 2023

Teaching Physics While Female : A Phenomenological Study Of Female High School Physics Teachers, Hope Strickland

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The lived experiences of female high school physics teachers were researched in this study with the aim of gaining a better understanding of their decisions to remain in the classroom or to leave the teaching profession. To allow the participants to describe their background and teaching experiences, as well as the meaning they found in them, a transcendental phenomenological approach was used during this research. To create a richer representation of the phenomenon, fourteen women ranging from 0-31 years of experience teaching high school physics were interviewed for this study. The data from the interviews was analyzed through the lens …


The Relationships Among Organizational Support, Teacher Well-Being, And Teacher Resilience In Secondary School Teachers, Lisa Journell Jan 2023

The Relationships Among Organizational Support, Teacher Well-Being, And Teacher Resilience In Secondary School Teachers, Lisa Journell

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This study examined the relationships among perceived organizational support, teacher well-being, and teacher resilience in secondary school teachers in Ohio public schools. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was employed. In phase one, survey data were collected from Ohio public school teachers (n = 254, grades 6-12), and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the structure of the relationships between the variables of interest. In phase two, using a phenomenological approach, follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of participants (n = 10) to examine the lived experience of teachers with high and low levels of teacher resilience. …


Responding To Escalating Student Behavioral Health Needs : A Comparative Case Study Of Multi-Tiered System Of Support Team Functioning, Randi Bargo-Smith Jan 2023

Responding To Escalating Student Behavioral Health Needs : A Comparative Case Study Of Multi-Tiered System Of Support Team Functioning, Randi Bargo-Smith

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The state of youth behavioral health in the United States was a public health crisis before the overwhelming challenges presented by the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, and now, the situation is even more dire. The impacts of youth behavioral health challenges are pervasive and long-lasting for youth, their families, and the entire community. It is critical to identify innovative ways that youth behavioral health is being addressed in schools and understand how comprehensive school mental health systems including multi-tiered system of support teams are functioning. This comparative case study investigated the functioning of two high school multi-tiered system of …


The Effects Of Nomophobia On Employee Engagement, Amber Joy Shirlyn Daniel Jan 2022

The Effects Of Nomophobia On Employee Engagement, Amber Joy Shirlyn Daniel

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The study outlines the path that the researcher took to investigate the phenomenon of nomophobia as it relates to employee engagement. In the first two chapters, the researcher outlines a synopsis of the problem, presents gleanings from a review of pertinent literature on employee engagement and nomophobia, and articulates a basic conceptual framework for the study. The researcher also shares how the data was collected and analyzed in the third chapter of this document. In the fourth chapter, the method is articulated and finally, results and recommendations are shared in the last chapter.


Leader Labeling Of Employees Within Organizations: Descriptions, Daily Patterns, And Contextual Factors, Erin B. Lunday Jan 2022

Leader Labeling Of Employees Within Organizations: Descriptions, Daily Patterns, And Contextual Factors, Erin B. Lunday

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This study explored how formally assigned, organizational leaders perceive their employees using an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach. Applying the tropes associated with labeling theory (i.e., the perceptual frame within the labeling process) and positive organizational elements (i.e., positive deviance and positive leadership), the research determined what potential labels leaders assign to employees they supervise, examined the degree to which self-assessed positive leaders assign more positive descriptors, and identified contextual factors that influence the leaders’ labeling process. As part of an eligibility process for the study, leaders completed a positive leader self-assessment (n = 62), of which a sample (n = …


The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy On Intermediate Students’ Mathematics Growth, Susan Sipniewski Jan 2020

The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy On Intermediate Students’ Mathematics Growth, Susan Sipniewski

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In this study, the investigator sought to determine the extent to which mathematics self-efficacy affects mathematics growth among students in grades four and five. Included in this investigation is a hypothesized structural model that reflects Bandura’s (1977a, 1986, 1989) theory of self-efficacy. In part one of the investigation, each variable in the model (mathematics self-efficacy, self-regulation in mathematics, mathematics avoidance, mathematics anxiety, attitude toward mathematics, and mathematics growth) was analyzed to determine whether there were significant differences between genders in those specified variables. Findings revealed gender differences in two of the six variables, self-regulation in mathematics and mathematics avoidance. Females …


Examining The Influence Of Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Advising On Student-Institution Relationship Quality, Student Loyalty, And Enrollment Intentions: An Application Of Relationship Marketing In Higher Education, Linda Marie Hockaday Jan 2020

Examining The Influence Of Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Advising On Student-Institution Relationship Quality, Student Loyalty, And Enrollment Intentions: An Application Of Relationship Marketing In Higher Education, Linda Marie Hockaday

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As higher education institutions continue to compete for a declining population of students (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019), an increased focus on retaining existing students is required to maintain current levels of undergraduate enrollment (Elliott & Shin, 2002; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; Judson & Taylor, 2014; Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004, Vianden & Barlow, 2014). Predominant student retention models (Astin, 1965; Bean, 1985; Tinto, 1987, 1993) emphasize the interaction between students and institutional representatives as a primary factor influencing the student experience and student decisions to continue enrollment in future academic terms. Although academic advisors are the institutional representative …


A Comparative Analysis Of Military And Non-Military Parent Engagement In Public Elementary Schools, Robin G. Fisher Jan 2020

A Comparative Analysis Of Military And Non-Military Parent Engagement In Public Elementary Schools, Robin G. Fisher

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The focus of this study was a comparison of military and non-military parent engagement levels in public elementary schools. A parent survey was used to collect data on the parent engagement levels of military and non-military parents to determine if there was a significant difference between the two populations, while controlling for income and education. In addition, the parent engagement levels of the military parents were analyzed based on the percentage of military students in each school. The objective was to determine if a higher percentage of military students in a school would increase the military parent engagement. Open-ended questions …


A Participatory Action Research Study With One Emancipatory School Garden, Colleen Q. Saxen Jan 2020

A Participatory Action Research Study With One Emancipatory School Garden, Colleen Q. Saxen

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Although school gardens have been increasingly popular in the United States, much existing literature evaluated success of the programs from a limited set of criteria, such as the extent to which gardens reformed student eating habits and nutritional knowledge. Yet, school gardens offered benefits and outcomes not immediately apparent within this reform paradigm. In addition, the attention on forming a particular kind of food consumer ignored the diverse cultural and racial histories related to agriculture and food in the United States. In this participatory action research (PAR) dissertation, participants, including school staff and community partners, explored one school garden program …


Measuring Leader-Level Engagement: Addressing The Gap In Employee Engagement Research, Colleen Marie Hayden Jan 2019

Measuring Leader-Level Engagement: Addressing The Gap In Employee Engagement Research, Colleen Marie Hayden

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Since the early 2000s, employee engagement has become a growing point of interest for scholars, organizations, and consultants alike due to its association with a variety of organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intent. Though there is much focus surrounding the measurement of employee engagement within the literature (Saks, 2019; Saks & Gruman, 2014), there is a notable absence in the literature related to a leader’s own level of engagement. This study aimed to address this gap, utilizing the Employee Engagement Scale (EES; Shuck, Adelson, & Reio, 2017), which was developed in response to the lack of …


Measuring Leader-Level Engagement: Addressing The Gap In Employee Engagement Research, Colleen Marie Hayden Jan 2019

Measuring Leader-Level Engagement: Addressing The Gap In Employee Engagement Research, Colleen Marie Hayden

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Since the early 2000s, employee engagement has become a growing point of interest for scholars, organizations, and consultants alike due to its association with a variety of organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intent. Though there is much focus surrounding the measurement of employee engagement within the literature (Saks, 2019; Saks & Gruman, 2014), there is a notable absence in the literature related to a leader’s own level of engagement. This study aimed to address this gap, utilizing the Employee Engagement Scale (EES; Shuck, Adelson, & Reio, 2017), which was developed in response to the lack of …


Consequences Of Postsecondary Education Institution Policies And Practices: A Structural Model Of Tuition Costs, Student Financial Aid, Selectivity, Proximity, And Enrolled Undergraduate Students' Aggregate Capital, Aaron Michael Skira Jan 2018

Consequences Of Postsecondary Education Institution Policies And Practices: A Structural Model Of Tuition Costs, Student Financial Aid, Selectivity, Proximity, And Enrolled Undergraduate Students' Aggregate Capital, Aaron Michael Skira

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For decades, U.S. higher education enrollments have been stratified with students from wealthier households consistently attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than low-income students. The disparity in postsecondary participation rates by family income is a systemic issue (M. J. Bailey & Dynarski, 2011), meaning the phenomenon is the result of a combination of factors within society rather than one factor alone. Guided by a critical theory perspective and the assumptions behind Perna’s (2006) proposed conceptual model for student college choice research, the current study sought to examine the extent to which policies and practices at the postsecondary institution level may …


Disability Resource Specialists' Capacity To Adopt Principles And Implement Practices That Qualify As Universal Design At A 4-Year Public Institution, Cecilia Spencer Grugan Jan 2018

Disability Resource Specialists' Capacity To Adopt Principles And Implement Practices That Qualify As Universal Design At A 4-Year Public Institution, Cecilia Spencer Grugan

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Due to the continuous growth of diverse student bodies on college campuses, creating accessibility for each unique student needs to be considered. Students who have a disability or disabilities are a substantial part of this growing diverse student body. Since disability resource specialists play a significant role in creating accessibility for such students, they can consider implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore where disability resource specialists fall on Lewin's (1951) continuum of change and Reynold's (2009) levels of expertise in regards to implementing practices that qualify as Universal Design. Six …


Follower Commitment: The Impact Of Authentic Leadership's Positivity And Justice On Presenteeism, Caroline Antonia Drakeley Jan 2018

Follower Commitment: The Impact Of Authentic Leadership's Positivity And Justice On Presenteeism, Caroline Antonia Drakeley

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Leadership behaviors are associated with organizational commitment for a unique niche of individuals - those who produce less work while in the workplace due to health-related problems, such as anxiety, stress, or depression. New research shows followers' perceptions of leaders' positive support and organizational justice (procedural and distributive) are significantly positively associated with followers' perceived organizational commitment. This quantitative correlational study explored the relationship between followers' perceptions of leadership support, leadership procedural justice, and leadership distributive justice, as well as their own perceptions of their emotional stability, and organizational commitment using the authentic leadership framework. Further research using multiple linear …


Athletic Identity And Moral Development: An Examination Of Ncaa Division I Athletes And Their Moral Foundations, Danielle N. Graham Jan 2017

Athletic Identity And Moral Development: An Examination Of Ncaa Division I Athletes And Their Moral Foundations, Danielle N. Graham

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This study investigated the moral foundations of intercollegiate student-athletes in relation to their athletic identity, specifically with respect to student-development in college. Research has established that prolonged participation in sport contributes to the development of an athletic identity (Brewer & Cornelius, 2001; Brewer, Van Raalte & Linder, 1990; Cieslak, 2004) and countless studies have identified significant categorical differences in moral reasoning tendencies between student-athletes and non-athlete students (Bonfiglio, 2011; Bredemeier & Shields, 2006; Howard-Hamilton & Sina, 2001; Lyons & Turner, 2015; Priest, Krause, & Beach, 1999). Two hundred and thirty-eight NCAA Division I intercollegiate, club sport, and intramural sport student-athletes, …


A Pilot Study Of High-Stakes Decision-Making For Crisis Leadership, Terry Lynn Oroszi Jan 2016

A Pilot Study Of High-Stakes Decision-Making For Crisis Leadership, Terry Lynn Oroszi

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High-stakes decision-making represents a critical component of crisis leadership. This study examined the decision-making processes practiced by global, national, and local crisis leaders to identify common decision-making process traits and propose a useful model to guide crisis leaders high-stakes decision-making. This research suggested the hypothesis is correct and inexperienced crisis leaders may benefit from a potential new decision-making model better aligned with the experiences of a panel of national and global crisis decision-making experts. Crises have distinct factors: they are time sensitive, pose significant risks, and require consequential decisions. A sample group of fifteen national and international expert crisis leaders …


Experiences Of The Millennial Generation With Politics & Power In Higher Education, Lauren Elizabeth Ouwerkerk Jan 2016

Experiences Of The Millennial Generation With Politics & Power In Higher Education, Lauren Elizabeth Ouwerkerk

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The millennial generation is continuing to replace previous work generations within higher education. The way that the millennial generation navigates issues of politics and power is not easily understood by institutions. This qualitative study of millennial professionals investigates how they handle issues of power and politics, their experiences with top-down structure, how they work around issues of power and politics and how their identity plays a role. Individual interviews and a demographic questionnaire were used to obtain data in this study. Participants invited to participate were millennial professionals who had worked at the institution from 1-5 years. Eight participants were …


Leadership Education: A Pilot Study Investigating Employer And Student Perceptions Of Value, Jason Scott Farkas Jan 2016

Leadership Education: A Pilot Study Investigating Employer And Student Perceptions Of Value, Jason Scott Farkas

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This study examined employer and student perceptions of leadership education, specifically as these perceptions relate to value, or usefulness. As post-baccalaureate leadership certification programs are increasingly added to college and university curricula, it is important to understand if these programs are imparting knowledge and skills that are observable and valuable in the workplace. Employer and student perceptions were collected through pilot focus groups and qualitatively evaluated against Kouzes and Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, a framework that is both teachable and measurable. Suggestions for future graduate-level leadership certification programs will be discussed.


The Impact Of Parental Housing Structure On The Autonomy Development Of Sophomore College Students At Four-Year Public Institutions, Colton G. Metzger Jan 2016

The Impact Of Parental Housing Structure On The Autonomy Development Of Sophomore College Students At Four-Year Public Institutions, Colton G. Metzger

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Sophomore college student retention rates are steadily decreasing across the United States. Sophomore students often experience a phenomenon entitled the sophomore slump where the lack of support they receive from their institutions impact their overall mental health, GPA, and retention. This study is a quantitative analysis investigating the impact of parental housing structure on the emotional independence and physical independence of college sophomore students at four-year public institutions. A fifteen question survey was used to measure parental housing structure, physical independence, and emotional independence. Participants were traditional sophomore college students who had completed between 30 and 59 credit hours, had …


Faculty/Student Perceptions Of Their Relationship In A Cross-Cultural Academic Mentoring Dyad, Amber J.S. Daniel Jan 2016

Faculty/Student Perceptions Of Their Relationship In A Cross-Cultural Academic Mentoring Dyad, Amber J.S. Daniel

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Diversity and mentoring are becoming important areas of study in leadership and educational disciplines. While some steps have been taken to conceptualize or delineate how these disparate elements function in higher education, there has been little research into how and where they intersect, namely, when mentoring dyads are comprised of individuals from diverse cultures. In this paper, the researcher shares her discoveries on how a cross-cultural academic dyad works in contemporary settings. She discusses the role of perceptions, expectations and actions-some of the essential ingredients of effective cross-cultural mentoring- which could be utilized as a guide for further study and/or …


A Structural Model Of Elementary Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices For Next Generation Science Teaching, Katahdin Abigail Cook Whitt Jan 2016

A Structural Model Of Elementary Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices For Next Generation Science Teaching, Katahdin Abigail Cook Whitt

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The publication of the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) marked a turning point in science education characterized by a shift away from the idea that students should learn about a set of science facts and toward the idea that students should figure out core science ideas by solving problems and making sense of phenomena. To successfully realize the vision for science education that was articulated in the reform documents, teachers' science classroom practices will need to change, particularly at the elementary level. Science education research has …


Non-Cognitive Factors Affecting Undergraduate Student Success In Core Composition Courses, Samantha J. Spitak Jan 2015

Non-Cognitive Factors Affecting Undergraduate Student Success In Core Composition Courses, Samantha J. Spitak

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The intention of this study was to determine what, if any, non-cognitive factors affect student performance in core composition courses. "Non-cognitive factor" is a term referring to non-academic and non-intellectual characteristics of a student's experience. These factors may be emotional, environmental, psychosocial, etc. Some prior research has been conducted on non-cognitive factors relating to admission of minority populations, but this research is likely to be outdated. Six potential non-cognitive factors were proposed for this study: Confidence, Motivation, Socioeconomic Class, Emotional Support, Campus Climate, and Living Situation. The results of this study indicated that non-cognitive factors do influence student performance in …


Examining Student Reading Gains Based On Vocabulary Instruction Based On Morphemic And Definitional Approaches, Jessica Lea Parthemore Jan 2015

Examining Student Reading Gains Based On Vocabulary Instruction Based On Morphemic And Definitional Approaches, Jessica Lea Parthemore

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There has been a multitude of research about the effect of vocabulary instruction on reading achievement. The purpose of this study was to further examine the effectiveness of specific methods of vocabulary instruction, definitional and morphemic, as measured by reading achievement on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. This research study focused on 5 suburban classrooms in the Midwest, three teaching definitional methods and two teaching morphemic methods. The data were analyzed using a 2X 2 ANOVA to determine which method had the most effect on reading achievement, definitional or morphemic. The analyses revealed that there is a significant …


The Transfer Student Experience: Challenges And Institutional Support Systems For Undergraduate Transfer Students At A Public Four-Year University, Olivia Vanessa Matthews Jan 2015

The Transfer Student Experience: Challenges And Institutional Support Systems For Undergraduate Transfer Students At A Public Four-Year University, Olivia Vanessa Matthews

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The transfer student population is rising on college campuses in the United States. Institutions of higher education should better understand how to support this growing, diverse population. This qualitative study of transfer students investigates what transitional challenges these students face, how they utilize institutional support services to assist them with these challenges, and if they feel appreciated, welcomed, and supported in their new environment. Focus group sessions and a demographic questionnaire were used to obtain data in this study. Participants invited to participate were second term transfer students who began at their current institution during the fall of 2014. Transfer …


The Impact Of First Year Seminar Courses Career Development Component On The Career Decision Making Process Of Undecided College Students, Rashica Lenice Ward Jan 2014

The Impact Of First Year Seminar Courses Career Development Component On The Career Decision Making Process Of Undecided College Students, Rashica Lenice Ward

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The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a career development component in a first year seminar course on the dysfunctional career thoughts of undecided first year college students, as measured by the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI). The intent was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in students exposed to the career development component in First Year Seminar courses as compared to students who were not by comparing the means of their CTI total scores. Also, for those students who were exposed to career development in a first year seminar course the study aimed …