Education Commons^™

Getting Involved: Navigating Rural Student Supports In Higher Education, Lucy Karpukhno

Culminating Experience Projects

Rural students face unique challenges in navigating opportunities to find community and access support in higher education, despite these opportunities being critical to success. Factors such as geographic isolation, limited resources, and unfamiliarity with campus environments can exacerbate these challenges, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to enhance rural student outcomes in higher education. Getting involved on campus and having a sense of belonging has long been cited as important facets to promoting student success. This project seeks to develop a targeted orientation program with informative presentations, inclusive social events, and hands-on opportunities to experience a variety of clubs and …

Feeling At Home In The Basic Communication Course: A Qualitative Case Study Of Faculty And Student Perceptions Of A Connected Classroom Climate At One Midwestern University, Cynthia A. Grobmeier

Dissertations of Practice

The concept of a connected classroom climate considers that peer-to-peer interaction, not just instructor-student interaction, contributes to a sense of community in the classroom that can impact student outcomes. This qualitative case study considers both student and instructor perceptions of what contributes to that sense of connection in the classroom at a mid-size, four-year, Hispanic-serving university. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and member checks with students and instructors who engaged in the first-year basic communication course during the Spring 2022 semester. Five themes emerged in this study: a) the communication classroom is uniquely positioned to create a sense of …

Creating Community Among Women Of Color In Stem At The University Of San Diego, Alejandro Picasso

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Women of color (WOC) are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and many feel disconnected from their fields of study. At the University of San Diego (USD), a predominately White institution, WOC in STEM are particularly underrepresented. Thus, I explored how USD might create a community that could enhance the belonging, retention, and the future success of WOC in STEM. I sought to learn if the USD environment welcomed and allowed WOC to feel they belonged. Findings indicated USD and the STEM departments provide these students with a welcoming environment. However, the lack of representation of WOC faculty …

Establishing A Sense Of Community While Meeting The Needs Of Online Adjunct Instructors, Melissa Weber

Dissertations and Theses

As online adjunct instructors continue to fill an instructional role and meet the needs of online learners, university leaders need to look for ways for professional development to increase online adjunct instructors’ sense of community and meet their diverse needs. The critical problem of this study recognized that online adjunct instructors have different needs than those of on campus faculty; these needs are not being met by traditional means currently used in university settings. Therefore, the overall goal of this qualitative phenomenological study sought to explore how university leaders could establish a sense of community while meeting the professional development …

Extra-Institutional Bonded Social Networks: A Qualitative Study On Their Impacts On Adult Learner Entry/Re-Entry, Persistence, And Transfer/Graduation At A Technical And Community College, Matthew J. Leisen

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Adult Learners are no longer a minority population in the higher education landscape in the United States. They enter and re-enter technical and community colleges with a vast array of experiences and are often influenced by their Extra-Institutional Bonded Social Networks (EIBSN) which are identified in this research as: Family, Friends, Work, Community, and Religious/Spiritual. The college student’s academic journey is outlined in three major phases, what are identified in this research as: Entry/Re-Entry, Persistence, and Transfer/Graduation. This study researches the social impacts of the five identified EIBSN at each of the three phases and is underpinned by several theorists’ …

First-Generation Students And The Challenges Faced Towards Their Sense Of Community At A 4-Year University, Jorge L. Gonzalez-Palacios

Theses and Dissertations

"It takes a village to raise a child." Such simple words, yet the power it holds behind it is something not to be overlooked. The aspect of community, especially in a college campus setting, is something all students should have the opportunity to cherish. From K-12, we slowly begin to create our very own village, filled by various individuals that pertain to one's own experience. These individuals guide us and grant us knowledge when needed most, but as we mature, and at some point, leave this village to begin our journey into adulthood, we find ourselves having to begin anew, …

Video Communication: Explorations Of Community And Connectedness, And Closeness In Online Courses, Eric S. Belt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Educators and students are using synchronous and asynchronous video communication technologies in unprecedented ways given the ongoing global pandemic. Despite continued educational research on video communication technology, less is known about the social implications of these forms of communication. Online learning has faced challenges (e.g., learner isolation, technological competency, and time management) since its inception; these challenges have been exacerbated in the rapid transition to emergency remote teaching. Given problems like these, additional research is needed to better understand how video communication technology can be used to improve communication and interaction in online learning. The following dissertation presents a series …

Educating Asian American College Students On The Importance Of Community And Mentorship, Jeah Limbag

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many college students may find it challenging to discover and create a supportive and consistent community or establish meaningful relationships in school. Asian American college students, in particular, have cultural values, experiences, and ideologies that can limit seeking mentors and establishing a social support network. The consequences of this could be increased feelings of loneliness and isolation, worse mental health, lower academic performance, lower attendance, and an increased likelihood of dropping out of school. To address these challenges, I have created an interactive presentation bringing awareness of the importance of mentorship and community to students in the Asian and Pacific …

"It’S A Lot Of Work To Be Native": Using Storytelling To Examine The Needs Of Native American Students At The University Of San Diego, Kasandra Tong

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The University of San Diego’s (USD) Race/Ethnicity Federal Reports show that for the last 17 years, the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students at USD has not risen above 1% (University of San Diego, n.d.). This data requires further disaggregation because the current data only represents students that solely checked American Indian/Alaska Native and does not include students who identify as biracial or multi-racial. The purpose of my research was to identify what efforts are needed to improve the experience of Native American students at USD. My research question was what factors are needed to improve the existing experience of …

In Search Of Kinship: Traveling Into New Worlds Through Conversation And The Impact On Building Community, Daniel E. Mcclary Ed.D

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This dissertation reports on qualitative research done with a phenomenological methodology on the topic of building community. This was explored through the voices of over 200 participants representing more than 30 countries. Surveys and in-depth interviews examined international experiences and cultural background of participants alongside many stakeholder voices from within higher education, including international and domestic students, faculty, and staff. Though the study and application is focused on a higher education context, the research has broader implications to society in looking at how intentional conversations across cultural symmetry impacts relationships and community building. The data touched on feelings of isolation …

Para La Comunidad: Centralizing Latinx Scholars At An Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, Valerie Mora

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This study highlights Latinx student experiences, through storytelling, to identify existing services and resources aiding Latinx academic success at the University of San Diego (USD), while also exploring what additional resources are needed to aid Latinx scholars’ belonging and mattering at a Catholic, predominantly White institution (PWI). Latinx student enrollment rates at colleges and universities have increased nationwide, leading institutions to consider the Hispanic -serving Institution (HSI) federal designation to gain access to discretionary grant opportunities. For HSI designation, institutions must have at least 25% of their student population categorized as Hispanic, and 50% of Hispanic students must be Pell …

The Influence Of Course Community And Personal Community Support On Learner Engagement In Online Courses, Kristin Kipp

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Borup, Graham, West, Archambault, and Spring (2020) theorized that a student’s level of engagement in an online course is influenced by course community support and personal community support, with both factors helping a student to achieve a level of engagement that is not possible independently. In other words, an individual student’s ability to engage in an online course can be explained by the kinds of community a student finds within a course and their social support from friends, family, and community as they take the class. The purpose of this study is to understand to what extent course community support …

Student-Centered Learning Spaces During A Pandemic, Rebeccah J. Maley

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the experience second year, live on students study habits in outside academic spaces during a pandemic from 2020-2021 academic year. Through gathered testimonies of residents it was found students value their communities, appreciate localized spaces for collaboration, and acknowledged various influences that can enhance or inhibit their ability to study. Additionally, they shared the impact COVID-19 had on their personal lives, academics, and how they interacted with others. It was found that holistic measures are needed for students to be successful in outside academic spaces. This study brought attention to these measures …

Approaches To Curricular And Co-Curricular Community Engagement With College Students: Building Relationships, Shifting Power, And Developing A Social Justice Mindset, Luci-Jo Dimaggio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Which programmatic principles of community engagement have a higher potential to irritate the beliefs that college students hold regarding their own power, privilege, understanding of social justice? This study takes a qualitative approach to the exploration of three groups of students representing curricular community engagement, co-curricular community engagement, and a hybrid model. Data showed that reflection and education as components of community engagement with college students allow students to better develop characteristics indicative of a social justice mindset.

Recognizing Resiliency In The Experiences Of Current And Former Foster Youth In Higher Education, Laura Rivera

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This study explored current and former foster programming from local San Diego community colleges and a San Diego four-year institution to provide insight and recommendations to increase enrollment and retention of foster youth at the University of San Diego for their program Torero Renaissance Scholars. My participants included current and former foster youth who either had attended a local San Diego community college or a San Diego four-year institution. Through my focus group, one-on-one interviews, and my surveys, participants recommended a high need for four-year institutions to begin college outreach in K-12 education and inclusion of holistic resources (leadership workshops, …

The Power Of Pursuing Lifelong Learning, Natalina Decker

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This study examined student’s access to advanced education and how parents, school personnel, and community members could prepare students for life beyond K-12 education. Due to the CO-VID Pandemic, this study was limited to a literature review of multiple scholarly and peer-reviewed articles. Analyzation of these articles revealed several trends in the opportunity gap, the importance of school-family-community partnerships, and the benefit of resources that assist future high school graduates with the necessary knowledge and tools needed to apply for undergraduate or vocational programs. Findings also indicate that academic preparation and support for young scholars throughout their K-12 education are …

A Reexamination Of The Freshwater Mussel Community Of The Little Miami River, Emily Davis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Understanding the changes in biodiversity and local freshwater mussel populations is critical to mitigate the risks to these populations. Freshwater ecosystems continue to degrade rapidly. The freshwater mussel community of the Little Miami River is degraded and has been in decline for many years. The biodiversity contained within freshwater ecosystems is lost at unprecedented rates influenced by human activity. Freshwater mussels play a key role in understanding the effects of human activity on freshwater ecosystems as well as maintaining the health of freshwater habitats. However, they are also sensitive to changes and disturbances, in their ecosystems. This study involved monitoring …

Collective Healing Within Queer Paradoxes: Deconstructing Emotional Abuse In Lgbtq2sia* Communities To Cultivate More Accountable And Compassionate Worlds, Alexia Siebuhr

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Emotional abuses within LGBTQ2SIA* communities are rarely acknowledged as existing or often normalized. Through care and anti-oppression works, transformative justice models such as community and self-accountability have helped carve out ways of addressing harm directly and breaking cycles of violence. The research in this thesis has been through mixed qualitative methodologies including semi-structured interviews and surveys. The participants' along with other authors, artists, activists and scholars’ narratives draws upon the experiences of emotional abuse lived within structural and social surveillance. The settler colonial state sanctioned projects have responded to harm by perpetuating violence upon those most marginalized. Deconstructing emotional abuse …

The Impact Of Physical Space In The College Union And Students' Sense Of Community On Campus, Erik A. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that physical spaces in The Chamberlain Student Center had on participants' sense of community on campus. A survey was distributed to 600 undergraduate students to determine the extent to which participants believed various locations within the facility either enhanced or diminished their sense of community on campus. Of the 600 surveys distributed, 73 responses were collected, yielding a response rate of 12%. Results show that there is no statistically significant relationship between any specific space in The Chamberlain Student Center. However, data showed that there is a relationship between students …

A Collaborative Approach Toward Onboarding For Graduate And Law Students, Yuri Kwak

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this action research was to examine the silo effect across schools when onboarding graduate and law students to the University of San Diego. My research question was, how can I collaborate with students and administrators in enhancing the onboarding experience to foster a sense of community for graduate and law students across campus? By evaluating administrators’ practices and graduate and law students’ experiences, I found that creating a culture of communication among administrators and involving graduate student leaders are key steps toward standardizing onboarding processes and designing opportunities for engagement among all incoming graduate and law students.

Promoting Community Through Caring Leadership: An Action Research Project, Hazel Claros

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The overall purpose of this study was to increase collaboration across USD’s decentralized graduate admission departments through the approach of caring leadership (Uusiautti, 2013). The study was guided by the overarching question: How can I use caring leadership (Uusiautti, 2013) within academic affairs to encourage effective collaboration and understanding and foster a sense of community across departments? It was also guided by the sub-questions: Does gender impact the practices of collaboration and exchange of ideas within decentralized admission offices? If so, how does the current culture and structure of USD’s graduate admission offices aid/impede the practice of caring leadership (Uusiautti, …

A Case Study Of The Umpqua Community College Shooting, Timothy P. Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the deadliest shooting that has happened on a community college campus. The following research questions guided this dissertation study: (1) What was the law enforcement response to the deadliest community college campus shooting in history? (2) Did previous mass shootings inform the law enforcement response to the deadliest community college campus shooting? (3) What implications for practice can be derived by studying the deadliest of these shootings? This case study utilized multiple sources of information, from official police reports, official institutional reports, archives of publications, and participant interviews from some of the …

Llevo Resilencia En La Frente: The Influence Of Community On The Thriving Of Latinas In College, Clarisse Salazar

Scripps Senior Theses

Latinas in college are systematically disadvantaged and face many unique stressors and adversities such as race-related discrimination and family stress; however, perceived availability of social support has been shown to have positive effects on students, such as positively influencing adjustment and academic persistence. In an effort to determine what factors help Latinas thrive in college, an experimental study with a 2x2 factorial design is proposed to investigate if in the face of adversity, does peer support/community preserve the thriving of Latinas in college. Community is defined by sense of membership and validation, and both will be manipulated in the in-lab …

An Examination Of College Persistence Factors For Students From Different Rural Communities: A Multilevel Analysis, Andrew Hudacs

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Students transitioning into college from public school require more than just academic readiness; they also need the personal attributes that allow them to successfully transition into a new community (Braxton, Doyle, Hartley III, Hirschy, Jones, & McLendon, 2014; Nora, 2002; Nora, 2004; Tinto, 1975). Rural students have a different educational experience than their peers at schools in suburban and urban locations (DeYoung & Howley, 1990; Gjelten, 1982). Additionally, the resources, culture, and educational opportunities at rural schools also vary among different types of rural communities. Although some studies have examined the influence of rural students' academic achievement on college access …

Conceptualizing University Education Abroad Programs Using A Mutualistic Process: A Community Perspective, Tara A. Mcclintic

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

In the growing trend of education abroad, students in higher education are expected to become global citizens. While the literature supports the notion that students can positively benefit from the process of international education, yet little research exists in determining the community’s roles and perspectives and to evaluate mutually beneficial outcomes. This study identifies the three phases of international education, pre-immersion, immersion and post-immersion and overlays the biological concepts of symbiosis to capture the community voice to create mutualistic programs in education abroad. The results indicate that not only is there a role for communities, but that communities need to …

Red Dirt Writing: Journalism, Foucault And The Transformation Of Onslow, Karma Louise Barndon

Theses : Honours

The remote town of Onslow in the Pilbara region of WA plays host to two massive liquefied natural gas plants that will contribute billions to the state and national economy over the next 50 years. Recognising the importance of creating a first draft of history, the Tracking Onslow project was launched in 2012 by ECU and the Shire of Ashburton, to use journalism as a research methodology to document physical changes in the town and changing community perceptions about the gas plants and the companies that run them. The project produced six magazines over a three-year period. This practice-led thesis …

Microblogging As A Facilitator Of Online Community In Graduate Education, Vincent Anthony Rhodes

English Theses & Dissertations

Part-time and distance-learning students can experience a sense of isolation from their peers and the university. Concern about this isolation and resulting student attrition has increased in the midst of explosive growth in online course enrollments. One possible solution: building a stronger sense of community within the online graduate classroom using microblogging technology such as Twitter. Unfortunately, scholars across disciplines define community in different ways with some rejecting the concept altogether in favor of other theoretical constructs. And, few scholars have examined the notion of online classroom community from an English Studies perspective exploring the rhetorical exigencies that underpin this …

The Voices Of Higher Education Service-Learning Directors: A Qualitative Inductive Analysis, Kelsey Woodard

Dissertations

This research explored issues surrounding service-learning directors (SLDs) within higher education institutions, including who they are, how they became SLDs, and what they experience in the role. Qualitative data were drawn from in-depth interviews of 11 SLDs, as well as review of their vitaes. A qualitative inductive analysis was conducted in which important patterns, themes, and interrelationships that emerged from the data were coded into a category system of major themes and subthemes.

Data analysis revealed the following major themes: (1.0): all the SLDs came from various helping profession backgrounds, with interesting journeys to become a SLD; (2.0) many SLD’s …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Campus Involvement And Perception Of Community Among Seniors Attending Mississippi's Public Universities, James Edward Hood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between level of involvement and perception of community for senior students attending Mississippi's public universities. Data were collected using an online survey instrument consisting of questions from the college and university community inventory (Mcdonald, 1997) to measure community constructs and the college student experiences questionnaire (pace & Kuh, 1998) to measure involvement constructs. The study was conducted during the spring 2011 term and included 1,086 senior students. Resulting Pearson's correlation figures suggest a moderately significant relationship exists between level of involvement and perception of community for students in the study. This relationship …

Trait Differences In Gender In Technology Use And Study Habits Of Rural Community College Students, Phillip Marc Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore the trait differences by gender of the study habits and technology use patterns of rural community college students. Significant research and data presently exists at the university level specific to study habits and technology use, but little research had been conducted targeting those topics in a rural community college setting.

The following questions guided the research:

1. What were the study habits of rural community college students?

2. How did rural community college students use technology?

3. Were there significant differences, by gender, in the study habits of rural community college …