Education Commons^™

Female Student Affairs Professionals And Work-Life Balance, Debra K. Deminck

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how mothers, working as mid-level student affairs professionals, perceive and navigate their dual roles at work and in the home. This study asked the following: how does the participant’s sense of identity, relational style, adaptive style, and drive and motivation shape her work-life balance decisions and practices? What personal strategies are these working mothers using as they respond to the demands of the dual roles of professional and parent? Using a basic qualitative research design, I explored the work-life experiences of eight female student affairs professionals through participant interviews. Data …

Lgbtq Mid-Level Administrators Of Color In Student Affairs: Experiences Of Support And Resilience, Saby Leimomi Labor

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

Existing literature provides an insufficient understanding of the lived experiences of LGBTQ Student Affairs Mid-Level Administrators and particularly from a strengths-based approach. This study applied a life story interview approach to the exploration of the support and resilience experiences of mid-level Student Affairs administrators who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two spirit and/or queer (LGTBTTQ) and a person of color or indigenous (POCI), using a theoretical framework comprised of the ecological systems approach (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), queer theory (Jagose, 1996; Plummer, 2005; Watson, 2005) and intersectionality (Collins, 1998; Crenshaw, 1991; McCall, 2005). Findings of this study include a wide range …

Experiences Of Bangladeshi Undergraduate International Students’ Studying In The United States, Kristy Modrow

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This qualitative research explored the experiences and needs of undergraduate Bangladeshi international students studying in the United States. The purpose of this research was to understand the needs of undergraduate Bangladeshi international students so college campuses could best serve this population. Eleven undergraduate Bangladeshi international students at an Upper Midwest regional comprehensive university participated in this qualitative research study. This researched showed that while studying in the United States undergraduate Bangladeshi students experience academic stressors such as: academic performance expectations, classroom norms, student relationships with professors, student to student relationships. They also experience sociocultural stressors such as: culture shock, social …

The Effect Of Lgbt Resource Centers On Student Success & Engagement, Kristopher A. Oliveira

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This quantitative study was developed to determine whether involvement in a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Resource Center had a measureable impact on the success, engagement, and retention of LGBTQ students at St. Cloud State University. Success included academic completion and grade point average (GPA); engagement included the number of times and type of participation in the LGBT Resource Center; and retention was measured by the student’s self-reported intention of returning to the university. An online survey was sent to all students (undergraduate and graduate) at St. Cloud State University in the spring semester of 2017. Approximately 500 …

Finding Voice: A History Of The Minnesota Two-Year College Faculty Union, Shawn E. Mueske

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

A comprehensive history of the Minnesota two-year college faculty union was compiled with emphasis placed upon union organization, leadership, activities, events, faculty satisfaction levels, and relationship to national education labor movements. The Hirschman exit, voice, and loyalty theory provided the conceptual framework of the project. Total faculty satisfaction was determined by the combination of academic, working conditions, and governance factors experienced in the profession. Faculty satisfaction was influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors coupled with a procedural and distributive justice evaluation. When total satisfaction dropped to unacceptable levels faculty faced a dilemma. Highly dissatisfied faculty either exited the profession/institution or …

Students' Performance On Institutional Learning Outcomes, Cheryl R. Norman

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

In response to increased attention within higher education to develop essential learning outcomes, faculty and administrators have worked to measure students’ performance in relation to these outcomes. Students’ learning is often measured through standardized tests or students’ perception of their learning, rather than authentic learning that is connected to the curriculum. This study incorporated results from one institution’s involvement in the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) project to assess learning outcomes using the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics. The learning outcomes assessed included critical thinking, quantitative literacy, and written communication. The purpose of this …

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Concerning Satisfaction,, Jim S. Knutson-Kolodzne

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This study investigated the patterns of student involvement, the level of satisfaction and acculturation of American Indian college students to determine if a relationship existed between these processes. This study gathered data from 139 students between the ages of 18-54 who self-identify as American Indian. This study included men and women. Four state colleges and universities participated in the study. Data was gathered in the spring semester 2016 using two instruments: the College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ) and the Native American Acculturation scale (NAAS) that were combined on an on-line survey. The data analysis used descriptive statistics, with a T-Test …

Predictors Of Faculty Intentions To Refer Students With Mental Health Concerns To Mental Health Professionals, Jessica Tye

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

Abstract

College students’ mental health has become a crucial issue in recent years after the violent acts at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Northern Illinois University (Kraft, 2011). The National College Health Assessment conducted by the American College Health Association found that one in twelve college students reported having seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months (American College Health Association, 2014). The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify belief-based predictors of faculty members’ intentions to refer students with mental health concerns to a mental health professional. The participants were N = 149 faculty members at …

Campus Activities Boards: Student Self Ratings For Officers And Committee Members, Mary Tosch

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This study explored student self-ratings of leaders and members of the campus activities board on the ten NACA core competencies at seven Midwest public institutions. Advisor ratings were collected and compared to students’ ratings and length of time of participation for students was also collected. Student and advisor ratings were negatively correlated and there was a statistical significant difference in the means. Student leaders and members did not show any difference on self-ratings of the ten core competencies and length of time did not impact the ratings either.

Assessing The Needs Of Non-Monosexual Students Related To Campus Lgbt Services, Sidney R. Gardner

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This research looked at the current campus climate for non-monosexual people and whether or not non-monosexual students felt understood and supported through current LGBTQ programs, services, and resources on their campus. The purpose of this research was to understand how LGBTQ centers/offices/services could best serve non-monosexual student populations. Ten undergraduate, mostly female identified, non-monosexual students at a large research intensive institution in the south participated in this basic qualitative research study. This research showed that non-monosexual students’ needs are not entirely being addressed through current programs, resources, and services on campus. According to this research, students were able to find …

Engaging Master’S Students: The Forgotten Population, Caitlin Lindsay

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This study evaluated the way in which master’s degree students report engagement at three institutions within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU. Utilizing a quantitative online survey, participants’ perspectives were compared based on age, relationship status, and family status to determine factors which influence their engagement. Overall, the population reported engagement as related to both academic and social factors; however, their views of the statistically significant factors differed.

Key factors included family, academic, and work demands. Single participants, 20-24 year olds, and single participants who either had no children or were expecting were more likely to report statistically …

Marijuana Use Among Community College Students: A Study Of Academic And Social Involvement, Matthew J. Borcherding

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This quantitative study examined the effects of marijuana on academic and social involvement in undergraduates using a structural equation model. The study was conducted at a mid-sized comprehensive community college in the mid-West and was guided by Astin’s (1985) theory of student involvement and by Anderson’s (1998) cultural identity theory of drug abuse.

A survey link was e-mailed to all 4,527 eligible students at the college and 573 students participated in the study. Of the 573 students, 194 identified as users of marijuana and were used as the primary basis of the study. The data from the survey were used …

International Students Adjustment To College: The Relationships Between Adjustment, Background Characteristics And Student Success, Ghulam Yahya Ahmadi

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

Abstract

This quantitative study examined the relationships between international students’ background characteristics, adjustment to college and academic success in the United States. An online survey questionnaire was sent to all graduate and undergraduate degree-seeking international students (935 students) studying in Saint Cloud State University in the spring semester 2016 and 149 (nearly 16%) completed questionnaires were returned. The data was collected using a modified version of Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire developed by Gomez et al. (2014). Independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA tests were used to study the relationship between students’ background characteristics and five adjustment sub-scales. Multiple …

The Influence Of Advanced Preparation Program Transition Experiences On Students Of Color, Brian P. K Johanson Sebera

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

Abstract

This study looks at the impacts of the Advanced Preparation Program (APP) experiences on students of color at St. Cloud State University. Both Astin’s (1993) Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) model and Schlossberg’s Theory (1981) were utilized to determine and understand what impact various environmental experiences had on student outcomes. Through the application of qualitative research methodologies, interviews were conducted to find recurring themes within the shared experiences. Six emerging themes were utilized to share the experiences of each student, pointing specifically to environmental experiences which impacted their ability to sustain academically. The themes reflected the importance of engagement during the transition …

The Development Of Critical Thinking Skills In Undergraduate Students, Karla J. Saeger

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This quantitative study investigated whether alternative instructional approaches to develop critical thinking, exemplified by different general education requirements in two different Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) institutions, impacted the development of critical thinking skills among undergraduate students. This study is framed by Ennis’s classification of general, infused, immersed, and mixed instructional approaches.

St. Cloud State University and Winona State University, two MnSCU institutions, share a collective definition of critical thinking and a common goal of developing critical thinking in undergraduate students. St. Cloud State University and Winona State University do, however, differ in approaches to fulfilling the goal area …

Past, Present, Future: Times Of Change For Continuing Education Units In Higher Education Institutions, Gail M. Ruhland

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This is a qualitative multiple case study that analyzes and compares the purpose, roles, and drivers of change for continuing education divisions in public, four-year, post baccalaureate, comprehensive higher education institutions in the United States. The research stems from a historical standpoint. This study also examined processes carried out by continuing education leadership to demonstrate quality and accountability to their higher education institutions. This investigation focuses on the distinctive drivers that have triggered and influenced changes in continuing education units within higher education institutions.

The findings from this study illuminated areas in need of development and enhancement of continuing education …