Education Commons^™

Love At The Center: Envisioning What Higher Education Could Be, Stacey D. Garrett

The Vermont Connection

Extending from a larger autoethnographic project, this scholarly personal narrative will portray one program director’s vision for the field of higher education. ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Higher Education framework calls upon practitioners and scholars to start from a place of love. The field of higher education and student affairs was built on operating with an ethic of care. The pressures of a neo-liberal society work to dehumanize members of the field, turning us into cogs in a machine rather than human beings filled with hopes and dreams. This scholarly personal narrative, based on reflections and experiences as instructor and administrator, …

Speakers Of Languages Other Than English As An Invisible Minority, Patrick Arsenault

The Vermont Connection

American higher education institutions are becoming more diversified. While there are ample recent studies on the experiences of visible minorities and the impact their college or university experience can have in their identity development and emancipation, there is a lot less on invisible minorities. Speakers of languages other than English can feel oppressed, on campuses, because they have to leave an important part of themselves at the door. There are no spaces for them to exchange and grow in their language. Speaking other languages can even be seen as a weakness. Elsewhere in the world, including in Ontario, there are …

From Disconnection To Sentience: Creating Space For Practitioners Who Experience Student Death, Kevin L. Wright

The Vermont Connection

Student crises are a common issue within higher education. When a student comes to a college campus, it is the duty and responsibility of student affairs professionals to empower them and contribute to their holistic success. Unfortunately, some students fall through the cracks and the result can conclude with a student transferring to another institution, failing their classes, dropping out of college, or in a worst-case scenario, death. Working in higher education requires hard work and heart work. There is an emotional investment in the work that is produced by scholar-practitioners. When unfortunate situations occur that result in a student’s …

An Act Of Courage: Providing Space For African American Graduate Students To Express Their Feelings Of Disconnectedness, Dr Frederick V. Engram Jr

The Vermont Connection

The purpose of this article is to discuss the lived experiences of African American graduate students (master’s level) enrolled at a predominantly white institution (PWI). I explore the experiences of graduate students lacking connection to their institution. I will also explore how institutional and systemic racism impact creating a space for African American graduate students to persist. I examine how persistence allows for these students to complete their degrees and feel a sense of connectedness to the institution. I will use the television (TV) series A Different World and The Quad to draw comparison and contrast to African American students’ …

Restorative Supervision: Experiences Of Mid And Senior-Level Professionals In Using Restorative Practices As Supervisors In Residential Life, Brandin Howard

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Student affairs professionals often enter their first supervisory positions with little to no training on how to effectively supervise others (Calhoun & Nasser, 2012; Shupp & Arminio, 2012). As professionals advance to mid- and senior-level positions, they often inherit direct and indirect supervisory responsibilities over multiple levels of staff of which they must attend to the performance, development, and morale. How student affairs professionals supervise and build supervisory relationships is essential to the success of departments and can significantly impact the development, morale, and retention of student affairs professionals (Bolman & Deal, 2013; Davis & Cooper, 2017; Winston & Creamer, …

Resilience Amidst Adversity: The Sine Qua Non Principle For Meaningful And Effective Leadership In Education, Jennifer Jang Helgesen

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Have you ever encountered difficult moments that trigger you? Do you find it difficult to monitor your internal dialogue after a setback? Do you struggle to find meaning and purpose amidst all the hardship? As leaders in higher education, we must prioritize others, often giving ourselves away in the process only to find there is nothing left within. We might feel empty, beaten down, and exhausted as others need us to repeatedly and reliably show up as competent leaders. I believe the art of cultivating resilience is the antidote for us as leaders to be meaning-filled and effective at work …

As The World Interns: The Impact Of Identity And Social, Economic, And Cultural Capital On College Student Internship Engagement, Amanda Chase

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Internships have become a critical credential for employment, and college students with internship experience reap significant gains compared to their non-interning peers. Students who have engaged in internships are more likely to find work post-graduation, earn higher starting salaries, have better retention and engagement while still in college, and are more engaged in their workplaces many years after their internship experience has concluded. Companies who hire interns benefit from a steady pipeline of new talent, cost-savings in the hiring process, and employees who stay longer and are more engaged. Despite the significant advantages of internships, limited information exists about the …

Mind The Gap: Preparing For The Future Leaders Of Small Private Colleges In New England, Jennifer Ann Sweeney Nicholls

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

At a time when the higher education as a whole is experiencing an incredible leadership turnover and a narrowing pipeline of prepared or willing leaders to step into these important roles, the industry is also experiencing more scrutiny than ever before, creating a challenging time for the leaders of these institutions. Small private colleges in New England, in particular, have their own unique set of complications, which makes finding the right kind of future leaders particularly important. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 14 small private college presidents amidst an incredibly unique set of factors which substantially complicate …

Transformative Preparation: Measuring The Intercultural Competence Development Of Higher Education And Student Affairs (Hesa) Students And Exploring The Intercultural Learning Experience Across Assistantship Sites, Rafael A. Rodriguez

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Today’s college student body reflects, among many things, the outcome of policies geared towards increasing access and diversifying the academy, efforts to recruit international students, the vast social, political, and economic disparities among marginalized populations, and the extreme cultural polarization of our times. Students on campuses have broad and individualized perspective, approaches, and values, which are culturally rooted, embedded within our socialization and often times conflict with the experiences of other students or the student affairs professionals tasked with supporting students. Student affairs practitioners must enter the field possessing a degree of intercultural competence, defined as an appropriate skillset and …

The Upsides & Downsides Of College Athletics Within The Ncaa: An Analysis Of The Rules And A Personal Account Of The Power Of Resilience, Cassidy Evelyn Derda

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

For the past five years, I have been a Division I Women’s Basketball player under the National Collegiate Athletic Association. I have played at two different schools, I have spoken to numerous investigators and lawyers, and I am now on my third set of college basketball coaches. Most athletes that enter college have one set of four-five coaches during their four-five-year period, I have had thirteen. College basketball has presented countless challenges for me mentally and psychically. For a while I thought that the adversity that I was facing as a young woman playing a high level of athletics …

Online First-Generation Students: A Qualitative Study On Retention, David Michael Dearden

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Higher education institutions face several complicated and difficult challenges and one of those challenges, student retention, has been around for many years. Tinto (2006), a major researcher on college retention whose research has spanned over four decades, suggested that one of the most widely studied areas of higher education is student retention. Since the inception of higher education, institutions have explored and researched retention strategies to combat attrition. Many of the strategies and theories that address retention focus solely on the campus-based student. With the growth of technology, online education has become a new avenue toward earning a college degree, …

La Jaula De Oro Y Dreamers: Wellness Of Latinx Undocumented College Students In A Divisive Political Climate And #45 Era Presidency, Sarah Maria Childs

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Undocumented, unafraid, and unapologetic is how our students should be able to communicate to us; yet this is not the reality for many. There are an estimated 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from high schools every year in the United States, and another 7,000 to 13,000 enrolled in colleges and universities. As of September 2017, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has granted about 800,000 individuals deferment from deportation. DREAMers are those brought to this country, are out of status, and likely also qualify for the DREAM Act if it were passed. Many undocumented students in general are …

Becoming By Believing: One Fraternity And Sorority Life Professional’S Journey In Finding Her Voice, Kimberlee Monteaux De Freitas

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

While fraternity and sorority life continues to make headlines and is called upon regularly to validate the purpose it holds to remain on college campuses today, many still believe that when fraternity and sorority are done right, it is one of the best opportunities on college campuses today outside of the classroom. Much of their success is due to the efforts and support of the fraternity and sorority life professionals.

This dissertation will offer the first Scholarly Personal Narrative of a mid-level, seasoned, fraternity and sorority life professional working in higher education. Current research shows the average age of a …

Hakujin: A Narrative Of Multiraciality And Student Development Theory In The U.S., Jenna L. Matsumura

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Reciprocal Relationship Between A Comprehensive Living-Learning Program And Institutional Culture: A Narrative Inquiry Case Study, Christopher Paul Marquart

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Over the past 50 years, living-learning programs (LLPs) have emerged as a dynamic curricular innovation in higher education. These programs are residentially based, seeking to seamlessly integrate the classroom and residence hall environments and blur the traditional boundaries between the academic and residential experiences for students (Kuh, 1996; Inkelas & Soldner, 2012). However, efforts to implement LLPs at some campuses have been met with resistance; this is not surprising, as institutions of higher education are often charged in part with preserving cultural and social norms, therefore making them naturally resistant to change (Shapiro & Levine, 1999). One of the most …

Everyone Is Anxious: A Narrative For Admissions Professionals, Students, And Parents, On College Admissions And Anxiety, Sarah Hecklau

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Written in the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style of writing, this thesis explores my personal experience as a college admissions counselor. It offers a reflection of my own college search and application experience, my perspective on the experience of today's high school students, and my professional experience working within an admissions office. The juxtaposition of these three perspectives alongside scholarly references on higher education, philosophy, and anxiety, provides a full-spectrum view of the college admissions process.

The core topic of this reflection is anxiety, and showing how each party experiences anxiety in the college search, application, and selection process. Other …

The Story Of A Foster Youths Journey Through The Maze Of Higher Education; Implications For Faculty And Staff Throughout The Campus, Lynn Wales

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As educators and higher education administrators, it is important that we connect to our students. It serves us well to learn the stories behind those beautiful eyes looking back at us, as we support their navigation through the journey of higher education. This thesis, written in a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style, will use former foster youth students, as well as at-risk youth, as the population of focus. I will relay my own personal experiences, as a former youth-in-care. I will also explore this kind of alternative upbringing, to draw closer to the conclusions and insights of the struggles and …

Powerful Peers: Resident Advisors' Experience With Restorative Practices In College Residence Hall Settings, Patience Whitworth

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the implementation of Restorative Practices (Costello, Wachtel, & Wachtel, 2009) in a residential life program at a small public university. Narrative inquiry is used to explore the perspectives of eleven resident advisors (RAs) who have been trained in Restorative Practices (RP) and are using them in their residential communities. Participants were interviewed three times over the course of one academic year. The study illuminates the RAs' perspectives, growth and experiences with RP over that year. The findings demonstrate that RP may not only provide a structure for RAs to succeed within their challenging position, but may also …

Examining Undergraduate Faculty's Competence And Confidence In Addressing Distressed And Disruptive College Students, Nicholas Efren Negrete

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Mental health issues serve as a leading barrier to academic success for college students. As mental health issues among college students continue to escalate, there is an increased likelihood in the manifestation of demonstrable distress and disruption among college students within the classroom. However, there is dearth of research surrounding faculty's confidence and competence related to college students' mental health experiences, namely experiences with students in distress or those whom are disruptive. This qualitative research study will focus on examining faculty's confidence and competence in responding to distressed and disruptive college students through an interpretevist lens. Using Noddings's (1999) Ethic …

Kenneth P. Saurman Award: But I Thought It Would Fit!: Musing On The Clash Between Expectations And Reality, Audrey Claire Redmond

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

The Final Word: Reflections From An Unlikely Faculty Member, Kathleen Manning, Ph.D.

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

A Reflection On Transitions, Bridget Turner Kelly, Ph.D., Robert Kelly, Ph.D.

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Still Have Some Growing To Do, Deborah E. Hunter, Ph.D.

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Learning From Student Affairs Professionals: Applying Lessons Of Social Justice, Equity And Inclusion In Higher Education Administration, Jeff Bukowski, Ed.D.

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming All My Parts: A Poetic Journey In Discovering Vulnerability, Carrie Wicks

The Vermont Connection

It is not until we walk the road of transition that we truly feel the way it shakes, unravels, and awakens our core. Drawing from Jones, McEwen, and Abes’ (2007) article, “Reconceptualizing the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity: The Role of Meaning-Making Capacity in the Construction of Multiple Identities” and acclaimed cultural critic, feminist, and author, bell hooks, I will explore the ways in which three of my most salient social identities helped to shape and direct my journey within student affairs. I will utilize poetry and personal narrative to explore the impacts that the change in context had …

"Queerituality": Reforming What It Means To Be A Religious Queer, Sean R. Smallwood

The Vermont Connection

College settings often place students in a petri dish where they are able to reflect on their innermost identities, values, and how they come to know the world around them. Through intentional efforts, student affairs professionals can create spaces where students are able to explore identities that society often states as being mutually exclusive. There is a body of research to help student affairs practitioners support queer-identified students developmentally (e.g. Cass’ Identity Model, Fassinger’s Model of Gay and Lesbian Identity Development, and D’Augelli’s Model of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Development). The topic of spirituality as it relates to queer …

Affirmative Action And Faculty In Higher Education, Victor A. Sánchez

The Vermont Connection

Lawsuits that dispute the need of affirmative action have surfaced since the establishment of the law in the early 1960s (Park & Liu, 2014). Higher education practitioners and faculty must expand its understanding of affirmative action, racism, and oppression to better understand the need for affirmative action. The relationship between affirmative action and faculty must be studied further to understand the role of affirmative action in higher education. This literature review defines affirmative action, provides arguments that support and oppose affirmative action, explores the relationship between affirmative action and faculty, and provides implications for higher education.

Finding My Way To Me: Coming Out And Becoming Enough, Deryka C. Nairne

The Vermont Connection

For years, I have been on a journey of self-discovery. I have a history of self-deprecation, as well as a lack of believing in being worthy of being truly loved. I have suffered, and I have triumphed on this journey. Brown’s (2010) TEDTalk surrounding shame and vulnerability spoke directly to my heart. This essay will contain those who have words that help me heal. It will focus on how I have or have not made strides to create my own meaning. The content will come from my core. It will encompass the transition and rollercoaster that is my journey to …

Out Of The Shadows And Into The Light: Liberation Through Education, Jeff P. Godowski

The Vermont Connection

The “Allegory of the Cave,” Book VII of Plato’s Republic, has been a staple in Western philosophical and political thought for millennia. Following a brief summary of Plato’s story told by Socrates, this article makes a case for using the allegory as a framework for discussing the systems of oppression created by colonialism and hegemonic control. The second part of this article discusses the ways in which Plato’s vision has been used in educational philosophy and psychology to symbolize the gradual processes of education as a means of liberation. This discussion takes the form of an analysis of Platonic developmental …

Grounded In Experience: Entering Higher-Higher Education As A Pilipino American, Eric Gerona Carnaje

The Vermont Connection

The decision to go back to school in pursuit of higher-higher education is an extremely strenuous, anxiety-stricken, self-reflective, and courageous process, especially for those that have been “out of school” for two years or more. Although there is some existing literature on nontraditional students and their journey going to college, there is even less literature on the experiences of returning students that decide to pursue a graduate degree after being academically removed from their undergraduate institution for quite some time. Thus, this paper seeks to examine some of the more specific instances experienced by graduate students, particularly those that returned …