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Taylor University Catalog 2015-2016, Taylor University

Undergraduate Catalogs

The 2015-2016 academic catalog of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

A Culture That Aspires, A Culture That Inspires: A Case Study Analysis Of The Calvin College Philosophy Department, Hannah M. Adderley

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

This study explored both the history and current practices of the Calvin College philosophy department with the intention of forming an assessment of a successful, reputable academic department. The purpose of the study was to determine what characteristics of this department’s culture could be adapted and implemented to enrich other academic departments across varying disciplines and institutional types. To capture the essence of this productive departmental culture, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 participants connected to the department; these participants included current students, past and present faculty, program assistants, a former provost, and a local educational historian. Results indicated …

A Phenomenological Study Of Bicultural Competence Among International Students, Kiplangat Cheruiyot Bii

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

International students come from cultures different from the ones predominant in small colleges in the US. Overcoming the differences during the transition to college proves critical for integration, persistence, and, more importantly, involvement and engagement. To overcome the cultural differences, international students develop bicultural competence. Bicultural competence refers to someone’s internationalization of more than one culture in order to function effectively and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships in those cultures. For international students in transition, bicultural competence involves acquiring competency in the predominant American culture in college while maintaining their identity in their heritage culture. The present study uses a phenomenological …

Korean International Students In The Midwest: How Do They Understand Integration?, Jordan T. Bolte

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

South Korean international students represent a significant portion of international students in the United States, yet research shows they have a difficult time integrating at American institutions. These students face challenges socially, culturally, academically, and emotionally when they come to the US. Many higher education institutions try to provide support programming and services for these international students, but the students still do not integrate into the larger student body. The present study sought to determine how South Korean international students understood integration and how they integrated at two American higher education institutions. The researcher conducted ten semi-structured interviews with ten …

Man Up Or Man Down?: Male Perceptions Of Gender Identity, Matthew N. Barr

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Beginning during childhood, males learn to act in certain ways that will define them as masculine. Society expects boys to play with certain toys, not show emotion, and show aggressiveness. These expectations only increase as men age. By the time males enter college, they can be expected to take part in binge drinking, dangerous behavior, and sexual promiscuity. Research has shown many variables could affect male perceptions of gender identity during college. The current study aimed to investigate male perceptions of gender identity on two college campuses. The researcher distributed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) at two different faith-based institutions …

Embodying Man: A Phenomenological Study Of Body Image And Its Relationship To Masculinity, D'Andre Coats

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Many factors correlate with positive and negative body image issues in American culture today. Both men and women have a potential to struggle with negative and positive views of their bodies. However, body dissatisfaction has become commonly mistaken as an issue only impacting women. The present study sought to understand male body image and how it connects to a man’s view of his masculinity. The phenomenological study took place at a small, faith-based, residential campus in the Midwest and examined the experiences of eight male students at this institution. All participants mentioned family members as integral factors in helping them …

Bereaved College Students' Experiences With Peer Support, Tianna F. Clark

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Many college students leave college having experienced the death of someone close to them. Research shows grief has both emotional and physical effects on college students, making their time in school challenging. While research on the effects of bereavement on college students exists, research on the support peers offer to bereaved college students during this time remains scarce. The present study sought to gain a deeper understanding of college student bereavement by answering the following research question: What are bereaved college students’ experiences with peer support within residence life? Using a phenomenological qualitative approach, the study explored the experiences of …

Learning To Live Together: Measuring Global Perspective Through Roommate Pairing, Drew Crane

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The present study examined the role of global perspective development on college students, focusing on international and domestic student roommate pairings. The literature review explored the role of global citizen development among college students, international student transitions, and the role of residence life in college student development, as well as how all these aspects inform and impact development of global perspective. The methodology utilized a mixed methods approach including both quantitative pretest and posttest surveys and qualitative interview questions. The quantitative data utilized the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI), while the qualitative included two email interview questions. According to the key …

Mentoring Self-Authorship: A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Mentoring On Self-Authorship, Grant M. Henry

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

A deepened understanding of the impact mentorship has on the formation of college student self-authorship proves necessary to best inform the mentoring practices of student affairs practitioners. The present study therefore examined the impact a mentoring relationship with a student affairs professional has on the development of student self-authorship. Through a qualitative approach, the current research took the responses of sixteen student mentees to determine the impact of mentorship and then identified the key aspects of mentoring most significant in fostering self-authorship. The report below presented essential characteristics for a student affairs mentor and effective mentoring approaches.

Continued Service: A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Immersive Service-Learning Courses, Jonathan T. Mcilvaine

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The present study sought to understand the impact of service-learning courses on students’ attitudes and goals toward education and future civic engagement. The research gathered responses from eight college students who participated in a service-learning course titled “Small Island Sustainability” that took place in the Bahamas. The following three research questions guided the study: 1) How do immersive service-learning courses impact attitudes toward future civic engagement? 2) How do immersive service-learning courses impact goals of future civic engagement? 3) How has a service-learning experience impacted the view of the importance of education? The study utilized a grounded theory design, resulting …

Healthy Habits, Holy Habits: Spirituality's Relationship To College Students' Health, Lindsay M. Hubbell

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The current study examined the relationship between spirituality and college students’ health behaviors and beliefs. As participants, the researcher selected one thousand twenty undergraduate students who previously participated in Wave 3 of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) Wave 3. The researcher used the NSYR Wave 3 archival data to find descriptive statistics, as well as obtain students’ level of spirituality and specific college student health behaviors and beliefs. The study supported and contradicted previous literature related to college students’ spirituality and health behaviors and beliefs. The significance of the study helps higher education professionals understand the role …

Experiential Empathy: The Impact Of Service-Learning Immersion Experiences On College Students' Cross-Cultural Empathy, Amy Lynne Nicols

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The purpose of the study is to understand the impact of service-learning immersion experiences on college students’ expression of cross-cultural empathy. The research question states: “How do intercultural service-learning programs impact a college student’s expression of cross-cultural empathy?” The research represented insights about a shared experience from eight participants who attended a small, faith-based, liberal arts institution in the Midwest. These students are part of a living-learning community; however, they participated in four different programs in domestic and international locations that allowed them to work with orphans and vulnerable children in an intercultural context. The researcher employed a phenomenological approach …

Disrupting The Cycle Of Self-Objectification, Hayley G. Meredith

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

From a young age, women face exposure to fat talk. Though many women tend to assume this normative way of communicating about the body as a helpful means of coping with body shame and dissatisfaction, past literature has created a strong case against this assumption. Fat talk plays a subtle role in the self-objectification process and poses a significant threat to the positive identity development of young women. Development of a feminist identity has demonstrated a capacity to positively disrupt the propensity for women to self-objectify. The current study explored the relationship between feminist identity development, fat talk, and self-objectification. …

A Faith That Endures? An Exploration Of The Perceived Influence Of Parental Control And Responsiveness On The Spiritual Change Of College Students, Joshua P. Riedel

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Research showed parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) significantly influence child and adolescent development. Other studies consistently highlighted the many changes in an individual’s spirituality during his or her time at college. However, little research exists examining the overlap of parenting styles during childhood and spiritual change during college, and the present study focused on this intersection. The present study examined the relationship between parental control and parental responsiveness—two key traits in the well-developed theory of parenting styles and spiritual change in college. The study analyzed data from the National Study of Youth and Religion to examine this relationship. The …

A Different Kind Of Home: The Impact Of Residential Colleges On Student Learning And Development, Seth Oldham

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of residential colleges on student learning and development. Residential colleges are living-learning programs that have a few common characteristics: a commitment to multidisciplinarity; multigenerational organization (an assumption that students from all classifications—first-year through graduate students—strengthen the learning environment); live-in faculty leadership; and mission-centric spaces that speak to the holistic nature of the learning philosophy” (Penven, Stephens, Shushok, & Keith, 2013, p. 116). Two research questions guided this study:

1. What is the impact of residential colleges on student learning?
2. What is the impact of residential colleges on student development?

This study …

Encouraging Student Involvement And Engagement To Foster A Deep Sense Of Calling, Kirsten D. Tenhaken

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Because college students consistently explore questions of meaning and purpose, the present study aimed to further equip calling and career counselors to intentionally join students in this pursuit. Using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s Freshman Survey and College Senior Survey, the study sought to distinguish between forms of involvement and engagement associated with positive change as compared to negative change in a student’s sense of calling. The researcher developed an operational definition of calling by combing two critical components: an internal sense of self and an external sense of purpose. The study employed the definition to create an …

The Strategic State Of Information Literacy Implementation In Christian Higher Education, Shawn D. Denny

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

This thesis examines the strategic state of information literacy as implemented across Christian higher education (CHE) represented by the member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) located in the United States. The study uses a quantitative approach to measure and describe the existent state and longitudinal change in the responses to information literacy questions from the results of the IES National Center for Educational Statistics biennial survey of academic libraries from 2004 through 2012. It presents a descriptive summary of the responses from CCCU and non-CCCU schools in an initial effort to determine to show Christian …

The Fort Wayne Vine, Fort Wayne Alumni Center Heritage Association

TUFW Alumni Publications (All)

The Winter 2015 edition of The Fort Wayne Alumnus, published by Taylor University Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana.