Education Commons^™

State Funding Decision-Making For Higher Education Institutions During Capital Campaigns, Everrett Alexander Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Public higher education has experienced a decline in state funding in real dollars. This has created financial challenges for many students and their families, as well as institutions.

Tax revenue has decreased as a result of the economic recession, causing state leaders to reprioritize their fiscal responsibilities. Higher education has been viewed as a discretionary expense in competition with other state programs, so funding can, and often, does vary. Colleges and universities use alternative financial resources, most notably private fundraising, to meet their goals. The study was conducted to identify college leaders' perceptions of state funding during their institution's mega-capital …

The Role Of Higher Education In Rural Community Development, Anita Faye Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions commonly play a role in community development. Rural communities may be even more dependent on the university's investment. As higher education has looked to meet demands of stakeholders calling for greater accountability, it has become necessary for universities to be able to justify the effectiveness of these efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine the elements necessary for successful rural community development in Western Oklahoma. Utilizing the Delphi research method, 20 community development experts in rural Western Oklahoma participated in the three-round survey process. In the initial survey, participants collectively submitted a list of 41 …

Why Don't They Give Back: Alumni Giving At Two Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Jasmine A. Pope

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the literature, HBCU alumni non-donors were perceived to possess the opposite characteristics of alumni that do give financially. In order to further examine the lack of alumni giving at HBCUs, this study evaluated previously identified characteristics of HBCU alumni that choose not to financially support their alma maters. The purpose of this study was to examine how income, student experience, religious charitable giving, alumni perceptions, and alumni engagement, relate to alumni giving at HBCUs. An explanatory correlational design was used to address the research questions posed in this study. The 4,500 person sample, which consisted of donors and non-donors, …

Deciding On Science: An Analysis Of Higher Education Science Student Major Choice Criteria, Stephen Wilson White

Dissertations

The number of college students choosing to major in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the United States affects the size and quality of the American workforce (Winters, 2009). The number of graduates in these academic fields has been on the decline in the United States since the 1960s, which, according to Lips and McNeil (2009), has resulted in a diminished ability of the United States to compete in science and engineering on the world stage. The purpose of this research was to learn why students chose a STEM major and determine what decision criteria influenced this decision. According …

Outreach Practices Of A Small College Counseling Center: A Comprehensive Model To Serve The College Community, Jessica R. Ferriero

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past 10 years college counseling centers (CCCs) have been urged to broaden their focus considerably and to serve the entire campus community due to increases in student mental health issues. Engaging in outreach efforts is one way to address campus wide needs. However, few research efforts have been conducted to systematically investigate how outreach is practiced at a small college. The dialogue around outreach has focused on single programs at large institutions rather than the network of interventions that occur on a campus. The purpose of this study is to understand the web of relationships between a counseling …

The Role Of Trustees In A Capital Campaign At A Public Research University, Marcia Lynn Overby

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing financial environment of public universities includes competing priorities for state funding. In today's economy, state appropriations for higher education do not always keep pace with institutional need. During periods of declining state revenue, universities endure budget cuts reducing state funding. When tuition dollars cannot be increased further and state appropriations are decreased or flat, public university administrators rely on fundraising to meet their mission, goals, and vision for their institutions. The fundraising program believed to produce the greatest results is a capital campaign. Large and ambitious capital campaigns can help institutions of higher education respond to decreases in …

Access Barriers To Higher Education For Rural Community College Students, Shanda Carter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to examine factors related to rural low-income, first generation college students' obstacles to community college enrollment. The study examined barriers students overcame to attend college and focused on rural college students from two community colleges in Missouri and Arkansas. The following questions guided the research:

1.What attendance barriers did rural community college students identify as being most difficult for them to overcome?

2.Were there differences between the self-identified attendance barriers based on gender for male and female rural community college students?

3.Were there differences in attendance barriers for rural community college students based …

The Investigation Of Self-Determination In Students Participating In Higher Education With An Invisible Disability, Joseph Daniel Bryant Ii

Dissertations

The enrollment of students with invisible disabilities has continued to increase unabated in postsecondary environments. As a result of the applicable laws governing the provision of accommodations and/or modifications in higher education, the impetus and responsibility to succeed rests almost entirely with the individual student. Research showed for many students with invisible disabilities, the transition from a more passive role in the acquisition of education at the primary and secondary levels to a more active role in the acquisition of higher education at the post-secondary level was difficult, as evidenced by a large percentage of such students failing to complete …

Writing And The Internationalization Of U.S. Higher Education: The Roles Of Ideology, Administration, And The Institution, Melissa May Watson

Dissertations - ALL

In this dissertation,Writing and the Internationalization of U.S. Higher Education: The Roles of Ideology, Administration, and the Institution, I examine one private institution, Syracuse University, for how it has approached internationalization (both currently and in historical efforts), how it has dealt with the increased presence of English language learners (ELLs), and how both realities may affect the research and practice of writing program administrators (WPAs). I use scholarship from Second Language Writing and Writing Program Administration as frameworks for examining some of the sociopolitics involved in addressing the new needs of an internationalized higher education institution, including the politics and …

Student's Objectives And Achievement Strategies For Laborataory Work, Taylor M. Owings

Open Access Theses

In this study, we look at students' objectives and strategies for completing their objectives for undergraduate labs. Students across two universities and three levels of chemistry were surveyed at the beginning of the semester in the fall of 2012 using an open ended survey to identify the goals students had for the course. The students responses were coded and used to create a survey that went out to the same courses at the end of the fall semester. Using data from the fall of 2012, the survey was modified and data was collected in the fall of 2013 at one …

From The Bx To A Ba: Latino Male Students And The Transition From High School To College, Alejandro Eduardo Carrion

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study aims to provide a counter narrative to the deficit filled discourse surrounding Latino males by informing teachers, policymakers and researchers of the barriers and resources encountered by this population as they make the transition from high school to college. A qualitative research design was utilized for this study, which focused on 10 Latino males who mainly identified as Puerto Rican and Dominican, from the Bronx. Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, and his theoretical tools of field (structures), habitus (dispositions) and capital (social, cultural and economic), was used as the theoretical framework guiding this study. Participants shared the nuances of …

The Price Of Prestige: A Study Of The Impact Of Striving Behavior On The Expenditure Patterns Of American Colleges And Universities, Kevin Iglesias

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the effect that striving behavior has upon an institution’s expenditures. While not the first study to examine such effects, it was the first to look across a multitude of institutional types, spanning seven levels of Carnegie classifications and encompassing public and private not-for-profit bachelors-granting schools to public and private research institutions. Further, by including 8 distinct lines of expenditures, the study was the first to provide such a comprehensive look at changes in institutional expenditures. The study drew on numerous theoretical constructs, including resource dependency, theory of strategic balance, isomorphism, and Perrow’s theory of prestige in order …

Talent And Trust: A Case Study Describing The Process Of Designing A Global Elite World-Class University In Denmark, Brian Walter Samble

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the process of becoming a world-class university in the context of Western Europe. Aarhus University served as the case site, within the context of Denmark. One research question guided this study, “How does a higher education institution in Western Europe undergo the process to actualize its ambition to become a world-class university?” I remained in Denmark for approximately 18 days collecting data for this qualitative case study. Observations were completed in Aarhus and in Copenhagen, and documents and/or photographs were collected from university and government sources, In total 17 participants were interviewed …

University Administrators' Attitudes And Perceptions Of State Authorization For Online Learning, Penelope Vassar

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the differences in attitudes and perceptions toward state authorization of online learning among higher education administrators situated at different levels of policy involvement. The population for this study was higher education administrators at 153 institutions in the United States that hold the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation and offer degrees online. The study was conducted during the 2013-2014 academic year. A mixed-methods approach to data collection was selected for this study. The findings revealed the following: a) attitudes and perceptions toward state authorization of online …

An Examination Of The Psychological Contracts Of Contingent Faculty Teaching At Urban, Proprietary Colleges, Ann Marie Marlier

Theses and Dissertations

Even though proprietary colleges and universities continue to gain market share in the higher education landscape, negative perceptions about proprietary institutions remain including reliance on contingent faculty to meet fluctuating student enrollments. Little research about the experiences of contingent faculty teaching in proprietary settings exists, and even less research exists about the unwritten expectations, or psychological contracts, contingent faculty bring with them to the employment relationship with an institution. As heavy use of contingent faculty continues, campus administrators need a more comprehensive understanding of how to best manage the expectations, benefits, challenges, and resources of this type of employment relationship. …

Attitudes About Globalization, Internationalization, And The Role Of Student Affairs Administrators In Internationalizing Florida's Community And State Colleges, Donna Rae Burdzinski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study had a three-fold purpose: first, to assess the attitudes of student affairs administrators working in the Florida College System (FCS) about globalization, internationalization, and their strategies for effecting internationalization efforts at their community/state colleges. This study also investigated the relationship between student affairs administrators' attitudes about globalization and internationalization and what they considered to be the role of student affairs administrators in internationalizing the community/state college. Finally, this study examined the relationship between student affairs administrators' attitudes about their perceived role in internationalizing the community/state college and certain demographic variables. No study has been found which asks …

The Impact Of Virginia Statewide Community College Transfer Policy On Student Academic Success, Paul Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges are an increasingly important component of the higher education systems in the United States. Community college as a pathway toward a better educated workforce has been emphasized at a national and state level. Virginia’s policy makers set a goal of producing 100,000 new baccalaureate degrees in the Commonwealth by 2025. Critical to meeting this goal is Virginia’s Community College System. In 2005, Virginia passed the Higher Education Restructuring Act which granted students graduating from Virginia’s community colleges with an associate’s guaranteed admission into any state-funded, four-year institution. Building on this earlier policy, Virginia passed The Higher Education Opportunity …

I Did That Wrong And It Sounded Good: An Ethnographic Study Of Vernacular Music Making In Higher Education, Victor Ezquerra

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine vernacular music making in higher education. The participants, undergraduate music education majors (N=23 for Fall, N=10 for Spring), were investigated throughout the course of the 2012-2013 academic year. A constructivist philosophical framework was applied and data were collected using several methodologies including participant observation, journals, interviews, and audiovisual and multimedia methods. Results showed that students were able to successfully learn, create, and share music in a vernacular manner. Participants took a pragmatic approach to making music. Furthermore, students engaged several aspects of music making they had not encountered in traditional music …

Social Media Marketing Use In Georgia’S Institutions Of Higher Education, James Kelly

Honors College Theses

The Internet and social media are changing the way that people interact with the world around them everyday. Individuals are able to learn more about the products they use, places they visit, and other people within their network by simply turning on their computer, smart phone, or tablet. Thanks to this great utility, institutions of higher education around the world are using social media to interact with and market themselves to faculty, students, and even prospective students. After all, universities are aiming to prove that their product can add value to the lives of stakeholders while providing them with benefits …

The Incorporation Of Sustainability In Higher Education: A Research Synthesis, Catherine M. Bartolini

Higher Education Student Work

In the past decade, sustainability efforts in higher education have become more prevalent across the nation and the world. However, some institutions lack the resources and information on how to successfully create a campus-wide culture that is dedicated to environmentally friendly practices. This study was designed to help direct institutions on the actions they can take to create a sustainably focused campus. Six participants from the offices of sustainability at Babson College and Bryant University were interviewed for this qualitative study. Findings included the significance of incorporating sustainability into the foundation of the institution through signing specific documents that outline …

A Critical Policy Analysis Of Internationalization In Postsecondary Education : An Ontario Case Study, Ali Khorsandi Taskoh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Using a case study approach, I investigate a very timely and significant policy issue regarding postsecondary education. While internationalization seems to be ubiquitous in universities’ policy rhetoric and statements in the Canadian context, specifically in Ontario, it is unclear what values drive internationalization and how they influence policies and initiatives at a public university in Ontario. Relying on Easton’s approach of policy as the ‘authoritative allocation of values’ and drawing on critical policy analysis, I perceive policy as ‘the practice of values’. The critical policy approach and the centrality of values in analysis require a consideration be given not only …

An Exploration Of The Characteristics Of Public Relations In Regards To Face-To-Face Versus Distance Learning In Two Private Liberal Arts Higher Education Settings, Cessna Catherine Smith Winslow

Dissertations

This study explored perceptions of Public Relations (PR) among graduate higher education publics regarding distance learning as contrasted with face-to-face learning contexts. The research questions assessed student, faculty and administrator perceptions of characteristics of PR: trust, communication, quality, respect and rigor. Participants included students and professors who had experienced both online and face-to-face learning, as well as administrators from two private universities. The larger of the two schools was in the Midwest region of the United States, and at the time of this study, was relatively new to online instruction. The smaller school was located in the Southeast region and …

Women In Leadership And The Politics Of Power, Caitlin Maeve Kendall

Master's Theses

With the use of intimate interviews, this qualitative research study employed an experiential, story-telling approach to gather a more thorough understanding of individual female experiences in leadership positions in the field of education in relation to the literature on female leadership in a gendered workforce. Although this study only included the experiences of several women leaders in the field of education in the Chicago area, the preexisting research on the topic guided the interview questions and divulged the nexus between a culture of systematic gendered hierarchy in the workplace and the strategies and characteristics of success employed by female leaders …

Relationship Of Self-Efficacy In Community College Students From Critical Need Areas With First Semester Academic Achievement, Elmira Ratliff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship existed between the self-efficacy levels of freshman year community college students from critical need areas and their first semester academic achievement during their freshman year. Additionally, this research determined the strength of the relationship between self-efficacy levels and first semester grade point average of students from critical need areas. The study was conducted using three community colleges in the state of Mississippi during the 2013-2014 academic school year. The sample included one hundred and fifty males and one hundred and fifty females with a permanent address and school …

Cause For Concern: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Campus Safety And Security Practices In United States-Mexico Border Institutions Of Higher Education, Ryan Clevis Holmes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Campus safety has been a source of concern since the 1990s. However, in 2007, the tragedy at the Virginia Polytechnic and State University sent a sense of alarm through many institutions of higher education. Immediately following this tragedy, institutions across the country began to evaluate and question their safety and security practices. While many recommendations and mandates have been created by public and private agencies to offer guidance to institutions of higher education, none of the recommendations or mandates offered has been specific to the United States-Mexico Border region.

This mixed-methods study gathered perceptions of permanent threat assessment team …

"Preventive Leadership Program" At The Salesian University: An Exploratory Case Study, Alejandro Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations

Leadership is a key factor in the quality of personal life, organizational culture, and social projection of each member in any organization. Bringing out the best of each person involved in any decision is a must for a Preventive Leader. This kind of leadership opens the possibility to develop, adapt, change and modify the theoretical construct of the definition of a leader from the Preventive horizon, the practical implications of Preventive Leadership development, and the learning and practice of Preventive leadership in a contextualized environment, creating interactions and interdependencies in a net-like pattern of relationships situated in one specific context: …

The Academic Life Of Part-Time Professors In Chile, Paulina Berrios

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation examines the academic life of part-time professors at the five biggest universities in Chile. By examining part-timers' academic life, including both who the part-time professors are and what their academic work is, this study sheds light on the complexity and diversity of the part-time world.

Acting White Among Black College Students: A Phenomenological Study Of Social Constructions Of Race, Evette L. Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was a qualitative examination of Black college students' experiences with the Acting White label. In conducting this study, two gaps in literature were addressed: (1) the lack of literature on Black college students and the acting white label, and (2) lack of attention to a US racial history and current structures which allow a label such as "acting white" to exist. Thus, the purpose of this study was to call attention to the experiences of Black college students as it relates to the acting white label. Additionally, the study calls attention to social constructions that allow the acting …

The Impact Of Institutional Complexity On The Implementation Of The English-Medium Instruction (Emi) Reform Concept In Three Northern European Universities, Becky Unites

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study examines university English-medium Instruction (EMI) reform implementation approaches from a comparative organizational perspective. Over the last decade, the number of master’s degree programs instructed exclusively in English in non-Anglophone Europe increased dramatically. Europe is an interesting case as it actively promotes multilingual learning; however, many European policies over the last twenty years accelerated the rise of monolingual EMI reforms, especially at the graduate-level. The purpose of this exploratory study is to contribute to our understanding of how widespread EMI reforms impact structures and behaviors at the organizational level in European universities in ways that respond to the organization’s …

Internationalization, English Medium Programs, And The International Graduate Student Experience In Japan: A Case Study, Kristen N. Wallitsch

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This research is a case study on the lived experience of international graduate students in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSAPS) at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Using cultural globalization and internationalization as a lens, this research positions international graduate students as local actors in an abroad community and addresses, 1) how and why students decided on an English Medium degree in Japan, and 2) the lived academic and social experiences of this particular group of students while in Japan. In-depth interviews with 17 degree seeking international graduate students explore graduate students’ past educational and professional experiences and …