Education Commons^™

Student Persistence In Associate Degree Nursing Programs At Mississippi Community Colleges, Kathryn Lee Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors of student persistence and attrition in addition to strategies that may help students persist in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in first-year associate degree nursing programs at participating Mississippi community colleges and analyzed using multiple regression and repeated measures ANOVAs. Tinto’s Classic Model and Bean & Metzner’s Nontraditional Model of Student Attrition were utilized in this study. This mixed methods convenience sample yielded 564 participants, and the results were as follows: environmental factors and demographic factors of student persistence were found to …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Motivation Characteristics On The Academic Achievement Of Upward Bound Participants, Brenda Leigh Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and motivation characteristics on the achievement of at-risk students. Seventy-nine Upward Bound program participants completed self-efficacy, motivation, and demographic questionnaires. The relationship between GPA and self-efficacy was significant, negative, and low in strength. High GPA was associated with high self-efficacy (as shown by lower numbers on the survey). Gender, length of time in the Upward Bound (UB) program, length of participation in the UB summer program, college sponsor (community or four-year college), self-efficacy characteristics, and motivation characteristics significantly predicted academic achievement as measured by GPA. The relationship between …

The Effects Of Collective Racial Esteem On African American Undergraduate Male Involvement In Public Four-Year Institutions Of Higher Education., Michael David Anthony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the influence of collective racial esteem (CRE) on the quantity and type of involvement for African American male undergraduate students in public four-year institutions of higher education in the U.S. In addition, this relationship is examined to determine if differences exist across gender (male and female), and institutional variables (specifically, public HBCUs vs. public PWIs). The persistence and graduation of African American males at four-year institutions of higher education has increased in past decades, but still remains consistently and significantly lower than that of their non-African American male counterparts (Planty et al., 2009). African American male retention …

Climbing The Ladder: The Experiences Of Women Senior Leaders In Southern Baptist Colleges And Universities, Allison Barritt Langford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interview study was to explore the career pathways, barriers, and keys to success experienced by women senior administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities. The researcher conducted an interview study with both open-ended and closed survey questions. The interviews primarily involved open-ended questions without response options and were conducted via the telephone. The researcher targeted the population of 42 women senior-level administrators. From this population, 20 women participated in the study. The researcher interviewed the 20 participants and collected a vita for 16 of the 20 women in the sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Member …

The Phenomenology Of The Bachelor Of Science In Hvac Engineering Technology From Ferris State University, Michael Feutz

Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has evolved from industry-specific training to a more broad-based education that incorporates core academic learning objectives and prepares the student for work (Rothwell & Gerity, 2008; Uloa, 2006; Reese, 2002; Rojewski, 2002; Stone, 2002; Schmidli, 2001). Little is known about how well individual programs align with the industry for which graduates are prepared, (Zinser, 2003) or what CTE has meant to its graduates.

This research focused on graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineering Technology (HVAC-ET) at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. A phenomenological design was used …

Determining Characteristics That Increase Success On The National Asthma Educator Certification Exam, Karen Kain

Dissertations

The National Asthma Educator Certification Board, Inc. (NAECB) is a voluntary health certifying board created in 2001 to evaluate the professional competence of asthma educators. The primary purpose of the NAECB is to prepare and conduct examinations to test the qualifications of candidates for certification as asthma educators. Certification is voluntary and is not required by law for employment in the field, although some agencies may use AE-C® certification as a basis for employment, job promotions, salary increases, or other considerations. The mission of the NAECB is to promote optimal asthma management and quality of life among individuals with asthma …

Paths To Upper Level Positions In Public Relations, Patrick J. Bishop

Dissertations

Preparation for a career in the field of public relations (PR) is based on a set of unique core competencies typically found in liberal arts. Though PR professionals rarely gain business degrees, they acquire knowledge, skills, perspectives, and strategies wellsuited to executive-level positions in business. Additionally, managerial positions in PR offer greater potential for influence than task-oriented roles with limited strategic opportunity.

This study examines the advancement of PR practitioners into upper-level management positions in business. The purpose of this research is to identify factors and behaviors that contribute to, or hinder, PR professional’s attainment of top-management positions. This study …

An Analysis Of The Manufacturing Process As Related To The Camber Requirement For Brake Pads, Daniel Patrick Midden

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Daniel Patrick Midden on November 30, 2010.

A 24ft/7.3m Parabolic Reflector Antenna Performance & Feed Design Analysis, Anthony Shelley

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science & Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Anthony Shelley on November 29, 2010.

The Impact Of Internal And External Factors On The Academic Success Of Selected African American Students, Takeyda Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of 208 selected African American students at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, in March, 2010. The study investigated the impact of internal and external factors such as school preparation, self determination, financing, mentoring, academic advising, and self efficacy, and the impact that these six identified factors had on their grade point average and their academic achievement at Rowan University. Academic achievement was measured by a self reported grade point average of a 3.0 or higher. Data on the attitudes were collected by means of a survey using a 31 Likert-type …

Critical Components Of Community College Enrollment Management Planning, Karen Hart Bucher

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Enrollment management has become a common practice at four-year institutions, but has not been extensively explored at community colleges. As students have more educational options available to them, community colleges have begun to explore ways to grow their enrollment, improve student retention and increase graduation rates. This study explored the critical components necessary for implementing a successful enrollment management initiative at three community colleges across the U.S.

To determine the critical components at community colleges, a case study was conducted. Each case was evaluated individually and then the three cases were compared with each other to determine thematic similarities and …

The Dream Is Alive: A Study Of Selected African American Males' Success At Rowan University, Cory Boone

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand why African American males struggle to obtain a four-year college degree. A secondary purpose was to analyze the Black male college students' perceptions of success in college and the roles educational leaders played in their attendance and achievement in college. This study also looked at the behavior of the African American males in college. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Selection criteria included male, African American undergraduate and graduate students attending Rowan University during the 2009/2010 academic year who were student leaders, and doing well in the classroom. Also, selected …

A Study Of The Impact Of Late Night Programming On Student Involvement At Rowan University, Brian Milsted

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate student attitudes toward Rowan After Hours (RAH) and to determine the program's impact on student involvement. There were 365 respondents during the Spring 2010 semester. All respondents had attended at least one night of Rowan After Hours. A survey was used to gather attitudes toward various aspects of the campus late night program: Operations, Food Service, Activities, Professional Staff, and the Sense of Community. Students were given an opportunity to list what they like most and least about the program. Established research indicates a strong connection between students who socialize and higher …

Walking On The Red Brick Path: A Portrait Of African-American Women's Experiences With The Built Environment Of A Predominantly White Institution, Stephanie L. Krusemark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Space, like language, is socially constructed; and like the syntax of language, the spatial arrangements of our buildings and communities reflect and reinforce the nature of gender, race, and class relations in society” (Weisman, 1992, p. 2). While institutions of higher education have granted physical access to African-American women over the last 150 years, their presence on American campuses has not been readily reflected in the physical design of the walls within which they learn. In examining the historical foundations of institutions of higher education, we cannot deny institutions consciously embed their values and basic assumptions within their physical manifestation …

From Kabul To The Academy: Narratives Of Afghan Women's Journeys To And Through U.S. Doctoral Programs, Bushra Aryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of seven Afghan women pursuing doctoral degrees in a variety of disciplines and programs across the United States. The guiding question for this study was: What factors influence Afghan women's journeys to and experiences in doctoral programs?

In an attempt to understand Afghan women doctoral students, I provided a historical background of Afghanistan and education in Afghanistan followed by a literature review on South Asian women, the broader category for Afghan women. Within this literature review I explored the following components: culture, gender, immigration, experiences in postsecondary education; all factors that may be influential in …

Factors Affecting The Institutional Perception Of Alumni Of The University Of Arkansas, Anthony Mcadoo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alumni relations programs are a foundational component to institutional advancement and are often the unit that regularly communicates news and information about the institution to its alumni. Alumni relations professionals can strategically position a higher education institution among its alumni by including and emphasizing information that is found to have a positive impact on the opinion of alumni. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the factors that impact alumni opinion of the University of Arkansas, loyalty to components of the University and overall current opinion. This study utilized secondary data from the Alumni Attitude Study® …

Determination And Analysis Of Curriculum Content For A Degree Program In Construction Management, Jason Stepp

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Jason Stepp on April 23, 2010.

Factors That Influence Learning Satisfaction Delivered By Video Streaming Technology, Daniel Stephen Keenan

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

In 2005, over 100,000 e-Learning courses were offered in over half of all U.S. postsecondary education institutions with nearly 90% of all community colleges and four year institutions offering online education. Streaming video is commonplace across the internet offering seamless video and sound anywhere connectivity is available effectively making any location a learning environment. The problem investigated in this study was to determine factors that affect the learning satisfaction of students that video streamed courses. This study is important to enable improvements in curriculum, delivery of content, designs of alternative study venues, and guide college administrators in making decisions on …

Persistence Of Community College Transfer Students In A Private Liberal Arts University Nursing Program, Rita M. Amerio

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The United States is bracing for the largest shortage of registered nurses that the United States health care system has ever experienced. As the population of "baby boomers," those born between 1946 and 1960, turns 65 beginning in 2011, the nation will be faced with providing health care services to the largest group of elderly Americans in history. Unlike previous generations, this group has had the advantage of advanced medical care that will allow them to live well into their 80s and even 90s.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation to identify predictor variables that …

Perceptions Of Virginia Community College System Faculty And Administrators On The Purposes For And Composition Of A Comprehensive Evaluation System For Teaching Faculty Members, William H. Hightower Jr.

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

A survey instrument was developed to measure community college faculty and administrator views on the faculty evaluation process. Responses were then compared based on demographic characteristics such as primary area of instruction, supervisory responsibility, years of experience, and gender. Open-ended survey questions asked respondents to identify the strengths, limitations and changes needed for their current faculty evaluation plans.

A total of 404 faculty members and 67 administrators completed the survey. Significant differences were found between faculty and administrator responses with respect to the reasons for conducting faculty evaluations, the relative importance of including certain elements in the evaluation process, and …

The Utilization Of A Computer Assisted Guidance System In Academic Advising, Charles Van Vleck Pfautz

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Computer assisted guidance systems may adapt well to various models of academic advising, and they have the ability to address the challenge of meeting the diverse advising needs of community college students without sacrificing the integrity of academic advising (Fowkes & McWhirter, 2007). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assess current advisor and student use of a specific computer assisted guidance system and to recommend strategies to effect optimum utilization of current generation software. The objective was to create a model for using the computer assisted guidance system as an academic and career planning tool for community …

Student Perceptions Of Campus Safety Within The Virginia Community College System, Robert Chad Patton

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This research examined Virginia community college students' perceptions of campus safety. A survey of 11,161 students revealed the crimes students most feared being a victim of while on the community college campus and the areas in which they felt the most and least safe. The research also demonstrated the effect certain variables had on students' overall perception of campus safety. The variables studied included student demographics, the presence and type of security personnel, and the rurality of the campus setting. The campuses with the highest and lowest degrees of perceived safety were then further studied via case studies to gather …

Leadership And The First-Year Experience: A Study Of Outcomes From Student Involvement And The Flip Program, Gavin Farber

Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the impact from the Freshmen Leadership Interest Program (FLIP) that took place in August 2006. A group of freshmen attended a three day retreat before the start of their freshmen year when they were introduced to the different types of leadership opportunities on the campus of Rowan University. Throughout the last four years the participants in the program have been involved in a variety of different clubs and organizations serving in many leadership positions. Fifty-three former participants were emailed a survey about their experience in FLIP and asked to complete the three page instrument. Along with …

The Theory And Practice Of Leader And Leadership Development: A Multi-Level Perspective, Jacob P. Hahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The understanding of leadership and how it is developed continues to evolve (Day & Harrison, 2007) and while some essential components of effective leadership have been identified, they have not been forged into a comprehensive framework for development (Avolio, 2005). This paper aims to create a theory of leader and leadership development that can aid individuals in understanding who they are as a leader. Of central importance to this paper is the presentation of the Leader and Leadership Identity Development Model, which provides a framework centered on the development of individual leader and leadership identities at personal, interpersonal, and collective …

Unmasking Whiteness: A Framework For Understanding Inclusive Leadership At A Predominately White Institution, Nicole Marie Latino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the personal journey of 11 White college administrators who were identified as inclusive leaders at a predominately White institution (PWI), recognized nationally for its work on partnering diversity and excellence. One overall question guided this study: How do White college administrators describe their journey to becoming successful inclusive leaders at a predominately White institution? This question was explored from the perspective of critical race theory (CRT), that is, inclusive leadership for White administrators could be achieved by intentionally examining their construction of Whiteness and their personal racial identity.

Narrative inquiry was used to co-construct a developmental framework …

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes In Aqip Accredited Community And Technical Colleges, Constance M. Schwass

Dissertations

Accreditation in higher education institutions continues to be regarded as the seal (f) obstacles encountered that may impede the assessment of student learning outcomes processes. Responses from 75 individuals (a 52.4% response rate) responsible for their college's assessment of student learning revealed that assessment plans at these AQIP accredited institutions do exist, and are written, implemented, and embedded as part of their institutional culture and operational strategy. Significant differences between General and Occupational Education programs were found in the use of comparative data, communication with external stakeholders, faculty involvement in the assessment practices, perceived levels of improvement in the teaching/learning …

Making A Major Decision: Undeclared Student Retention And The Process Of Choosing An Academic Major At Rowan University, Rachael Scharen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the rationale of college major selection for undeclared students. The study focused on determining if undeclared students were influenced by outside resources and factors to aid in their decision to declare a particular major. Approximately 300 freshmen undecided students and five sophomore undecided students at Rowan University in January through March of 2010 participated in this study. Data on the influences and factors were collected through a survey using 31 Likert scale items and four open ended questions as well as using interviews and asking a series of questions about …

Life Satisfaction: A Study Of Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Stacy Behlau

Theses and Dissertations

The stresses of life that college students face can be overwhelming at times and may affect the student's satisfaction with life. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors in student's lives that diminish their life satisfaction, and to examine which group of students had a lower life satisfaction in each area. Participants in this study were all Rowan University undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Psychology courses. Within the study, there were 57 total participants, 30 of which were undergraduate students and 27 graduate students. In addition, 47 participants were females while only 10 were males. Participants …

Educationally Underprepared Students' Perception Of Their Experience In A Pre-Freshman Bridge Program, Mary Schell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of underprepared students regarding their participation in a pre-freshman bridge program. Data were collected through a series of interviews conducted over the course of three months. Interviews focused on students' perceptions of their classroom and out-of-classroom experiences, as well as their overall reflections on their participation in the program. Analysis of the interviews showed that students perceived that their participation in a pre-freshman summer bridge program readied them for the academic rigors of college and developed in them the skills to be successful first year students. Students also reported that …

The Natural Provenance: Ecoliteracy In Higher Education In Mississippi, Sarah Elizabeth Wheeless

Dissertations

Researchers have suggested that there is an increasing apathy in the study of natural history both in academic settings and in the scientific community (Schmidly, 2005). Natural history is the cornerstone of ecological literacy. However, most studies of environmental knowledge do not directly address knowledge of local natural history. Instead, they concern knowledge of human environmental issues, environmental concepts, or broad ecological knowledge. Ecoliteracy established the study of natural history as fundamental to environmental knowledge and seeks to determine levels of knowledge of local environments and factors associated with that knowledge (Pilgrim et al., 2007).

This study investigated ecoliteracy in …