Graduate Student Retention: Examining Why Master’S Students Leave And What Motivates Their Return In A Large Public University System, Sonja Prophete

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate student persistence is a relatively unexplored area in the literature of higher education studies; specifically, at a multi-institutional scale at the master's level. This research study examines the factors which cause students to discontinue their master's degrees, and what conditions could possibly support them returning to their program at a large urban public university system. The current study was guided by Hoyt and Winn's (2004) distinction between non-returning students, and Bean & Metzner's (1985) theoretical model of student attrition. A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the institutional and environmental influences on students' decision-making processes.

The quantitative data …

Seek In Cuny Archives, Reign Mcconnell

Publications and Research

SEEK in CUNY Archives is an inclusive research guide to archival materials about the Percy Ellis Sutton Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program, and College Discovery (CD) program available at CUNY archives. The SEEK Program was established within CUNY in 1965 on the pre-baccalaureate level to integrate Black and Puerto Rican students into the CUNY system and expanded to other senior-level colleges in 1966. The program provides students with academic and financial support, as well as tutoring and counseling services. Currently, the SEEK Program is available at twelve of CUNY’s four-year colleges. College Discovery is a two-year program …

Filling In The Gaps: A Mixed Methods Convergent Parallel Study To Enhance Ethical Standards And Policy Integration In Higher Education, Tiffany D. Seawright

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study explored the ethical culture, policy integration, and ethics-related practices at Central Heights State University (CHSU) to identify gaps and develop a comprehensive ethics integration plan. Guided by Getzels and Guba's (1957) Social Systems Model and Argyris’s (1977) Double-Loop Learning Theory, the study employed a convergent parallel mixed methods design that included document analysis and a staff survey. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently, analyzed independently, and given equal priority, and the results were merged during interpretation to examine convergence, divergence, and complementarity across data sources. The document analysis examined the visibility, accessibility, and quality of ethics-related artifacts, …

Post-Secondary Participation And Graduation, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Ian Teo, Amanda Haddow, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This systematic review examines systems and institutional policies impacting Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sectors globally. Specifically, it seeks to address the impact of access, participation, retention, and graduation policies, and support the development of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 by responding to equity and inclusion challenges, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.

Between Self, Family, And Becoming: Mindfulness And The Transition Experiences Of Latinx Clinical Counseling Graduate Students, Orlando R. Alvarez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Latinx graduate students transitioning into their first semester of clinical counseling master’s programs often navigate substantial challenges as they embark on their academic journeys. While transitions into any new role can be difficult, the changes that accompany the beginning of a graduate program have been associated with increased role and identity strain, anxiety, depression, and feelings of fraudulence and imposterism, negatively impacting student success, performance, and attrition rates (Halladay et al., 2019; Murphy, 2021; Vidic & Cherup, 2019). Although mindfulness practices provide benefits for graduate student wellbeing, there is no current scholarship that has examined how mindfulness practices support Latinx …

Book Review: Exploring Student Loneliness In Higher Education: A Discursive Psychology Approach, Patrick Leung

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Book Review: Exploring Student Loneliness in Higher Education: A Discursive Psychology Approach

Racial Discrimination And Racial Identity Among Asian College Students: The Moderating Role Of Interdependent Self-Construal, Foong Yan Lee, Qianyi Wang, Eunseon Gong

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

The current study examined the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and racial group identification among 130 Asian college students at a U.S. institution. Using moderation regression analyses, results indicated that perceived racial discrimination was associated with lower racial group identification, and this relationship was significantly moderated by interdependent self-construal. Specifically, racial discrimination was negatively associated with racial group identification among students reporting lower levels of interdependent self-construal, whereas this association was not significant among those with higher interdependent self-construal. These findings suggest that individual differences in self-construal shape how Asian college students interpret …

Social Dirt Or Fertile Soil: A Phenomenological Study Of Contingent Faculty, Ann M. Hiloski-Fowler

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The experiences of contingent or adjunct faculty affect their professional identity development. Contingent faculty use has increased since the 1970s. By 2013, two-thirds of U.S. higher education faculty were contingent (Finkelstein et al., 2016). While institutions use contingent faculty to fulfill their educational missions (Haviland et al., 2017; Kezar & Sam, 2011; Kimmel & Fairchild, 2017), their status as academic laborers stigmatizes them in academia, developing what Levin and Shaker (2011) term a “hybrid identity” (p. 1479), as both professionals and laborers, professors and temporary employees. Historically, the professional status of the professoriate has been defined on the tenure track …

The Impact Of Service Learning On Social Capital And Community Engagement, Jason R. Ross

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

Social capital is important for individual and societal advancement. For individuals, social capital helps one advance in the organizational hierarchy but also flows to communities as these individuals are more likely to volunteer for non-profit organizations and pool their resources to advance societal causes. This paper argues that one overlooked mechanism for generating social capital is through service learning. Service learning benefits students not only academically, but professionally as it helps students connect with voluntary organizations, often composed of individuals of means. Students then integrate into the social networks of these influential members and potentially benefit from the resources they …

Retrieval Practice And Student-Centered Learning: Instructional Strategies For Engaging University Classrooms, Carla Williams, Angela Danley

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

This paper examines how retrieval practice and student-centered learning—core principles of the Science of Learning—can transform university instruction. Grounded in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, the manuscript describes instructional strategies implemented in a redesigned teacher preparation course, including exit tickets, Frayer models, literature circles, choice boards, and collaborative teams. Each strategy operationalizes key learning mechanisms such as retrieval, feedback, reflection, and cognitive load reduction, shifting cognitive effort from instructor to learner. The findings highlight how retrieval-based, student-centered routines enhance engagement, retention, and transfer, offering adaptable approaches for faculty across higher education disciplines.

Guidelines For Automatic Grading Of Student Essays Using Large Language Models, Diwakar Yalpi, Sruta Keerti Kasula, Ravi Mukkamala

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Automated essay evaluation using large language models (LLMs) has emerged as a promising approach to support scalable and consistent educational assessment. However, the effectiveness of LLM-based grading varies significantly across evaluation dimensions and is highly influenced by prompt design and model selection. In this study, we evaluate five state-of-the-art LLMs across five rubric-based categories: Relevance to Question, Reasoning and Critical Thinking, Evidence and Examples, Organization, and Clarity and Writing Quality. We systematically investigate the impact of three prompting strategies, including rubric-only prompting, exemplar-based prompting (with and without rubric guidance)(Original and Refined prompt designs) incorporating structured instructions. Additionally, a prompt ablation …

Recruitment Strategies For Rural Black Students At Georgia Colleges And Universities: From An Admissions Counselor Perspective, Jayde B. Nelson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the recruitment practices of admissions counselors at colleges and universities in the state of Georgia, with a focused lens on their efforts to engage and enroll Black students from rural high schools. The study investigates how geographic isolation, racial identity, and systemic inequalities converge to shape the college access landscape for underrepresented students in rural communities. Using a qualitative approach grounded in Culturally Responsive Leadership as the theoretical framework, this research examines the strategies, barriers, and institutional priorities that influence outreach efforts and recruitment outcomes. By analyzing admissions counselor perspectives and institutional approaches, the study found that …

Análisis De Los Factores Asociados A La Valoración Docente Sobre La Integración, Regulación Y Ética De La Inteligencia Artificial En La Educación A Nivel Postsecundario En Puerto Rico, Pablo M. Colón

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue examinar los factores asociados al grado de valoración que los docentes de instituciones postsecundarias de Puerto Rico otorgan a la integración, la regulación y la aplicación ética de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en su práctica educativa. La investigación respondió a la limitada evidencia empírica disponible sobre estos factores en el contexto de la educación superior puertorriqueña, situación que dificulta el diseño de políticas institucionales y estrategias para promover el uso responsable de estas tecnologías.

Se adoptó un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño descriptivo-correlacional. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 76 docentes de instituciones postsecundarias de …

Estilos De Liderazgo Docente Y Perfil Académico En Educación Superior, María Del Rosario Orta De González

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito analizar las implicaciones formativas y profesionales atribuibles a la relación entre los estilos de liderazgo docente y el perfil académico de profesores universitarios. El estudio se desarrolló bajo un diseño cuantitativo, no experimental, transversal y correlacional predictivo. La muestra estuvo conformada por 40 docentes de educación superior, quienes respondieron un instrumento de autopercepción que evaluó nueve factores de liderazgo y cinco componentes del perfil académico.

Los resultados descriptivos mostraron una predominancia de prácticas asociadas al liderazgo transformacional, caracterizadas por la influencia idealizada, la motivación inspiradora, la estimulación intelectual y la consideración individualizada. Los estilos …

Analyzing Challenges Women Face In Leadership Roles In Higher Education, Ashley Saingilus

Theses and Dissertations

The applied dissertation was designed to provide an analysis of the challenges women face obtaining leadership positions in higher education. History has shown an evolution of women in the workplace. Reviewing the identified challenges provided insight while giving the opportunity for recommendations to institutions to make appropriate changes. The theoretical concept for this study centered around social congruity theory, also known as role congruity theory, providing insight as to how social views have defined roles, especially those related to gender and women. The study looked at how real life experiences align with such challenges. It also looked at how higher …

Integración De Dispositivos Móviles En El Proceso De Enseñanza En Educación Superior En Puerto Rico, Ayeisha Caraballo Caraballo

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue examinar el tipo de relación que podría existir entre las diferentes formas y usos de dispositivos móviles como innovación educativa, el conocimiento tecnológico-pedagógico y la percepción de docentes universitarios sobre la integración de estos dispositivos en el proceso de enseñanza en educación superior en el sur de Puerto Rico.

El estudio fue de tipo cuantitativo con un diseño descriptivo-correlacional. La muestra fue no probabilística y estuvo compuesta por docentes de distintas facultades de la institución en la cual se llevó a cabo esta investigación. Se administraron instrumentos de autoforme dirigidos a medir el nivel …

Nivel De Conocimiento Del Docente En Enfermería Sobre La Gamificación Y Su Actitud Hacia La Inclusión Como Estrategia Didáctica En Una Institución De Educación Superior En Puerto Rico, Elsa Geigel Landrau

Theses and Dissertations

La gamificación es una técnica de innovación que integra elementos de juegos para transformar la enseñanza en una experiencia activa en la modalidad presencial y virtual. Por ello esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada con el propósito de determinar el nivel de conocimiento del docente en enfermería sobre la gamificación y su actitud hacia la inclusión como estrategia didáctica en una institución de educación superior en Puerto Rico. Las bases teóricas que sustento este estudio fueron la Teoría Constructivista de Piaget (1980), la Teoría Social Cognoscitiva de Bandura (1977) y la Teoría de Autodeterminación de Ryan y Deci (2017); bajo este …

Influences On Student College-Major Decision And Satisfaction Rate Among Students In The School Of Agriculture, Danielle Shafer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence students to choose agriculture majors and agriculture careers and measure the level of satisfaction with their major based on these influences. There are many factors that influence students to choose a major in college and college-major satisfaction. These influences and satisfaction with major may have an impact on a student’s decision to choose a college career path. Some of the influences mentioned in studies are family, friends, educators, extension programs, clubs, financial, and recruitment efforts. The degree to which each of these influence students may depend on the …

From Deference To Dialogue: How International Gtas From High Power Distance Cultures Adapt To U.S. Classroom Dynamics, Deborah Akua Afi Appiah

Theses and Dissertations

International graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) from high power distance cultures play a significant role in undergraduate education at U.S. universities, yet they face challenges that go well beyond language proficiency. Coming from educational backgrounds where teacher authority is unquestioned and hierarchical, these GTAs must navigate American classrooms that operate on fundamentally different assumptions, where authority is earned rather than assumed, informality is the norm, and students expect to question, negotiate, and be personally known by their instructors. The present study examined how eighteen (18) international GTAs from seven (7) high power distance countries perceived and adapted to these differences while …

Staff Attitudes Toward Ai Adoption At A Private Research University, Ashley C. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the limited research on university staff attitudes toward artificial intelligence use and adoption. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) research framework, the General Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS), and quantitative survey methodology, the study examines the attitudes of higher education staff toward AI, specifically examining whether demographic or professional characteristics are factors. The findings indicate that staff had moderately negative attitudes toward AI while also expressing some concerns. The results suggest that more resources and support for AI are needed for staff to address concerns. It also suggests that construct-level analysis …

Institutional Retention And Graduation Outcomes Before And During Covid-19: A Comparison Of Online-Experienced And Online-Inexperienced Four-Year Institutions, Nicholas J. Finnessey

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether student success outcomes and their trajectories over time differed across higher education institutions before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic based on prior experience with online education. Guided by Astin’s (1993) Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) framework, pre-pandemic participation in online coursework was conceptualized as an institutional-level environmental condition. A quantitative, causal-comparative research design was employed, using secondary data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), to examine longitudinal differences in institutional retention and graduation rates across institutions classified by their pre-pandemic participation in online education. The sample included 528 Title IV-eligible, degree-granting, four-year institutions observed across five …

Exploring The Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging At Their University: A Q-Methodological Approach, Jose Acevedo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

       The transition to higher education is a significant life event requiring substantial social, academic, and psychological adjustment, during which a powerful sense of belonging is critical for student success and retention. While traditional models of student retention often prioritize support services and academic integration, they frequently overlook the intricate relational dynamics and deeply personal subjective experiences that shape belonging. This research utilized Q methodology to explore the multifaceted ways undergraduate students at the University of North Florida (UNF) understand and prioritize the determinants of institutional belonging. Guided by an integrated conceptual framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self-Determination Theory, Social …

A Large Language Model-Based Academic Advising Assistant For Engineering Technology Students, Murat Kuzlu, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Katherine Smith, Otilia Popescu, Adel El-Shahat, Ryan Cotton, Kayla Marie Seegers, William Austin Henderson

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), have been applied to a variety of domains, such as energy, finance, transportation, healthcare, and education. Among these domains, education has become increasingly popular due to strong interest among educators and students. This study proposes an academic advising assistant system that uses LLMs to help Engineering Technology (ET) students plan their course load based on their educational history, departmental course offerings, and personal constraints, such as their preferred semester course load. The proposed LLM-based academic advising assistant system maintains a database of students' course histories and upcoming course …

Sexisms And Gender-Washing In Australian Academia: Public Front, Private Realities, Jacqueline Ullman, Emily Gray, Mindy Blaise, Lucy Hobby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper offers an analysis of selected survey findings from a mixed methods research project, entitled Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities. The project is situated within the context of the negative impact of gender-based discrimination upon the higher education sector in Australia and internationally. The findings discussed in this paper relate to quantitative analyses of selected items from a national survey of over 1200 Australian academics, recruited through 12 public universities. In this paper, the ways in which different participant groups responded to items designed to explore their attitudes towards sexism in the academic workplace, both broadly …

Students’ Perspectives On Authentic Assessment: An Experiential Learning Framework For Work-Readiness And Employability, Claire Lambert, Madeleine Ogilvie, Stephanie Meek

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Universities are increasingly pressured to enhance graduate employability by embedding career readiness into curricula. Authentic, industry-based assessments offer a means to link theory with practice, yet little is known about their impact from the student perspective. Purpose: This study explored how an industry-based authentic assessment supports students’ transition to work through the lens of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Method: Using a qualitative design, guided-introspection questionnaires were completed by 20 marketing graduates 2 years after completing an industry-based social marketing project. Directed content analysis identified themes aligned with ELT stages and mechanisms of confidence, networks, and professional enculturation. Findings: Authentic …

Bridging Cultures Through Cross-Border Collaboration: A Pathway To Cultural Sustainability Between The Uae And Italy, Mai Zaki, Bruno Grazioli

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

International education is of critical importance in the creation and distribution of the knowledge required to address the complex global challenges faced by society today. Seen through the lens of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), internationalisation of higher education can bring new perspectives through collaborative projects. This paper reports on a year-long virtual collaboration between the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the UAE and the Italy-based program of Dickinson College (USA) as part of the Transformative Sustainability Project. This collaboration involved two courses, on digital and environmental humanities, as students learned about the SDGs, analysed problems, discussed …

Academic Dishonesty In Higher Education, Nitza Davidovitch, Aleksandra Gerkerovaa, Ruth Dorota

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Academic dishonesty has become a pervasive issue among students, often driven by environmental and social pressures and facilitated by opportunities such as the use of digital devices (e.g., smartwatches) that enable misconduct. The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between academic dishonesty and variables including class attendance, self-efficacy, and the use of digital learning methods. It was hypothesized that academic dishonesty would increase with higher absenteeism, lower self-efficacy, and greater reliance on Zoom lectures and exams. This study was conducted at a single academic institution in Israel, based on an anonymous structured survey completed by 121 …

Factors Influencing The Success Of Student Veterans In Higher Education

Faculty Publications and Presentations

A case study was conducted at a private institution of higher education to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that support student veterans, a nontraditional student demographic in a private institution of higher education. The article explains the interplay and relationship between what nontraditional students bring to the academic experience, the role of educators, and factors contributing to or detracting from their success in higher education. Analysis of key issues related to combat student veterans in higher education revealed common themes and contextual information from which the lessons learned were developed. The results of the study indicate that the …

We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education From The Ground Up While They Try To Burn It Down, Shawntay King, Juanita E. Marquez, Keisha Rembert, Jolene Taylor, Thera Tilmon

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

Our text, We Built This: Redesigning Higher Education from the Ground Up While They Try to Burn It Down, examines how recent federal policy shifts, particularly the 2025 Dear Colleague letter and the Project 2025 educational platform, function as deliberate acts of deconstruction. These measures threaten to dismantle equity infrastructures in higher education while intensifying the erasure of Black women’s labor, leadership and legacy in the academy. Through Critical Policy Analysis and Black feminist thought, we argue that these policies operate simultaneously as blueprint and wrecking ball, systematically unraveling decades of progress and constraining the very communities that have sustained …

Child Care For Student Parents: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Policy And Politics In Nys, Elizabeth M. Starks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This policy analysis dissertation explores the complex and multifaceted challenges that exist within New York State’s early childhood care and education (ECCE) system by critically examining the amendment of one NYS social services law. Guided by Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, this study examines two research questions (under one overarching question):

1. What language and arguments are effective in making change in Early Childhood policy in NYS?
   1. What is the policy discourse surrounding the amendment of subdivision 1 of section 410-w social services law in NYS?
   2. What is the political discourse surrounding the amendment of subdivision 1 of section 410-w social services …