Education Commons^™

Empowering Voices: The Impact Of Collective Storytelling Within College Support Programs, Sara Rock

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The Torero Renaissance Scholars Program (TRSP) supports undergraduate and graduate students who have experienced foster care, homelessness, or who are emancipated minors or in legal guardianship. My action research aimed to explore and improve TRSP practices related to sharing personal narratives, community building, and fostering mutual understanding between students, campus, and community partners. Using an action research model focused on community engagement, I conducted three research cycles involving narrative inquiry-based individual interviews and surveys to evaluate group activities. Findings revealed a tension around sharing personal stories and highlighted the importance of self-authorship and holistic mentorship. Interviews showed students prioritize resources …

Department Chair And Faculty Perceptions Of Organizational Communication In The Post Covid-19 Era, Gabriele Cafone Zengewald

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of department chairs and full-time faculty with organizational communication during a time of organizational transition post COVID-19. Utilizing the conceptual framework of communication satisfaction developed by Downs and Hazen (1977), the study used semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis of pandemic communications. Findings indicated that engagement, transparency, and clarity were essential in creating positive perceptions of communication with department chairs playing a critical role between upper-level administration and faculty. Facutly noted greater trust and satisfaction when communication allowed for two-way dialogue and was delivered through clear …

Learning A Little Bit Harder: The Intersecting Experiences Of First-Generation And Single-Mother College Students, Natalie Lecy, Elizabeth Hendrix, Brian A. Droubay

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This study examines the experiences of nine first-generation, single-mother college students, focusing on these intersecting, double-jeopardy identities. Participants’ difficulty navigating college varied; contributing factors included family background, social capital, the type of college attended, and whether they established a mentor. The following themes were established: 1) realizing college is an option, 2) caught between two worlds, 3) college wasn’t designed for us, 4) economic barriers, and 5) disparities in social capital. Our findings indicate colleges were unprepared to meet the unique challenges faced by this group. We present recommendations for the …

The Role And Influence Of Faculty As Predictors For Retention And Satisfaction Among Generation Z, Katelyn Romsa, Stephani Jarecke, Jessie H. Hendricks, Bryan Romsa

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

While previous research has established that faculty and their interactions with students have had the greatest impact on student retention and satisfaction for centuries, limited studies have been done to understand how faculty are influencing Generation Z, our newest generation of students in higher education. This study examined how the quantity of faculty interactions is impacting student retention and satisfaction among 342 Generation Z first-year college students at a public land-grant institution in the Midwest using the National Survey of Student Engagement instrument. In a Mann-Whitney U test, significant difference was …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 9, Issue 1, Spring 2025

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2025 issue (Volume 9, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The issue includes five articles addressing challenges in higher education: faculty-student interactions with Generation Z students, experiences of first-generation single-mother college students, implementation of an interdisciplinary museum studies course, guidance for creating educational videos, and a book review on resistance to change in higher education. The journal emphasizes practical strategies for effective teaching, inclusivity, and innovative approaches to pedagogy across various educational contexts.

How College Affordability Has Changed For Different Families, Peter Hinrichs

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Faculty Perceptions Of Challenges To Faculty Retention In Workforce Training Programs At A Higher Education Center In The Southern United States, Brea Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study is the challenges of retaining faculty in the workforce training program division at a higher education center in the southern United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore faculty perceptions regarding challenges to faculty retention in the workforce training program division at a higher education center in the southern United States and their recommendations for improved faculty retention. The conceptual framework that supported the study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight full-time workforce training faculty members who had been employed with the …

Cultivating A Sense Of Belonging: Pathways Of Support In Higher Education, Tanya M. Tarbutton, Lori B. Doyle

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

Institutions should proactively consider the need for cultivating a sense of belonging among online adult students with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Hispanic and first-generation learners face unique challenges to overcoming potential barriers associated with obtaining an advanced degree. The impact of higher education institutions (HEI) on the overall development and betterment of society cannot be overstated which adds a level of importance regarding the experience of all learners from any context. A conceptual framework, based on research specific to supporting diverse learners, will be explored. In addition to drawing on the tenets of the sense of belonging framework, facets of …

Finite Disappointment, Infinite Hope: Enacting Cultural Humility, Institutional Accountability, And Sustainable Resistance, R. Danielle Scott

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

Higher education faces unprecedented political and organizational shifts, including bans on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These challenges create barriers for educators committed to equity and justice. Grounded in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, “Finite Disappointment, Infinite Hope,” this article explores cultural humility—particularly institutional accountability—as a key strategy for navigating this evolving landscape. Cultural humility fosters critical self-reflection, redressing power imbalances and lifelong learning, offering a sustainable approach to social justice advocacy. This article outlines strategies for bolstering institutional accountability. The author introduces Five Care Practices—Recalling Core Values, Remembering, Resting, Reading and Intellectualism, and Radical Self-Care—as essential tools …

Play The Game Until You Can Change It, Code-Switching Through The Lens Of Black Mid-Level Administrators, Kale W. Walker

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study explores the multifaceted phenomenon of code-switching, defined as the practice of alternating between languages, dialects, or language varieties within conversations. It posits that code-switching transcends mere linguistic behavior, functioning as a strategic tool for social survival and the enhancement of social capital. The study examines how individuals utilize code-switching to navigate complex social landscapes, negotiate identities, and pursue specific social and professional objectives; thereby contributing to their social capital—the network of relationships and resources that facilitate access to opportunities and influence. The research highlights the broader implications of code-switching on social structures and power dynamics, illustrating how …

The Origin Of Community As Experienced By Intercollegiate Athletes At Benedictine Institutions Of Higher Education: A Hermeneutical, Phenomenological Hybrid Study, Barbara Rezac

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This study focuses on the phenomenon of community experienced at Benedictine colleges and universities and its impact on the faith, character, and human development of recent alumni who participated in intercollegiate athletics on campus. Benedictine education, based on the 1,500-year-old Rule of Saint Benedict, is guided by ten hallmarks which seek to build wisdom cultivated in community. This study specifically examines the extent of the lived experience of community through the lens of former intercollegiate athletes (alumni from the past ten years) and the perceived influence of the hallmarks on their post-graduate lives. I contacted mission leaders, athletic directors, and …

Faculty Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence As A Teaching And Learning Tool In Higher Education: A Causal-Comparative Study, Elizabeth A. Fitch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine the differences in attitudes, benefits, and threats of using artificial intelligence tools in teaching and learning among community college faculty in Tennessee. The findings of this study are important because faculty acceptance or rejection of emerging technology determines educational innovation. The sample was composed of 211 full-time faculty employed at twelve community colleges in Tennessee. Data were collected using the Attitudes, Benefits, and Threats instrument which was administered by electronic survey. The results of the two-way MANOVA did not find a significant difference among attitudes, benefits, and threats associated with …

Researching Research Leaders: A Qualitative, Phenomenological, Transcendental Study Of University Institutional Official Relations With Stakeholders Using The Competing Values Framework, Sara Grano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological, transcendental exploratory study was to understand institutional officials’ (IO) lived relational leadership experiences with internal and external stakeholders with competing values in U.S. research universities. The competing values framework guided the study to investigate IOs’ lived experiences when relating to diverse stakeholders in research universities. The central research question asked was what are the experiences of IOs in research universities when practicing relational leadership with diverse stakeholders with competing values? Ten participants were recruited for this qualitative study using the purposeful sampling and then snowball method of recruiting. The elite participants had experience serving …

The Role Of Mindset In The Academic Resilience Of Non-Residential Health Profession Students: A Phenomenological Study, Julie Lynn Branagan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of academic resilience of non-residential healthcare students in rural regions of the Northeast United States. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Carol Dweck's theory on growth mindset, as it exposed the relationship of personal perspective on academic resiliency. This study attempted to answer the central research question: What are the lived experiences of academic resilience among non-residential health profession students? An extensive review of the literature revealed the compounding aspects of resilience research with specific attention to health profession students. Data collection methods included a letter-writing …

Development In Comprehensive Onboarding Training And Professional Development For Online Adjunct Faculty, Leslie R. Stover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hiring online adjunct faculty in higher education continues to grow, encompassing nearly half of the overall faculty population. As four-year institutions rely on the benefits of adjunct faculty, they must also invest in their orientation and continuous development. Existing literature confirms the varied approaches to supporting adjunct faculty, deficiency in coordinated programming, and reveals a lack of understanding in adjunct faculty's perception of training delivered. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, this study explored the gap between the onboarding and professional development an institution provides and the online adjunct faculty’s perception of its effectiveness. The research questions explored the lived experiences …

The Art Of Disability And Identity: Using Arts-Based Methods To Examine The Relationships Between Disability, Identity, And Identity Development For Young, Disabled, Women In Higher Education, Amelia Holzer

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Within higher education, much of the research surrounding education and students with disabilities revolves around accommodations, and critiques of structural barriers to access. Further, disability within the context of higher education is often thought of through the lens of “service” and support for students with disabilities in higher education often takes a medical model approach of “curing” the student and “treating” their disability with accommodations (e.g., additional testing time), instead of acknowledging the environmental, social, and cultural factors within the classroom, or outside the classroom that may be causing the impairment. There is a noticeable gap in the higher education …

Examining Non-Academic Staff's Perceived Value Of Professional Development On Job Satisfaction And Anticipated Turnover In Higher Education, Elnora Lewis

Dissertations

One of the most important assets in an organization is its employees (Chong & Lee, 2017). Developing staff employees is critical in the university setting (Gornitzka & Larsen, 2004), in addition to satisfying and retaining them (Grohnert et al., 2021). Given today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, staff development is more vital than ever in the workplace (Gibson, 2020). Higher education institutions should be concerned about employee's professional development (Gerken et al., 2016), not only academic staff but also non-academic staff. Additionally, organizations should ensure employees are satisfied by offering learning and development opportunities, which can contribute to …

Perception Of Mental Health Among Students In Higher Education, Kasibah Baig, Leia Aguilar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health in higher education environments is a topic that has the need for exploration and discussion. Students with poor mental health face additional stressors and challenges in their academic and personal areas of life. It is critical for colleges and universities to address the topic of mental health and understand how it can affect students, as well as to be able to provide the proper support and services. By having more conversations about mental health on campus and providing easily accessible and inclusive resources for students, it can create a comfortable environment on campus for students to be able …

Effects Of Project Rebound On Reducing Recidivism, Lisa A. Ravega, Ashley Van Mouwerik

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Recidivism is the tendency of justice-involved individuals to relapse into criminal behavior and remains a critical challenge within the justice system. Objective: This proposed research aims to assess the effectiveness of campus-based programs to assist individuals with enrollment and success in higher education, specifically Project Rebound. Project Rebound is a campus-based re-entry program that assists justice-involved college students in obtaining their educational goals through such support as enrollment and counseling services. Methods: The proposed research suggests utilizing a quasi-experimental non-equivalent comparison group design to examine the impact of Project Rebound on reducing recidivism among justice-involved college students at California …

Exploring Full-Time Female Faculty Members’ Experiences With Institutional Climate In Rural Arkansas Community Colleges: A Preregistered Study, Gabrielle Patterson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current literature implies that female faculty in community colleges often endure a chilly organizational climate of marginalization. This marginalization makes female faculty more likely to leave higher education than male colleagues because of a lack of appreciation and recognition. This qualitative exploratory multiple-case study (preregistered study) uses the Job Embeddedness Theory as its conceptual framework. It explores full-time female faculty members’ (F-TFFMs) experiences with institutional climate in rural Arkansas community colleges to understand their motivations to teach in the setting and the reasons they choose to stay in their position. Findings from this study will show F-TFFMs motivations to …

Grading Of Discussion Boards In Asynchronous Higher Education Courses And Its Effect On Social Presence: A Causal-Comparative Study, Heather Ann Hanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative, non-experimental study was to determine if the grading methods of discussion board assignments in asynchronous courses affect the students’ perceived social presence. Social presence is one of the three factors of the Community of Inquiry (COI) that play a role in supporting the learning experience. The target population was graduate students in asynchronous online education courses. A sample of 92 students were surveyed from five institutions using the Community of Inquiry (COI) survey. They were placed in three groups based on the grading methods of discussion board assignments. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) …

It Starts With Trust: How Mid-Level Student Affairs Supervisor Trust Behaviors Impact Entry-Level Staff Leave Intention, Latonya Monique Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of how higher education student affairs mid-level managers (supervisors) develop and maintain trust with directly supervised entry-level staff (employees). Intervention in complex student development-oriented activities, student crises, and political protests has increased since the 1930s at higher education institutions throughout the United States. Entry-level or frontline student affairs staff manage these challenges most frequently. Yet these professionals often leave their positions within 3 years. Studies have highlighted inconsistent supervision as one of three reasons entry-level staff vacated their roles. Although many researchers have investigated why these staff members exited the field, less knowledge exists about …

Faculty Perceptions Of Using Technology To Facilitate Virtual Debriefing In Graduate Health Sciences Education, Kelly Anne Chamberlain Layne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Simulation, with face-to-face debriefing, has been widely used in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) education to provide realistic experiences for students without harming clients. However, researchers have not studied technology acceptance by graduate entry-level (EL) OT and PT faculty with virtual debriefing. Virtual debriefing has become more common in recent years; thus, it is essential for universities to understand faculty adoption of this effective teaching and learning technology. Guided by the technology acceptance model framework of Gu et al., the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore faculty perceptions of using technology to facilitate virtual debriefing …

High Ability, Hidden Gaps: Building Quantitative Reasoning Amongst Singapore’S Mathematically Literate, Rebecca M. Nichols

Numeracy

In Singapore, where primary and secondary students routinely top standardized worldwide mathematics examinations, a paradox emerges: when reaching university, many struggle to apply their skills critically in real-world contexts. This commentary examines the challenges and strategies involved in teaching quantitative reasoning (QR) to mathematically literate students in a top-ranking Singaporean university. While these students arrive well-trained in computation and procedural problem-solving, they often lack confidence and flexibility in ambiguous, data-driven decision-making. This article argues that fostering QR education is crucial not only for Singapore but for education globally, as QR skills underpin evidence-based reasoning within and across disciplines. Such an …

Enhancing Self-Efficacy For Engagement With Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Initiatives: Evaluation Of A Seven-Day Immersive Pilot Program In A College Of Education, Health, And Human Sciences, Jennifer M. Jabson Tree, Stefanie Benjamin, Dorian L. Mccoy Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Colleges of health, human sciences, and education are often administratively organized to include a diverse array of human sciences departments that share roots in social justice and a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion. Despite espoused commitments to equity and inclusion, they frequently struggle to achieve the changes necessary for advancing equity, and inclusion principles across policies, practices, procedures, and units. We implemented and evaluated a 7-day, total immersion, 56-h, educational program entitled the “Social Justice Institute” (SJI) for two cohorts of faculty, staff, and administrators to develop self-efficacy to intervene in systemic oppression in their academic units. SJI delivered …

How Much Can Families Afford To Pay For College?, Peter Hinrichs

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper studies families’ capacity to pay for college in the United States, focusing on changes over time and differences by race and socioeconomic status. I use data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to document changes over time in the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The results suggest that the EFC has been rising over time, and that this has been driven primarily by families in the upper quartile of the income distribution. I then use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to calculate alternative measures …

How College Affordability Has Changed For Different Families, Peter Hinrichs

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Gec Meeting Minutes For Apr 21, 2025, General Education Committee

General Education Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Apr 18, 2025, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

At-Risk Students' Perceptions Of Holistic Advising: A Phenomenological Study, Jonathan David Broyles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand at-risk students’ perceptions of success after having received holistic advising practices at public, four-year universities located in the Southeast United States. The theory that guided this study was Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation, which emphasizes the importance of addressing students’ academic, social, personal, physiological, safety, and emotional needs to support their academic success better. The Central Research Question was: what are at-risk students’ perceptions of success after receiving holistic advising practices? The transcendental phenomenological approach allowed the researcher to explore the phenomenon with others who have experienced the same phenomenon through …