Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Kinesiology Department Chairs’ Perceptions Of Their Training And Preparation, Kason O’Neil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs are responsible for leading academic departments in higher education.  These individuals regularly make important decisions regarding such things as managing faculty and academic programming, overseeing budgets, and supporting student needs. Despite these responsibilities, many people become department chairs without receiving formal leadership training. This study explored how kinesiology department chairs across the United States viewed their preparation for the role and the importance of leadership training. A total of 111 department chairs completed an online survey about their background, previous training, and the importance of training for different administrative responsibilities. The results showed that most chairs had little …

2026 August 27 - From My Notepads Newsletter, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, Brian Noland

From My Notepads: A Newsletter from President Brian Noland

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: Educator Experiences Supporting Students During The Transition From Middle To High School, Sarah Little

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of middle and high school educators supporting students during the transition from middle to high school. This study contributes to the literature of middle to high school transition practices by focusing on districts with a single high school and two middle schools. Coherence Theory was the primary framework for understanding how transition systems function in practice, while Transition Theory and Constructivism provided a supporting lens to provide further context to ground the research in analysis of organizational, developmental, and cognitive alignment.

Data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-structured …

Disruption, Recovery, And Divergence: How Prepandemic Achievement Levels Shaped Learning Loss, Recovery, And Spending Efficiency In Tennessee Public High Schools, Wilson Boyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant and uneven learning loss in Tennessee public high schools. The statewide ACT composite average fell from 20.2 in 2019 to 19.1 in 2021. By 2024-2025, it recovered only to 19.3. During the same period, Tennessee received approximately $3.86 billion in additional federal funds and $1.15 billion in new state funding. This ex post facto quantitative study examined whether prepandemic achievement levels predicted learning loss severity and recovery patterns of a census of 322 Tennessee public high schools from 2018-2019 through 2024-2025.

The study used two theoretical frameworks. Baumol's cost disease theory predicted that structural productivity …

Teacher Autonomy In Accountability-Driven Contexts: A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Mathematics Teachers In East Tennessee, Hollyann Perdue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore East Tennessee middle school mathematics teachers’ experiences of professional autonomy and how those experiences relate to institutional decision making within the accountability-driven educational environment. This study utilized the Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) as a framework to examine how teachers perceived their ability to make instructional decisions while navigating district expectations, pacing requirements, mandated curriculum, and state testing pressures. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured Zoom interviews with 12 East Tennessee middle school mathematics teachers representing varying levels of teaching experience, effectiveness ratings, and instructional settings, including both general …

2025-2026 Annual Report - Undergraduate Curriculum Council, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence Adoption Among Community College Faculty: A Comparative Analysis Of Rural And Urban Institutions, Morgan A. Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities and challenges for higher education institutions. Community colleges, which serve diverse student populations and play a significant role in workforce development, must determine. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, usage patterns, and perceptions of importance among faculty at two rural community colleges and two urban community colleges in the United States. Specifically, the study investigated whether statistically significant differences existed in the perceived importance of AI and in the number of AI tools used by faculty across institutional contexts. In …

Parent Engagement And Advocacy In Individualized Education Programs In Rural Appalachian School Districts, Mollie Rutledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore parent engagement and parent advocacy in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation in rural Appalachian school districts. Parent engagement and parent advocacy in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation are persistent challenges in special education. By intentionally grounding this research in rural Appalachia, the researcher responded to calls for education research that is attentive to the complexity and diversity of rural communities. Parents in rural areas face unique challenges related to poverty, isolation, and limited resources that can influence their engagement and advocacy in the IEP process. The …

Perceptions Of Effective Co-Teaching Partnerships In High School Inclusive Classrooms, Korri-Lee S. Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the characteristics and contextual factors that general education and special education teachers perceive as essential for effective co-teaching partnerships in high school inclusive classrooms. The study, which involved in-depth interviews with general and special education teachers in co-teaching partnerships, was conducted within a constructivist paradigm to shed light on interpersonal, communicative, and systemic variables that contribute to a positive, productive co-teaching experience. Purposeful sampling was employed to select general and special education teachers who were part of co-teaching partnerships. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from semi-structured interviews, and an …

The Influence Of Intervention Strategies On Students With Disabilities Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors In Rural Public Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Ben B. Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study addressed rural teachers' perceptions of the influence of intervention strategies on students with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the effect of intervention strategies on academic achievement, student behavior outcomes, and teacher self-efficacy through the lens of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. This theory is a complex, dynamic interaction among people, their behaviors, and their environments. Data collection included 14 individual interviews, conducted on Zoom with educators from one school district in Southern Virginia, including seven general education teachers and seven special education teachers. Data analysis strategies …

2026 April 22 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 April 13 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 April 6 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 Election Results - Student Government Association, Student Government Association, East Tennessee State University

Student Government Association Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 March 25 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 March 23 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 March 11 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 March 9 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 March 9 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 April 8 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 February 25 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 February 23 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 February 11 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 February 9 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 February 9 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 January 28 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026 January 22 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

The Academic Council met on January 22, 2026, under the leadership of Dr. William Flora to review consent items, receive reports, and hear academic updates. The council approved the inactivation of the MALS Archival Studies concentration due to minimal enrollment and the relocation of the associated certificate, the discontinuation of the Allied Health MS program following a decade of declining enrollment, and the renaming of the Master of Professional Studies to the Master of Leadership Studies to better reflect student interest. Enrollment updates highlighted strong undergraduate growth, a small graduate decline, and retention patterns consistent with historical trends, with most …

2026 January 12 - University Council Agenda And Minutes, University Council, East Tennesee State University

University Council Agendas and Minutes

The University Council met on January 12, 2026, where Provost Kimberly McCorkle opened the session and members approved the previous meeting’s minutes before hearing updates from governance groups and campus units. A mission moment highlighted the Nurse Narratives initiative, a collaborative storytelling project shaping empathy-centered nursing education. Governance reports noted progress on faculty surveys, staff recognition planning, academic chair training, Appalachian Folk Festival preparations, and athletics achievements. Enrollment management updates emphasized reduced drop-risk student counts, improved outreach coordination, increased fall 2026 applications, and opportunities and challenges related to the TN Direct Admissions pilot program. Additional updates addressed FAFSA improvements, the …

2026 January 12 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

The Staff Senate convened on January 12, 2026, led by President Cody Morelock, who opened the meeting with updates from university leadership and key campus initiatives. Dr. Noland reported confidence in spring and fall 2026 enrollment trends and anticipated stable state budgets, with upcoming budget hearings centered on KPIs and strategic priorities. Additional University Council updates included the premiere of the Nurse: Empathy Heals documentary, ongoing faculty climate survey efforts, athletics challenges related to the transfer portal, and enrollment reports highlighting approximately 2,000 students at risk of non-enrollment, FAFSA verification needs, and international recruitment declines due to global travel constraints. …

2026 January 8 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

The Academic Council met on January 8, 2026, under the leadership of Provost Dr. Kimberly McCorkle to conduct routine business and receive several informational updates. The meeting featured presentations on two major topics: a proposal to rename the Department of Exercise Science to Exercise and Sport Science to more accurately reflect its academic programs in sport performance and strength and conditioning, and an overview of the newly established Center for Community Engagement, which formalizes the university’s long-standing commitment to outreach, collaborative partnerships, and Carnegie Community Engagement classification efforts. Additional updates included spring 2026 enrollment monitoring, with attention to payment deadlines …