Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

An Exploration Of Sense Of Belonging Among Black Males Attending A Predominately White Institution, Nicolas T. Wright

Masters Theses

This study was designed to gain insight on how Black male students attending a predominantly White institution defined and described sense of belonging. In addition, the researcher sought to see if Black male students at the research institution developed a sense of belonging. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher interviewed five Black male students. The participants were students of sophomore to senior standing. Results showed that Black males students defined sense of belonging as acceptance and comfort. Additionally, the results showed that Black male students were able to create a sense of belonging at their predominantly White institution. Participants discussed …

Initial Student Impressions And Affinity Towards The Institution, Andrew Doto

Masters Theses

This study attempted to explore the relationship between the university affinity and initial impressions of undergraduate students at a mid-size, Midwestern university. A quantitative study was employed after acquiring data using Berquam's (2013) Relationship Quality Student Affinity instrument, which measured a student's commitment and pride, as well as their initial impressions towards the university. Results from the Chi Square test for independence showed evidence that initial impressions were related to university affinity, aligning with prior research. Other results from the study indicated that initial impressions and university affinity were also related to university choice rank. Recommendations were made for the …

Universal Design: A Student Affairs Perspective, Becca Lynn

Masters Theses

College is one of the most exciting times in an individual's life and could also be one of the most challenging. Students are coming in to college needing amenities and different accommodations for a variety of different reasons; very commonly, learning and physical disabilities. Utilizing qualitative methodology, this study aimed to explore five different student affairs areas on campus to see if they provide a universally designed environment for college students with both learning and physical disabilities. Each professional shared their knowledge of universal design, universal strategies that they currently use, areas professionals believe are the most accommodating on campus …

Factors Influencing Student Major Selection At A Community College, Kellie Jean Keck

Masters Theses

College students are influenced by many different things the moment they arrive on campus. This study was an exploratory study that examined what factors influenced student major selection at a rural Midwestern community college. Qualitative interviews were conducted with (N = 6) sophomore level participants that were previously undecided but had since declared a major. Participants were asked a series of questions about their major selection process including their experiences as an undecided student, who, and what may have influenced their major selection, what role monetary returns played in their major selection, and how comfortable they are with their …

The Recruitment Of Sexual Minority Students In Higher Education, Jorge El-Azar

Masters Theses

In a time when universities actively recruit diverse groups of applicants, some universities are seeing the need for a diverse student population and advancing their recruitment initiatives to recruit specific groups of students. The LGBTQ+ community has been perceived as an invisible community (Cegler, 2012) by some universities, but other higher education institutions are seeing the value of specifically recruiting students who identify as a part of this community. This study was designed to focus on the initiatives universities are implementing to effectively recruit students who identify as LGBTQ+. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher interviewed six participants who identified …

From Ivory To Babel To A New Foundation, Richard Boris

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

During my 12 years at the NationalCenter for Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, I observed with increasing frustration the inability of administration and faculty leaders—union and governance—to fully grasp, analyze, and find pathways out of public higher education’s current existential crisis.

My many years of observing leaders of public higher education lead me to the inescapable conclusion that together the leaders share a culture that shorts strategic planning, thinking, and boldness and instead favors ad-hoc, incremental acceptance of the ever-changing, slimmed-down state of affairs. The rarified bubbles of presidential cabinets and union boards symbiotically promote policies that, …

A Comparison Of Sorority And Non-Sorority Students' Perceptions Concerning Beliefs And Attitudes About Campus Safety, Victimization, And Personal Safety, Katelyn Raymond

Masters Theses

This study examined female students' perceptions of campus safety, specifically sorority woman and non-sorority women. Previous research found that women feel less safe on campus than males. However, previous research concerning female students focused on sexual assaults.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore female students' beliefs and attitudes about campus safety, victimization, and personal safety on campus. A demographic survey was used to subdivide the sample into sorority and non-sorority participants, college status (e.g. sophomore, graduate student etc.), ethnicity, whether they live on campus or off campus, age, and gender. A second survey created by Baker and …

Analysis And Recommendations, Admitted Student Survey, Summer 2014, Jonathan S. Coit

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Comparing Persistence Of Upward Transfer And Native Students Pursuing A Bachelor's Degree, Jacob W. Deters

Masters Theses

This study, which was conducted at a rural, Midwestern, four-year, public institution, compared the predicted persistence and factors of persistence of successful upward transfer students, transfer students who started at a community college and then transferred to the four-year institution, and native students, students who start at a four-year institution. To be considered for participation in the study, subjects had to have at least one successful semester at the research site. A quantitative study was designed using Davidson, Beck, and Milligan's (2009) questionnaire which measures predicted persistence as well as ten factors of persistence, such as social integration and academic …

Contextual Conditions Related To The Undergraduate Experience And The Nature Of Alumni Involvement: A Qualitative Study, Kasey G. Evans

Masters Theses

The researcher used qualitative methodology to analyze the perspectives of 5 alumni of a mid-sized Midwestern institution regarding their experiences as an undergraduate at the institution and the context of their current relationship with their alma mater. Overall, participants placed a value on giving back to the organizations and groups that they were most involved with as an undergraduate. The participants do not currently give to the institution financially but would like to in the future. The study suggests that undergraduate context is vital to future involvement with the institution.

An Exploration Of College Student Experiences Regarding Healthy Eating At A Midsized Midwestern University: A Qualitative Approach, E. Jordan Stayer

Masters Theses

This study was an exploration of the experiences college students have while eating in on-campus dining centers at a midsized, Midwest, public university. The present study examined college students' (n = 7) experiences of eating in the dining centers with a campus meal plan. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their individual beliefs, their surrounding environment, and their physical behaviors while dining.

The study concluded that dining habits are very personal to each and every human being in the world. At the higher education level, because each student brings with them a completely different taste, desire, and …

Utilizing Reserach Methods To Evaluate And Assess Sexual Aggression And Gender Roles, Jackie M. D'Andrea, Dianne M. Timm

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The study analyzes sexual aggression according to hyper-gender roles and fraternity/sorority membership at a midsize midwestern university. The research examed whether hyper-gender roles affect an individuals sexual experience and whether fraternity and sorority communities are more likely to endorse hyper-gender roles. Key Words: Hyper-gender roles, hypermasculinity, hyperfeminity, sexual aggression, fraternities, sororities.

Utilizing Reserach Methods To Evaluate And Assess Sexual Aggression And Gender Roles, Jackie D'Andrea, Dianne Timm

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The study analyzes sexual aggression according to hyper-gender roles and fraternity/sorority membership at a midsize midwestern university. The research examed whether hyper-gender roles affect an individuals sexual experience and whether fraternity and sorority communities are more likely to endorse hyper-gender roles. Key Words: Hyper-gender roles, hypermasculinity, hyperfeminity, sexual aggression, fraternities, sororities.

Bargaining Quality In Part-Time Faculty Working Conditions: Beyond Just-In-Time Employment And Just-At-Will Non-Renewal, Gary Rhoades

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Two aspects of part-time faculty members’ working conditions that are problematic for educational quality are examined in this article—“just-in-time” employment and “just-at-will” non-renewal. With an eye to enhancing student learning conditions, the article explores feasible strategies that are found in the collective bargaining agreements of units for part-time only bargaining units. Collective bargaining provides a reasonable framework for rethinking, redefining, and renegotiating the working conditions of faculty working in part-time positions to improve student learning outcomes and educational quality.

It's All About The Power, James Castagnera

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

No abstract provided.

Assessment In Practice: A Companion Guide To The Ask Standards, Dianne M. Timm, Jan Davis Barham, Kristen Mckinney, Amanda R. Knerr

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Colleges today are asked to provide greater proof that they are providing quality educational experiences to their students. There has been a growing need for student affairs to provide documentation that their areas also impact learning and student experience. However, many student affairs professionals are overwhelmed by the idea of assessment and are looking for examples of best practices in this area. Several years ago the American College Personnel Association's Commission Director for Assessment and Evaluation developed the Assessment Skills and Knowledge Standards for practitioners. This document provides exampes of these standards in practice.

Assessment In Practice: A Companion Guide To The Ask Standards, Dianne Timm, Jan Davis Barham, Kristen Mckinney, Amanda Knerr

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Colleges today are asked to provide greater proof that they are providing quality educational experiences to their students. There has been a growing need for student affairs to provide documentation that their areas also impact learning and student experience. However, many student affairs professionals are overwhelmed by the idea of assessment and are looking for examples of best practices in this area. Several years ago the American College Personnel Association's Commission Director for Assessment and Evaluation developed the Assessment Skills and Knowledge Standards for practitioners. This document provides exampes of these standards in practice.

Perceived Persistence Factors For African American Students At A Predominantly White Institution, Aaron D. White

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine what resources, persistence factors, and motivational factors influenced African American students matriculation at a PWI located in the Midwest. The participants in this study were six African American seniors or recent graduates of a mid-sized, four-year university in the rural Midwest. Motivation, persistence, and resources are each connected to one another and as students identified factors in each area it was evident that together they all influence the overall success, which is completing their undergraduate degree, in significant ways. The results of this study provided a personal look into areas which …

Use Of Community College Student Services And Student Success Outcomes, Lori Beth Morrissette

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to utilize the 2010 Community College Survey of Student Engagement data and enrollment data from a rural mid-sized community college in Illinois, to examine the use of student services on student success outcomes, specifically cumulative grade point average and program completion rate. This research presents findings on student cumulative grade point average and program completion rate compared to how often students used each of the following selected student services: academic advising/planning, career counseling, job placement assistance, financial aid advising, campus computer labs, and transfer credit assistance.

The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine …

Growth Model Evaluations: Possibilities And Pitfalls, John Dively

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

In response to Race to the Top mandates, student academic growth models are being incorporated into teacher evaluation processes across the country. Illinois’ version of the reform is the Performance Evaluation Reform Act. This paper briefly summarizes the new law and its impact to date. Further, the paper provides reflection upon the current research related to VAMs, and the possible legal consequences of relying on student growth models as a significant component of teacher personnel decisions.

Growth Model Evaluations: Possibilities And Pitfalls, John A. Dively Jr

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

In response to Race to the Top mandates, student academic growth models are being incorporated into teacher evaluation processes across the country. Illinois’ version of the reform is the Performance Evaluation Reform Act. This paper briefly summarizes the new law and its impact to date. Further, the paper provides reflection upon the current research related to VAMs, and the possible legal consequences of relying on student growth models as a significant component of teacher personnel decisions.

Negotiating Within A Shared Governance Format, Suzanne C. Wagner, C. Henrik Borgstrom

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

The act of unionization creates a sense of unity among faculty, however, it also creates an adversarial relationship with administration. Although both the administration and the faculty believe they have the university’s best interests in mind, contract negotiations are typically contentious and divisive. A unique process for negotiations is presented illustrating how working within a shared governance format can enable faculty and administration to work together in preparation, research and analysis, problem solving and mutual gains bargaining that results in success for both parties and, ultimately, the university.

Examining The Decline In Bargaining Power In Faculty Labor Unions In The United States: The Effects Of Reduced Monopoly Power In Providing Public Higher Education, Lynn A. Smith, Robert S. Balough

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This study examines the decline in the economic power of faculty labor unions in public higher education in the United States in recent years. The authors assume the labor union is a utility maximizing entity and that income accrues to the “union family.” The union family attempts to maximize this income. By analyzing collective bargaining agreements and hiring practices between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, the authors construct bargaining indices. Because this study is focused on the change in bargaining power of labor unions in public higher education …

Collective Bargaining In United Kingdom Higher Education, Helen Fairfoul, Laurence Hopkins, Geoff White

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This article provides an overview of the collective bargaining system in United Kingdom (UK) higher education and considers some of the current challenges. The arrangements for determining the pay of staff in UK higher education reflect both the historical context of the UK funding system and the unique nature of UK industrial relations law. From World War II, the funding of UK higher education has predominantly come from central government spending with a strong central framework of policy and governance. Since the 1960s, the higher education sector has grown dramatically, both in terms of student numbers and the number of …

Universities Must Continue To Bargain, Thomas J. Kriger

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Faculty with collective bargaining rights across the nation will—and should—agree with Daniel Julius’s conclusion that “College and university leaders should continue to honor collectively negotiated agreements maintaining relationships with faculty unions.” When implemented correctly, these agreements, as Julius points out, serve the interests of both faculty and administrators. Such agreements codify and protect due process rights for both sides. They also provide both faculty and administrators with a level of predictability and stability in labor relations that are necessary on today’s complex and hectic campuses. While I agree with almost everything Julius has written here, there are a number of …

Universities Should Continue To Bargain, Daniel J. Julius

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

College and university leaders should to continue to honor collectively negotiated agreements maintaining relationships with faculty unions, rather than avail themselves of tempting opportunities to redraw the labor and human resources map. To understand why requires some background on the academic union movement, the impact of unions on university management, and the potential advantages of collective bargaining.

This Much I Know Is True: The Five Intangible Influences On Collective Bargaining, Nicholas Digiovanni

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Studies of collective bargaining have often centered on technique, style and the economic data that each side can use in bargaining a labor contract. Often overlooked, however, are the more subtle factors that influence the outcome of a round of bargaining. This article will reflect upon five of those intangible influences, namely, 1) the role of history; 2) the setting of expectations; 3) the nature and character of the people in the process; 4) the aspects of timing in negotiations and 5) the element of catharsis. The author has noted these five factors in his long career at the bargaining …

The Value Of Student Services And Activities At A Large, Rural, Two-Year College In The Midwest, Andrea E. Bright

Masters Theses

In order to assist in the development and growth of students to reach their maximum potential research into what services and activities students perceive as valuable was conducted. The purpose was to explore student's relations between the perceived value of student services/activities and the knowledge, use, and value of student services and activities. The literature expresses that many factors affect a student's experience at college. Student involvement occurs through many facets, academics, socialization, and environment. Student satisfaction with these factors impact student success or failure. The research demonstrates that students need interactions with the college community in order to facilitate …

Technology Mediated Recruitment: An Exploration Of How Students Used Social Media To Choose College, Ashley Nicole Cooper

Masters Theses

This qualitative study explored the use of social media as a tool to recruit prospective college students. Social media was defined as any electronic media that serves as a networking tool with the ability to educate prospective and current college students about an institution of higher education (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc.). The researcher met with two focus groups comprised of current college students to discuss their use of social media during their college search process.

Recommendations were developed for student affairs professionals and for future research. General themes and categories from participant responses were evaluated. The findings suggest that …

Upper Level Administrators: Communication With Students Via Social Media, David Adam Arnold

Masters Theses

The present qualitative study was executed by interviewing five upper level administrators at a four-year public institution in the Midwest in order to explain their current understanding of social media technologies, and in what ways they were currently using social media to connect with millennial students. Previous research has been done on millennials' use of technology and social media in the university setting; however, little research has focused on way non-millennial upper level administrators are using social media in order to purposefully engage students in a meaningful way. Themes from categories identified during one-on-one interviews indicate that upper level administrators …