Higher Education Administration Commons^™

A Qualitative Investigation Into The Academic Advisors’ Perceptions Of Best Advisement Practices, Tracy Crowder Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to better understand academic advising by examining the perspectives of academic advisors at a Georgia Research 1 institution located in a large city. Initially, the purpose of this case study was to learn more about how academic advisors view effective strategies for boosting their students' performance. Nine academic advisors from a multi-campus institution in the southeastern United States were interviewed for this qualitative study. The participants were asked to complete 30 to 60-minute interviews with the researcher. By evaluating the personal responses used throughout the study, the researcher could identify frequent themes during data collection and analysis. …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of The Relationship Between Workload, Job Satisfaction, And Burnout On Faculty Quitting Intentions At Public, Associate Degree Granting Institutions In Georgia, Amy Fenech Sandy

Theses and Dissertations

Increased budgetary constraints for postsecondary institutions may lead to increased workloads for full-time faculty members. Previous studies have shown that a negative relationship exists between workload and job satisfaction, which may lead to faculty burnout and increased faculty turnover. Identifying factors associated with faculty job satisfaction and burnout and understanding and predicting faculty intent to leave is necessary for the retention of qualified faculty and proper functioning of postsecondary institutions. The theoretical framework that was the basis of this research was Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation, which states that certain factors must be in place to prevent job dissatisfaction from occurring. …

The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On Postsecondary Student Affairs Division Employee Job Satisfaction, Commitment, And Engagement, Valerie Edwards Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is a transformational process that moves followers to achieve more than is usually expected of them. Research has shown that transformational leadership positively impacts and inspires job satisfaction, organizational commitment and employee engagement among academic lecturers and student populations. But little research has explored the impact of these constructs within the context of non-academic, lower level support staff in higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Transformational Leadership characteristics on the perceptions of lower level, support staff’s job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work engagement in a technical college in Southwest Georgia. The target …

A Case Study Exploring The Motivating Factors And Needs That Influence Older Adult Learners’ Decisions To Enroll And Persist In One University System Of Georgia Emajor Collaborative Program, Jennifer Angela Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study seeks to examine older adult learners' views toward technology use and their motivation, needs, and experiences while enrolled in the eMajor online Organizational Leadership bachelor's degree program offered by the University System of Georgia (USG). The research will investigate what motivates students to enroll in and advance through a degree program and their present technological competencies in relation to online learning management systems. The case study will also strive to identify the demands of older adult learners and the influence online learning has on their drive for program completion. Qualitative data were collected from twelve older …

A Dynamic Capabilities Approach To Ceo Involvement In Performance Funding Policy Development, Zachary Evans Perrine

Theses and Dissertations

Performance funding has become a popular policy structure for public higher education institutions across the United States. The implications on budget and student success are considerable. This study examines performance funding through the perspective of chief executive officers (CEOs) at public community colleges in a southern state. Utilizing the theoretical lens of dynamic capabilities and political management strategies, this study investigates the involvement CEOs have within the policy development process.

Looking Ahead And Behind: Information Literacy Framework Perception In Secondary And Postsecondary Education, Elizabeth S. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s information environment is profoundly different from that of previous generations. The information excess of the 21st century requires information consumers to have a honed set of skills to be successful in their information seeking behaviors in academic, workforce and everyday life. This study used a mixed method, concurrent, exploratory design to investigate secondary and postsecondary library staffs’ perceptions of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Frameworks to close the information literacy gap. Library staff, in this study, perceived both levels’ frameworks as very important and very relevant to …

Academic Misconduct: Its Importance To Persistence And Graduation, Tabor Lancaster Mullen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of an act of academic misconduct on transfer student GPA, retention and completion. Three groups were compared from data compiled from 2009-2015: freshman and new transfer, transfer and native student in honor code violations, and transfer student between violators and non-violators. The outcome determined if not committing an act of academic misconduct benefits students’ immediate academic success as seen through a maintained or higher GPA, retention from one semester to another, as well as completion.

The study utilized the quantitative, quasi-experimental study design. The research was conducted using descriptive statistics …

The Interplay Of Aggregate Faculty Hiring, Aggregate Faculty Retention And Student Graduation At Community Colleges In The United States, Jared Burns

Theses and Dissertations

This research study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in community college graduation rates based on aggregate faculty hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size. The study employed a non-experimental quantitative research design with three independent variables (aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size) and one dependent variable (graduation rate).

The study utilized a one way ANOVA, independent t test, and factorial ANOVA to analyze differences in graduation rates based on aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention, and community college size. Results of the one way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences …

The Decision To Depart: Black Women Faculty's Experience With Departure And The Academy, Herlanda L. Hampton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine how the concept of departure influences the lack of diversity among higher education faculty. More specifically, what factors are currently influencing Black women faculty’s decisions to depart academic positions across two institution types, Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A phenomenological method of inquiry supported the research and included two research questions. The primary research question asked what influences impacted the decision to depart for each faculty member. A secondary question examined the similarities and differences of these influences for departure decisions from the PWIs and …

Transición Curricular Del Diseño De Interiores A La Virtualidad Mediante El Design Thinking, Margaret Rose Díaz Muñoz

Theses and Dissertations

Una modalidad de instrucción de impacto global, una profesión relativamente joven, un método y proceso para solucionar problemas de desarrollo y diseño son la base para esta investigación. Por lo que el propósito de este estudio fue desarrollar un recurso para la creación de un currículo innovador para la modalidad virtual del grado asociado en diseño de interiores utilizando el método o proceso del design thinking. Una investigación de carácter cualitativa desde la perspectiva fenomenológica enfocada en recoger la percepción de los facultativos del grado asociado en diseño de interiores de una Institución de Educación Superior (IES) privada de Puerto …

Relationship Between Grit, Academic Mindset, First-Year Gpa, And Perceptions Related To Persistence For Non-Traditional College Students, Melissa Moss Young

Theses and Dissertations

Retention of non-traditional college students has been a significant concern for postsecondary institutions, students, their families, and society. This study sought to explore the relationships between grit, academic mindset, first-year GPA, and the perceptions of students related to persistence. Braxton and associates’ Revised Theory of Student Departure in Commuter College and Universities served as the theoretical framework for this study. This study was exploratory, sequential mixed method design, incorporating survey data from 2015 as well as qualitative interview data from 2020 and 2021. Results indicated a negative, moderate relationship between grit scores and mindset scores, a weak, negative relationship between …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Participation Of Black Students And Education Abroad, Stephen Ryan Hammock

Theses and Dissertations

The participation rate of Black higher education students in education abroad programs has been significantly compared to their White peers. The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods research study was to examine the participation rate of Black higher education students in education abroad programs by exploring student perceptions relative to barriers and motivations, utilizing the Cultural Approach as the conceptual framework, specifically the economic, social, and intellectual cultural spheres of influence. A web-based questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative items was completed by 248 Black participants and 206 White participants. The quantitative data were analyzed using two logistic regressions, and the …

The Greatest Taboo: Examining The Perceptions And Experiences Of Lgbtq Students Attending A Church-Affilated Historically Black College And University (Hbcu), Rhonda Lachey Lovelace

Theses and Dissertations

To examine the undergraduate experiences and perceptions of students who self-identify as LGBTQ during their matriculation at two church-affiliated historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), this cross-comparison qualitative case study sought the following: 1) to determine common experiences that positively and/or negatively shaped their college choice decisions, 2) to better understand LGBTQ students’ college choices and decisions, and 3) to better understand the climate and culture of the participating institutions and to help identify ways in which those institutions could work to be more inclusive of its LGBTQ students. Data for the study were collected through individual interviews with each …

Calculating The Cost Of New Student Matriculation In A Midwestern Community College, Daniel Joseph Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the cost of new student matriculation at a midwestern community college. Employing activity-based costing, the study allocates costs from the college’s operating budget to determine the cost of new student matriculation, the matriculation cost per student, and the point at which, in credit-hours, the college recovers the matriculation cost. Efficiency is used as a conceptual framework to discuss the college’s ability to move as many new students as possible through the matriculation activities at the lowest possible cost. A key finding was the college is spending a considerable amount of time and money to matriculate new students …

Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: An Application To Student Affairs, Alexander David Snowden

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to show the prevalence of emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL) that exists among student affairs professionals. The study evaluates the scores among student affairs professionals on the Emotionally Intelligent Leadership for Employees: Inventory (EILE-I) by utilizing information such as educational background, level of experience, gender, and racial identity.

The survey instrument, the Emotionally Intelligent Leadership for Employees Inventory, was designed and administered to 1068 student affairs professionals. Statistical tests from the responses included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and analysis of variance. Results showed that student affairs professionals scored an average of “Somewhat …

A Teacher Shortage And Lack Of Representation In The Classroom: A Neoliberal And Critical Race Study Of The Broken Teacher Pipeline And The Impact On Education Majors, Sara Piotrowski

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher education attrition is a largely understudied topic, especially from the perspective of the college student. What factors prevented education majors from graduating with a teaching degree? There are countless studies about teacher attrition within the first five years in the classroom (DeAngelis et al., 2013; Kopkowski, 2008; Office of Postsecondary Education [OPE], 2015), but the research is sparse when it comes to the retention rate of education majors. Why do students get accepted and enter college as education majors and then not graduate with a degree to become a teacher? The purpose of this study was to consider factors …

College Student Suicidal Behavior: Exploring Faculty Willingness To Intervene, Rikki Turner

Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate what factors contribute to faculty members’ willingness to intervene with suicidal students. An online survey was administered to faculty (N = 281) in order to collect data for quantitative analysis. Independent variables included gender, faculty discipline as defined by BIGLAN categories, attitudes about intervention (effect on student and effect on participant), subjective norms, and perceived behavior control (express care and utilize outside resources). Dependent variables included intent to intervene expressing care, utilizing outside resource, and utilizing emergency services. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to confirm that this population fit the model …

The Impact Of A Writing Center On Retention, Persistence, And Success At An Open Enrollment Campus, Aisha Maunda Williams

Theses and Dissertations

College writing center practices differ greatly from the types of conventional writing instruction students and faculty are used to in classrooms. While conventional college lectures typically lead to a summative assessment in the form of grades based on students’ performance on high-stakes assignments, writing centers are seen as tutoring centers where students can receive more personalized attention in the form of formative assessment practices and a process oriented approach to instruction prior to receiving summative evaluations from lecturers. This study measured whether or not there was a relationship between writing center visits and student outcomes as they related to retention …

The Effect Of Transactional Distance On Students’ Perceptions Of Course Quality And Instructor Effectiveness In Online Learning, Andrew Gichuho Mungai

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored students’ perceived course quality and instructor effectiveness as a function of course structure, dialogue/interaction, and learner autonomy in an online learning environment. Using Moore's (1993) theory of Transactional Distance (TD) as a conceptual framework, the researcher collected data from postsecondary learners (N = 1049) across the USA who took online courses between Fall 2014 and Fall 2018. The highest percentage of participants, 48.2%, were aged between 25 to 34; 26.0% were 35 to 44; 11.4% were 18 to 24, while the rest were 45 and above. Of the total respondents, 54.5% were male, 45% were female, and …

Black While Leading: Unmasking The Anti-Black Lived Experiences Of Senior-Level Black Men Administrators At Historically White Institutions, Dujuan Eugene Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the anti-black lived experiences of 9 senior-level Black men who are administrators at Historically White Institutions. Black critical theory (BlackCrit) and theory of marginality and mattering are the guiding frameworks used to examine the lived experiences of the Black administrators. The purpose of this study was to reveal the ways that Black senior-level administrators process, navigate, and make meaning of their lived experiences and anti-blackness at HWIs. Critical ethnography was used as the research methodology to help reveal the personal reflections and strategies that Black men who are senior-level administrators engage in to combat the pervasiveness of …

The Experiences Of Black Women In Diversity Roles At 4-Year Predominantly White Institutions, Tristen Brena� Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Many Black women professionals at predominantly White colleges and universities share similar experiences regarding racism, sexism, and classism at their institutions. However, there is a dearth of research regarding the experiences of Black women who specifically work in diversity related positions at four-year predominantly White institutions (PWI). The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black women who hold diversity related roles at PWIs. For the purpose of this study, diversity positions were defined as roles held in housing and residence life as well as in multicultural affairs departments and centers. Using a qualitative research approach …

The Influence Of Instructor Mental Illness Disclosure On The Perceptions Of Mental Illness, Classroom Climate, Teacher Credibility, Homophily, And Social Attraction, Kirsten L. Bridgemen

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the lens of Communication Privacy Management theory to analyze the impact an instructor’s depth of disclosure of their mental illness can have on mental illness stigmatization, classroom climate, as well as teacher credibility, homophily, and social attraction. Participants responded to a series of quantitative-based questions regarding a hypothetical syllabus with varied levels of a teacher disclosing their mental illness. Results indicated that none of the investigated dependent variables were negatively affected by the hypothetical instructor’s disclosure, and mental illness stigmatization was lessened. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.

Small-Town Living: Do Illinois Universities Understand The Rural College Student?, Erik Andrew Dalmasso

Theses and Dissertations

Rural students are confronted with unique challenges when considering postsecondary choices. According to McShane and Smarick (2018), scholarship on this overarching issue is limited, as it is “often shunted to specialized journals that have not been able to integrate findings into the broader education policy conversation” (p. 1). Rural students, and to a broader extent, rural education have little voice in the postsecondary pathways that have been created within higher education (Goldman, 2019). Recruitment of rural students, financial aid policy, remediation/developmental programming, state and federal postsecondary legislation have largely treated rural students in tandem with their urban and suburban peers, …

An Analysis Of Campus Services For International Students At Institutions In The Midwest, Sylvia Miriyam Findlay

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education campuses are becoming ethnoculturally diverse with the influx of international students from various parts of the world and must modify their international student recruitment and enrollment strategies in response to this trend. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of student affairs personnel to campus services for international students by comparing what should be provided to what is being offered. The study also attempts to identify the gap in their perceptions. Services identified in the literature were examined using the Briggs and Ammigan (2017) collaborative programming and outreach model, which combined concepts of student engagement …

Exploring The Relationship Between Members Of Lifelong Learning Institutes And Host Institutions, Jon Charles Neidy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between an individual’s involvement in Lifelong Learning Institutes (LLIs) and his or her propensity for philanthropic giving to the institute or its hosting college or university. The dataset was acquired through a survey administered to eleven Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs) in the United States. Data analysis was conducted on seven research questions which explored how the length, type, and frequency of participation, as well as the level satisfaction, commitment, and feelings of community may relate to an LLI participant’s inclination to donate. The findings of this study reveal these …

Answering The “More And Cheaper ” Push Of The Completion Agenda: What Does It Cost An Illinois Public University To Deliver A Bachelor’S Degree?, Melissa R. Pitcock

Theses and Dissertations

Using readily available data, this study estimated the costs incurred by an Illinois public university to deliver a bachelor’s degree. Building on previous scholarship, the study used the transcript (based on the graduate’s path to the degree) and catalog (based on the major’s requirements listed in the university catalog) approaches to estimate costs, from three administrative purviews, for native and transfer students graduating from six different academic areas in fiscal 2015. Costs per credit hour were gathered from data prepared annually by the university for the state’s board of higher education.

A primary finding of this study was that costs …

You Belong Here: Residence Halls As Disparate Predictors Of Sophomore Year Persistence At Predominantly White Institutions, James Raymond Neville

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to compare the influence of residence hall living on student persistence between white and nonwhite students at predominantly white institutions. The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) 2012/2014 longitudinal study dataset was acquired from the National Center for Education Statistics. A logistic regression was run to determine the predictive value of residence on student persistence by census race group. The findings of this study reveal that residence halls are not accomplishing as much for Black and Latino students as they are for White students. The results of this study challenge PWIs to take additional steps to …

A Critical Walk Down Illinois Career Pathways, Michael Cermak

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) enrollments in Illinois public high schools. Emphasis is placed on considering how enrollments of students of color differs from their white peers. Gender and racial imbalances prove pronounced in STEM-related career pathways and reveal a large proportion of students of color enrolled in courses leading to low-skill, service-sector occupations. Given future economic and social implications, I recommend future researchers consider how students of color select and how underrepresented students are placed by institutional members and practices into CTE courses.

Preparing Part-Time Contingent Faculty To Teach Writing Online Examining Writing Program Administrator Approaches, Melvin E. Beavers

Theses and Dissertations

As part of the post-secondary educational landscape, online education in the form of online programs and courses help institutions reach and enroll more students. To meet the needs of increased enrollments in online education, part-time faculty are often hired to teach online courses. Part-time contingent faculty or adjuncts represent a growing majority across many fields of study in colleges and universities. As Rendahl & Breuch (2013) reported, first-year courses, specifically freshman composition, are increasingly taught online. This explanatory mixed-methods dissertation examines how, and in what ways, writing program administrators approach preparing and training part-time faculty to teach writing online. The …

Navigating For The Adult Student: Ways To Help Adult Students Transfer Successfully From Community Colleges To Universities, Bethany M. Craig

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the research that exists about transfer students, there is limited literature on the services that colleges and universities provide to adult students who transfer from community college to university. The number of adult students who participate in postsecondary education continues to grow. The purpose for this mixed method exploratory study was to gather data through both telephone conversations and a survey of transfer coordinators at Illinois institutions of higher education, including community colleges, public four-year institutions, and private, nonprofit four-year institutions. The study sought to understand what transfer coordinators perceive their colleges and universities are doing to help adult …