Higher Education Administration Commons^™

Subjectivities In The Sandbox: Discovering Biases Through Visual Memo Writing, Bethany Lisi

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Having insider status at an organization under study can present a researcher with benefits and challenges. Insider researchers may have access to honest dialogue with study participants but may also be vulnerable to uncomfortable conversations and organizational conflicts. Insider researchers also have to contend with their own biases they bring to a study. By using the reflexive practice of memo writing, insider researchers can be mindful of their own subjectivities during data collection and analysis. The purpose of this article is to share one approach to memo writing that incorporates visuals into the analysis and reflection. Through my use of …

Systematic Assessment Of A High Impact Course Design Institute, Michael S. Palmer, Adriana C. Streifer, Stacy Williams Duncan

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Herein, we describe an intensive, week long course design institute (CDI) designed to introduce participants to the scholarly and evidence driven process of learning focused course design. Impact of this intervention is demonstrated using a multifaceted approach: (a) post CDI satisfaction and perception surveys, (b) pre /post CDI surveys probing pedagogical confidence and perceptions regarding importance of syllabi components, and (c) pre /post CDI syllabi analysis using a reliable syllabus rubric validated for higher education courses. The combined results of these qualitative and quantitative studies indicate that participants value the CDI experience, believe they learn basic principles of learning focused …

High Retention Of Minority And International Faculty Through A Formal Mentoring Program, Susan L. Phillips, Susan T. Dennison, Mark A. Davenport

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In these economic times, retention of new faculty, particularly minority and international faculty, is a high priority. In this study, retention of new faculty from 2006 to 2013 was compared for participants and nonparticipants in a formal mentoring program. Retention was 92% for participating faculty and 58% for nonparticipating new faculty. For African American faculty, retention was 86% for participating and 56% for nonparticipating. Participating international faculty were retained at 100% and nonparticipating at 61%. The results indicate that mentoring programs including both individual and group mentoring provide a supportive community and self validation to new faculty, leading to high …

Connect, Change, And Conserve: Building A Virtual Center For Teaching Excellence, Anne M. Schoening, Sarah Oliver

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In an era of limited fiscal and human resources, educational developers are seeking innovative ways to connect with their constituents. Developing a “virtual” center for teaching and learning (CTL) is one approach to consolidating development resources and reaching busy full time and adjunct faculty. This article will describe the process used to create and sustain a Virtual Center for Teaching Excellence (vCTE) at a diverse, mid sized university campus. This process required connection between departmental faculty developers and stakeholders, change of the campus mindset, and conservation of resources through shared efforts. Challenges faced and recommendations to overcome those challenges will …

Toward A New Creative Scholarship Of Educational Development: The Teaching And Learning Project And An Opening To Discourse, Martin Springborg, Cassandra V. Horii

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This invited essay of To Improve the Academy’s special feature on Creative Scholarship presents one example of creative scholarship in educational development as a forward to other forms and approaches in the special feature. This example, the Teaching and Learning Project, merges documentary and art photography traditions with faculty consultation. Following a review of the literatures of visual interpretation and instructional consultation, along with their intersection, the essay presents the Teaching and Learning Project in three ways: (a) as images, analyzed using the disciplinary grounding of the visual arts; (b) as a consultation methodology and an educational development practice; and …

Don’T Box Me In: Rubrics For Ártists And Designers, Natasha Haugnes, Jennifer L. Russell

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Two faculty developers at a professional art and design university were met with uneasy faculty attitudes toward grading when they opened their CTL 13 years ago. Conversations revealed that the faculty artists and designers suspected that grading would somehow shatter the fragile muse of creativity, which is so central to the processes of producing art and design. The developers’ quest for transparent, consistent grading, and assessment practices resulted in an approach to rubric creation that taps into artists’ reverence for the critique. This narrative account reveals how the approach allowed an interactive introduction of rubrics as teaching tools, ensured their …

Institutionalizing Faculty Mentoring Within A Community Of Practice Model, Emily R. Smith, Patricia E. Calderwood, Stephanie Burrell Storms, Paula Gill Lopez, Ryan P. Colwell

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In higher education, faculty work is typically enacted—and rewarded—on an individual basis. Efforts to promote collaboration run counter to the individual and competitive reward systems that characterize higher education. Mentoring initiatives that promote faculty collaboration and support also defy the structural and cultural norms of higher education. Collaborative mentoring initiatives, however, support all faculty to be lifelong learners. We analyze a reciprocal model of mentoring—a community of practice for mentoring—that integrates collaborative mentoring into faculty’s daily work. Additionally, we examine the dilemmas, benefits, and costs of institutionalizing a community of practice model for mentoring in higher education. Our analyses indicate …

Improvement Of Under-Represented Minority Individuals In The Healthcare Field Of Communication Sciences And Disorders, Allison Webb

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Individuals from under-represented minority backgrounds are scarce within healthcare careers. Former research has suggested that this lack of diversity begins at the undergraduate level. This proposal discusses a potential solution to this problem occurring at the University of Kentucky and other colleges across the United States. Suggested intervention targeted diverse populations, connected students with faculty and staff, and provided shadowing resources for individuals from under-represented minority backgrounds. Based on research and current diversity statistics, populations of individuals from diverse backgrounds are expected to increase within the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Demographic information for the fall 2016 semester will become …

Change Is Conflict: Exploring Relationships Between Preferred Cognitive Styles And Conflict Management Styles Of University Administrators At A Large Flagship University, Sandra L. Gillilan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

As pressures continue for colleges and universities to find new ways of doing business, the calls for change heighten and the potential for conflict ensues. The purpose of the research study was to explore change as conflict via an exploration of organizational change related to preferred cognitive style, as measured by the Kirton Adaption-Innovation (KAI) instrument, and conflict management style, as measured by the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II (ROCI-II) instrument. The two instruments were administered to 72 university administrators at a large flagship university. The results indicate that the preferred cognitive style of university administrators is not significantly different from …

Graduate Program Survey 2015-2016, Megan Vogt

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

-- Overview - Graduate College
-- Graduate College: Degrees Awarded Summer 2015 - Spring 2016 --- 1
-- Number of Majors Awarded per College over 5 years --- 4
-- Graduate Program Survey
-- Methodology --- 5
-- Response Rate --- 6
-- Principal Activity After Graduation --- 8
-- Activities Student Engaged in at UNI --- 9
-- Reasons for Going to Graduate School --- 11
-- Graduate Education Experience --- 12
-- Paying for a Graduate Education at UNI --- 14
-- Survey Form --- Appendix A

2015-2016 Uni Strategic Plan Accomplishments, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

A report detailing the progress on the strategic goals within the University of Northern Iowa's strategic plan.

Traditional Liberal Arts Colleges' Consideration And Adoption Of Online Education: A Presidential Perspective, Ericka T. Hollis

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

National research studies have indicated that students are enrolling in more online courses annually (Allen & Seaman, 2010, 2014, 2015); yet, not all higher education institutions are adopting online education. In order to understand more about adoption of online education in higher education and presidents’ perceptions of online education, this study investigated the adoption of online education by traditional liberal arts colleges(TLACs). These institutions and their presidents currently face numerous challenges and threats as TLACs try to remain relevant in the 21st century while maintaining their liberal arts mission. The importance of this study lies in the realization that many …

Environmental Change And Adaptation In Kentucky Emerging Research Institution Sponsored Programs Offices: A Multiple Case Study, Scott Niles

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The decline in funding allocations to state-supported institutions of higher education (IHEs) in Kentucky has compelled these universities to secure alternate forms of funding to support their capacity to meet public expectations. These other funding streams include increasing enrollment numbers, securing philanthropic support, and acquiring sponsored funding for research projects and programs. While smaller statesupported IHEs face resource and credibility challenges in their pursuit to expand external funding activity, these Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) continue to strategically bolster their respective research enterprises amid shrinking budgets and increased competition for external funds. Research administration offices are the institutional units responsible for …

A Case Study : The Perception Of Higher Education Administrators At Historically Black Colleges And Universities On The Importance Of Academic Student Organizations As A Retention Technique, Sherri Lynn Shafer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This is a mixed methods study looking at the perception of student affairs administrators on the value of student academic organizations as a retention technique at historically black colleges and universities. The study is based on survey responses from administrators throughout the United States utilizing a researcher developed survey tool. Despite long standing research, findings suggest that administrators perceive some value in such organizations, although they are not administrator’s first choice as a retention technique. Administrators indicate that their roles in retention within the office of student affairs vary, as do retention plans. Furthermore, they specify that barriers limiting the …

Longitudinal Climate Survey Analysis [2009-2016], Bailey Holm

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

An analysis of the student responses to the campus climate surveys, comparing the resuts from the 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2016 surveys.

2016 Foundation Financial Statements, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Foundation Financial Statements

SWOSU Foundation Financial Statements produced by the SWOSU Foundation and Alumni Association.

An Exploration Of The Impostor Phenomenon And Its Impact On Black Women Administrators In Higher Education In The South, Marian Muldrow

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies document Black student and faculty underrepresentation in higher education and the obstacles blocking their access to the classroom either as students or as instructors. As Black women students work toward graduate degrees, Black women administrators are needed so these students can see their identity reflected in their academic leaders.

As a result, this study focused on the particular challenges that limit upward mobility to senior-level administrative positions and highlighted some of the obstacles and conflicts that arise when Black women pursue leadership positions at institutions of higher education. The highlighted historical events related to education, as well as …

Exploring The Connection Between Christian Colleges' Mission And Finance, Farrah Rachele Senn

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Two main issues currently threatening Christian colleges include mission conflict and financial viability, and research suggests that there is a relationship between these two. However, current literature about the relationship between mission and finance is mostly qualitative in nature, either being case studies or observations of practice. This research set out to establish the nature of the relationship between mission fidelity and financial health using quantitative methodology. A survey instrument was used to quantify mission fidelity for 81 colleges in the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), a national organization of Christian colleges, using Benne’s (2001) Typology of Christian …

Deans Of Students’ Responsibilities In Campus Crisis Management, Patrice B. Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to discover the responsibilities of the dean of students in managing campus crisis. The literature clearly identifies the dean of students as a member of the crisis management team (Benjamin, 2014; Zdziarski, 2001, 2006, 2016). However, a gap in the literature exists concerning the specific responsibilities of the dean of students in responding to campus crisis.

The five phases of crisis management as defined by PPD-8 are Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery (US Department of Homeland Security, 2011). In signing PPD-8, President Obama mandated all state and federal organizations develop comprehensive …

Ally Development: Preparing Student Affairs Professionals To Work With American Indian Students, Corynna B. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature on ally identity development for higher education professionals has been focused mostly on White identity development, with little to no suggestions for those working with American Indian student populations (Broido, 2000; Edwards, 2006; Evans & Wall, 1991; Reason, Millar, A, & Scales, 2005). A conceptual model written by Keith E. Edwards (2006) focused on three stages of aspiring ally identity development with each identity attached to frequently experienced behaviors and viewpoints. This relatable model created a way to offer autoethnographical examples of an aspiring ally’s development to suggest adaptations for non-Native student affairs professionals working with Native student …

Editor's Note, Janie M. H. Fritz

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the Editor’s Note to Volume 35, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Editor's Note, Janie M. H. Fritz

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the Editor’s Note to Volume 35, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Capstone-Ish: Student Success And The Rhetorical Functions Of A Different Kind Of Capstone Course, E. Michele Ramsey

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

In response to a variety of contexts, most notably the national and academic rhetoric promoting STEM majors over those in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, a new way of thinking about the capstone course in communication may be warranted. More specifically, administrators of communication programs looking for ways not only to foster growth in students, but also to increase the status of their programs on campus and in the community, might find this course useful for those programmatic goals. This paper proposes a constructivist capstone-ish course that marries the theories and applications of communication studies with a student’s real …

Mission Statements As Naming Proposals: An Rsi Approach, Susan K. Opt

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This study explores the communication process used to generate and express communication program mission “names.” It argues that the process that underlies the creating, maintaining, and changing of names, ranging from the specific to the ideological, also generates academic unit “mission.” Viewing mission texts through the lens of the rhetoric of social intervention model reveals how the texts reason rhetorically as they propose and provide evidence for the “appropriateness” of a unit’s constituted mission name. Awareness of the rhetorical-reasoning pattern can help unit members make sense of mission-building or -revising work and provide a practical way for them to organize …

Dialogic Education In An Age Of Administrative Preening, Ronald C. Arnett

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Text of the address given by Ronald C. Arnett, recipient of the 2016 Paul H. Boase Prize for Scholarship, granted by the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University for outstanding scholarship in the field of communication

Complete Issue, Volume 35, Issue 2

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 35, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Case Study: Moral And Ethical Decisions Some Students Make Pursuing Their Doctoral Degrees From Accredited For-Profit Universities, Anne Pinchera

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to identify issues some doctoral students face in obtaining their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from accredited for-profit colleges and universities. The three participants attended for-profit universities in the past five years and failed to obtain their doctoral degrees. Data collection is through an initial demographics survey, qualification survey, vignettes, and the interview itself. Data analysis from the Coding Manual for Qualitative Research by Johnny Saldana is used to analyze the data collected from problems doctoral students encounter in pursuit of their doctoral degree (Saldana, 2013). The theoretical foundations for this project come …

A Photographic Study On College Student Sense Of Belonging, Sean Sheptoski

Masters Theses

Finding one’s sense of belonging has the capability to serve as the tipping point between success in college, and failure. According to McMillian and Chavis (1996), sense of belonging can be defined as the sense of community that members feel when they are in an environment and around other members. A way to achieve premier sense of belonging is by the creation of a caring, supportive and welcoming environment within the university. This study was designed to focus on the importance campus space plays in the creation of sense of belonging. Using a qualitative approach known as photovoice, the researcher …

Understanding The Management Of Sustainability On One Public Midwestern College Campus, Eric Swinehart

Masters Theses

Environmental sustainability is a substantial issue within our world today that is on the forefront of policy makers' minds. Implementation of sustainability initiatives on a college campus comes in many forms and different scales, which falls upon the question of who manages all the moving pieces to make these initiatives successful. This study was designed to gain an understanding of how administrators are defining and implementing environmental sustainability initiatives on their campus, to understand their role in managing these tasks. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher interviewed a purposeful sample of four higher education administrators from one public Midwestern university. …

First-Generation, Second Year, College Students And Support Gained From Campus Services, Taylor Whittington

Masters Theses

First-generation college students face many challenges when coming into higher education. This qualitative study was designed to gain an understanding of how first-generation college students utilize resources on campus in support of trying to work through their challenges and gain their successes. Chickering and Reisser's (1993) theory of identity development was used to better understand the development of first-generation college students during their transition and first year at the institution. The researcher interviewed five first-generation college students who identified as Caucasian and were in their second year of college. The results from the study showed that first-generation students rely heavily …