Educational Leadership Commons^™

Adaptive Leadership Approaches In Online Education: A Study Of Trust Creation And Change Management In Higher Education, Andrew R. Casiello

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was to determine which aspects of “Adaptive Leadership” are most commonly used by leaders in online education at doctoral research institutions where online education is playing a major role in enrollment. Within this study, the current state of higher education is reviewed and major changes in the financial, technological and competitive landscape are discussed. Challenges within the higher education context are addressed. These challenges include the increasing cost of a college education, decreased state support for public institutions, reduction of regional hegemony caused by technological advancements, increasing competition for students, and student demand for greater …

Leading Through The Messy Middle: Women Presidents Of Maine Colleges And Universities

International Journal of Leadership and Change

No abstract provided.

Exploring Opportunities On A Liberal Arts Campus To Develop Students’ Critical Consciousness: A Qualitative Study, Tanden Lee Brekke

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the critical consciousness development of students enrolled in a liberal arts institution. Two hundred seventy-seven students at Bethel University completed the Critical Consciousness Scale (Diemer, Rapa, Park, & Perry, 2017) and Measure of Adolescent Critical Consciousness (McWhiter & McWhirter, 2016). Based on the results of these two scales, 12 students took part in group interviews. These students identified educational experiences that engaged with the socio-political environment of the campus, created space for expression and exploration of emotions, nurtured identify development, fostered crossing of social boundaries, and created space for students to exercise their voice were key …

The Lived Experiences Of Students With High Functioning Autism In Higher Education, Aida G. Miles

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of students with high functioning autism (HFA) are entering higher education; this number is expected to grow as the prevalence of autism continues to rise. Students with HFA face many challenges when entering higher education. These challenges produce an environment that impedes student success and potential degree completion. This study explored the lived experiences of 17 participants with HFA who were enrolled in private colleges and universities in a metropolitan area of the Midwest. Although disability services offices are mandated to provide accommodations to students with disabilities, some of the challenges faced by participants were not supported …

“It’S Like A Big Freaking Fake Circus”: An Exploration Of Intersectionality And Women’S Experiences In Higher Education Fundraising, Daniel Mathis Spadafore

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Women in higher education fundraising navigate the broad forces of sexism and racism in society and their profession, a profession in which they are being paid less than their male counterparts and are under-represented in leadership roles, despite being the majority of fundraising professionals. This study provided a platform for women in higher education fundraising to tell their stories and to explain, in their own words, how they navigated a traditionally White patriarchal system of philanthropy, interacted with fundraising prospects and donors, and experienced the fundraising profession. The research questions included:

• What do women say are their lived experiences …

Exploration Of Growth Mindset Application In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Kelly Jean Rutherford

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As early as 1988, Carol Dweck began a line of research connecting motivation and intelligence that later became known as mindset theory (Dweck & Leggett, 1988). This study explored the feasibility of applying Dweck’s growth mindset model to challenges in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorder (CSD). Interviews were conducted with higher education administrators who are directly affected by requirements of program standards using a phenomenological design. Findings suggested that growth mindset beliefs and practices are used in many ways across faculty, curriculum, and student domains; however, participants identified growth mindset concepts of willingness to embrace change, learning from …

Active Learning Strategies For Higher Education: The Practical Handbook, Centre For Higher Education Research, Policy And Practice, Shaun Ferns, Nicola Duffy

Books

The manual itself is based on a sound method that the Educator can easily deploy. This is made up of easy stages for each activity which they and their students can embrace. This student-centred pedagogical approach allows learners to build their understanding while also taking responsibility for their own learning where the educator acts in a facilitator or enabler role. This active, enquiry-based approach is at the heart of what Durham College, UOIT and TU Dublin endeavour to provide to students as it can be applied to diverse problems and contexts within their educational journey and across disciplines. It also …

Effective Communication In Academia: It Goes Both Ways!, Domenick Pinto

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

This workshop explores both the positive and negative aspects of communication with faculty, staff and administration. It emphasizes the effectiveness of GOOD communication skills as well as the dangers of MISCOMMUNICATION. Case studies, audience participation, and excerpts from literature on the topic will be presented.

Intentional Leadership For More Just Experiences: Supporting Black Males On College Campuses, John D. Egan

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This essay explores the unjust experiences of Black males and minority faculty on college campuses that perpetuate inequality in higher education. The literature shows Black male undergraduates experienced both overt racism and more subtle insults on some college campuses, which serve as a barrier to integration into the college system. This essay also connects the underrepresentation of minority faculty as a contributing factor to the climate that inhibits the integration of Black male students into the college system. Through intentional leadership, educators should create or support existing Black male initiative programs on their campuses as this evidence-based practice contributes to …

Why Women Give To Women: A Portrait Of Gender-Based Philanthropy, Amy C. G. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

WHY WOMEN GIVE TO WOMEN: A PORTRAIT OF GENDER-BASED PHILANTHROPY AT A PUBLIC COLLEGE IN VIRGINIA

By Amy Gray Beck, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019

Chair: Katherine Cumings Mansfield, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations, School of Education, UNC Greensboro

The cost of public higher education is steadily increasing, with state and federal government cutting its support year after year. Students are having to pay more out of pocket for classes and tuition, and institutions rely on …

Cognitive Factors In Higher Education Students: Goals, Mindset, And Internalized Motivation, Mary Kovach

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

This manuscript demonstrates the value of understanding three cognitive factors in higher education. These three cognitive factors (i.e. goals, mindset, and internalized motivation) provide educators with the ability to enhance academic outcomes and to motivate students towards achievement. Each cognitive factor is dissected and applied to students in the higher education classroom. Additionally, research is presented to create a motivational atmosphere, specifically within the classroom environment, that will improve student mindset and develop stronger academic goals for students. Lastly, this manuscript proposes suggestions for future research that will contribute to the findings of the overall construct of motivation in an …

Higher Education Experiences Of International Faculty In The U.S. Deep South, Elizabeth Omiteru, James Martinez, Rudo Tsemunhu, Eugene F. Asola

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Immigration was one of the key issues from within the Obama administration. One focus of the administration was to retain brilliant foreign scholars who have studied in the United States (U.S). Rather than let International Faculty return to their countries after completing their programs, employers found it advantageous to retain these professionals to boost the United States workforce. Higher education was one of the government sectors that experienced an increase in the numbers of foreign nationals choosing to remain in the United States after completing their degrees. What many International Faculty may be oblivious of, and which their programs of …

The Influence Of Engaging Centralized Student Support On The Academic Achievement Of Student Veterans, Paul Morgan

Dissertations, 2014-2019

As more veterans and service members enroll in higher education, institutions are investing greater resources in the establishment and enhancement of centers to support them. However, little is known about the outcomes associated with utilization of the centers. Furthermore, researchers have consistently aggregated veterans and service members under “student veterans” with little regard for potential differences. Using regression analyses and analysis of variance, this case study explored the effect of visits to a veterans center on grade point average (GPA), the effect of academic need on frequency of visits, and differences in academic achievement for different types of military-affiliated students. …

The Organizational Structures Of Instructional Design Teams In Higher Education: A Multiple Case Study, Jason Drysdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how organizational structures influence leadership over online learning initiatives for dedicated instructional designers in higher education. A qualitative research method was used for within-case analyses for 3 individual universities and a comparative case analysis of all 3 studied institutions. Purposive sampling was used to identify each university that participated and operated within 1 of 3 organizational structure profiles. Data were collected through document analysis and semistructured interviews with participants in 3 key roles at each institution: dedicated instructional designer, online faculty member, and online learning administrator. The organizational structure that most positively influenced the ability for dedicated …

Higher Education Social Responsibility: An Empirical Analysis And Assessment Of A Hispanic-Serving Institution's Commitment To Community-Engaged Scholarship, Student Integration And Sense Of Belonging, Juan Salinas Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Current efforts in higher education institutions to increase persistence and success among Hispanic students continue to be ineffective and thus new conceptual frameworks need to be explored. Data from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities asserts that increasing the number of Hispanics that graduate is vital for our country’s future. In turn, Hispanic-Serving Institutions need to nourish and nurture their students to ensure that they graduate and institutional frameworks would benefit from cultural and epistemological congruence with Hispanic students, their families, and their communities.

Educational leaders have urged educators to take on the responsibility and commitment to students’ success …

Propensity To Trust And The Impact On The Academic Success Of Student-Athletes: Implications For Athletic Officials In Higher Education, Trevor Thomas Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Student-athletes enter higher education in the United States with diverse backgrounds and academic preparation. In some cases, student-athletes are underprepared for the academic rigor, social structure, and ethical expectations of these institutions. Athletic coaches are charged with the recruitment of highly skilled, competitive, and prepared student-athletes, while other athletic officials are responsible to provide the proper academic support, care, and overall well-being of student-athletes. If coaches, athletic administrators, advisors, and learning specialists could identify educational and demographic patterns related to student-athletes' propensity to trust, they would be better equipped to gain these students' trust and help them navigate the stress …

The Socialization Of Students Serving On United States Public Post-Secondary Education Boards, Erin Renee Bendily

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study aimed to explain how student members of United States public post-secondary education boards are socialized into their roles and how specific strategies influence their engagement and effectiveness. Researchers have studied student involvement and leadership, including why and how students become involved, individual and institutional benefits, challenges that students experience, and perceptions about students’ involvement in decision-making. Literature also addresses organizational socialization and that of post-secondary education board newcomers, including strategies that organizations use to support their engagement and effectiveness. Little research, however, has been done on the ways in which those boards attempt to support and facilitate students’ …

It's About Communities: The Commitment To Promoting A Culturally Competent Environmental Health Workforce, Clint Pinion Jr., Leslie D. Mitchell, Jason W. Marion

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Environmental health and public health are profoundly local. The Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) firmly agrees and for this reason, it is important to have local environmental health experts who know the pulse of their communities. AEHAP believes in supporting the advanced scientific education of environmental health in these communities through people from these communities. Accordingly, AEHAP has sought to promote and support accredited environmental health programs among a diverse cross-section of the U.S. higher education landscape. AEHAP’s students are diverse in many ways, including socioeconomically, racially, ethnically, and culturally. The value of this approach enhances the overall …

Inclusion And Social Justice As Peacemaking Within Higher Education, Mary Dana Hinton

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Journal of Social Encounters has been described as “a venue in which we can encounter one other and build the common good together” (Okumu & Pagnucco, 2017, p. ii). In many ways, this description of the Journal mirrors what we endeavor to accomplish in higher education in the United States in general, and in Catholic higher education in particular. While our mission statements vary, and how we achieve the mission will look different on all of our campuses, there is widespread consensus that higher education provides a space wherein people can learn together for the good of supporting our …

Promoting And Establishing An Effective Campus-Wide Academic Advising System, Katie Kerr

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored the role of directors of campus-wide academic advising programs and their contributions to promoting and establishing effective campus-wide academic advising systems. Specifically, directors of campus-wide academic advising addressed how they engaged academic units within a unified campus-wide advising system. This included an exploration of how academic advising organizational structures in higher education institutions and leadership styles of directors of campus-wide advising contributed to the effectiveness of their work. Three themes materialized from this study: (a) emergence of the position of director of campus-wide advising, (b) advising organizational structure and culture, and (c) leadership strategies of directors of …

The Industrial Revolution Of Higher Education, Adriel Adon Hilton, Kevin Mcclain, Donavan L. Outten

Journal of Research Initiatives

For generations, higher education has accommodated its scholars through analog forms of instruction akin to blackboards and textbooks. As society blossomed into a globalized marketplace with information readily available at the stroke of a button, higher education has had to meet the needs of an evolving student population. Through the use of business models like Six Sigma, higher education has attempted to adapt and keep up with the times. This article will highlight the key impacts Six Sigma has had on higher education and supplementary improvements needed within the marketplace.

Book Review: Courtrooms And Classrooms: A Legal History Of College Access, 1860-1960, Mark A. Addison

Journal of College Access

Issues of college access are increasingly met with resolutions within social and economic contexts. Models such as cost of production output, and race and socioeconomic-conscious strategies form the basis of such analyses (Jenkins & Rodriguez, 2013; Henriksen, 1995; Treager Huber, 2010; Schmidt, 2012). We can expect retooling and reinventing of such models with increasing college costs and changes in student demographics.

Examining Messenger And Mode: Strategic Communication In Higher Education Recruitment, Valerie Breashears

Theses and Dissertations

The marketing mantra “know your audience” can be applied when examining higher education student recruitment. With endless avenues for communication and a rise in national data on this topic, exploring what works best for individual institutions is crucial. Disparaging data exists concerning how admissions administrators believe students prefer to hear from institutions and the realities of student preferences. When new recruitment communication strategies were implemented at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in fall 2015 it required an assessment of effectiveness. The posttest-only two-group randomized experimental design will be employed for this proposed quantitative study analyzing recruitment cycle progression …

Leadership In Higher Education In A Culture Of Declining Relevance And Incivility, Sam Evans

International Journal of Leadership and Change

The institution of higher education is experiencing numerous challenges, and questions are surfacing regarding our relevance in an environment where the focus is on workforce development. Concerns are being raised about the preparation of our graduates for the demands of the workplace and, internally, we are dealing with behaviors characterizing a culture of incivility. These are not new concerns, but the prevalence of disconnects between higher education and the realities of the workplace appear to be increasing. These perceptions of disconnects tend to be exacerbated by behaviors occurring on university campuses that in some cases have become violent and/or disruptive …

Analytics: Potential In Higher Education, Brian Brausch, Joseph Cangemi, Keith Moody

International Journal of Leadership and Change

Analytics is altering the world of business and leadership as companies take advantage of its descriptive and predictive capabilities. Industries incorporating analytics into their daily operations are outperforming their competitors, generating greater profits and reducing expenditures. Following industry’s lead, higher education is beginning to make sure of big data to induce academic success by means of increased enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. Incorporating analytics into the decision-making process and overarching operations of an organization may yield considerable outcomes in corporate and academic environments. Integrating analytics into corporate culture requires collaborative partnerships focused on mutual interest and leadership expertise. This article …

A Whole New World: Students With Disabilities Transition To Postsecondary Education, Warren Whitaker

Dissertations

Since the inception of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, there has been a steady increase in the enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education. With the postsecondary transition in educational supports from the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) in high school to ADA in college, there has been a lack of research related to the experiences of these students with disabilities while they are in college. Considering the changes in disability experience resulting from education policy changes from high school (IDEA) to college (ADA/Section 504), the purpose of this study was to examine the …

In Pursuit Of Transformative Learning: Exploring The Stimulation Of Curiosity Through Critical Reflection In The College Classroom, Bo Y. Bae

Dissertations

Educators in higher education are faced with growing pressures to shift pedagogical practices in order to accommodate the growing population of learners and improve student learning outcomes. While the acquisition of knowledge and skills are important to the learning process, they are insufficient in preparing students to function in rapidly changing environments. Curiosity is a vital component in the learning process that, when stimulated, has the potential to increase students’ capacity to think critically. Implementing teaching practices that intentionally focus on how curiosity can be stimulated and enhanced develops students’ abilities to access higher levels of thinking that are essential …

Developing A Study Abroad Program For Student Veterans, Andrea Dame

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

Universities across the nation are seeing an increase in student veterans who are taking advantage of the educational benefits offered for life after the military. These students are non-traditional and come from diverse backgrounds bringing in a unique perspective to higher education institutions (Howard and Brode, 2013). Since 2009, there have been more than 1.7 million Post-9/11 GI Bill users (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2017). This educational benefit has been instrumental in helping veterans and their dependents go to school and obtain a two or four-year degree but there is a 36-month limit to this educational benefit which reduces the …

Underrepresented Student Involvement With The Office Of Sustainability, Jelitsa Fonseca

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

The purpose of this study is to further understand the disconnect between sustainability efforts and the underrepresented student population at the University of San Diego (USD). One of the main concerns of this study is why underrepresented students are not getting involved in sustainability activities on campus, and whether or not that is due to being a minority on campus, which may impact how they choose to get involved in these efforts. The main research questions are: How can I help the Office of Sustainability at USD reach out to underrepresented students who may have stigmas and/or stereotypes towards sustainability? …

Counseling Staff Perceptions Of Visibility Of Mental Health Services At Community Colleges In Southeast United States, Dava Lorene Brock

Student Theses and Dissertations

Today’s college students are under pressure not experienced by the previous generations. College counseling centers are experiencing increasing demands due to the changing needs of students. Unfortunately, with less university funding, increase demands of students, and lack of qualified counselors the college counseling centers have a difficult time meets the campus community’s needs. Community college are in a unique situation compared to the four-year institutions. The population tends to be from more disadvantaged backgrounds creating increased stress and a need for mental health services. However, due to the lack of funds and sources, many community colleges have limited mental health …