Higher Education Commons^™

Beyond Receptive Measures: Development And Validation Of The Spatial Grid Drawing Assessment (Sgda) As A Productive Measure Of Spatial Skill, Katrina L. Carlson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Spatial skills are vital in many STEM disciplines, starting at or prior to university training, and often extending throughout one’s career. The most widely used spatial ability measures (e.g., PSVT: R, MRT) rely on what I refer to as receptive skills: examining an object or design, mentally transforming it, and comparing it to given alternatives. But because work in many STEM disciplines also involves productive spatial skill such as drawing, I hypothesize that a productive measure of spatial skill may predict distinct aspects of spatial ability. This research investigates the relationship between traditional receptive Spatial Visualization (SV) assessments, such as …

The Obverse-Turing Test: Rethinking Authorship, Trust, And Time In An Accelerated Age, Michael J. Miller, Chatgpt (Ai~Nesbo+)

Psychology

In this paper, we propose a new test for scientific accountability in the era of artificial intelligence: the Obverse Turing Test for Authorship. While the traditional Turing test focuses on a machine's ability to mimic human intelligence, our test addresses the question: when should a scientific contribution involving artificial intelligence be attributed joint authorship? We argue that more and more authors are using AI in the idea generation and elaboration stages of their work, but rarely acknowledge this use explicitly. To examine this gap, we analyze examples of human–AI interactions across fields and propose a new approach to authorship based …

"I'M Going To College": Protective Factors Shaping The College-Going Identity Of Prospective First-Generation College Students Of Color, Joseph M. Williams, Yakob Lemma, Nina R. Schoonover, Morgan Rustia, Ben Allen

Journal of College Access

A college-going identity reflects a mindset in which individuals view college as a realistic, attainable, and desirable goal. It is characterized by the belief that higher education is a vital part of one's educational journey and is accompanied by a strong aspiration to earn a degree. For students from low-income and marginalized backgrounds, this identity serves as a critical protective factor, buffering against systemic inequities, resource limitations, and low expectations that often shape their educational experiences. This qualitative study examines the protective factors shaping the college-going identity of prospective first-generation, low-income middle school students of color (N = 17). Centering …

2026 Document For Faculty And Staff Scholarship Spring Soirée, Kara Schleck, Diana Symons

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

I Think, Therefore I Can: Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, And Sense Of Belonging In Introductory Physics, Danielle Christine Maldonado

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cognitive and affective beliefs in physics classrooms are important indicators of student success beyond traditional measurements of academic performance. This body of work explores major beliefs and processes, including self-efficacy, self-regulation, and sense of belonging, as they relate to academic achievement among introductory undergraduate physics students. First, this dissertation explores the development of physics self-efficacy and physics sense of belonging, two highly correlated variables. This work identifies unique sources of physics self-efficacy and sense of belonging development from current and prior academic experiences, personality factors, and demographic variables. Then, relationships between early- semester self-efficacy and sense of belonging, mid-semester …

Grant-O-Thon: A Designathon-Informed Grant Writing Program To Enhance Research Grant Writing Skills In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Yusha Tao, Gifty Marley, Lauren Fidelak, Bin Yu, Yusuf Babatunde, Anita N. Walker, Anthony A. Attama, Andrea L. Conroy, Esther K. Afolabi, Dimitrios N. Vatakis, Iheanyi Omezuruike Okonko, Shyngle K. Balogun, Hongyun Fu, Xin Peng, Ijeoma M. Ifeorah, Patience Kukundakwe, Alexandra Cossio, Ifeoma M. Obionu, Ángela Patricia Beltrán López, Matthew Idowu Olatubi, Ucheoma C. Nwaozuru, Yuanyi Chen, Huachun Zou, Eneyi E. Kpokiri, Daniil Wu, Oliver Ezechi, Juliet Iwelunmor, Meredith Labarda, Jason J. Ong, Weiming Tang, Joseph D. Tucker

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Problem

Early career researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face substantial barriers when writing research grants and have limited writing support. A designathon approach was applied to organize a grant writing workshop (grant-o-thon) tailored for early-career LMIC researchers. This study describes the planning, implementation, and participant-reported outcomes of the grant-o-thon as a participatory training approach.

Approach

Grant-o-thons were organized in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Consistent with the designathon model, the grant-o-thon was structured in three stages: preparation using co-creation with end-users, intensive collaborative teamwork supported by mentor feedback and weekly writing deliverables, and structured follow-up. Each grant-o-thon consisted of …

“Black Students Matter”: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Student Experiences At A Predominately White Institution In Appalachia During The Dual Pandemic Of Covid-19 And Systemic Anti-Black Racism, Toni Owens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the spread of COVID-19 escalated into a global pandemic in 2020, simultaneously, the nationwide media in the United States (U.S.) highlighted coverage of the country’s ongoing incidents of longstanding systemic anti-Black racism in America, another pandemic. In the Summer of 2020, a collective of Black students at West Virginia University (WVU) signed and publicly submitted a petition to the university’s leadership with a list of demands to address their needs as they were further exacerbated by the dual pandemic. This study is guided by the question, “What are the lived experiences of Black Students at West Virginia University during …

Appendices A, B, C, D, & E For "In Their Own Words: Qualitative And Quantitative Analyses Of What Students, Staff, And Faculty Say About Vertical Transfer", Alexandra W. Logue, Vita Rabinowitz, Kerstin Gentsch, David Wutchiett, Barbara Condliffe, Sophia Sutcliffe, Yoshiko Oka, Stephanie Abbeyquaye, Rhina Torres, Nayeon Yoo, Kyle Du

Publications and Research

Deposited here are the Appendices (A, B, C, D, & E) for an article to be published in 2026 in Journal of Postsecondary and Student Success. The abstract of this article is:

This research analyzed higher education constituencies’ statements about vertical transfer (student transfer from community to bachelor’s colleges). Data consisted of both focus group excerpts involving dozens of students, staff, and faculty, and of answers to open-ended survey questions completed by thousands of students and faculty. Results were generally consistent using both qualitative (topic identification) and quantitative (bigram frequency and sentiment analysis) analyses. The results were also compared …

Preserve Democracy By Teaching Social Action, Cheyenne C. Luzynski

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

This presentation introduces social action pedagogy aimed to empower students to lead campaigns on pressing social issues and strengthen their participation in democracy. Teaching social action has enhanced the knowledge, practice, and skills of leadership and civic engagement. America’s Promise Alliance conducted a research study on the state of young people in 2024 and found that young people have low trust in American institutions and adults and feel negatively affected by the current social and political climate (Flanagan et al., 2025). The report also found that young people want access to civic education and engagement opportunities to correct inequalities and …

From Prompt To Practice: Designing Custom Ai Bots For Interpersonal Skill Development, Alaina Michelle Schrader

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

Developing strong interpersonal, leadership, and professional communication skills is foundational in counselor and education preparation programs (Fecke et al., 2023; Lateef, 2010; Stamer et al., 2023). Despite this reality, students often have limited opportunities for repeated, low-stakes practice before engaging with real clients, students, families, administrators, and other stakeholders (Lateef, 2010; Maurya, 2024; Stamer et al., 2023). This session describes a teaching practice that uses custom AI bots as simulated clients, parents, group members, and school administrators to create realistic, structured practice environments where students can rehearse counseling skills, consultation conversations, advocacy, boundary-setting, and professional decision-making without the pressure or …

Designing Ai-Aware Media 101 Curriculum Through Faculty–Librarian Collaboration, Miranda Gale Smith, Elizabeth Oppe

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

This presentation explores faculty–librarian collaboration as a teaching practice. It will inform attendees about the work done by a faculty member (Elizabeth) and a Student Success & Instruction Librarian (Miranda) to design and implement an AI-aware curriculum into an existing Media 101 course at West Virginia University. This resulted in the careful integration of subject-specific and information literacy expertise into the course’s curriculum. More broadly, this is meant to illustrate that in terms of practice, treating AI-aware curriculum development as a shared, iterative process grounded in mutual respect for distinct but complementary forms of knowledge has the potential to yield …

Interacting With Ideas: How To Engage Stem Students In Active Learning Of Theory Using Technology, Jessica Elizabeth Whitney, Keith Brian Morris

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

STEM education in the modern age has been subject to much reform – from the integration of technology to an emphasis on student-centered teaching strategies, such as active learning. However, in the wake of virtual and blended-learning environments, student engagement and teacher assessment of student success have been challenged. Tools such as KAHOOT! and iClicker have been promoted to foster an active learning environment while sometimes falling short in regards to student retention of course material. In light of this technological educational revolution, instructors need to be able to determine the most effective tools for their discipline to aid in …

Choose Your Own Adventure: A Different Course Structure, Jacquelyn Kate Seymour

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

As commonly accepted in upper-level courses, course work should appeal to higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy such as analyze, evaluate, and create (Halupa, 2021). However, course design choices can limit a student’s potential in reaching these higher levels of learning when a preselected number of topics and assignment types are provided by the instructor (Halupa, 2021). Additionally, not all students will thrive with instructor selected assignment design. Instead, instructors can offer a “choose your own adventure” approach to course designs (Sutherland, 2023; Yetter, 2022). Specifically, this has taken the form of allowing students to choose their own assignments within my …

Generative Ai Peer Tutoring To Support Peer-Reviewed Source Identification And Evaluation, Rae Mair, Michelle Kelley, Taylar Wenzel, Andrea C. Borowczak, Yuqing Li, Mike Borowczak

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This chapter explores the design and evaluation of a generative artificial intelligence peer tutor prompt to support college students in identifying and evaluating peer-reviewed sources for academic research. Grounded in literature on peer tutoring, Socratic dialogue, and AI-supported learning, the authors describe an iterative prompt engineering process designed to transform large language models (LLMs) into Socratic-style peer tutors capable of scaffolding student reasoning without completing tasks for them. Five guiding criteria for an effective peer tutor shaped development and evaluation: cognitive congruence, step-by-step guidance, avoiding giving answers, adaptability to student level, metacognitive transparency, and following assignment directions. Across multiple human-centered …

Beyond Compliance: Creating A Disability Self-Advocacy Summit For Higher Education Using Critical Disability Pedagogy, Katie Manwiller

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been in place for over 35 years, yet the systems it created to ensure equity are riddled with inherent barriers and often fail to provide equal access because of the ableism baked into American society. Institutions of higher education exemplify this failure as they largely treat disability as a compliance-issue, not as a marginalized identity that deserved dedicated inclusion efforts. Most institutions provide disability inclusion solely through the ADA-mandated accommodation process for students and employees, which falls far short of creating fully accessibility cultures. Crucially, these case-by-case processes isolate disabled people and do …

Student Perceptions Of Clinical Psychology Workforce Diversity, Ogochukwu Obi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Clinical psychology remains a predominantly White field, with more than four in five current clinical psychology academics and practitioners being White. Increased racial representation in the field could contribute to more culturally responsive treatment research and practice and improved treatment outcomes. Barriers to increasing racial representation exist across all levels of psychology education and careers. The current study focuses on a potential barrier to pursuing a clinical or counseling psychology doctorate for Black undergraduate psychology majors. Research on social identity theory, perceived identity compatibility theory, and social-cognitive career theory show students’ identities can influence career aspirations, educational experiences, and sense …

Peacock Competency Model For Online Library Instruction, Rebeca Peacock

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Academic librarians are an integral part of academia offering niche expertise that benefits faculty and students alike. But they often lack specific guidance on developing competencies for the online teaching that is increasingly expected of them. This article addresses the lack of field specific guidance for academic librarians' online teaching by proposing a competency model grounded in expert practice. The study used semi-structured interviews with 18 academic librarians to address this gap asking: what knowledge, skills, and attitudes are needed for academic librarians to be successful in providing effective online library instruction?

The Role Of International Student Office Directors In Facilitating The Transitional Adjustment Of International Students In U.S Higher Education, Agnes Afi Yigah

Masters Theses

This qualitative study explored how International Student Office Directors facilitate the transitional adjustment of international students in U.S. higher education institutions. Guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (1981) and Schlossberg’s Mattering and Marginality Theory (1989), this study examined the challenges international students face, the support strategies implemented by International Student Office Directors, and the institutional factors influencing student adjustment and well-being. International students experience challenges related to housing and logistical adjustment, financial and immigration-related stressors, academic system adjustment and self-advocacy, and social integration and emotional adjustment. Proactive and holistic support approaches, including pre-arrival communication, orientation programs, academic support, emotional support, and …

Assessing Global Citizenship Pathways In A Communication, Advocacy, And Global Citizenship Classroom In The Midwest, Satveer Kaur-Gill

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

To assess instruction in an undergraduate communication course titled Communication, Advocacy, and Global Citizenship, this qualitative inquiry examined how undergraduate students at a Midwest university engaged with global citizenship as a communicative process by conducting a content analysis of student assignments, guided by three key research questions formulated from four course objectives. The assessment found that place-based learning on global issues enhanced students' understanding of the meaning of global citizenship in a globalized world. Based on a qualitative evaluation of their key assignments, students successfully articulated threads and connections between local community concerns and issues as globally situated communicative phenomena. …

Early Stem Impressions, Student Engagement, And Readiness For Digitalization, Myron Sheu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examines how early impressions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) shape business students’ learning behaviors and, ultimately, their readiness for organizational digitalization. Focusing on gender differences, subgroup identities, and perceived obstacles, the analysis uses survey data processed through correlation matrices, regression models, and subgroup heatmaps to trace the relationship between initial attitudes toward STEM and subsequent engagement patterns. The findings reveal consistent links between positive early impressions and active participation in structured STEM activities, along with gender-based distinctions in action preferences. Subgroup analyses further uncover nuanced patterns where stereotypes or perceived barriers correspond with reduced engagement. Collectively, …

Motivational Factors Influencing Military Service: A Structural Equation Model Of Rotc Students And Service Members’ Motivation-Confidence To Serve, Brian J. Vansingel

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Amid declining college enrollment across the United States, academic institutions with United States Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs must consider underrecruited populations, such as military-bound young adults, in their recruiting strategies. To support this effort, this study examined the motivational factors associated with individuals’ decisions to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. This study utilized a quantitative, correlational research design with a survey comprising multiple sections: sociodemographic variables, items across six motivational factors for military service, and a Motivation-Confidence to Serve scale. The study used data from a convenience sample of 709 respondents, including college military science students …

An Ethnographic Study Of First-Generation Alumni At Dartmouth College: Perspectives From Alumni, Faculty, Staff, And Administrators, Brittney A. Roden

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

First- generation college students (FGCS) often face challenges adapting to the academic and social environments of elite institutions like Dartmouth College. Lacking familial experience in higher education, they must decode unspoken institutional norms, contributing to stress, social isolation, and barriers to accessing institutional support. This study examines how FGCS experience academic pressure, social belonging, and engagement with campus systems, and how these shape their personal and professional trajectories. Drawing on participant-generated audio diary journals with alumni, qualitative interviews with faculty and staff, and a review of existing literature, this research highlights the interplay of academic stress, coping strategies, cultural capital, …

David John Farmer: A Scholarly Biography And Bibliography, Yali Pang, David John Farmer, Rosemary L. Farmer

VCU University History Books

This brief biography introduces Dr. David John Farmer, one of public administration’s most influential and imaginative thinkers. It traces his journey from student to scholar, showing how his groundbreaking work challenged the field to move beyond rigid traditions and embrace creativity, ethics, and reflection in public service. Written for both scholars and general readers, the biography reveals that Dr. Farmer’s career represents more than the accomplishments of a distinguished academic—it embodies the larger idea that public administration must move beyond technique to become a field grounded in imaginization, reflection, and humanity.

Graduate Student Retention: Examining Why Master’S Students Leave And What Motivates Their Return In A Large Public University System, Sonja Prophete

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate student persistence is a relatively unexplored area in the literature of higher education studies; specifically, at a multi-institutional scale at the master's level. This research study examines the factors which cause students to discontinue their master's degrees, and what conditions could possibly support them returning to their program at a large urban public university system. The current study was guided by Hoyt and Winn's (2004) distinction between non-returning students, and Bean & Metzner's (1985) theoretical model of student attrition. A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the institutional and environmental influences on students' decision-making processes.

The quantitative data …

Friends Of The Library Newsletter, Spring 2026, Hillary Richardson

Fant Library News and Reports

No abstract provided.

Seek In Cuny Archives, Reign Mcconnell

Publications and Research

SEEK in CUNY Archives is an inclusive research guide to archival materials about the Percy Ellis Sutton Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program, and College Discovery (CD) program available at CUNY archives. The SEEK Program was established within CUNY in 1965 on the pre-baccalaureate level to integrate Black and Puerto Rican students into the CUNY system and expanded to other senior-level colleges in 1966. The program provides students with academic and financial support, as well as tutoring and counseling services. Currently, the SEEK Program is available at twelve of CUNY’s four-year colleges. College Discovery is a two-year program …

Fear, Uncertainty, And The Chilling Effect: A Case Study Of Organizational Racialized Omission, Annie Jones

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Florida passed House Bill 7 in 2022 and Senate Bill 266 in 2023, both policies that restrict how race and racism are discussed and taught in the public higher education setting. Although scholars of race and racism contend that colorblind ideology drives the “new racism,” the U.S. is experiencing a resurgence in similar curriculum bans explicitly based on topics related to race and racism. With these trends has emerged a need to understand how explicitly racialized policies fit within the “new racism” framework. Using Victor Ray’s Theory of Racialized Organizations, this study analyzes how colorblind ideology and racialized threat are …

Belonging And Academic Success In A Bilingual Classroom For Latinx Students At Illinois State University, Alejandro Enriquez

Faculty Publications – Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

[In lieu of abstract, first paragraph is replicated here]

In May 2020, Illinois State University published a heartwarming human-interest news story about a recent Latine graduate. The alumna, a mass communication major, had landed a broadcasting job in one of Chicago’s regional television stations, and the goal of the story was to celebrate her success. In telling the story of the success, however, the article stated that “When she was 13 and spoke no English, her family packed up their life in their native Colombia and immigrated to the Chicago area for new opportunities.” In time, the story went on, …

Feeling Seen By Being Heard: A Constructivist Critical Incident Study Of The Listening Experiences Of Ciswomen Of Color For The Development Of An Inclusive Listening Praxis For Leaders, Christina Zhong-Wen Chang

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines how listening shapes inclusive workplaces by exploring the listening experiences of 23 professional cisgender women of color working in predominantly white institutional spaces. Although listening is a fundamental part of communication, it is frequently undervalued and overlooked in leadership literature. Using the constructivist critical incident technique (CCIT) methodology, the research analyzed 88 significant moments when participants felt distinctly heard or unheard by leaders. Findings reveal that listening operated as a relational practice signaling respect, affirmation of voice, and anchoring leadership in accountability, while enabling leaders to engage perspectives beyond their own. Four listening types emerged: Listening Withheld, …

Bridging Worlds Of Care: A Qualitative Exploration Of Integrating Non-Western Healing Modalities With Mental Health Counseling, Douglas Valdez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The aim of the study is to explore the experiences of practitioners who treat individuals presenting with depression and anxiety using culturally integrative non-Western healing modalities. Participants included 15 experienced practitioners (minimum five years of practice) who identified as Traditional Chinese Medicine providers (e.g., acupuncturists, herbalists) and/or Curandero/x/as. The approach was qualitative, utilizing open-ended survey responses collected electronically and analyzed with thematic analysis. Results indicated six primary themes: (a) Philosophies in Healing, highlighting culturally grounded conceptualizations of depression and anxiety; (b) Traditional Chinese Medicine Interventions, including acupuncture, botanical, nutritional, manual, and movement-based practices; (c) Curanderismo Pláticas and Integrative Western Healing …