Higher Education Commons^™

"Every Direction We Turn, It’S A Wall”: North Carolina School Counselors And Their Advocacy And Support For Undocumented Students’ Access To Higher Education, Wendy Eberhart Cook

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

High school counselors in North Carolina assist with post-secondary planning for all their students, including the approximately 3,000 undocumented students who graduate from North Carolina schools each year (Zong & Batalova, 2019). Access to post-secondary education is difficult to attain for undocumented students (Groce & Johnson, 2021), especially true for undocumented students in North Carolina, a state considered hostile to this student population due to tuition and financial aid policy (Mansfield & Hernandez, 2024). Undocumented students also face a fear of deportation, food insecurity, lower socioeconomic conditions, and language barriers (Abrego, 2006).

Despite the many barriers undocumented students face, school …

Institutional Responses To The First Amendment: Inclusivity And The Protection Of Free Speech Rights On Campus, Christina Lipuma

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This collective case study explores institutional responses to First Amendment events to determine how institutional policies impact a sense of inclusivity and the protection of free speech rights on public college and university campuses. This study identifies the practices of a sample of public, university campuses that have experienced a free speech incident to determine how the experience shaped their policies on free speech, how administrators describe their experiences following the incident, and how institutional leaders rate the outcome of their efforts in relation to balancing inclusivity in the campus environment. Due to the complex nature of public university campuses, …

Short-Semester Courses: Mitigating Unfavorable Precollege Issues For Students At A Technical College, James T. Moore Jr.

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Technical colleges serve a distinct student population and provide an open access point to higher education for students not wishing to attend a university. Graduation and retention rates continue to demonstrate a gap between what technical colleges wish to achieve and the actual achievement. Technical college leaders continue to embrace policies and programs intended to support students at university system schools and which poorly serve the needs of technical college students. As a result, little is known about the lived experiences of technical college students. Data were collected through a six individual semi-structured interview. The six participants of the study …

Workforce Education And Labor Market Demands For North Carolina Community Colleges, Christina Anne Bunch

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In response to evolving labor market demands, community colleges play a crucial role in providing accessible, high-quality education that addresses regional workforce needs. However, they face challenges such as declining enrollments, misalignment with local market needs, and limited resources for curriculum adaptation. These obstacles threaten the ability of community colleges to prepare students for the rapidly changing workforce. This study examines how workforce development administrators collaborate with local industry partners to align programs with labor market demands, ensuring community colleges remain relevant and adaptable. Grounded in Human Capital Theory, which links education and economic growth, this qualitative study focuses on …

Self-Identifying Minoritized Doctoral Students’ Experiences Of Epistemic Injustice In Counselor Education And Supervision, Francisca Rivas

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine and understand how epistemic injustice (EI) is experienced by minoritized doctoral students in Counselor Education and Supervision programs. The primary researcher performed a phenomenological study examining the experiences of EI for minoritized CES students (n = 8). There were three female participants with an average age of 31, two male participants with an average age of 31, and three nonbinary/trans participants with the average age of 33. Five participants were BIPOC, one being an international student, and six participants were LGBTQPA+. Five participants held Ph.Ds. at time of their interview, having …

Competing In The Stress Olympics: Mid-Level Managers And Their Experiences Of Work Stress As Impacted By Their Supervisors And Organizational Climate, Melissa Jane Hecker Scott

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Student affairs has a problem due to staff attrition (Rosser & Javinar, 2003). Most professionals leave the field due to job dissatisfaction, unhealthy work environments, high stress, and low morale (Marshall et al., 2016; Rosser & Javinar, 2003). Researchers have identified a relationship between job stress and burnout and intentions to leave the field of student affairs (Mullen et al., 2018). Turnover of positions is financially detrimental to the institution due to the cost of recruitment, hiring, and training the replacement employee (Agovino, 2019). In addition to the financial impact, when mid-level managers leave, there is a loss of institutional …

Old Dominion University Libraries - Strategic Planning Implementation Progress Report August 1, 2024, Timothy Hackman

Libraries Reports and Documents

The ODU Libraries released its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, Forward-Focused Together, in January 2024. Twice annually we compile reports to keep our community informed of our progress.

Career Pathways Program Annual Report For Ay 2023/24, Wie Yusuf

Career Pathways

Career Pathways was launched in August 2017 as the university-wide initiative to provide professional development to graduate students. It encompasses the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) and the Preparing Future Professionals (PFP) Certificates. The Career Pathways program prepares graduate students for successful transition into thriving careers by serving as a gateway to resources, programs, events, and planning tools for ODU graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. With the increased emphasis on recruiting and supporting post-doctoral scholars at ODU, Career Pathways has also focused on connecting post-doctoral scholars with the program and supplementing their training with career development programming.

For AY 2023/24, Career …

The Shared Experiences Of Novice, Full-Time Allied Dental Community College Educators, Misty L. Mesimer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A well-prepared oral healthcare workforce is essential to the overall health of the general population. A knowledgeable and qualified workforce would be non-existent without strong academic programs and faculty to prepare oral health professionals. For over 20 years, the dental and allied dental educator workforce has been a concern for the oral health professions. Since most allied dental education programs are based in community and technical colleges, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the transition experiences of faculty teaching at these institutions. It is only through application and use of this knowledge that these faculty can be recruited, supported, and …

An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Campus Safety Among Full-Time Faculty At Virginia Community Colleges, Hailey Ann Hermosa

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The view that colleges are generally safe has been challenged by threats of violence on campuses across the country, causing fear among stakeholders. Community college faculty are not immune to crime-related fear on campus; however, the research has largely ignored this population. This research serves to fill that gap.

The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine perceptions of campus safety among full-time faculty at Virginia community colleges. An electronic Likert-type scale survey was disseminated to a sample of 472 full-time faculty throughout seven Virginia community colleges of varying sizes. Of those, 135 (28.7%) voluntarily participated in the …

Community College Student Affairs Professionals’ Perceptions Of Their Supervisor’S Authentic Leadership: The Influence On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment, Brent Lamar Via

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Employee retention is an ongoing challenge for higher education student affairs professionals, who account for the largest employee group across the higher education workforce. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment have previously been identified as correlated with college and university employees’ decision to stay or vacate their position. Authentic leadership, an evolving theory, has been associated with greater levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in a variety of settings. However, there is a gap in the literature about the status of this relationship within community college student affairs work environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship …

A Comparison Of Specialized And General Orientation Courses For Community College Students, Heather R. Sorrell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the effect of specialized orientation courses on community college student academic achievement and retention. The study utilized a quantitative design and compared the outcomes of specialized orientation courses to a more generalized orientation course. Due to the lack of previous research, there was little to suggest either a positive or a negative influence on student success measures for a targeted, specialized version of orientation courses. The study found that achievement outcomes did not differ between specialized orientation courses and general orientation courses. The study did find retention differences based on the type of orientation course completed. Students …

Work-Life Balance Fantasy Logics Of Mothers Working In Community Colleges: A Glitch Methodology Using Intimate Inquiry And Aesthetic Mediation, Emily Hanson Moore

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This post-qualitative study explores work-life balance as a sustaining fantasy produced by neoliberal, patriarchal, productivity-driven systems and how this fantasy manifests affectively for mothers who work in community colleges. The study began by contextualizing the work-life balance fantasy within higher education as a gendered workscape. Using intimate inquiry (Laura, 2013) and aesthetic meditation as the primary approaches, the researcher engaged in conversations with participants about their experiences mothering and working in community colleges. The primary data sources were these conversations, participant artifacts, researcher self-reflection and artifacts, and a range of contemporary cultural texts including podcasts, poetry, television, social media posts …

What Students Have To Say On Data Privacy For Educational Technology, Stephanie Choi

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The literature on data privacy in terms of educational technology is a growing area of study. The perspective of educators has been captured extensively. However, the literature on students’ perspectives is missing, which is what we explore in this paper. We use a pragmatic qualitative approach with an experiential lens to capture students’ attitudes towards data privacy in terms of educational technology. We identified preliminary, common themes that appeared in the survey responses. The paper concludes by calling for more research on how students perceive data privacy in terms of educational technology.

Chapter 01: Message Design For Instructional Designers - An Introduction, Miguel Ramlatchan

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Instructional message design is the use of learning theories to effectively communicate information using technology. Design is guided by theories including gestalt, cognitive load, multimedia learning, media selection, media attributes, and general communication systems. Our communication designs can be based on a wide variety of technologies or a combination of technologies. Technology in the form of tools and techniques includes, among others, the study and the use of typography, color, illustrations, photographs, modeled graphics, augmented reality, animation, video, video games, simulations, and virtual reality. This introduction serves as a brief overview of these theories, tools, and techniques, while subsequent chapters …

Monarch, Philip Walzer (Editor)

Monarch Magazine

Spring 2024 issue of Monarch, the Old Dominion University Magazine.

Subtitled: Distinguished Alumnae Leading the Way

How Changing Majors Impacts Academic Performance Among Undergraduate Students, Min Xu, Chandra R. De Silva

History Faculty Publications

This study investigates changing majors among undergraduate students. Through retrospectively tracking five graduating classes at a regional research university, the study provides empirical evidence as to when students declare their major, reach their final decisions about a major, and explores when it would be too late to change a major in order to graduate in a timely fashion. The study also examines the relationship between changing majors and academic performance. The results which suggest the need to provide students, especially freshmen with early proactive assistance in major selection might address concerns of parents and students about choosing a college major …

3/5ths Of Freedom: The Analysis Of {With} Black Individuals In Higher Education And Navigating Society Post-Justice-Involvement, Gabrielle Sarah Smith Finnie

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Black individuals have been disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system in the United States (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2022). Because of their criminal justice involvement, Black individuals are perceived as second-class citizens making their quest for “freedom” an endless journey impacted by oppression and domination post-justice-involvement (Couloute & Kopf, 2018; Johnson, 2021; Pager, 2003). To combat domination and oppression, Freire (1970) emphasized pursuing higher education helps individuals who experience marginalization become more humanized and aids them on their plight to freedom. Research highlighted pursuing higher education post-justice-involvement is a liberatory yet challenging experience because of discriminatory on-campus …

A Study On The Use Of Reflective Writing Assessments To Indicate The Level Of Knowledge College Industrial Technology Students Possess Related To The Three Elements Of Technological And Engineering Literacy, William Domenick Euefueno

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The problem of the study was to determine if the use of a reflective writing assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of a college semester indicated an industrial technology student’s knowledge and skills related to technological and engineering literacy. Experiences gained during project-based learning activities were used as the basis for this study. This descriptive study examined the reflective writing abilities of junior and senior year college students enrolled in a university’s industrial technology program of study by administering a reflective writing assignment three times over a semester of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) course, STEM 320, Manufacturing …

First-Generation College Students And Sense Of Belonging At School: The Moderating Effect Of Remote Learning, Christina Su Ju

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the effect of first-generation college student status on students’ sense of belonging, and whether remote learning moderates this effect. Specifically, this study examines whether first-generation college students’ sense of belonging at university differs from their continuing-generation college student counterpart, and whether taking remote courses impacts that relationship. It was hypothesized that first-generation college students would report lower sense of belonging than continuing-generation college students, and that remote learning would moderate the relationship such that the negative effect of first-generation student status on sense of belonging is strengthened when the student takes more remote courses. Survey data from …

The Practices Of Instructional Design At Community Colleges: A Post-Qualitative Study Of The Mutual Invisibility Of Work, David Robert Niebuhr Tod

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The work of instructional design in community college settings is woefully understudied. This study documents that work in three community colleges in the southeastern United States while placing it in the theoretical context of neoliberalism, and in line with that theoretical context, takes a post-structuralist stance in its methodological approach.

It is in the discourses of instructional quality, online teaching, and design that instructional designers and faculty engage with each other. In contrast to the more well understood working relationship in a four-year institution, the power relationships between these two groups have not been examined in a community college context. …

Intersectional Cultural Identities Among First-Generation College Students: From A Deficit To Asset Perspective, Kelsie K. Allison

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise of over half of the U.S. higher education student population, yet have considerably lower academic attainment rates compared to non-FGCS. Research has explored challenges that may attribute to these academic disparities, however, there remains a critical gap in identifying FGCS assets that may ameliorate these disparities. Addressing this gap, the current study examined the role of cultural identity, which has shown to have a positive impact on college students’ academic achievement and well-being, as a key asset for FGCS. Specifically, the current study examined the unique effects of various cultural identity domains (i.e., ethnic, U.S., …

Understanding Universal Design For Learning Implementation: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Higher Education Faculty And Instructional Designers, Breanne A. Kirsch

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Faculty face a rising challenge in supporting diverse student populations on campuses (Bastedo et al., 2013). Inclusive pedagogy, facilitated by UDL, helps alleviate learning barriers for diverse student groups (Basham & Blackorby, 2021). However, the ambiguous operational definition of UDL poses practical challenges in implementation and assessment (Diedrich, 2021), especially when it is described variably as a practice, framework, or intervention in the literature (Basham & Blackorby, 2021). This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the meaning faculty and instructional designers ascribe to the experience of implementing UDL in higher education.

The main question is: what is the meaning that faculty and …

Climbing The Academic Ladder While Black: Exploring The Experiences Of Institutional Belongingness For Black Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Jasmine Alicia Hawa Griffith

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Although ample research investigates students’ belongingness experiences in counselor education (CE) programs, existing literature only marginally explores the realities of Black master students, and there is a notable lack of empirical attention to Black doctoral students’ belongingness experiences in counselor education and supervision (CES) programs. Investigating Black CES doctoral students' belongingness experiences at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) is critical to understanding how the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) accredited CES programs can address the troubling statistic that Black doctoral students are least likely to become full-time CE faculty. Consequently, this study utilizes critical phenomenology from …

Odu Department Of English Newsletter (2024-2025 - Issue No. 2), Veronica Watson, Don Rodrigues, Cristina Rodriguez Velez, Aliya Head, Amy Wilson, Ashley Jones, Bridget Dolan, Devin Hickey, Katherine Barnett

Department of English Newsletter

ODU English Department's 2024-2025 Annual Newsletter. The newsletter covers new courses, events, awards, students & faculty news and much more.

Forward-Focused Together: A Strategic Plan For The Old Dominion University Libraries, 2023-2028, Timothy Hackman

Libraries Reports and Documents

[From Dean Hackman's Introduction]

The Old Dominion University Libraries are pleased to present our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, Forward-Focused Together. The plan is a result of many hours of careful thought, discussion, debate, research, writing, and revising by the Libraries’ dedicated employees. It represents our vision for the coming half-decade and identifies exciting opportunities for the Libraries to support the mission and vision of Old Dominion University.

Engineering Management And Industrial Engineering Industry And Educational Workforce Development Strategy, Robert J. Gies, Resit Unal, Charles B. Keating

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper provides an overview of the development and resulting product of a collaborative industry-academia engineering management and industrial engineering workforce development strategy. In the spring of 2017, Old Dominion University's (ODU) Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Department (EMSE) approached Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) with a concept to develop an educational initiative to support the preparation and development of the future workforce. The concept came to fruition over the next two years as a certification program in Engineering Systems and Industrial Engineering for NNS working professionals. This paper examines the primary aspects of the development of the certification program. Emphasis …

Rhizomic Communication Practices Bridging International Students And The Host Society And Beyond, Suvi Jokila, Charles Mathies

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted international student communities while reflecting wider societal inequalities. This study in the Finnish context examined international students’ experiences of the published national crisis communication and media usage during the first year of the pandemic. Using the national COVID-19 crisis communication practices as an example, we examined what kinds of strategies the international students deployed to access information in this non-English-speaking country and how they perceived the information communicated. Theoretically, we based the analysis on the theories of crisis communication and information inequality, which identify communication practices, such as language choice, that …

Educating Future Leaders In Fraternities: Outcomes From Participation In A National Fraternity Emerging Leaders Program, Meghan Grace, Pietro A. Sasso, Kim E. Bullington, Dawn Wiese, Kathleen Stedman, Xinyue "Coco" Liu, Anthony M. Graziani

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Campus engagement opportunities such as leadership development have potential for students to strengthen their personal skills. As such, fraternities and sororities can play an influential role in strengthening students’ leadership skills. The present study examines the efficacy of a fraternity emerging leaders program, which is an educational opportunity focused on the development of new leaders. Data were collected from participants at three time intervals. Findings suggest students develop across several leadership domains, creating a stronger appreciation of their organizational values and fraternity ritual compared to non-participants. Recommendations for practice are included to address the transfer problem of leadership application and …

Older And Wiser? Relative Age And College Course Failure, P. Wesley Routon, Jay K. Walker

Economics Faculty Publications

A student's relative age in their schooling cohort has been shown related to several measures of academic and labor market success. Here, we focus on a singular outcome: the probability of college course failure. Even within a sample constrained to students with traditional academic progression and who completed their college degree program, we find evidence relatively younger students were more likely to fail courses. The estimated impact is larger for males, minorities, and those with less academic success before college. Statistical significance remains constant across the parental income distribution. Students within the sample represent over 600 colleges and universities across …