Higher Education Commons^™

Food Security: At The Intersection Of Entrepreneurship, Engineering, And Agriculture, Noe Vargas Hernandez, Sylvia Robles, Joanne Rampersad-Ammons

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Teaching And Learning In Steam: Cultivating Sustainable Symbiotic Relationships Among Faculty And Students At An Hsi, Karin A. Lewis, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto, Vejoya Viren, David Martinez-Prieto, Silvia P. Solis

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

No abstract provided.

Sociocultural Factors That Influence Latinas’ Stem Trajectory, Kristen Hallas, Angela M. Chapman

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

Females and people of color continue to be excluded from the STEM workforce, and those with identities intersecting those factors, like Latinas, experience exclusion at a greater scale. Though Western-focused scholars try to describe the experiences of historically excluded groups, their efforts have not significantly increased the inclusion in certain disciplines, especially for those with intersecting identities. This study explores what motivates Latinas to pursue a STEM degree at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and analyzes these experiences with a LatCrit lens.

Research Experiences Via Integrating Simulations And Experiments (Revise): A Model Collaborative Research Project For Undergraduate Students In Co2 Sorbent Design, Anthony Griffin, Neziah Smith, Mark Robertson, Bianca Nunez, Jacob Mccraw, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Undergraduate research experiences are an instrumental component of student development, increasing conceptual understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and guiding potential career aspirations. Moving one step further, as research continues to become more interdisciplinary, there exists potential to accelerate student growth by granting additional perspectives through collaborative research. This study demonstrates the utilization of a model collaborative research project, specifically investigating the development of sorbent technologies for efficient CO2 capture, which is an important research area for improving environmental sustainability. A model CO2 sorbent system of heteroatom-doped porous carbon is utilized to enable students to gain knowledge of adsorption processes, through combined …

Research Experiences Via Integrating Simulations And Experiments (Revise): A Model Collaborative Research Project For Undergraduate Students In Co2 Sorbent Design, Anthony Griffin, Neziah Smith, Mark Robertson, Bianca Nunez, Jacob Mccraw, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Undergraduate research experiences are an instrumental component of student development, increasing conceptual understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and guiding potential career aspirations. Moving one step further, as research continues to become more interdisciplinary, there exists potential to accelerate student growth by granting additional perspectives through collaborative research. This study demonstrates the utilization of a model collaborative research project, specifically investigating the development of sorbent technologies for efficient CO2 capture, which is an important research area for improving environmental sustainability. A model CO2 sorbent system of heteroatom-doped porous carbon is utilized to enable students to gain knowledge of adsorption processes, through combined …

Exploring Integrated Active Learning Practices In An Accelerated Fully Online Graduate-Level Course At A Hispanic Serving Institution, P. Ming-Tsan Lu, Seokmin Kang

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study aimed to explore integrated active learning (IAL) practices in a graduate-level fully online, accelerated course at an HSI, with a focus on students’ perceptions, and to evaluate the implementation of integrated active learning based on student feedback and reflections. Course instructors started implementing IAL practices for the same course in 2022. Data from before and after IAL implementation in terms of course syllabi and course designs on Blackboard, the LMS used in the HSI, were collected. To investigate students’ perceptions, survey methods were also conducted. Findings revealed that graduate students overwhelmingly preferred IAL over traditional …

Examining Social Factors Influencing Latino Students' Academic Learning In Rio Grande Valley Via A Quantitative Design, David T. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to examine the social factors that could influence the academic learning experiences of Latino college students. Hispanic students are pursuing post-secondary degrees at a higher rate than in previous years. Many Hispanics represent their respective family members as the first members of their respective families to attend college (Trevino & DeFreitas, 2014). The academic achievement of Latino college students is becoming a major concern in the United States due to their growing population and special needs (Trevino & DeFreitas, 2014).

It is imperative to examine the social factors that could affect the academic learning experiences of …

Examining The Increasing Prevalence Of Academic Dishonesty: An Investigation Of Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Integrity In Higher Education, Luis Angel Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

A primary concern in academic institutions is the high frequency of academic dishonesty among students. Concerns surrounding this issue negatively affect the institution’s reputation and the acquisition of external funding. The purpose of this research was to explore the increasing prevalence of academic dishonesty at higher education institutions. Furthermore, the aim of the study is to investigate the frequency of students engaging in academic dishonesty, reasons for academic dishonesty, and awareness of academic dishonesty. Increasing awareness, prevention, and education regarding academic dishonesty can bring a positive environment to students in higher education. The participants were students enrolled in The University …

Strategies Community College Mexican American Adult College Algebra Students Use When Graphing Function Transformations, Roxana Pamela Jimenez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study pursued to describe the different strategies Mexican American adult students in a local community college used to graph function transformations. Participants in the study were purposefully selected using a criterion sampling to ensure participants were atypical, above average students between the ages 18-22, and had a final course average of 89.5-100 in College Algebra. Three research questions were examined 1) In what ways do Mexican American adult college students graph a function transformation? 2) Which strategies do students implement when graphing a function transformation? Qualitative research methods using think aloud semi-structured interviews were used in this …

Addressing Engagement: Student Perceptions Of Meaningful Gamification In Online Courses, Jessica M. Sanchez-Barrera

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is high enrollment in online college courses, there are concerns about student engagement (Martin & Bolliger, 2018; Dumford & Miller, 2018). Gamification has been shown to have the potential to improve student engagement. The purpose of the study was to describe how academic student engagement is impacted by Nicholson’s Meaningfully Gamified online course compared to traditionally taught online course. An embedded multiple case study research design was employed using self-determination theory as the theoretical framework to measure engagement. The theory constructs analyzed were autonomy, competence, relatedness, and student engagement. The research was conducted …

Exploring The Impact Of A Student-Faculty Partnership Program At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Alyssa G. Cavazos, Lesley Chapa, Javier Cavazos Vela

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Guided by a strength-based framework and counter-storying lens, we use a qualitative case study approach (Cook-Sather, 2020; Cook-Sather & Motz-Storey, 2016) to explore students’ experiences with a teaching partnership program. A Students as Learners and Teachers (SaLT) model to student-instructor partnership positions students as consultants in a faculty member’s course in which they are not currently enrolled (Cook-Sather, 2020). Following a case study analysis with student and faculty partners in a SaLT program at a HSI, several themes were identified. Themes emerging from student participants included: empathy, personal growth, solidarity, and feedback awareness. Faculty partners’ themes included: receptivity, resistance, and …

Determinants Of Online Professor Reviews: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Perspective, Yaojie Li, Xuan Wang, Craig Van Slyke

Information Systems Faculty Publications

Purpose – Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, we examine the influence of perceived professor teaching qualities, as central cues, on online professor ratings. Also, our study investigates how the volume and period of reviews, as peripheral cues, affect online professor ratings.

Design/methodology/approach – Leveraging stratified random sampling, we collect reviews for 892 Information Systems professors from 250 American universities. We employ regression models while conducting robustness tests through multi-level logistic regression and causal inference methods. Findings – Our results suggest that the central route from perceived professor qualities to online professor ratings is significant, including most qualitative pedagogical factors …

Establishing A Mentoring Program For Health Science Educators In A New Medical School, Karina Madrigal, Beatriz Tapia, Robert Nelson

Research Colloquium

Purpose: New Medical Schools need mentoring programs to enhance the personal and professional development of mentees and mentors. The need to establish a mentoring support mechanism is critical. This poster will share our progress to date.

Methods: A pilot mentoring program was established for junior faculty. These faculty members were paired with an associate professor or professor to serve as mentors for career development and engage in a focused scholarly project over a nine-month period.

Typically, the junior faculty is within the first three years of appointment and hold the rank of assistant professor. Each mentee will have 10% protected …

Breaking Bridges: A Latina's Role In Familismo And Higher Education, Desiree Trejo

Theses and Dissertations

This research and collective experiences have been recorded to bring together an autoethnography that demonstrates my personal experiences of being the eldest daughter in a Latino family and how these experiences situate within a social context. The primary purpose of this autoethnography is to provide insight on Latino culture expectations placed upon first born daughters. My own experiences connect to my research covering Latino culture and gender expectations to further understand social meanings and understandings of this culture. This autoethnography presents qualitive research that allows me to self-reflect and apply these findings to my personal experiences within my family to …

The Effects Of Commitment And Trust On The Relationship Between Service Quality And University Brand Loyalty In Time Of Crisis, Dongjun Rew, Wonsuk Cha, Joo Y. Jung

Management Faculty Publications

Existing literature on university brand loyalty (UBL) has less focused on a marketing-oriented perspective, or relationship marketing, and its impact on testing UBL. The aim of this study is to identity the roles and impacts of trust and commitment, which are main factors that create a relationship, in the relationship between university service quality, student satisfaction (SAT), and UBL and discuss its implications for university approaches of the marketing-oriented perspective. A self-report study was conducted with a total sample of 301 undergraduate students from four universities in the USA. PLS-SEM and path analysis were employed to test each hypothetical relationship. …

To Cancel Debt Or Not To Cancel Debt: Evaluation Of Debt Cancellation Or Provide A Tax Credit, Jose Jay Vega, Jan Smolarski, Nikki Shoemaker, Kelly Noe

School of Accountancy Faculty Publications

U.S. students are facing unprecedented student loan debt levels, roughly $1.75 trillion. The Biden Administration is proposing a debt relief program that will cancel student loan debt up to $20,000 for Pell Granted individuals. However, the current plan has faced substantial legal challenges and political pressure, and as suggested, it could increase the current inflation crisis. However, the size of the inflation effect is subject to debate. On the lower end, student debt relief may add only about 0.2% points to annual inflation. Proponents have also circulated linking student loan repayment to income levels. We propose an alternative approach to …

Designing Anchor Points, Andrew Hollinger

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Writing programs that offer a range of instructional modalities (such as online synchronous, online asynchronous, face-to-face [F2F], and hybrid) can find it difficult to maintain programmatic identity and instructional or course comparability across modalities. Part of the difficulty is that each delivery modality has specific material and pedagogical requirements for success. That is, an online asynchronous course must look, feel, and act differently than the F2F iteration of the course—which also means the online version cannot be simply the digital version of the F2F course. How, then, does a writing program develop and maintain itself as a “program” amidst so …

Student Evaluations Of Teaching Are Mostly Awfully Wrong, Noel Otu, Ntiense E. Otu

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) have been used, researched, and debated for many decades. It is a common practice in higher education institutions, with the supposed purpose of improving course quality and effectiveness, but with unintended consequences of encouraging and motivating poor teaching and causing grade inflation. There is strong evidence that SET “effectiveness” does not measure teaching effectiveness. This paper reviews empirical research examining common concerns about the usefulness (positive and negative) and accuracy of SETs. The findings reveal that student satisfaction relates to their anticipated/expected grades in their courses; hence, they want to get good grades and their …

Reflections On Universities, Politics, And The Capitalist State: An Interdisciplinary And Intergenerational Discussion With Clyde W. Barrow, Clyde W. Barrow, Heather Steffen, Isaac Kamola

Political Science Faculty Publications

Since its publication in 1990, Clyde W. Barrow’s book, Universities and the Capitalist State: Corporate Liberalism and the Reconstruction of American Higher Education, 1894-1928, has been a touchstone text for generations of scholars studying higher education. This conversation between Barrow, Heather Steffen, and Isaac Kamola examines the book’s legacy in order to explore how the interdisciplinary study of higher education has changed over the past three decades. In doing so, they examine the space and place of academic knowledge and academic labor, offering an interdisciplinary discussion of critical praxis within the university.

Managing Enrollment Strategically Both Formally And Informally, Magdalena Hinojosa, Paula Luff, Pj Woolston

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

The chief enrollment management officer (CEMO) is often responsible for optimizing institutional enrollment in ways that exceed the direct authority and responsibility of that office. To be successful, the CEMO needs to develop a high level of influence across the campus. Three particularly effective ways that the CEMO can exert influence to improve the student experience is by shaping institutional process, organizational structure, and overall culture.

Perceptions Of Collegial And Uncollegial Behaviors After A University Consolidation: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis Of How Faculty Viewed Members Of Their New Academic Units, Dora E. Saavedra, Jennifer Lemanski, Kristine M. Wirts, Shawn P. Saladin, Joanne Rampersad

Communication Faculty Publications

Much has been written about collegiality in academe, most notably by Cipriano (2011), Buller (2006, 2012), and Cipriano and Buller (2012, 2017), Flaherty (2013). Concomitantly, awareness has increased about instances of abusive supervision (Gere, 2020), incivility (Andersson & Pearson, 1999), microaggressions (Sue & Rivera, 2011) bullying and mobbing (i.e., group bullying) in the workplace and in higher education (Cowan, 2009), Duffy (2009), Lutgen-Sandvik (2006), Lutgen-Sandvik and Tracy (2012), Heeman (2007), Lutgen-Sandvik & McDermott (2011), and Taylor (2012). Instances of incivilities have continued to be a concern as evident in the journal article in Nature titled: “Astronomers victimized colleagues—and put historic …

Voces Y Relatos De La Violencia En Jóvenes Universitarias: Coahuila–Texas, Iris Rubi Monroy Velasco, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto, Karla Patricia Valdés-García, Leilani Flores Valdés

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

La violencia es una problemática social que compromete la salud pública en el mundo. Podemos encontrar violencia en todos los ámbitos, desde la violencia íntima, en el espacio doméstico con la familia, hasta en espacios de trabajo, estudio o diversión, causada por conocidos o desconocidos y generada por una diversidad de razones. Este capítulo tiene por objetivo entrever los tipos de violencia que experimentan estudiantes universitarias en la frontera Noroeste de México del estado de Coahuila y en la frontera sur de los Estados Unidos en el estado de Texas.

The Justice Challenge: Honors Endeavors Innovative Pedagogies Through The Grand Challenge Scholars Program, Jonathan Kotinek, Rebecca C. Bott-Knutson, Leigh E. Fine, Joy L. Hart, William Ziegler, Paul Knox, Timothy Nichols, Susan Sumner, Heidi Appel, Mark C. Andersen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Honors practitioners from fourteen colleges and programs across the country at land-grant, public, and minority-serving institutions partner with agricultural experts to secure a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Higher Education Challenge grant focused on the themes of food justice, climate justice, and sustainable agriculture. Authors describe the program’s origin, objectives, and curricular outgrowths, highlighting its efficacy for empowering students in areas of systems thinking, career readiness, leadership in the service of addressing social needs, and learning through civic engagement.

Comparison Of Undergraduate Student Writing In Engineering Disciplines At Campuses With Varying Demographics, Immanuel Edinbarough, Jesus Gonzalez, Ruth Pflueger, Robert Weissbach, Johanna Bodenhamer

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

Writing is generally recognized as fundamental to the formation and communication of scientific and technical knowledge to peer groups and general audiences. Often, persuasive writing is an essential attribute emphasized by industries and businesses for a successful career in STEM fields. Nevertheless, the current scenario is that students in STEM fields, with their increased demand for more specialized skills in fewer credit hours combined with a lack of emphasis on writing from engineering faculty members, make addressing this need difficult. In addition, students in engineering fields often do not value writing skills and underestimate the amount of writing they will …

Small Groups: Effectiveness In A University Classroom And The Role Gender Plays In Group Interactions, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson, Savannah Margaret Hanson

Communication Faculty Publications

Previous studies demonstrate that working in small teams enhances motivation, enthusiasm, and cooperative learning when compared to traditional learning methodology (Davies, 2009; Gaudet, Ramer, Nakonechny, Cragg, & Ramer, 2010). The purpose of this study is to understand the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of working in small groups in classrooms, and the effects that gender roles have. The present survey (N=138) reports on the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of working in small groups on assignments and projects in college level courses. Using a self-recording paper-and-pencil instrument, the researcher asked if the respondents have had the opportunity to work in small groups and how …

A Leadership Journey: How Advising Shapes An Institutional Culture, Jacquelyn Jones, Melissa Welker, Jonikka Charlton, Janna Arney

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Although we know advising can be conceptualized as a critical component of an integrated and comprehensive student success strategy on a campus, it is often difficult to implement. This chapter will provide a case study of the development and execution of a leadership initiative at an American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) institution to transform advising in service of the goals of student equity and success. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's advising model grew out of a convergence of a handful of key momentum points including strategic planning processes and the use of emerging data surrounding …

Demystifying Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Among Students In Higher Education, Sundra D. Kincey, Aziza Zemrani, Theresa L. Bailey

Public Affairs and Security Studies Faculty Publications

Understanding the unique components of diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential for institutions of higher education to increase student success outcomes and to prepare graduates for the world of work. This chapter will focus on how diversity, equity, and inclusion as a single entity is perceived by enrolled students, particularly minority students, and how institutions may help to increase students' awareness of such topics and the impact on their lives upon graduation. Discussions will lend themselves to strategies that institutions may employ to demystify these terms for enrolled students. Specific focus will be given to the use of inclusive competencies …

Enhancing Engagement And Qualitative Output Of Technical Projects Through Competing Team Assignments, Immanuel Edinbarough, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Aditya Akundi

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the benefits of engaging engineering student teams through competition in technical development projects. The University of XXX is a minority serving institution situated in the developing region of the XXX state, where recently, there has been a great expansion of advanced manufacturing industries, including innovative aerospace companies. These industries look for engineering and technology students who are creative thinkers and capable of addressing complex engineering problems. The best of student output often comes out with a friendly competition. Hence, two student teams were assigned with the same sponsored project to come out with innovative solutions. The project …

Introducing Global Citizenship In Language Teacher Education Through The Un’S Sustainable Development Goals, Ramsés Ortín

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

The present chapter describes a pedagogical intervention administered in an undergraduate ESL teacher training program. The purpose of this pedagogical innovation was to train future language teachers to incorporate Global Citizenship related objectives into their future practice by using the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) as reference. Pre-service teachers (N = 10) taking part in this study participated in a three-phase training in which they were first introduced to the topic, then, asked to apply the discussed approach to the design of language learning materials, and finally, they completed a reflection task. The analysis of the last task …

College Students’ Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Michaela Q. Iglesia, Ming-Tsan Lu

School of Medicine Publications

Studies have shown increased levels of distress during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, and college students are becoming more recognized as a vulnerable population. This narrative systematic review aims to synthesize the current understanding of mental health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic impacts that the pandemic had on college students in the United States. A search was conducted on PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science. A total of 34 observational studies were included which examined aspects of college students’ health and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. A great deal of students was shown to experience a moderate level …