Higher Education Commons^™

Finding A Home Through The Screen: A Glimpse Into Student Experiences In A World Of Remote Admissions Processes, Megan Carmen

Honors Projects

The college search process is an important time in the life of any student, and feeling a sense of belonging and inclusion through the admissions process is vital to ensuring student success in higher education. With COVID-19 forcing all admissions communications online, student connections were changed and student’s perception of belonging was altered. This confidential survey project used demographic, quantitative, and open-ended questions to understand student perceptions of belonging and inclusion during the online admissions process. Of 750 students contacted, 57 students responded to the demographic questions, 50 to the quantitative questions, and 17 students left in-depth responses about their …

Remixed, Remastered: Investigating Organizational Adaptation In Higher Music Education, Jacob Bruce Hertzog

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher music education presents a unique opportunity to examine change within higher education due to the digital revolution in the music industry over the past two decades. The purpose for conducting this study was to describe, map, and explain the strategies that higher music education programs are using to adapt to the digital revolution in the music industry. This study was grounded in organizational adaptation theory, drawing upon nine well-established theories: population ecology, life cycles, strategic choice, isomorphism, symbolic action, resource dependence, cybernetics, and network theory. Critical concepts of the turbulent environment, environmental perception, and organizational adaptation strategy emerged from …

Enhancing The Relationship Between Students And Teachers In A Socially Distanced World By Humanizing Online Education: A Guide For Higher Education Instructors, Gilma Linette Ramirez Reyes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

To maintain and continue to build long-lasting professional, educational, and personal relationships, this project provides a formal academic way of teaching for instructors, but it also that reflects what the heart of teaching should be about. It shows how instructors can facilitate care and demonstrate genuine positive intentions to their students when facilitating learning in an online environment. This goes beyond the only course content materials presented and moves to an educational experience that is cultivated through the student-instructor community.

The humanizing approach to online instruction for this project is defined as the center of communication and presence which includes …

Specialized Accreditation In Collegiate Aviation: A Case Study On Evaluative Inquiry Practices Required By The Aviation Accreditation Board International, Jordan G. Lyons

Essays in Education

Market changes within the aviation industry have increased the demand for aviation professionals worldwide (Christensen, 2013). The Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) represents the only specialized accrediting organization in the world for non-engineering collegiate aviation programs (Council for Higher Education Accreditation [CHEA], 2020), and their mission is to advance quality aviation education in partnership with industry (AABI, 2019b). In 2019, AABI expanded its continuous assessment criteria despite issuing citations previously to accredited collegiate aviation programs for non-compliance predominately with continuous assessment and improvement requirements (AABI, 2020). Program accreditation through AABI has demonstrated value to students (Bjerke et al., 2016; Christensen, …

Reflecting On An Academic Career: Associations Between Past Mentoring Investments And Career Benefits, Jordan Boeder, Veronica Fruiht, Kevin Erikson, Sarah Hwang, Giovanna Blanco, Thomas Chan

Psychology | Faculty Scholarship

Receiving mentoring is associated with lasting career benefits ; however, less is known about long-term career gains for mentors. A national sample of retired academics were surveyed to examine associations between past mentoring behaviors and current evaluations of their careers. Participants (N = 277) were on average 73.6 (SD = 6.2) years old with 34.9 (SD = 8.0) years of occupational tenure and 7.7 (SD = 5.8) years post-retirement. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that having more protégés (β = .19, p = .024) and engaging in more mentoring behaviors (β = .18, p …

Exploring The Role Of Higher Education In Responsible Deployment Of Artificial Intelligence, Shahin Vassigh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education is the key driver for the teaching, research, and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as it bears responsibility for preparing engineers, scientists, technologists, and corporate leaders who shape and fuel its revolutionary advances. With AI and automation technologies relying on more advanced levels of training, and universities serving as the prime site for their development, faculty views on the implications of this technology are critically important.

The purpose of this case study was to gain insights into how academics and disciplinary experts perceive their roles and responsibilities in the teaching, development, and deployment of AI. Using FIU as …

A Student Conduct Administrator’S Journey To Wellness, Corie Amanda Marie Mccallum

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation research chronicles my experiences with emotions and learning as a student conduct administrator throughout the arduous process of investigating, becoming, and transforming by engaging sociocultural theory. Grounded in Authentic Inquiry (Tobin, 2006), this research centers my lived-experience and nuances the role of emotions in student affairs and especially student conduct practices. Throughout this dissertation I address themes surrounding reflexivity (Bourdieu, 1992), emotions (Turner, 2002) (Collins, 2004), and self-care. Each chapter is interpretive and impressionistic and represents my thinking as a researcher and conduct administrator. Throughout the chapters I narrate salient events and experiences in my student conduct practice …

Los Graduados; Factors Affecting First-Generation Hispanic Males Attainment Of A Terminal Degree, Frank Figueroa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explore factors that led to the attainment of a terminal degree as perceived by first generation Hispanic males in Southern California. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine, of the factors identified, which were perceived to have the greatest impact on attainment of a terminal degree by first generation Hispanic males in Southern California.

Methodology: This phenomenological study collected data via semi-structured interviews and review of artifacts. The study sample involved 13 First-Generation Hispanic Males in Southern California who have attained a terminal degree. Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory …

"It’S A Lot Of Work To Be Native": Using Storytelling To Examine The Needs Of Native American Students At The University Of San Diego, Kasandra Tong

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

The University of San Diego’s (USD) Race/Ethnicity Federal Reports show that for the last 17 years, the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students at USD has not risen above 1% (University of San Diego, n.d.). This data requires further disaggregation because the current data only represents students that solely checked American Indian/Alaska Native and does not include students who identify as biracial or multi-racial. The purpose of my research was to identify what efforts are needed to improve the experience of Native American students at USD. My research question was what factors are needed to improve the existing experience of …

Enhancing Experiential Learning Opportunities Through The Integration Of Continuous Improvement Practices, Alena Shah Ms.

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Experiential learning (EL) in higher education has become a prominent academic curriculum component. Recent provincial guidelines emphasize that post-secondary institutions provide students EL opportunities, outlining criteria as to what counts as an EL activity. While these guidelines provide instruction on what an EL opportunity should contain, it does not detail how post-secondary institutions should develop and implement these activities responsive to their unique student population needs. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to determine how an Ontario university can provide meaningful, student-focused EL opportunities through a centralized, theoretically-informed EL implementation framework. It centers around a Problem of Practice (PoP) at …

The Perceived Absence Of African American Women In Leadership Positions In Public Four-Year Predominantly White Institutions Of Higher Education In Mississippi, Tonya Neely

Dissertations

There is a perceived absence of African American women in leadership positions in predominantly White institutions of higher education. This research study explored the experiences of African American women in leadership positions at predominantly White institutions of higher education in Mississippi. The themes that emerged from the published literature that were explored in this research study were barriers, mentorship, leadership, and copying strategies. A mixed methods research approach was used to complete this research study using semi-structured interviews and an online Qualtrics survey to capture the experiences of the study participants. The results of this research study support the narrative …

Changing An Institutional Environment Through Appreciative Inquiry: Rochester Institute Of Technology’S College Of Liberal Arts, Corinna Schlombs, Ann Howard, Caroline Delong, Jessica Lieberman

The Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal

This article introduces readers to Appreciative Inquiry as a form of feminist engagement in higher education. Appreciative Inquiry is a strength-based approach to organizational change that builds on positive psychology as well as social construction of language. At Rochester Institute’s College of Liberal Arts, a group of women faculty currently pursues an Appreciative Inquiry process to change their institutional environment to make it more beneficial to the success of women (and colleagues of all genders) rather than changing themselves to better fit into the existing environment. At the 2014 Seneca Falls Dialogues, members of this group engaged conference participants in …

Thriving In Student Affairs Professionals: An Exploration Of Supporting Constructs, Shawn Brodie, Phillip Campbell, Gretchen Day Fricke, Kawanna Leggett, Norris Manning

Dissertations

Student affairs professionals provide vital services to college students while also facing various challenges that impact their ability to thrive at work. This study examined overall thriving, its constructs and a set of predictors that impact thriving in student affairs professionals. Seligman’s (PERMA) theory of thriving provided the conceptual foundation for this study. Understanding the constructs that support thriving for student affairs professionals will help institutional leaders and professional organizations develop work environments and strategies that promote thriving. A global pandemic occurred during the time of this research, allowing exploration of how COVID-19 impacted thriving. This study also included variables …

What Covid-19 Taught Us About The Blended Model, Deborah L. Wheeler, Jennifer Hill

Teacher Development Faculty Working Papers

Initially, many faculty in higher education were apprehensive when courses went online in Spring 2020, but they eventually learned a lot about how to effectively teach online. The need for well-designed online courses for faculty in higher education is more prominent than ever-before in the wake of the COVID-19. As reluctant or apprehensive as faculty members were, the move to an online platform offered an opportunity to learn about diverse tools, resources, and innovative ways to teach both in the blended synchronous model and the asynchronous online model. Faculty and students encountered issues, but quickly learned to overcome these challenges. …

Risks To Student Achievement In Higher Education, Angela Atwell, Bettina Mrusek, James Solti, Keith Wilson

Publications

A university system sets out to deliver educational experiences that meet set goals such as the achievement of learning outcomes for individual courses and program outcomes for degree programs. There are many factors that impact the successful achievement of student learning outcomes and there-fore successful program design and implementation. If courses are not effec-tively designed with assessments properly aligned to learning outcomes, student achievement is challenging to measure. If faculty do not consistently adhere to college and/or university policies regarding submission of assignments, student behavior and perceptions of expectations in future courses may be skewed. In addition, students may, for …

Coil Experience. Intercultural Case Analysis: Sports Brand Company Perspectives From Canada And Spain, Jody-Lynn Rebek, Víctor Del Corte Lora, Eunjung Riauka

Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse International Students in Open or Online Learning Environments: A Research Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges, including travel restrictions, which limited the opportunities for student-exchange programs. One solution to promote intercultural learning during the pandemic and form relations with students in different countries was COIL. This paper presents a Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL) case study that engaged students from Canada and Spain in an intercultural learning experience. Instructors worked collaboratively to design learning objectives and related course activities to establish a five (5) week program of co-instruction within their higher-education course schedules. Using technology, and a combination of asynchronous and synchronous opportunities, students were engaged in the course content …

Real Pandemic: Institutional Neglect, Goli Rezai-Rashti,, Shamiga Arumuhathas, Fengchenzi Zhao

Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse International Students in Open or Online Learning Environments: A Research Symposium

The neoliberal market-reform within the Canadian tertiary education sector led to the proliferation in student mobility, which has translated to 600,000 international students (IS) over the past two decades (Scott et al., 2015; Firang, 2020), contributing to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) by $26.1 billion (IRCC, 2019). Racialized IS attending post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada accounted for systemic barriers that thereby hinder their student experience and academic outcomes. Such challenges included culture shock (Popadiuk & Arthur, 2004), linguistic speaking barriers (Guo & Guo, 2017), discrimination (Myles & Cheng, 2003; Chen & Zhou, 2019), employment exploitation (Scott et al., 2015), securing …

Higher Education: Can Debt Beat Savings?, David Stackpole

Journal of Student Financial Aid

This paper investigates the possible opportunity cost of using standard college savings plans against the advantages of using debt to pay for college. In addition, it presents a practical argument for using debt in place of college savings plans in certain instances.

By doing so, investors may not only be able to mitigate the difficulty of saving, but also realize greater financial benefit in the long run.

Interprofessional Education And Practice: Perspectives From Students In Speech-Language Pathology And Recreational Therapy, David Hajjar, Jan Elich-Monroe, Susan Durnford

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP) are important components for undergraduate and graduate students to experience during their programs of study in speech-language pathology and related health professions. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is a member organization of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) which promotes four core competencies required for effective practice: values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork. The purpose of this study was to gather the lived experiences from eight pre-professional students, four from speech-language pathology (SLP) and four from recreational therapy(RT), during focus groups and discussion forums conducted before, during, and after a 14-week IPE/IPP clinical …

Connections Between The Enneagram Personality Type Of Christian University Presidents And Provosts With Student Enrollment, Pamela J. Daly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Limited research has examined the relationship between the Enneagram personality styles of faith-based university presidents/provosts and the institution’s student enrollment size. While there are many personality theories, the Enneagram is a sophisticated model that exposes the unconscious predispositions, motivations, anxieties, and behavioral tendencies of nine different personality profiles. Ego development is the evolution of personality constructs that integrate experiences into a personal framework of interpreting self and the world. Ego maturity is demonstrated by understanding self and others with the ability and motivation to maximize individual potential. Mature leaders exhibit wisdom, broad empathy towards self and others, tolerance of differing …

Microaggression: My Story As A Higher Education Professional, Osaro Airen, James Gambrell, Janet Isbell, Lakia M. Scott, Nina M. Ellis-Hervey, Matthew Mcparker

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The purpose of the Special Issue, Microaggression: My Story as a Higher Education Professional, is to share the personal microaggression experiences of higher education professionals (i.e. faculty, administrators, and staff). Microaggressions are negative, unintentional or intentional, statements and/or actions towards a member or members of a historically underrepresented group (Sue, 2010). The statement or action may be unintentional but nonetheless causes a negative emotional reaction by the recipient of the statement/action.

Brain Drain And Higher Education Capacity: A Case Study Of Nevada And The Western Undergraduate Exchange, Marie A. Falcone

Student Research

Policy initiatives such as the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), a regional tuition saving agreement among colleges and universities operating in the western states, have the ability to increase mobility and promote human capital attainment. This brief will be focusing exclusively on how Nevada’s higher education system and related programs, specifically the WUE, can be improved to further attract and attain a higher-skilled workforce. This paper will cover a literature review of brain drain and its effects, investigate Nevada’s relationship with human capital and the WUE, as well as offer policy recommendations to improve attainment.

Assessing The Influence Of Mentorship On Faculty Job Satisfaction In Higher Education, Rachelle Hunt

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This research study aimed to explore the influence of mentorship on faculty job satisfaction in higher education. The study followed a quantitative correlational study under the paradigm of post-positivism. Higher education faculty members require careful attention to components associated with workplace satisfaction or dissatisfaction, such as the presence of mentoring. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors play an integral role in job satisfaction, such as the induction experience and personal interactions. Out of 144 faculty members from a Midwest institution of higher education, 38 completed the questionnaires, and five participated in the focus group discussion. Men and women participants were equal in …

Pulling Off The Curtain On The Southeast Asian American Student Experience At Uc San Diego, Kathy Vilaysith

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

The purpose of my research was to examine the Southeast Asian American (SEAA) identity in connection to performance and sense of belonging at institutions of higher education. The central focus was trying to understand the SEAA experience as opposed to the “model minority” narrative that is typically associated with the Asian American community. My research questions are what is the impact of their SEAA identity on their navigation in higher education? How do these students make meaning of their identity and sense of belonging at UC San Diego? How can I increase the visibility of the Southeast Asian American narrative …

Para La Comunidad: Centralizing Latinx Scholars At An Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, Valerie Mora

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

This study highlights Latinx student experiences, through storytelling, to identify existing services and resources aiding Latinx academic success at the University of San Diego (USD), while also exploring what additional resources are needed to aid Latinx scholars’ belonging and mattering at a Catholic, predominantly White institution (PWI). Latinx student enrollment rates at colleges and universities have increased nationwide, leading institutions to consider the Hispanic -serving Institution (HSI) federal designation to gain access to discretionary grant opportunities. For HSI designation, institutions must have at least 25% of their student population categorized as Hispanic, and 50% of Hispanic students must be Pell …

Facing A New Normal: Uncovering The Psychological Effects Of Loneliness On Student Mental Health, Courtney Thoreson

Counselor Education Capstones

In anticipation of the burden loneliness will have in combination with distressing psychological and emotional burdens carried over from the COVID-19 prevention strategies i.e., social distancing, quarantine measures, and lockdowns, colleges and universities are facing a broad spectrum of challenges as they shift to adapt to a new normal. Besides the physical health impact of COVID-19, this global pandemic has unleashed a psychological toll on society that has yet to be fully realized for its potential long-lasting effects. As campuses navigate the broader impacts of COVID-19, understanding the psychological effects of loneliness will be a primary focus in understanding it’s …

Understanding Aspiration And Education Towards Desistance From Offending: The Role Of Higher Education In Wales, Mark Jones, Debbie Jones

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

There has been a growing recognition of the value of education in facilitating desistance from offending. Yet, despite a determined push to “widen access” universities continue to be an unwelcoming place for those with a criminal record. To better understand the role of higher education in raising aspiration towards desistance, this paper draws on findings from a study in Swansea, Wales. Adopting a Pictorial Narrative approach the findings suggest that, whilst the participants identified potential benefits of attaining a higher education, those aspirations were outweighed by a distrust of the “institution” and a fear that the stigmatisation experienced through the …

Social Media Preferences Of Individuals Seeking Graduate Business Degrees, Peyton N. Boxberger, Hannah C. Lee

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide actionable insight to the Walton MBA Programs Office for a cohesive social media strategy that is inclusive of all audiences. This research hopes to help the Walton MBA program better understand potential and current students based on their social media behavior and learn how social media use has changed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This report will analyze the results of a survey crafted to better understand the social media preferences of individuals seeking graduate business degrees. From these, a social media marketing strategy can be created to tailor content to …

Perceived Obstacles By Esl Instructors And Required Support For The Integration Of Educational Technology, Xiaotian Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Nowadays, the use of technology has become a significant part of the language learning process inside and outside of the classroom. Many previous studies and surveys, most language educators hold a relatively positive attitude to the usage of technology in language teaching and learning. But many other studies also found that language teachers were not really using technology in their classrooms, or only for very low-level learning and teaching. The integration of technology in second language learning and teaching is still a problem that has not been fully researched.This descriptive study was designed to explore the obstacles that prevent ESL …

Maybe, Maybe Not: Examining Factors That Influence Adjunct Faculty Members’ Instructional Technology Usage, Mia Naseth-Phillips

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This quantitative predictive study examines the influence of attitude, subjective norm (peer pressure) and perceived behavioral control on whether adjunct faculty will or will not utilize instructional technology in their classroom. Based on the Decomposed theory of planned behavior (Taylor & Todd, 1995) a survey of 286 adjunct faculty was conducted in a mid-western state-wide university and college system. The study also explored the working conditions of adjunct faculty which hinder their teaching withing the classroom. The finding shows the while attitude and subjective norm are statistically significant predictors of user’s intention, perceived behavioral control is the strongest predictor of …