Higher Education Commons^™

Embracing Ai In Higher Education: Redefining Teaching And Learning In The Digital Era, Najem Tala, Leila Halawi

Publications

This research explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its ability to address emerging challenges and revolutionize teaching practices. We critically assess the current educational landscape, evaluate AI's role as a catalyst for educational reform, and examine implementation challenges. Our analysis emphasizes the evolving impact of AI on personalized learning, student engagement, and administrative efficiency and contributes to the growing body of literature on educational technology. The discussion highlights both the opportunities and limitations of AI in education, pointing to critical areas that remain underexplored.

Addressing Food Security In Cameroon, Stacy A. Adams, Ruth Abunaw Besong

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cameroon Africa has experience a period of nearly a decade of unrest as militants fight for independence for two Anglophone regions within a predominantly Francophone country. The English-speaking minority have felt aggrieved for continued erosion of rights by the central government. Protests have rapidly spread since 2016, causing closure of schools, businesses, and medical facilities. People have lost homes and been displaced, negatively affecting food production and crop availability. The United States Department of State leads an effort of diplomacy beyond emergency food relief through the Mandela Washington Fellowship that connects American professionals to innovative and impactful young African leaders. …

Current Higher Education Legal Issues And The Roles Of Legal Leadership On Campus, Louis H. Guard, Joyce P. Jacobsen, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Examining Strategies For The Recruitment And Retention Of Students Of Color In Health Service Psychology Doctoral Programs, Melissa Sital

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Students of color are significantly underrepresented in the field of health service psychology, including at the doctoral level. Doctoral programs in health service psychology utilize various strategies to foster the recruitment and retention of students of color, though limited research has investigated which strategies are used most frequently. As part of the present study, 18 APA-accredited doctoral programs in health service psychology submitted narrative sections from their APA accreditation self-study report describing their efforts to recruit and retain students of color and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts, as well as the racial/ethnic breakdown of their students. Qualitative analysis of …

2025 Engage For Change Awards Program, Bonner Center For Civic Engagement

Engage for Change Awards

2025 Award Print: Alfonso Pérez Acosta

Keynote Address: Taylor Scott, Founder, RVA Community Fridges

“We’Re Here, We’Re Queer, And We’Re Not Going Away” Student Policies And Lgbtq+ Students’ Experiences On Canadian Christian Campuses, Angela E. Gallo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research highlights that Christian campuses are often unwelcoming and hostile spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other gender and sexually diverse (LGBTQ+) students. Yet, research, including emerging Canadian research, often overlooks how institutional policies shape LGBTQ+ students’ experiences. Further, little attention is given to the affirming experiences LGBTQ+ students encounter on Christian campuses. Through a collective case study of two Canadian Christian universities involving document analysis and interviews, I explored the discourses that school policies constructed concerning gender and sexuality, LGBTQ+ students’ experiences of exclusion and affirmation, and how policy, alongside other factors, shapes their experiences and well-being. …

Enhancing Customer Service In Higher Education, Donna Crouch

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

In the realm of higher education, the provision of quality customer service emerges as a critical component in nurturing both student success and institutional effectiveness. As educational institutions attempt to cater to the diverse needs of their student populations, the imperative of prioritizing customer service within academia becomes increasingly evident. Notably, empirical research consistently underscores a positive correlation between quality customer service and pivotal outcomes such as student achievement and retention. Through the cultivation of a culture centered on service excellence and responsiveness, higher education institutions stand to enhance student engagement, satisfaction, and retention rates. This article endeavors to explore …

Values In Academe: Examining Productivity For Faculty Of Color, Emi Kamei, Young K. Kim, David Edens

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

Using a quantitative research design, this study examined two productivity-related outcomes, scholarly productivity and community-minded engagement practices, and how these vary for faculty of color in U.S. higher education institutions among different racial/ethnic subgroups. This study utilized data collected from the 2016-2017 Faculty Survey administered by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a sample of 26,410 faculty members nationwide. The findings suggest that scholarly productivity tends to increase when faculty have spent time writing research grants or have protected time available for research scholarship, and tends to decrease when higher teaching loads are …

Transforming Online Courses: Practical Strategies For Educators, Jacqueline A. Gilbert, Kelly G. Manix, Kristie A. Abston

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

In this article, we examine strategies for enhancing student engagement in online higher education courses through targeted course restructuring. Given the increased demand for high-quality online learning, it is essential for institutions to adopt a proactive, student-focused approach to course design and delivery. The paper highlights research underscoring the critical connection between active student participation in online courses and improved academic performance. It emphasizes the fundamental need for strategic organization and consistent course design to foster engagement and optimize student learning. Our research explores the value of soliciting and implementing student feedback through multiple mechanisms, including pre-term and midterm surveys, …

Examining Educational And Career Transition Points Among A Diverse, Virtual Mentoring Network, Erika L Thompson, Toufeeq Ahmed Syed, Zainab Latif, Katie Stinson, Damaris Javier, Gabrielle Saleh, Jamboor K Vishwanatha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Given the differences in trajectory for under-represented minorities in biomedical careers, we sought to explore how a virtual mentoring program, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), and its platform (MyNRMN), may facilitate transitions in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) pipeline. The purpose of this study was to describe how the size of an MyNRMN member’s mentoring network and level of engagement correlate with academic and career transitions. We examined MyNRMN platform user data from March 2020 to May 2021 (n = 2993). Logistic regression estimated the odds of a career or academic transition related to NRMN …

2025-2026 Graduate Catalog, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2025-2026 graduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Teaching To Whom And With Whom: The Role Of Context In Developing Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy For Teaching Engineering And Coding Via Robotics, Jennifer Kidd, Kristie Gutierrez, Min Jung Lee, Danielle Rhemer, Pilar Pazos, Krishna Kaipa, Stacie Ringleb, Orlando Ayala

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Due to mandates for the inclusion of engineering and computer science standards for K-6 schools nationwide, there is a need to understand how teacher educators can help develop preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) teaching self-efficacy in these areas. To provide experience teaching and learning engineering and coding, PSTs in an instructional technology course were partnered with undergraduate engineering students in an electromechanical systems course to teach robotics lessons to fifth graders (10–11 year olds) over Zoom. A multi-case study approach explored teaching self-efficacy development for three preservice teachers during their robotics project experiences using multiple data sources, including surveys, reflections, interviews, and …

Securitizing The University, Maryam Jamshidi

Publications

Since October 7, 2023, public and private actors have doubled down on efforts to securitize the American university. In large part, these initiatives aim to quash a vocal pro-Palestine movement that has become highly visible across U.S. campuses since October 7th. In targeting this group, these efforts have variously treated the university as an "object" of national security, namely, as a potential site of national security risk, while simultaneously encouraging or pressuring universities to "participate" in national security, namely, by actively and, in many cases, voluntarily furthering U.S. national security objectives. The university's status as object of and participant in …

The Role Of Mentorship In The Advancement Of Black Women In Higher Education Administrative Roles, Kimberley Colclough

Publications and Research

This research study focused on the lived experiences of Black women administrators in higher education institutions, the obstacles they face in pursuit of support and career advancement, and how they benefited from a relationship with a mentor. This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was implemented by conducting in-depth interviews with a small sample of (6) six African American women administrators from various higher education institutions located in the Northeast, West Coast, and Midwest regions of the United States. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to understand and describe the lived experiences mentorship for a select group of Black women leaders in …

Student Perspectives On Universal Design For Learning (Udl): Q-Methodology, Taylor Rodriguez, Michelle Bartlett, James Bartlett

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study aims to examine community college students’ unique viewpoints of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 3.0 guidelines through Q-methodology. This study will provide the unique perspectives students bring toward UDL to better inform faculty when implementing UDL into the instructional process and instructional designers when designing learning for community college students. The findings revealed student viewpoints toward UDL. Due to the findings, it is recommended that curriculum designers and instructors consider these viewpoints when communicating about the course and the design of the learning.

Voices From The Field: A Q Methodology Study In Postsecondary Cte Faculty Retention, Brandon Hensley, James E. Bartlett, Michelle Bartlett

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) faculty shortages intensify challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified faculty. This study examines the viewpoints of faculty regarding workplace experiences and values concerning retention using Q methodology. Grounded in Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Job Embeddedness Theory, the research identifies viewpoints toward remaining in the profession. A Q-set of 64 statements was developed through an academic literature review, contemporary publications, social media, and expert input. Thirty-four CTE faculty from multiple institutions sorted the statements on −7 to +7 forced distribution under the condition of “statements that influence their desire to stay in their roles”. …

Supporting Mid-Career Students’ Psychological Needs To Improve Motivation And Retention In Post-Graduate Courses, Gillian Kirk, Helen Adam, Fiona Boylan, Carly Sanbrook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Currently Australia is experiencing an unprecedented teacher shortage. Increasing and retaining the number of mid-career Initial Teacher Education entrants has been identified as one strategy to combat the shortage. This study examines the psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) innate to autonomous forms of motivation to support retention. While there is much research investigating how universities support students’ psychological needs using questionnaires, few have gathered data examining how students articulate their lived experiences, and fewer have examined mid-career students’ perspectives. This paper contributes to the literature by sharing 26 Master of Teaching (Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary) mid-career student perspectives on …

Twelve Tips To Afford Students Agency In Programmatic Assessment, Janica Jamieson, Dario Torre

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Programmatic assessment is gaining traction in health professions education, emphasizing continuous, integrated appraisal to support holistic student development. Despite its adoption, effectively affording student agency within programmatic assessment remains challenging due to longstanding educational practices, entrenched power dynamics and cultural norms favoring educator and institutional control. This article aims to provide strategies to promote student agency in programmatic assessments, essential for modernizing educational practices and preparing self-regulated, lifelong learners. The tips include establishing student–educator partnerships, making power dynamics transparent, designing purposeful and inclusive assessments, and normalizing bidirectional feedback conversations. The strategies emphasize the importance of a growth mindset, effective communication, …

A Deep Dive Into Taught Postgraduates’ Participation In Work-Integrated Learning, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study draws on national data to explore postgraduate participation in different types of work-integrated learning (WIL) in Australia. Despite considerable interest in WIL engagement in higher education, research is primarily focused on undergraduates with relatively little known about participation in postgraduate cohorts and how this varies across disciplines. Consequently, this study analyses how 119,000 graduates of Australian postgraduate coursework degrees engaged in work-based WIL (e.g., internships/placements); non-workplace WIL (e.g., projects/consultancies) and global WIL experiences between 2020 and 2023. In addition to breakdowns by discipline and international/domestic student status, the study examines relationships between WIL engagement and personal, study and …

Exploring How Nutrition Students Used The Relational Employability Framework To Reflect On Their Micro-Placement Experiences, Elizabeth J. Cook, Ros Sambell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As the world grapples with multiple challenges, workforces increasingly require university graduates who can navigate complexity to facilitate positive change. The relational employability framework (REF) is used by educators to help students develop an awareness of their human and more-than-human career interactions, contributions and possibilities, in addition to developing their foundational employability skills and attributes. This case study, situated in a third-year community nutrition unit at Edith Cowan University, explores how students applied the REF in their final written reflection assessment following a micro-placement. Eighteen students reflected on their micro-placement experience and developing relational employability using Gibbs’ reflective cycle. Codebook …

Kaartdijin Bidi (Learning Journey): Place-Based Cultural Regeneration At University, Sandra Wooltorton, Lauren Stephenson, Kathie Ardzejewska, Len Collard

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Imagine being in a university that functions in a place-based culturally regenerative way. In this concept paper, the authors bring together theory, practice, and experience, in the service of transforming universities towards place-based cultural regeneration. At present, Australian universities operate using an economic philosophy of neoliberal corporatism characterised by hierarchical management strategies, competitive tendencies, patriarchal values, and discourse characterised by bifurcation or binary thinking. These features illustrate a worldview that is entangled with the meta crises of our times such as climate change, species loss, hatred/intolerance, and unfathomable violence. The authors consider ways of moving towards a place-based, Indigenous-informed, practical, …

Student’S Reported Satisfaction At University: The Role Of Personal Characteristics And Secondary School Background, Ian W. Li, Denise Jackson, Paul Koshy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Widening participation and improving outcomes for under-represented and disadvantaged groups in higher education are part of the strategic agenda of governments across the globe. A critical aspect of this challenge is enhancing the experience of students from such backgrounds. However, there is relatively limited evidence on the effects of student background, including social and geographical disadvantage and secondary education preparation, on self-reported student experience. This study addressed this topic in the Australian context using data from the annual Student Experience Survey (2016–2020 waves) with linkage to administrative records for 24,292 students from seven higher education institutions. This included data on …

Using Online Critical Reflection To Enhance Students’ Confidence, Motivation, And Engagement In Higher Education, Isaiah T. Awidi, Jonas Quashie Klutsey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research examines the effect of critical reflection activities in an educational environment that uses active and blended learning experiences for students to develop confidence, motivation, and engagement with their learning. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted on a sample of 137 Communications and Media students, who were involved in a game-based project. Using a validated survey instrument to measure the students’ perceptions of their experiences, Pearson Correlation coefficient was used to estimate the relationship between the learning activities and students’ perceived confidence, motivation, and engagement. Finally, multiple linear regression was used to determine the effect of the critical reflection …

Pedagogy Of Belonging: Cultivating Wellbeing Literacy In Higher Education, Narelle Lemon, Siobhan O’Brien, Naja Later, Shaun Britton, Julia Prendergast

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Wellbeing literacy is the capability to set intentions and comprehend and compose wellbeing language. This is cultivated and embodied across contexts with the intention of maintaining or improving the wellbeing of oneself, others, or the world. In this paper, as co-authors we share the way we understand our wellbeing as educators in higher education, that is, through a Pedagogy of Belonging. Belonging is one of the domains to our wellbeing as academics and educators, as well as students in the studied higher education learning context. Pedagogy of Belonging helps us develop our wellbeing literacy individually and collectively. Through an authentic …

Sense Of Belonging And Perceptions Of Learning In An Introductory College Course, Ellen Wang

Scripps Senior Theses

A sense of belonging (SB) – the feeling of deep connection with social groups, places, and experiences – has been described as a fundamental, pervasive need among humans (Allen et al., 2021; Baumeister & Leary, 1995). SB, and lack thereof, predicts myriad mental, physical, social, and economic outcomes. Belonging is a complex, multidimensional concept with a breadth of research across disciplines. It has been applied to school contexts in association with academic and psychosocial outcomes. The researcher partnered with an undergraduate course at The Claremont Colleges, and administered electronic surveys at two time points of the course. Students' sense of …

Sticking Out And Fitting In: Experiences Of Black And Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Students At Scripps College, Grace Njoki Gitau

Scripps Senior Theses

There is a lack of research about the experiences of students of color at predominantly white women’s colleges. Women’s colleges are institutions that have evolved over hundreds of years to support the education of marginalized genders, including transgender women and nonbinary people in recent years. Many women’s colleges have a white majority of students, which can have adverse effects on students of color pursuing their education. Collecting data from Scripps College, a women’s college with 40% students of color, 12 interviews were conducted with students who self-identified as Black or Asian American. Results found that students of color who experience …