Higher Education Commons^™

Models Of Care In Higher Education: Comparing Integrated And Standalone Approaches To Student Mental Health, Tevia Q. Strand

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This qualitative study examines how the organization of campus mental health services—integrated, co-located care versus standalone counseling centers—shapes college students’ awareness, access, stigma/privacy, and engagement. Semi-structured interviews with five Midwestern undergraduate women (n = 5) explored perceptions of visibility, ease of use, barriers, and improvement ideas. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes included confusion about entry pathways, visibility-related stigma, and the salience of faculty/peer bridges to services. Students generally preferred integrated models, citing privacy through co-location, normalization, and easier warm handoffs; some noted that standalone centers can feel more specialized yet risk heightened visibility depending on location. Findings …

Human Centered Learning Management System Design Inspired By Social Networking Platforms, Giseung J. Lee

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into higher education is reshaping interaction within digital learning environments. As AI-enabled tools such as conversational agents and automated feedback systems become embedded in Learning Management Systems (LMSs), questions arise regarding how these systems can support social presence, dialogue, and human-centered pedagogy without reproducing the attention-driven logics of commercial social media. This paper presents a conceptual, design-oriented framework for human-centered LMS design inspired by selected interactional affordances of Social Network Sites (SNSs). Drawing on social presence theory, post-process pedagogy, and hyperpedagogy, the framework articulates four interrelated design dimensions—Familiar Interaction, Dialogic Feedback, Community …

Professional Identity Exploration And Commitment Development By Stem Undergraduates From Underrepresented Groups During Near-Peer Mentoring, Joseph A. Brobst, Joanna K. Garner, David Hartenstine, Perry Fizzano

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This study examines near-peer mentoring as a context for professional identity development by undergraduates from groups that are underrepresented in STEM higher education. Mentees were students in a computer science/mathematics‑focused scholarship program, with a two-tiered near-peer mentoring component that paired 1st-2nd‑year undergraduate mentees with 3^rd-4^th year mentors and 3^rd-4^th year mentees with early‑career professional mentors. We analyzed mentoring conversation summaries from three mentor–mentee pairs, spanning one academic year. Mentoring relationships provided safe spaces for students’ professional identity exploration and the development of commitments toward career paths and life goals. Across all cases, conversation summaries …

Enhancing Academic Literacy Through Ai-Supported Writing Analytics In Multilingual Higher Education, Riki Nasrullah, Septia Rizqi Nur Abni

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the longitudinal impact of AI-supported writing analytics on academic literacy in multilingual higher education. Using a quasi-experimental design over two semesters with 124 undergraduates, the treatment group employed a GPT-based analytics tool, while the control group relied on conventional feedback. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design and repeated-measures analyses, the study found significant group effects and significant Group × Time interactions, indicating that the treatment group achieved larger and more sustained gains in academic literacy. Process-oriented indicators and learning analytics further showed a shift from surface editing to global revision, accompanied by deeper metacognitive engagement.

A Data-Driven Framework For Automation Readiness In Minnesota State University, Mankato Course Scheduling, Prisca Bongu Payanzo Maba

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

University course scheduling is one of the most complex optimization problems in higher education institutions. With universities growing in size and offering a broad spectrum of majors and disciplines, the number of possible course scheduling combinations increases exponentially, rendering traditional ways of scheduling ineffective.

Although operations research has extensively studied automated scheduling algorithms, there has been limited investigations into the organization readiness of academic departments to implement such systems. This paper offers a hybrid data science framework that assesses departmental readiness for scheduling automation.

The study combines qualitative Zoom interview data from 19 academic departments with institutional scheduling rules from …

A Narrative Inquiry Of Early-Career Women Of Color In Student Affairs, Nora Anitzya Jin-Leyva

CGU Theses & Dissertations

At the time of this study, data revealed student affairs professionals were exiting the profession at high rates (Chamberlain et al., 2022). This rate was higher among new student affairs professionals (Buchanan & Shupp, 2015). Professionals in the field face common challenges including low job satisfaction and high levels of burnout (Aros, 2022; Chamberlain et al., 2022; Quaye et al., 2024) and a lack of appropriate supervision (Shupp & Arminio, 2012) and mentoring opportunities (Aros, 2022; Maramba, 2011). However, people of color and women in the profession face additional challenges, including racial battle fatigue (Quaye et al., 2024), racism and …

Where’S My Tweed Jacket With Leather Elbow Patches? The Challenges Of Aging Gracefully In Higher Education, John A. O’Rourke, Christina Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents an examination of one veteran academics’ experience in higher education. Via an autoethnographic reflection of a two-decade career, the work-related situations that impact on job enjoyment and challenge motivation to bring enthusiasm year-after-year are discussed. Veteran academics have seen higher education transform dramatically during their tenure and the pressure points that impact on wellbeing are discussed and aligned to contemporary research. In response to the challenges associated with aging in higher education, this paper examines how veteran academics need to prioritize self-care and explores ways that universities can maximize the accumulated knowledge and pedagogical skillset of these …

Extending The Theory Of Planned Behaviour To Explain Contract Cheating In The Age Of Generative Ai: Evidence From Australian Higher Education, Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Academic contract cheating (CC) poses a significant challenge for Higher Education (HE), a problem that has become more complex with the increasing use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) tools. While similarity detection software can flag AI-generated text, it remains ineffective in identifying CC, potentially displacing misconduct rather than reducing it. Drawing on and extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study examines how traditional TPB constructs and technology-mediated perceptual factors jointly influence students’ intentions and behaviours related to CC within the Australian HE context. The findings reveal significant direct and indirect pathways linking perceived instructor involvement, detection awareness, …

Students’ Perspectives On Authentic Assessment: An Experiential Learning Framework For Work-Readiness And Employability, Claire Lambert, Madeleine Ogilvie, Stephanie Meek

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Universities are increasingly pressured to enhance graduate employability by embedding career readiness into curricula. Authentic, industry-based assessments offer a means to link theory with practice, yet little is known about their impact from the student perspective. Purpose: This study explored how an industry-based authentic assessment supports students’ transition to work through the lens of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Method: Using a qualitative design, guided-introspection questionnaires were completed by 20 marketing graduates 2 years after completing an industry-based social marketing project. Directed content analysis identified themes aligned with ELT stages and mechanisms of confidence, networks, and professional enculturation. Findings: Authentic …

First-Year Academic Success Strategies For Student Veterans, Vincent Ciarla

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and experiences of student veterans regarding academic success strategies during their first year of college. The study was guided by three research questions examining perceived difficulties, needed support systems, and overall transition experiences. Five student veterans who had successfully completed their first year at a community college participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using multi-cycle coding procedures, including open coding, pattern coding, and cross-case analysis, resulting in the identification of recurring themes.

Findings indicated that participants experienced initial confusion related to institutional processes, challenges navigating educational benefits, and difficulty adjusting to differences …

El Estrés Laboral Como Factor De Riesgo En El Rendimiento De Los Docentes De Una Institución Privada De Educación Superior En Puerto Rico, Sarahi Alvarado Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Los seres humanos en diferentes momentos de su vida han experimentado lo que es el estrés, y las organizaciones de una forma u otra han buscado disminuir o eliminarlo dentro del entorno laboral. El estrés laboral es un factor determinante en el desempeño laboral, las enfermedades y la estabilidad emocional de los recursos humanos en las organizaciones. Este trabajo se enmarca en un enfoque cualitativo a través de un estudio fenomenológico.

El propósito de este estudio fue valorar la incidencia del estrés laboral como factor de riesgo en el rendimiento de los Docentes de una Institución Privada de Educación Superior …

Análisis De Las Competencias Digitales Docentes Aplicadas Al Modelo Educativo Híbrido En Una Universidad Privada De Puerto Rico, Ishwara Ayala Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

El modelo educativo híbrido ha surgido como una alternativa que integra la educación tradicional con los avances alcanzados durante la pandemia, convirtiendo la competencia digital docente en un aspecto cada vez más relevante. Esta disertación aplicada analizó las competencias digitales de docentes universitarios en la implementación del modelo educativo híbrido en una universidad privada de Puerto Rico, enmarcada en el modelo TPACK y la teoría conectivista.

El estudio adoptó un enfoque cuantitativo con diseño no experimental de corte transversal exploratorio, utilizando el cuestionario HybridEduCom para medir dichas competencias. La muestra estuvo conformada por 40 docentes de una IES privada en …

El Liderazgo Estratégico En La Gestión De Cambio Para La Innovación En Una Universidad Privada De Puerto Rico, Luis Javier Bosques Rodríguez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada buscó determinar la importancia del liderazgo estratégico en la gestión de cambio para la innovación, según la percepción de los administradores académicos (rectores, decanos y directores) en una universidad privada de Puerto Rico. Se planteó que, en el contexto de una educación superior que enfrenta retos como desastres naturales, pandemias y exigencias tecnológicas, los líderes deben tener una visión estratégica clara para guiar a sus instituciones hacia la innovación y la competitividad.

El investigador propuso examinar cómo estos líderes comprenden y aplican conceptos clave de liderazgo estratégico en la gestión de cambio e innovación. A través de …

Nivel De Competencia Digital Del Profesorado De Enfermería En Puerto Rico Y Su Percepción Sobre El Impacto De La Tecnología En El Aprendizaje, Dimarys Cordero Pérez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito analizar el nivel de competencia digital del profesorado de enfermería en Puerto Rico y su percepción sobre el impacto de la tecnología en el aprendizaje del estudiantado. Asimismo, se examinó la relación entre estas variables y se identificaron factores asociados con la competencia digital docente. El estudio se desarrolló bajo un enfoque cuantitativo, mediante un diseño no experimental de tipo correlacional. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 105 participantes, de los cuales 94 fueron incluidos en el análisis final tras un proceso de depuración de datos. La recolección de información se realizó mediante un instrumento …

The Digital Divide Among Urban University Students, J.B. Oleet, Chien Yu

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The purpose of this study was to examine urban university students’ post-pandemic experiences with the digital divide, focusing on Motivational, Physical, Skills, and Usage Access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) based on van Dijk’s resources and appropriation theory. The study revealed students’ positive perceptions of their digital divide experiences. Intrinsic Motivational Access (IMA) scored particularly high, indicating a strong internal drive to engage with ICTs, while Physical Access (PA) showed discrepancies in access to specialized tools like programming software. Students displayed high competency in Operational, Informational, and Strategic Skills Access, with significant correlations between Physical and Operational Skills Access. …

Who, What, When, Where And Why? Breaking Down The Creation And Adoption Of New College Programs And Their Impact On Higher Education: A Quantitative Study, Chandler Thomas-Scott Sagal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Institutions of higher education have historically been designed as engines of innovation and knowledge dissemination in the United States and across the world. Whether this comes by way of short-term credentialing programs at community colleges or through R1 research programs at prestigious universities, all institutions deliver value and knowledge through their academic programs. Over the past decade, colleges across the country have been adding new programs at a frantic pace. While some of these programs seem to provide a clear path forward to gainful employment, some have fallen flat and proven to be bad investments by both the institution and, …

Guide To Matching Accommodations To Support Neurotypes, Niki Elliott Ph.D., Sylvia Mac Ph.D.

Inclusion in Postsecondary Education

Understanding which accommodations match your specific neurotype is one of the most powerful tools you have. This guide helps you connect each area of executive functioning to the accommodations you can ask for and the strategies and tools you can use yourself.

Guide To Life After High School For Neurodiverse Students, Niki Elliott Ph.D., Sylvia Mac Ph.D.

Inclusion in Postsecondary Education

Many neurodiverse students arrive at the next chapter of their lives carrying more information about what is difficult for them than what makes them extraordinary. This guide is about knowing your brain deeply, understanding what you need, and building a life after high school that actually works for you. Whether you are heading to a four-year university, a community college, a trade or vocational program, or a certification pathway, your neurotype is an asset. This is your opportunity to design a life around your strengths.

Faculty Perceptions Of Engaging Generation Z Students Through Positive Education In The Classroom, Ashley D. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the engagement gap between Generation Z students and faculty in higher education, emphasizing how positive education approaches can help faculty become more confident and effective instructors. Generation Z students prefer instant internet access and digital learning, have shorter attention spans, and tend to be disengaged when instructors rely on traditional teaching methods. After the COVID-19 pandemic, this engagement gap became more evident. This basic qualitative study used semistructured interviews, reflexive journaling, and nonparticipatory observations. Participants included full-time health science faculty at a private university in central Texas. Each had at least 2 years of teaching experience …

Ai-Resistant Activities For Online And Large Enrollment Courses, Jason Bock, Eric Lemley

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

The rapid adoption of generative AI tools has fundamentally challenged traditional assessments in higher education, particularly in large-enrollment and fully asynchronous online courses where instructor presence and grading time are constrained. While many instructors have responded by restricting AI use or adopting detection tools, research increasingly shows that detection-based approaches are unreliable and labor-intensive. We propose a design-centered alternative: reshaping assessments so that AI use becomes insufficient, rather than prohibited.

Drawing on a systematic process of testing proposed and original assessment ideas directly against multiple generative AI models (using both simple and advanced prompting strategies), we present a curated playbook …

Wellness Participation Of Student-Serving Staff: The Impact On Well-Being And Student Support, Ashley L. Oostveen

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study examines the relationship between student-serving staff’s wellness engagement and overall well-being, their job satisfaction, and their perceived support for students. A convergent mixed-methods approach was applied while maintaining a theoretical framework rooted in Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), integrating the concepts of Hettler’s Six Dimensions of Wellness (1976). Forty-one student-serving staff across universities in a public university system in Pennsylvania participated in this study. A quantitative survey was used to measure overall well-being, wellness engagement, and support to students, while concurrent focus groups were conducted to gather insight on work-life well-being and staff’s perceived support to their …

Unstoppable Workforce: Identifying Ai Gaps At Vcu, Valerie Cooper, Eliza Hunt, Demmie Pennix, Maiya Lee, Swadesh Das

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

AI in an UNstoppable workforce describes a future where artificial intelligence becomes a driving force that reshapes teaching, research, clinical operations, and administrative work here at VCU. We are gathering AI-related data, projects, and use cases from every school and college at VCU to contribute to a centralized AI hub. This hub will serve as the campus-wide resource for understanding how AI is being used, supporting collaboration, guiding responsible adaptation, and shaping a unified strategy for AI innovation across VCU.

Abstract: This project seeks to identify existing AI-related initiatives across VCU, assess perceived educational and operational needs, and explore opportunities …

Academic Outcomes Of Associate Degree Transfer Students From Selected Two-Year Campuses To A Public Urban Research University In The Northeast U.S: An Empirical Analysis Using Administrative Unit Record Data, Michelle Bianchi

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study examined academic outcomes for associate degree transfer students at an urban, public research university in the Northeast United States. In particular, this study examined differences in rates of retention, rates of graduation, and cumulative upper-division grade point average (GPA) at graduation between associate degree transfers and direct-entry undergraduates at the same institution, taking into account the two-year college attended. This approach provides a lens into campus effects, considering the profiles of associate degree transfers from identified two-year colleges to search for similarities and differences in academic outcomes for transfers by two-year college attended.

The study relied on student-level …

Student Codes Of Conduct, Institutional Isomorphism, And Restorative Justice: Practice And Implementation In The State University Of New York (Suny) System, Alexandra Athens

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The student conduct field constantly must balance the legal requirements of the federal and state governments with providing an educational environment for students to learn and develop valuable skills in conflict management, problem solving, and communication. Each higher education institution has a student code of conduct detailing the policies and procedures by which students are expected to abide. These codes of conduct carefully combine the legal requirements and educational goals of each institution’s conduct office. This study analyzed the prevalence of restorative justice practices and other common practices in the codes of conduct at 4-year institutions in the State University …

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

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

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

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

The quantitative data …

Seek In Cuny Archives, Reign Mcconnell

Publications and Research

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

Post-Secondary Participation And Graduation, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Ian Teo, Amanda Haddow, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This systematic review examines systems and institutional policies impacting Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sectors globally. Specifically, it seeks to address the impact of access, participation, retention, and graduation policies, and support the development of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 by responding to equity and inclusion challenges, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.

Racial Discrimination And Racial Identity Among Asian College Students: The Moderating Role Of Interdependent Self-Construal, Foong Yan Lee, Qianyi Wang, Eunseon Gong

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

The current study examined the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and racial group identification among 130 Asian college students at a U.S. institution. Using moderation regression analyses, results indicated that perceived racial discrimination was associated with lower racial group identification, and this relationship was significantly moderated by interdependent self-construal. Specifically, racial discrimination was negatively associated with racial group identification among students reporting lower levels of interdependent self-construal, whereas this association was not significant among those with higher interdependent self-construal. These findings suggest that individual differences in self-construal shape how Asian college students interpret …

Social Dirt Or Fertile Soil: A Phenomenological Study Of Contingent Faculty, Ann M. Hiloski-Fowler

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The experiences of contingent or adjunct faculty affect their professional identity development. Contingent faculty use has increased since the 1970s. By 2013, two-thirds of U.S. higher education faculty were contingent (Finkelstein et al., 2016). While institutions use contingent faculty to fulfill their educational missions (Haviland et al., 2017; Kezar & Sam, 2011; Kimmel & Fairchild, 2017), their status as academic laborers stigmatizes them in academia, developing what Levin and Shaker (2011) term a “hybrid identity” (p. 1479), as both professionals and laborers, professors and temporary employees. Historically, the professional status of the professoriate has been defined on the tenure track …