Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons^™

The Importance Of Academic Advising During Covid-19, Justice J. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Academic Advisors are the connection between the students and the world of college. Having an academic advisor several students appreciate because they know they have their support and want them to succeed. The study will take place at Rowan University, and it will show just how important the role of an academic advisor is and especially during COVID-19.

Conflicting Cultures, Compromising Care: A Heuristic Inquiry Of Women Directors Of College Counseling Centers, Lindsay Noele Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The role that women leaders of college counseling centers have is unique; they must contend with the inherent social norms that women face in gendered organizations, in addition to negotiating the dichotomous, and often conflicting, leadership expectations of a care work division and a care-less upper administration. The purpose of this qualitative, heuristic, phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of women directors of college counseling centers. Moreover, this study sought to understand the lived experiences, beliefs, and actions of these directors how these experiences influenced, and continue to influence, their leadership pathway in a care-oriented division within the …

The Lived Experiences Of Higher Education Academic Advisors With Counseling Degrees In Addressing Their Role In Student Success, Shajuana Isom-Payne

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the lived experiences of academic advisors with a counseling degree in addressing their role in student success. If student retention rates are not addressed, higher education institutions are at risk of losing students, which is costly to the institution and the student (Himes, 2014). Most college students are in a state of change and need academic advising support to achieve success during a college transition (Tinto, 2012). Academic advisors can assist students in finding the right career for students’ specific strengths. Academic advisors with counseling degrees address advising through the lens …

Supports Needed For College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jaclyn Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how colleges can aid in the success of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder using a needs-based assessment. Many studies have been conducted regarding the needs of students with learning disabilities and special education needs, but not much research has been done for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The number of postsecondary students with Autism Spectrum Disorder continues to grow each year, yet little research has been conducted in this area. The objective was to hear from college students and alumni that identify as having Autism Spectrum Disorder to find …

Effectiveness Of Career Services On Students Transition From University To Work In Egypt, Marianne Elia

Theses and Dissertations

Career services is a newly introduced field in Egyptian universities especially the public sector. This study is aiming to assess the benefits of these services in public, private and non-profit universities through the perceptions of some students who have experienced two or more services offered by their university’s Career Center and are about to graduate and join the job market. Qualitative in-depth interviews with university’s students and a couple of career services professionals were used. The analysis of the study followed the conceptual framework of the influence of career services in easing the transition of students to the job market. …

Career-Advising From The Primary Role Academic Advisor's Viewpoint: A Qualitative Case Study, Julia Elizabeth Rey

Theses and Dissertations

The role of today's primary role academic advisor is robust and multifaceted. Advisors must continually provide supportive outreach and engagement to address student interests, develop academic plans, and identify career paths from the time students first enroll, throughout their college experience, and oftentimes, well past graduation. Although meeting with students is at the forefront of expected duties, advisors must also balance working with various data sets and systems, faculty and chairs, and stay abreast of changes in procedures and processes. The purpose of this inquiry was to document and further understand the current career-advising practices of primary role academic advisors …

Can School Be A Source Of Trauma? Assessing Academic Traumatic Stress As A Mechanism Underlying The Health Outcomes Of Black Undergraduate Students, Ebony A. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Research examining Black students’ school experiences demonstrates that exposure to oppressive power dynamics in schools may lead to adverse physiological and psychological consequences. Recent conceptualizations in public discourse further posit that traumatic educational experiences, operationalized here as academic trauma or the cumulative toll of adverse and oppressive experiences in academic settings, may influence Black students’ wellbeing even after they have graduated. However, academic trauma has yet to be investigated empirically, and the health contributions of such educational harm remain unstudied. Moreover, little is known about how culturally-relevant personal characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategies) influence Black students’ reactivity to academic trauma. …

Best Practices For Achieving First Generation Student Success In Higher Education, Hillary Long Gilkeson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study seeks to elucidate the best practices for achieving first generation student success within the realm of higher education. First generation students experience challenges in obtaining student success at a higher rate than their multi-generational peers who possess larger reserves of social capital regarding higher education. A review of the literature identified obstacles to and methods to achieve student success. The review progresses with discussion surrounding how to transition students to college so that they achieve student success from the time of matriculation. Finally, the review identifies the ways in which first generation students may require …

The Influence Of Career Motivation On College Major Choice, Candace R. Lehmann

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to investigate whether current Rowan University students feel they are motivated to reach their career goals. The study further explored the attitudes and understanding of the advising process of students and their use of career planning related services. Subjects included Rowan University students who had visited the University Advising Center or the Office of Career Advancement. Student responses were gathered using an Advising and Career survey measuring responses on a Likert scale. Data were analyzed to determine the mean score of student career motivation and understanding of their role in achieving their career goals. …

Impact Of A Leadership Development Intervention On Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Of Community College Students: A Quasi-Experimental Research Design, Sarah Jane Mcelroy

Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this quasi-experimental research study was to determine if a formalized leadership development program had an effect on a community college student's level of career decision-making self-efficacy. This research study utilized the Career Exploration & Decision-Making Learning Experiences Scale (CEDLE) and the Career Exploration & Decisional Self-Efficacy Brief Decisional (CEDSE-BD) questionnaire to determine a student's level of career decision-making self-efficacy before and after participation in a leadership intervention (n = 411). Propensity Score Matching was utilized to account for a variety of confounding variables and self-selection bias. Results showed that community college students who participated in a …

Office Of Career Advancement Services: A Quantitative Study On Career Confidence As It Relates To Career Readiness, Tara Lynn Wiese

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the roles of self-efficacy, attitudes towards the services offered; strategies and guidance, and career planning play a part in how the student views their career knowledge base. The primary focus of the study is on the students who used the services of the Career Advancement Center located on the 2nd Floor in Savitz Hall. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of utilizing the career services, which are provided to the students on campus, and how it could help improve their career readiness. By studying students career confidence, the hope is to see if …

What Career Development Practitioners Share With First-Generation College Students: A Grounded Theory Study Of Self-Disclosure In Career Counseling, Pamela Eve Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

Financial security is cited among reasons why first-generation college students pursue higher education (Bradbury & Mather, 2009; Brooks-Terry, 1988; Shelton, 2011; Walpole, 2003), but the emphasis on perceived value of a bachelor's degree fails to account for the importance of career planning (NACE, 2014; Parks-Yancy, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to examine how career counselors use their personal experience to support first-generation college student. The study was inspired by Knox and Hill's (2003) therapist self-disclosure types and their use in the counselor/client discourse. The findings suggest that first-generation college students benefit from hearing their career …

Psychological Distress And Adjustment In College Students, Donovan A. Miles

Theses and Dissertations

The mental health needs of college students have risen dramatically. According to Kitzrow (2003), an estimated 84% of students who walked into a school counseling centers show significant causes for concern. These students were at high risks because of a variety of psychological distress. The current study sought to understand the multidimensional impact of mental health concerns on students' academic adjustment. Undergraduate students from a northeast public university completed an online survey that comprised of demographic information and two Likert type scales that measured psychological distress and academic adjustment. Results indicated that depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and eating concerns …

Using Information Sharing Between High School Counselors And Community College Personnel To Improve College Readiness For Incoming Students: An Exploratory Case Study, Dyron J. Corley

Theses and Dissertations

A significant number of incoming students who graduate from high school and attend the community college lack the information and guidance needed to understand what is expected as they make their transition to higher education (Karp & Bork, 2012; McDonough, 1997; Venezia, Bracco, & Nodine, 2010). This exploratory case study examines how an enrollment office at a community college shared information and resources about college readiness with local high school counselors to ensure that incoming students received the knowledge and tools necessary to make a successful transition. By investigating the insights and experiences of both the college enrollment staff and …

Student Loan Debt Influence On Graduate Degree Attainment, Alicia Clendaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Student loan debt is an important topic up for discussion and has become a huge issue affecting multiple dimensions of today’s society. Undergraduate students are accruing more debt than ever to pay for college degrees, and recent trends in higher education report a raise in cost of tuition. Current statistics reveal over 1.2 trillion dollars in outstanding student loan debt from over 40 million borrowers, however, students are still being encouraged to further their education to gain an economic edge. An array of previous research has focused on various effects of student loans, however, there have been limited studies which …

The Experiences Of Black Males In Honors Colleges, Sandra Greene

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Black Males in honors colleges. Specifically this study aims to highlight the successes, challenges, and common experiences of Black males in honors colleges. To this end, the researcher interviewed six Black men in an honors college located in a predominantly White institution in the southeast. This study sought to share a story of success to counteract the majoritarian narrative of Black male underachievement. Critical Race Theory provided a framework and lens to help understand the emergent themes and findings. Through interviews with the study participants the following seven themes …

Undocumented Students In Higher Education: How Liminal Legality Influences The College Experience, Michelle Simon

Theses and Dissertations

Undocumented students’ pursuit of higher education mirrors in many ways the path of traditional American students. However, there are policies in place that create barriers unique to undocumented students. While the policies directly influence these students’ educational plans, their emotional states are influenced as well. This paper will explore the policies that have had historical impacts on undocumented students’ access to higher education. Through interviews with students at universities in the southeast region of the United States, this paper will identify the impact these policies have on students’ educational pursuits. The hope is that this paper will serve as a …

Academic Achievement In Student Athletes Versus Non-Student Athletes, Leslie Miles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate academic achievement amongst student athletes and non-student athletes. Participants were undergraduates enrolled in a psychology course and were recruited via university subject pool. Students of both populations exhibited similar levels of academic achievement and academic motivation as well as study habits through online questionnaire. Grade point average (GPA) was used to assess academic achievement, while the Academic Motivation Scale-College Version (Vallerand et al., 1992) was utilized to assess academic motivation. Participants were also asked to report on how many hours they spend weekly on coursework. An independent samples t-test found significance in …

Evaluating Campus Climate According To Resident Status, Francine Sandone

Theses and Dissertations

Linked to positive student outcomes such as effective risk prevention and health promotion, decreased problem behavior, and increased likelihood for academic success, climate has become a buzzword in not only elementary and secondary education, but in higher education as well. Colleges and universities have followed the precedent of school climate research and have begun to explore and unveil characteristics that impact campus climate. However, previous research has been limited in not only the identity characteristics they assess, but also in the degree of comprehensive assessment for this complex concept. The purpose of this study was to investigate multiple dimensions of …

In Transition: Examining Students With Learning Disabilities' Transition From High School To College Through Schlossberg's Transition Theory, Margaret Bonanni

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to find out what selected freshmen students with learning disabilities reported about their experiences while transitioning from high school to college and the circumstances or situations that impact such experiences in relation to Schlossberg's Transition Theory. The participants in this study were six freshmen students between 18 and 22 years old registered with Rowan University's Office of Disability Resources who self-identified as having one or more learning disability during the spring 2015 semester. Data were collected using an adapted interview protocol with permission from Samantha DeVilbiss' (2014) dissertation, The Transition Experience: Understanding the Transition …

Sleep Deprivation And The Negative Effect It Will Have On The Individual's Cognitive Function, Stephen Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between sleep deprivation and an individual's cognitive function. Cognitive function was evaluated by looking at participants working memory and processing speed. To investigate this extrapolation, data was collected from undergraduate students at Rowan University. Participants were evaluated using an application called sleep time alarm clock to measure their sleep quality, and then measured by the Stroop test to determine their level of processing speed and working memory. Univariate analyses were done to determine if there was any correlational relationship between sleep deprivation and processing speed and working …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Relationship Between Ptsd Symptoms And Substance Abuse In Undergraduate College Students, Melissa Buscemi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine a significant correlation between post-traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms and substance use in undergraduate college students. A review of the existing literature was examined and showed a significant correlation between PTSD and substance use, including alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. Literature also showed correlations between PTSD and cigarette use in undergraduate college students. A PTSD questionnaire was conducted based on DSM-5 criteria scale. A personal Experience Screening questionnaire for adults (PESQ-A) was also used to examine the frequency and degree of substances used by participants. Correlational analyses for this study revealed no …

An Exploratory Investigation On The Effects Of Online Social Networking Sites On College Students, Alexis Sims

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects online social networking sites have on college students, mainly the effects on their communication. A study at Rowan University was conducted using a random selection of undergraduate students. The Rowan Subject pool was used to recruit students. Although each student was in different majors, all of the students were in an introduction to psychology course. To examine the effects online social networking sites have on college students, there were two separate groups of students designed to interact with one another in two different ways. A group was instructed to communicate …

High School Students' Perceptions Of The Non-Medical Use Of Adhd Prescription Stimulant Medications, Kyla Lucey

Theses and Dissertations

A review of existing literature has documented a rise in the misuse of stimulant medications by those with a prescription for ADHD, as well as, the nonmedical or illicit use of stimulant medications by those without a prescription or a diagnosis of ADHD. This phenomenon has been particularly present on college campuses. The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence of misuse and nonmedical use of ADHD prescription stimulant medications in high school students, as well as, the attitudes and perceptions of high school students about the misuse and nonmedical use of ADHD prescription stimulant medication. Specifically, this study …

Problematic Eating Behaviors Among College Women: Suggesting A Subgroup, Danielle Genovese

Theses and Dissertations

Problematic eating behaviors and attitudes are a major problem for men and especially women across the country. A particularly vulnerable group of women to eating disorders and skewed perception of their bodies are college women with 86% of women reporting onset of their eating disorder by the age of twenty (ANAD, 2000). Previous research suggests that women in sororities report higher insistences and experiences with eating behaviors and attitudes associated with eating disorders. The current study hypothesized that sorority women will have higher reported levels of problematic eating behaviors and attitudes associated with eating disorders than non-sorority women. The participants …

Undergraduate Major And Locus Of Control, Nicole Napowanetz

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this investigation were to further examine whether there was a relationship between gender and a locus of control orientation, as well does a specified major, in this case being STEM-related majors, constitute a higher internal locus of control? A review of the present literature demonstrates a lack of research in regards to undergraduate major and locus of control orientation. The need for further understanding in regards to the gender gap within STEM-related majors is established. To investigate further, data was collected via undergraduate students' completion of Rotter's Locus of Control I-E scale and a brief demographics questionnaire, …

Change Blindness And The Relationship Of College Students With Different Majors, Samuel Friedman

Theses and Dissertations

Change blindness is defined as a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a change in a visual stimulus goes unnoticed by the observer (Boundless, 2013). Change blindness can be any change in one's visual field and occurs due to the lack of attention or obstruction in one's visual field. A variety of factors influence change blindness, and gender became a major part to research. The purpose of this study was to study the influence of gender on change blindness and the relationship to college students' majors. Past research has shown us that females tend to be more visually detailed than males. …

An Investigation Of The Differences Between Continuing And Non-Continuing Undergraduate Special Admission Students Related To Academic Advising Factors, Kevin P. Reeves

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined some differences between continuing and non-continuing special admission students in areas of academic advising in ways that are more systematic and thorough than past research. The premise of the study is that having a clearer understanding of how academic advising affects retention might provide colleges and universities with information to optimize the collegiate experience for special admission students. Therefore, research on the effect academic advising has on special admission student retention might offer insight into how the interactions between student and advisor affect retention issues.

A non-experimental descriptive research design was employed to investigate the differences between …

The Influence Of Familial Responsibility, Extra-Curricular Activity Participation, And Employment Status On The Undergraduate Academic Performance Of Traditional And Non-Traditional Aged Students, Constance Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The present research investigated the influence of family responsibility, financial responsibility, and co-curricular activities on academic performance among traditional aged and non-traditional aged undergraduate students. It explored the association between non-academic variables and age on academic performance to determine whether there is a significant impact on academic success with students. A review of the existing literature presents factors previously implicated in affecting student performance and overall satisfaction. Data was collected from current and/or previous undergraduate students' (n=86) completion of a 16-item questionnaire, a survey developed by the principal researcher, assessing experiences and perceptions regarding collegiate satisfaction and role demands during …

The Influence Of Active Procrastination And Passive Procrastination On University Students' Education And Success In College, Frank Martini Jr

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between active procrastination, passive procrastination, and non-procrastination in regards to university students' education and success in college, in an attempt to identify possible benefits of procrastination. University students were distributed a survey that classified them either as an active procrastinator (one who makes deliberate decisions to procrastinate because they feel they work well under pressure), a passive procrastinator (one who finds themselves paralyzed by their indecision to act on a task within an appropriate timeframe), or a non-procrastinator (one who does not procrastinate on most assignments) and analyzed their …