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University of San Diego

Theses/Dissertations

Administration

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

What Do They Say? Students From A Private, Faith-Based, Four-Year University Share Their Perspectives On College As A Mentoring Environment, Jeffrey Andrew Bolster Edd May 2011

What Do They Say? Students From A Private, Faith-Based, Four-Year University Share Their Perspectives On College As A Mentoring Environment, Jeffrey Andrew Bolster Edd

Dissertations

Research indicates that the term mentor in the context of higher education currently has multiple definitions and is used to describe a variety of programs, efforts, and formal as well as informal activities. In recent years, interdisciplinary perspectives on traditional undergraduate students have been converging around the idea that the functions and characteristics of mentoring students could be shared across the institution, creating what Daloz Parks (2000) has called a mentoring environment. This sharing of responsibility has the possibility to address what Baxter Magolda (2009) has recently identified as missing in higher education, a "holistic, theoretical perspective to promote the …


Strategic Planning: Contextual Factors That Facilitated And/Or Challenged The Implementation Of Strategic Planning In Two Nonprofit Organizations, Devadhasan Masilamony Phd May 2010

Strategic Planning: Contextual Factors That Facilitated And/Or Challenged The Implementation Of Strategic Planning In Two Nonprofit Organizations, Devadhasan Masilamony Phd

Dissertations

As the nonprofit sector continues to grow in size and importance in American society, successful organizations proactively initiate strategic planning so they can be more responsive to changing circumstances, underlying trends, and shifting demands. At times, however, organizations develop elaborate plans that are never implemented. Unfortunately, there is less systematic research about strategic planning in the nonprofit sector than in the for-profit sector and even less research documenting whether or not the plans that get developed in nonprofit organizations actually get implemented. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how strategic planning improves the effectiveness of two nonprofit …


Campus Internationalization Initiatives: From Policy To Practice In Study Abroad Programming, Kira Mendez Espiritu Phd May 2009

Campus Internationalization Initiatives: From Policy To Practice In Study Abroad Programming, Kira Mendez Espiritu Phd

Dissertations

As U.S. colleges and universities prepare students to enter an ever-increasing global society, the pressure on higher education institutions to graduate globally competent and culturally sensitive students is growing. To respond to this demand, many colleges and universities are participating in campus internationalization initiatives that are broad-based efforts that create diversity on campus and expose students and faculty to a more global perspective. The presence of campus internationalization initiatives is relatively new, therefore there is little research regarding best practices in the area of campus internationalization. The practice of internationalization initiatives continues to grow and higher-level administrators such as presidents, …


Validating The Experiences Of Male Mexican American Community College Transfer Students Studying At Catholic Universities, Eliazer Ayala-Austin Edd May 2007

Validating The Experiences Of Male Mexican American Community College Transfer Students Studying At Catholic Universities, Eliazer Ayala-Austin Edd

Dissertations

California's community colleges and public and private universities must collaborate to address the Tidal Wave II student enrollment surge composed mostly of Hispanic/Latinos and Asian students in order to meet the educational needs of community college transfer students (CCTSs). Avoiding the issue will result in continued neglect of CCTS within public and private institutions; possible outcomes include delayed graduation and potential attrition of at-risk students. Using Rendón's (1994) theory of student validation as the theoretical framework, this qualitative study uncovered the validating and other university experiences of male Mexican American CCTSs. This qualitative study included individual interviews of six CCT …


Communication And Leadership: Faculty Perceptions Of The Department Chair, Kathleen Czech Edd May 2007

Communication And Leadership: Faculty Perceptions Of The Department Chair, Kathleen Czech Edd

Dissertations

With department chairs providing a critical link between faculty and administration, their leadership impacts universities on a broad level. However, chairs often report dissatisfaction with the position and experience rapid turnover. In an effort to help understand the role that communication plays in effective leadership for department chairs, this study provides an empirical test of Gibb's theory of defensive vs. supportive communication. As such, this project investigated the communication and leadership behaviors of university department chairs as evaluated by their faculty members. Specifically, 202 randomly selected faculty members from colleges and universities affiliated with the Council of Independent Colleges, Washington, …


Implementing Student Learning Outcomes: The Link To Accreditation In California Community Colleges, Lori Waite Edd May 2004

Implementing Student Learning Outcomes: The Link To Accreditation In California Community Colleges, Lori Waite Edd

Dissertations

As the public demands accountability in higher education, regional accrediting bodies are under pressure from external governmental agencies, as well as from key stakeholders, to demonstrate their effectiveness and more specifically, provide evidence of student learning. All regional accrediting agencies now have incorporated some level of student learning outcomes into their criteria for reaffirmation of accreditation. This case study describes how three California public community colleges are implementing student learning outcomes on their campuses. Administrators, faculty and staff were interviewed about perceptions and insights related to learning outcomes. Artifact analysis was conducted to establish credibility and data triangulation. Findings suggest …


Higher Education Administrators And Students With Disabilities: A Survey Of Administrator Knowledge And Training Needs, Maribel S. Guillermo Edd Jan 2003

Higher Education Administrators And Students With Disabilities: A Survey Of Administrator Knowledge And Training Needs, Maribel S. Guillermo Edd

Dissertations

Students with disabilities enroll in two-year institutions at a higher rate than in four-year institutions. The California community college system, which is the largest system of higher education in the world, enrolled 2,609,365 students with disabilities during the 2000–2001 academic year. The purpose of this study was to focus on California college administrators and their role in: (a) setting a climate that supports students with disabilities and (b) serving as a resource to faculty and staff. Administrators were surveyed regarding their (a) current knowledge and training needs; (b) personal and professional experience with individuals with disabilities; and (c) utilization of …


Heritage College: Partnership Leadership As Catalyst To A Multicultural Learning Community, Mary Ann Joan Elizabeth Kaczmarski Edd Jan 2002

Heritage College: Partnership Leadership As Catalyst To A Multicultural Learning Community, Mary Ann Joan Elizabeth Kaczmarski Edd

Dissertations

Heritage College, a four-year, fully accredited, independent, nonprofit college located in rural, south central Washington, serves multicultural populations that have been educationally isolated. It was created against tremendous odds in 1981 by a small, diverse group of committed individuals. An initial study of Heritage College, conducted in 1991, yielded such compelling findings in the areas of leadership, mission, and community, among others, that a more rigorous, in-depth research study was called for. This dissertation is the follow-up study. The president of Heritage College states that the College sees itself as a leadership- and team-oriented institution with a distinctive focus on …


A Case Study Of Shared Governance At Imperial Valley College, Gregorio A. Ponce Edd Jan 2001

A Case Study Of Shared Governance At Imperial Valley College, Gregorio A. Ponce Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze and synthesize the perceptions and experiences of individuals and groups responsible for implementing shared governance at Imperial Valley College. Consequently, this investigation sought to establish (a) who was directly involved with the governance process, (b) how the process was operationalized, and (c) the benefits, drawbacks, and unresolved issues for implementing the governance process. The design of this investigation was a qualitative case study. Noting that the use of multiple sources of data collection adds to the reliability and validity of a study, interviews, observations, documents, and the professional literature on governance were …


Faculty Perceptions Of Dean Transitions: Does Trust Matter? An Interpretive Case Study Of Organizational Trust And Organizational Culture, Rebecca L. Woolston Edd Jan 2001

Faculty Perceptions Of Dean Transitions: Does Trust Matter? An Interpretive Case Study Of Organizational Trust And Organizational Culture, Rebecca L. Woolston Edd

Dissertations

This study looked for factors that might have influenced faculty perceptions of new deans at a professional school in the western part of the United States. More specifically, the study explored the question of how organizational trust may have influenced perceptions of new deans and faculty willingness to trust new deans. A single case study used guided interviews as data for the interpretive analysis. The study sought to provide insight into the phenomenon of dean transitions. The study also endeavored to add new dimensions to current conceptualizations of organizational trust and culture by highlighting a previously underexplored but potentially relevant …


Implementing Total Quality Management In A College Of Business, Jeffrey William Glazer Edd Jan 1994

Implementing Total Quality Management In A College Of Business, Jeffrey William Glazer Edd

Dissertations

Today, a wide range of organizations are involved in what is commonly referred to as total quality management (TQM). Implementation and associated research have primarily been focused in the business community; however, over the past decade, faced with dwindling enrollment and increased competition, the educational community has also started to embrace TQM at differing levels in a wide variety of settings across the nation, ranging from doctoral granting institutions to community colleges to elementary schools. This descriptive case study examined the implementation of a TQM process at a College of Business in a large state university on the west coast. …


The Labyrinth Of Challenge To Change: An Analysis Of Community College Leaders' Thinking Styles And Behavioral Practices In The Current Environment, Mary Elizabeth Scott Edd Jan 1989

The Labyrinth Of Challenge To Change: An Analysis Of Community College Leaders' Thinking Styles And Behavioral Practices In The Current Environment, Mary Elizabeth Scott Edd

Dissertations

The present research addressed a concern of both urgent and profound dimensions in the modern world: the current and compelling need for a radically different kind of leadership to meet the challenge of turbulent change. This need has been crystallized by a new and emerging paradigm shift which at once reflects, confronts and shapes the realities experienced today. This study sought to set in relief the current thinking styles of nominated California community college leaders and to see if and how these correlated with their leadership behavioral practices. The Human Information Processing Survey (HIPS) and the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self (LPI-S) …