Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

A Case Study Of Cal Poly Arts’ Outreach Practices To The Latinx Population, Joanne Nicole Lodato

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Cal Poly Arts in San Luis Obispo, California is dedicated to being more inclusive of the Latinx population in their community. This study conducted a survey to examine the most effective way for Cal Poly Arts to be more inclusive to the Latinx community in San Luis Obispo County. Results indicated that for the Latinx population in San Luis Obispo county the Internet is the best way to advertise upcoming performances, dance companies are what they most often want to see, ticket prices tend to be a barrier for performance attendance, distance is a deterrent from attendance but not a …

Wellness And Prevention Program Sustainability Design For Clark University Athletics Department, Emily Corbett

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

The purpose of this work is to design a wellness based prevention program that is tailored to fit the campus community within Clark University, Worcester, MA, called the Peer Athletes Advocating for Wellness (PAAW) initiative. This paper first presents the current research on wellness related issues within a college campus, specifically surrounding sexual violence. It then outlines the current sexual violence prevention programming that takes place yearly for incoming first year students at Clark University, as well as a one-time initiative during which student athletes participated in the sexual violence prevention programming. There is a review of the current most …

Road To Change: A Community’S Story On Strengthening Law Enforcement-Community Relations, Corina Mejia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Youth Violence Prevention Task Force, YVPT, is a branch of the United Way that strives to reduce and prevent violence among youth in the county. The task force functions using a public health approach that emphasizes prevention, intervention, and suppression. In response to the high violence rates among youth, the task force organized dialogue sessions in the community. During the dialogue process, there was a growing need to create a resource for community partners involved in the process. Consequently, a web page that includes; information, updates, and supplemental documents was created to educate partner organizations, the community, and others …

Building A Call To Action: Social Action In Networks Of Practice, Damien M. Sánchez

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The three research papers completed as part of this dissertation explore how people contributing to #BlackLivesMatter build knowledge, using social construction of knowledge (SCK), and what they are building knowledge about, using critical consciousness, because understanding how these processes play out on Twitter provides a way for others to understand this social movement. Paper 1 describes a new methodological approach to combining social network analysis (SNA) and social learning analytics to assess SCK. The sequential mixed method design begins by conducting a content analysis according to the Interaction Analysis Model (IAM). The results of the content analysis yield descriptive data …

Informing Social Impact: Enabling Everyday Changemakers Through Research, Marissa Getts

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite a lack of expertise regarding social impact, laypeople make many important decisions about social good by starting or supporting organizations or social businesses, voting for or against legislation and policymakers, or spending their money and time on volunteering or service trips. Unfortunately, many people base their interventions or analysis of interventions for any given social issue on overly simplistic understanding or incorrect information regarding social impact. This keeps them from developing interventions with positive, sustainable impact. Ballard Brief is a publication based on a framework intended to inform the layperson about social issues and interventions.

This thesis is comprised …

Emotional Tweeters: What Causes Individuals To React During A Crisis? A Mixed-Methodological Analysis Examining Crisis Response Tweets To The 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting, Gabriel John Fiore Iii

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

All entities and individuals can use, design or generate content appealing to emotions to maximize message saturation, audience reach, and engagement on Twitter during a crisis. The purpose of this study was to identify which specific emotion(s) yielded the highest engagement during the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting. Specifically, tweets conveying the emotional appeals of fear, anger, empathy, and advocacy were measured in terms of average likes, retweets, replies, and overall engagement using a content analysis and the constant comparative method. Results revealed which emotional appeal(s) yield the most likes, retweets, replies, and overall engagement with tweets.

Compassion With Action: A Glimpse Into Institutional Influences Cultivating Long-Term Philanthropic And Volunteer Morale Within Undergraduate Student Leaders, Novien Yarber

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

This action research explores the extent of social responsibility—by means of philanthropic learning and volunteerism—that develops within the University of San Diego’s undergraduate student government leaders (Associated Students). The study further explores how the organization’s culture may influence service leadership development, and will identify opportunities within the advising methodology that may encourage students’ service to the larger community. The objective of this research is to: 1) observe whether involvement with undergraduate leadership positions (i.e. student government) can have a substantial impact on students’ conceptualization and commitment to their social responsibility to surrounding communities, 2) explore ways in which the Student …

The Closing Of Inner-City Catholic Elementary Schools And The Impact On Community: An Ethnographic Instrumental Case Study Of Two Neighboring Communities, Ana Maria De La Portilla

Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this ethnographic instrumental case study is to communicate the seriousness of a growing trend in the United States: closings of inner-city/urban Catholic schools by the local diocese. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice (1977) and the Church’s Catholic Social Teaching, this study examined the question: What does it mean for the parish community and the church, as a whole, when the Catholic school that was once a big part of community life is no longer there? This research study examined community members’ role(s), response to, and experience of a closing; examined the implications on person-community-Church relationship; and …

Networks Of Isolation: The Case Of Donald J. Trump, Facebook, And The Limits Of Social Movement Theory, Carol L. Stimmel

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

The 2016 election that catapulted Donald J. Trump to the U.S. presidency has raised questions for how Facebook may have enabled the emergence and coalescence of a social movement among traditionally improbable voters. The research in this paper engages with contemporary social movement theory, assessing its adequacy for explaining the role of Facebook as a primary method for facilitating a social movement among the civically-alienated, who are the most unlikely of all Americans to join an organized collective for change. From a methodological perspective, the exploration takes up the case as a strategy of inquiry to explore social movement theory …

Determining The Physical And Social Barriers That Prevent Food-Insecure Students At The University Of Arkansas From Using The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry, Sarah Elizabeth Yanniello

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the reasons why 38% of the students at the University of Arkansas experience food insecurity, yet only 1% of students have used the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry, in hopes to provide a guide to the Center for Community Engagement in their endeavors to reduce food insecurity on campus (Lisnic, 2016). An online survey was created using Qualtrics software, was submitted to and approved by the University of Arkansas Institutional Review Board, and was distributed to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Arkansas. The sample size …

Exploring Creative Problem Solving In Public Policy, Jade A. Costello

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores the connection between creativity and public policy-making through guided facilitation. In this exploration, there are several products that have been developed. The first is an index that provides definitions, charts, and process explanations for creativity, facilitation and public policy. The second is a completed facilitation plan that incorporates both the FourSight model for group facilitation (Miller, Vehar, Firestein, Thurber & Nielsen, 2011a) and Marvin Weisbord’s (1992) exploration of creative strategies for discovering common ground through policy conferences. The third product is an evaluation matrix, which would be used post-facilitation to understand the strengths and weaknesses from the …

The Effects Of Crystal Bridges In Downtown Revitalization Of Bentonville, Arkansas In The Last Decade, Korab Vranovci

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bentonville started the process of downtown revitalization in 2007 after they passed a bond measure. However, research on the impacts of the revitalization and the factors associated with it is limited or focused for the private sector. This study identified Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as a catalyst for the process of downtown revitalization and aimed to fill the gap in urban development and economic opportunities that arose due to the museum.

Using the “Monitoring annual urban changes in a rapidly growing portion of Northwest Arkansas with a 20-year Landsat records” (Reynolds, Liang, Li, & Dennis, 2017) it is …

Changing The World By Being A Personally And Socially Responsible Leader: A Scholarly Analysis Of Educating Leaders Of Social Change, Heather N. Hall

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Progressive Commemoration: Public Statues Of Historical Women In Urban American Cities, Melanie D. Chin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Women who made notable accomplishments are underrepresented in commemoration. Some American cities have brought women to the forefront of becoming visible through commemoration in statues. This thesis compares the commemoration of historical women in four different American cities. Stakeholders hold the key to implementing and changing public policy to increase the visibility of women and people of color in public monuments. Cities which lack representation of women and people of color may learn from and follow the efforts of a leading city to achieve lasting and effective change in representing those who historically been underrepresented.

Where Are We Losing Them? An Exploration Of Barriers To Buy-In Of Higher Education Responsible Employee Policies, Danielle Snow

Honors Theses

Sexual violence is a pervasive issue on college campuses across the U.S. In order to address this issue, the U.S. federal government has implemented certain acts and guidance to prevent violence and promote campus safety. One of the most controversial pieces of guidance is the responsible employee policy. In theory, this reporting system would allow students to have better access to victim support services and allow campuses to have more accurate data as to the reality of sexual violence happening on their campuses. In practice, however, this has not been the case for many individual institutional policies. Instead, many institutional …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Community Driven Student Leadership: The Doce Approach, Courtney Caouette, Jordan O'Hearn, Stacy Henson-Drake, Michaela Stone, Gabrielle Lodge

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Universities and the communities in which they reside must maintain an interdependence to thrive. The USM LAC Druker Office of Community Engagement (DOCE) follows a unique model of student-faculty collaborative leadership to model how public universities can partner with their communities. Developing long-lasting community-university relationships holds mutual benefits. DOCE connects students, faculty and staff with over 90 community partners. As a synergetic cooperative team, we believe community engagement is essential in the growth and learning of the whole student, faculty and staff of USM.

Our recent Community-Based Participatory Research (CPBR) works in integrating the classes and curriculum of the Social …

Cultivating Compassion, Amelia Baliey

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Fostering compassion in a divided community is essential to the well-being of its members, and creating a sense of community. Although we come from different culminations of experience, privilege, genetics, and influence and can be divided across race, gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or class, our humanity is what connect us. After a literature review and compilation of recent scientific studies, we recognized there was much to be said and done about compassion. Ultimately, we can take a few steps in order to cultivate compassion: communicating with others, practicing empathy, finding commonalities, giving and advocating for others, to name …

One School, One Family: Portland High School Climate In The Age Of Trump, Naomi Abrams Hawkes

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The 2016 U.S. presidential election led to one of the most contentious seasons in American politics. Citing the inflammatory rhetoric of public figures, a growing body of literature documents a dramatic increase in bias-­‐related bullying and feelings of anxiety in K-12 schools across the country since the 2016 election. Using student and faculty interviews/focus groups, secondary data analysis, and direct observations, this case study offers a comprehensive examination of the effects of the substance and tone of the current sociopolitical climate on students at Portland High School. Data was analyzed and suggestions made for administration to help create a more …

Through The Looking Glass: Shining Light On Queer Identities, Daniel Richard Begin

Community Engagement Student Work

Identity informs our actions, beliefs, and whom we surround ourselves with. This project was created in an effort to determine the most efficient way to engage people in conversations about identity and identity formation in the LGBTQIA+ community. What happens when queer identities are visible and supported? What happens when they are not? In addition, this project was created to shine light on queer identities in our communities, focusing on the Merrimack College Campus.

Student Engagement Curriculum For The Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus, Michael Angelo Caban

Capstone Collection

This paper is a guide for a student engagement curriculum for the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus(PGMC). Included are the theoretical frameworks for youth empowerment and development, Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and more (LGBTQ+) empowerment, and intercultural training design and facilitation that are at the center and the considerations an intercultural trainer and youth programmer and facilitator should constantly regard. The main purpose of this is to put forth a document that PGMC, as well as any group or organization, can use to empower LGBTQ+ young people, as well as their straight allies, and to develop leaders in their schools …

Engaging America: Unearthing The Middle Way In The Conflict Between Liberals And Conservatives, Noah Cadet

Capstone Collection

Liberals and conservatives have waged conflict over development strategies since the founding of the United States of America. Observers of the 2016 Presidential Election may have noticed an escalation of a preexisting trend of destructive engagement between Democrats and Republicans. The researcher pursued primary and secondary research in an attempt to understand how conflict within and between development paradigms in the United States can be transcended. The central research question was regarding how this conflict affects efforts towards peacebuilding at the grassroots from the perspective of a liberal. The literature review provides a brief histories of US American Political Economy …

Allyship In The Academy: The Girlhood Project And Redefining Girlhood, Emily Welden

Community Engagement Student Work

The emerging field of Girl Studies reflects increasing interest in social justice programming and research in higher education. Yet much girl-centered work has tied the concept of allyship to traditional service models, without examining the power structures reinforced by top-down service practices. Academia, social movements, and larger society have historically failed to center the voices of girls or the diversity of girlhood(s). In partnership with The Girlhood Project, this project utilizes practice rooted in theory to deconstruct those power systems which reinforce hegemonic identity and deny agency. Using qualitative data from coconstructive discussions about allyship and girlhoods, “Allyship in the …

Poverty Through Simulation: Examining Concerns With Affordable Housing In Relation To The Cycle Of Poverty, Emily Mccaffrey

Community Engagement Student Work

This social justice-based project used evaluated the level of understanding that students of Endicott College had regarding poverty within the United States. This project provided a space for students to communicate with each other using discussion questions about poverty to guide the conversations. All students were given the chance to participate in an online simulation during class that provided them with an opportunity to live in someone else's shoes for thirty days, after losing their housing. This project was conducted with one traditional class setting while the other was conducted completely online using an online platform provided by Endicott. The …

Clandestino: Latino Youth And Mental Health And Art As An Outlet For One’S Emotions, Jessica Dealmeida

Community Engagement Student Work

According to Lawrence Public Schools (2017), 64.9% of students are economically disadvantaged, meaning that many of these students may not be receiving the mental health treatment they need. For this project, a facilitate discussion on mental health and art as an outlet for one’s emotions occurred at Elevated Thought, a youth and social justice organization in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Altogether, the discussion brought up four themes: 1) Community & Institutions, 2) Lack of Access, 3) Mistrust & Stigma, 4) Art & Self. Through creative dialogue, the youth involved successfully reflected on their understanding of mental health, the stigma behind it, and …

Ageism, Passed Down From Generation To Generation, Amy L. Gothing

Community Engagement Student Work

This participatory social justice focused project used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine how the intergenerational model challenges ageism in society. This project provided a space for knowledge creation and committed action of community leaders of the North Shore, MA. Through analysis of current literature as well as respondents’ participation in surveys, observational and interactive activities during a 2-hour training: All Ages All Together it was found that by intentionally planning for intergenerational programming you allow opportunities for relationships to grow; by raising awareness of the role media plays on the construction of stigmas and stereotypes participants were able …

The Story Of Us, Kya Roumimper

Community Engagement Student Work

Global atrocity and conflict has dramatically increased the number of displaced persons, refugees, and asylum seekers looking for resettlement opportunities. Throughout history, the United States has resettled the most refugees despite lack of public approval. In recent years, xenophobia has been exacerbated by vehement attacks of refugees by the media and people in power. The Story of Us set out to study the use of storytelling as an intervention method for toxic cycles of xenophobia. The event was held in Manchester, NH, a city with a long history of immigrant and refugee presence which has faced recent backlash. The event …

The Inclusion Of Highly Skilled Immigrants, Elsabel Rincon

Community Engagement Student Work

It is estimated that over 32% of immigrants in the U.S have a bachelor’s degree or higher; yet over 2 million are underemployed (Migration Policy Institute, 2008). Many are represented by popular stories of doctors driving taxis and attorneys washing dishes; unfortunately, this is not a myth. This results in a brain drain/waste phenomenon when college graduates cannot fully utilize their skills and education in the workplace despite their high professional qualifications; costing billions in forgone income and taxes. Difficulties with foreign degree credential evaluation and accreditation; lack of English language skills; and lack of social capital have been identified …

Domestic Violence And The Faith Community: A Training For Faith Leaders, Sandy Almonte

Community Engagement Student Work

Domestic violence is a social ill that affects many families in the state of Massachusetts. Domestic violence can be manifested in different ways by a member of a family, household, or an intimate partner against another member of the family, household, or against the intimate partner. Faith leaders are uniquely placed to reach out to victims and help direct victims to services and safety. Faith-based leaders can support victims with knowledge and compassion. However, they do not always feel prepared to respond or worse, an abuser may have already used faith as a weapon against the victim. As a result, …