Leadership Studies Commons^™

Exploration Into The Graduate International Student Narratives, Diana Budoff

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

Multiple researchers have conveyed an abundance of problems international students face when choosing to study abroad in the United States. A range of emotional, psychological, and physical issues prevent students from fully succeeding. Every international student faces different challenges, and every educational institution has its own prominent issues. In my study, I examined the challenges graduate international students at the University of San Diego (USD) face that might impede them from fully transitioning and adapting to their new environment. I used a mixed-methods approach (interviews and focus groups) to understand the issues impacting the transition and adaptation of international students …

Blaqueer And Here: Black Queer And Trans Students’ Path To Thriving, Marvens Pierre

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

In this study, I have investigated the ways in which Black queer and trans students have (or have not) fostered community, lived authentically, and benefitted from support of their identity development. I explored what support (or lack thereof) and identity development that exists within the realm of predominantly White higher educational institutions as well as San Diego community resources at large. This study approach consisted of conducting strategic outreach to universities in San Diego, California, and building community circles to facilitate processes of qualitative narrative analysis. This led to an intentional focus group dialogue space that allowed the participants to …

Uncomfortable But Necessary: White Faculty Identity Development And Race Conversations, Monique B. Appel

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

In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have been highlighted in college mission statements, but there is a gap between college-wide initiatives and classroom practices. Research shows that White Americans, in particular, remain silent, express colorblindness, and incorporate avoidance strategies when discussing race (Bryan et al., 2012). As classrooms become increasingly diverse, White faculty must be equipped to serve all students equitably. To address White faculty discomfort with discussing race in their courses, I provided educational resources and used restorative justice circle practice to create a safe, low stakes environment for faculty to explore this topic. Through circle practices, …

Exploring Restorative Justice As An Adaptable Resolution For Gender-Based Misconduct, Jessica D. Naidu

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

Restorative justice, an approach to harm rooted in Indigenous culture, asks three central questions: 1) What is the harm? 2) Who is impacted? 3) How can we repair it? This is a vastly different approach to most criminal justice procedures that instead seek to determine who broke what rule and how they should be punished. Although a modern resurgence of restorative justice has exploded across college campuses, higher education has been slow to adopt the approach for relationship violence and sexual harm. In this study, victim advocates, conduct professionals, and university administrators at the University of San Diego participated in …

Public Safety Presence And Response In Campus Housing: Using Restorative Justice Interventions To Mitigate Harm And Restore Trust In The Residential Community, Sydney Pidgeon

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

In the wake of social unrest and demands of police reform (Childress et al., 2020; Davidson, 2020; Rogers & Gravelle, 2020), institutions of higher education have a unique opportunity to model a system of campus safety that mitigates harm and restores trust. This research explores the complex relationship between campus safety officers and residential life staff and student leaders at a mid-sized private institution and implements restorative justice interventions to rebuild trust between the two populations. This research created an intervention framework that improved the ongoing partnership between the Office of Residential Life and Department of Public Safety and facilitated …

Increasing Student Employee Engagement And Knowledge Retention Using Grounding And Mindfulness Practices, Jeffrey Fox

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

Higher education students have a critical need to be fully present and engaged in the learning space that they participate in. Incorporating grounding and mindfulness practices at the start of student employee training and team building seminars was tested to determine if their engagement level and knowledge retention increased. Grounding and mindfulness practices have predominantly focused on the classroom experience, failing to address additional shared learning environments that students occupy. In my action research, I implemented a multifaceted and fundamental grounding and mindfulness-guided practice for student employees in the Student Activities and Involvement department. I used control groups, whole-group guided …

Reconstructing The Concept Of Organizational Crisis: Using The Historic Case Of Mississippi Chemical Corporation, Carley Horner

Honors Theses

In today’s volatile business environment, organizations are increasingly facing multiple threats that may engender crises of varying scope and intensity. While organizational leaders are intensifying their efforts to understand the nature of crises, there is no consensus in the academic community over the conceptualization of crises. In past studies, researchers have conceptualized a crisis either as an event or a process. This conceptualization is grounded in the assumption that the leader is an objective observer and actor in reaction to a crisis. By analyzing my transcribed interviews of the crisis leaders at Mississippi Chemical Corporation, I have identified two additional …

Strength, Beauty, And Resilience: The Impact Of Self Reflection & Exploration Of Memory On Postmodern Feminist Educators, Inside And Outside The Classroom, Maryjo M. Rosania-Harvie

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study utilizes an autoethnographic methodology, informed by narrative inquiry, to explore the impact of memories on feminist educators. The participants in the study included two of the researcher’s former colleagues and one former student. The study's goal was to examine how the relationships between researcher and participant and the memories they shared impacted them as educators; in the process, the concept of authenticity in educators was examined in relation to the research and the participants’ feminist and postmodern approach. The researcher collected qualitative data through interviews, personal journals, timelining, and an epistolary writing exercise to define authenticity and explore …

Factors Determining Attraction Of Neurodivergent Applicants To Organizations, Barri Levitt

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Neurodivergence is used to describe a broad range of neurodevelopmental differences that result in a distinct set of challenges for individuals in interacting with the world around them. Within Diversity, Equity and Inclusion campaigns, neurodiversity is the term used to describe the composition of a space to include neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals. The unique perspectives that come from workplace neurodiversity are a valuable tool, yet companies are routinely missing out on the addition of neurodivergent individuals because of current hiring practices. This study was developed using the theoretical bases of person-organization fit, which emphasizes value congruence between organizations and employees, …

Identifying The Support Women Entrepreneurs In Rural Maine Need From Each Other And Their Communities To Thrive, Lisa Luken

Thinking Matters Symposium

Rural women entrepreneurs have the power to positively impact the sustainability of their communities, yet they are faced with internal and external challenges in their pursuits to grow successful businesses and create sustainable livelihoods. While a number of scholars in the past 10 years investigated these challenges and suggested some solutions, more research is needed to identify additional solutions, including those specifically relevant to rural Maine communities. This qualitative study explored the support women entrepreneurs in rural Maine need from each other and their communities to thrive. Data gathered through semi-structured interviews with eleven women entrepreneurs from rural Maine revealed …

A Whole New World: Understanding The International Student Experience In The United States Through Acculturation, Identity, And Support, Maria W. Nessim

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

This study explores the feelings and opportunities that international students experience while they are studying abroad. Specifically, it investigates acculturation and adaptation to the host country, the students’ cultural identity and sense of belonging, as well as implications for support provided by the host institution.

In order to evaluate these components, an online survey, compiled of 24 open-ended and multiple-choice questions, was distributed to international students at the University of San Diego, asking them to describe their experiences and any indications of challenge and support from the institution in relation to their sense of belonging. The outcomes of this research …

Grounded Leadership: Exploring Health And Wellness Strategies Of Company Grade Officers In The California Army National Guard, Greg Montanio

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe what exemplary California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) company grade officers do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health. Methodology: This study used a mixed methods approach relying on the collection of data to provide for a more flexible platform to triangulate multiple data sources and increase the validity of the study’s findings. The study used a quantitative survey to examine how exemplary company grade officers in the California Army National Guard rated their use of grounded leadership strategies along with follow-on …

Growing A Mapletree, Hiew Yoon Khong

Perspectives@SMU

By focusing on recycling capital and re-seeding its portfolio, Singapore’s Mapletree Investments have moved beyond the island and into the global market

Social Isolation Interventions For Older, Underrepresented And Vulnerable Americans: A Descriptive Study Of Public Library Outreach Services During The Covid Pandemic, Sally Mathews Inglett

Leadership Education Capstones

The United States entered a state of lockdown in March 2020 in order slow the spread of the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. With this lockdown came mandatory social isolation, which was especially impactful for older, underrepresented and vulnerable Americans. Public libraries acted as community information centers and took on many unexpected roles to benefit the common good. This study identified these interventions through research and survey, and their relationship to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943). This study also brought to light collaborative relationships between agencies, the redeployment of library staff and resources to meet these needs, the impact of the …

Leader Actions In Implementing Social Emotional Learning Programs In K-12 Schools, Thomas Sawyer

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study was to describe the actions and perspectives of school leaders when implementing social emotional learning programs in their schools. Social emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a topic for discussion and research in education. Schools all over the country are adopting programs and there is a need for research into how to implement them with fidelity. The main objectives were to understand what leaders value during implementation and what recommendations they have for future leaders implementing similar programs. This qualitative study used descriptive research methods to describe the phenomenon of SEL program implementation in one …

The Role Of Coaches To Assist Collegiate Student-Athletes For A Career After Athletics, Austin Thiessen

Leadership Education Capstones

This paper explored the importance of how coaches can assist student-athletes transitioning from an athletic career to a career outside of sports. The purpose of this study is to better understand the best methods for coaches to use to complete a successful, out of sport transition. This research focused on a Division III university in the Midwest. The research design was a combination of qualitative and data collected through interviews and surveys. The data from this study focused on a survey sent out to student-athletes along with separate interview questions to student-athletes and coaches who decided to participate. Student-athlete participants …

Developing Policies And Procedures For Restorative Accountability At Southwestern Assemblies Of God University, W. Lance Meche

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to address a lack of policies and procedures at Southwestern Assemblies of God University that support its restorative accountability approach in addressing student conduct violations. The student handbook provides rights and responsibilities afforded each student as well as the procedures that appointed staff members are to follow in the event that campus policies are violated; however, the language used in the student handbook did not address modern student culture, nor did it procedurally assist staff members in helping students to develop spiritually. The project intervention involved staff members who address student violations with grace as well …

An Exploration Of Skills And Competencies To Develop Tiny Tasks For A Sustainability Mindset, Migielia Ga De Rooij

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The Journal of Environmental Psychology and Human Ecology Review have produced various articles about the relationship between values, environmental attitudes, happiness, and sustainable lifestyles. Research shows that a change of individual behaviors and lifestyles is generally considered to be of vital importance for making the transition to a sustainable society. This project explored the individual skills and competencies that are needed to develop a Sustainability Mindset, also referred to as the 12 Sustainability Principles in the book The Sustainability Mindset Principles: A Guide to Developing a Mindset for a Better World written by Isabel Rimanoczy in 2021. The first result …

Collegiate Football Players Perception Of The Covid-19 Virtual College Experience, Cole L. Laliberty

Leadership Education Capstones

The world was faced with chaos as the COVID-19 virus surged impacting the lives of everyone around the world. Quickly, nations and states began to lockdown as people were required to stay inside and socially distance from one another. The pandemic changed the lives of collegiate football players’ drastically. It left collegiate football players stranded away from teammates, coaches, families, and resources. The research design was a mixed method design consisting of both qualitative and quantitative data. The data obtained from this research focused on major themes of how collegiate football players perceived the pandemics virtual college experience, the challenges …

Designing A Program To Train Elders To Respond To #Metoo Experiences Of Adult Females In A Church Context, Jana H. Unruh

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This project intervention explores resolution of systemic issues of church-based sexual harassment, abuse, and violence, referred to as #MeToo, through design of a training program for elders. As theological foundation for the project, the Gospel of Luke frames positive approaches modern church leaders can align with in the quest for solutions to #MeToo. The Good Samaritan parable and the story of Mary and Martha extract valuable lessons for church elders addressing sexual harassment, abuse, and violence experiences of adult women. In Luke, we find fresh understanding for questions of #MeToo through the highly relevant concept of “neighbor.” Luke will …