There is a great disparity in college-going rates between students from the highest and lowest socio economic quantiles in the United States. This quantitative study looks at messages students receive about college as a way to explore reasons why students choose to attend or not to attend college. [The dissertation citations contained here are…

The explosion of the Internet and prominence of social media platforms have created a dynamic online information ecosystem. The roles of traditional gatekeepers of credible information (e.g., news organizations) have been diminished, and individuals are often on their own in evaluating an abundance of information online coming from more sources…

Information scholars, educators and librarians have grappled with defining the concept of information literacy for decades--at least as far back as the 1970's--with the most prominent common thread being as a set of skills. In pedagogy and practice, what higher education currently calls information literacy is delivered more akin to research…

Chief Diversity Officers within higher education is a new phenomenon. While some institutions hired Chief Diversity Officers and established an Office of Diversity, others resisted this trend. This study explored the last three institutions within the Southeastern Conference to hire a Chief Diversity Officer. The last institutions were Auburn…

Socioscientific issues (SSIs), or controversial scientific issues with social implications, influence members of society regardless of demographic. SSIs are contentious and ill-structured, meaning they do not have a definitive answer. To properly equip students with the tools needed to handle SSIs, undergraduate science curricula emphasize…

Learning centers offer academic resources to postsecondary students to aid in their success. Despite deep work examining the efficiency of these learning centers, the field still does not know enough about students' experiences with these learning centers' resources. By understanding the mechanisms and experiences of students as they learn about,…

The immigration process in the United States has undergone constant changes and evolutions, each with its own rules, regulations, protocols, nuances, and consequences. Keeping track of those changes is a challenge for even the legislators who are charged with regulating and monitoring it. Undocumented students, who have arrived here under many…

This dissertation explored how effectively first-year writing (FYW) evaluated and selected sources for their researched writing assignments. Though students were taught how to access sources from the library and offered sources on the course management system, most often they obtained sources via the open internet. As mis- and disinformation…

The gaps in the literature necessitated an examination of what is known and should be known about career advancement to full professor at the university level. The literature revealed that more research was needed to guide those who mentor faculty to meet the needs of those pursuing future careers in academia. This dissertation is a qualitative…

Some college, no degree (SCND) students are adults aged 25-64 who have earned college credit but no degree (Shapiro et al., 2019). There are currently 36 million adults in the United States with some college but no degree (Lumina Foundation, n.d.; U.S. Census Bureau, 2018). Reengaging this population to complete a degree or credential will assist…

While online information is abundant and easily accessible, its quality varies widely. Fact-checkers evaluate online information by reading laterally, i.e., opening a new browser tab to research sources and verify claims. This dissertation consisted of three studies that used course outcomes assessment data to examine the impact of a lateral…

First-generation college students often encounter challenges when applying to post-secondary education. They may also come from households where some family members have also attended college, earned a college degree, or alternatively did not attend college at all. This research study aimed to explore resources that first-generation students and…

The enrollment decision-making process of a master of business administration (MBA) applicant contains multiple factors. Social influences from group memberships, marketing ads, and socioeconomic status carry varying amount of influence on the individual's choice for an MBA program. It is unknown what impact informal leaders, interpersonal…

First-year writing students engage information at a near constant clip through tools that are familiar to them, and most embrace their ready-access to information of all kinds. They understand and perform "research" from a wide variety of perspectives and in diverse contexts. Yet they perceive a gap between personal research, which they…

At least one element of second language teacher education (L2TE) permeates contextual differences: reflection. Farrell (2012) suggests that the terms "reflection" and "reflective practice" are now mandatory terms used within in L2TE program curricula. Teacher learners (TLs) commonly engage in reflective assignments such as…