This three-study dissertation explored: "How are higher education stakeholders radically (re)imagining liberatory, abolitionist, decolonizing, and queering futures within U.S. higher education and beyond?" With diverse cohorts of Collaborators, I examined this question through a bricolage methodology (Hammersley, 2008), which blended the…

This study examines how leaders of career services units manage organizational change to meet the evolving needs of their internal and external stakeholders. These leaders are increasingly required to spearhead significant changes within their teams and across their institutions to adapt to rapid changes in the higher education sector and the…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the individual crisis-related experiences of administrative leaders in intercollegiate athletics. A crisis is defined as an unpredictable and unexpected event that interferes with normal operations of the organization, threatens the well-being of stakeholders, and can significantly negatively impact…

To better inform key stakeholders in student affairs divisions, an investigation was conducted to determine whether student affairs perceptions of assessment culture varied according to years of experience in higher education. A quantitative study was conducted to determine whether years of experience in higher education have any effect on the…

In the face of declining enrollments and increasing accountability and expectations, private colleges and universities will be facing greater internal and external pressures to deliver higher quality education at a lower cost. In this environment, multiple stakeholders are focused on institutional sustainability. To address these concerns, it is…

This dissertation intends to inform self-assessment and data collection practices within Rutgers University and act upon the encouragement of university leadership to advance the potential of the public service mission. These goals are accomplished by exploring relevant questions to inform the practices of institutional research (IR) and…

To increase student completion, community college leaders have focused on the implementation and sustainability of organizational change efforts, particularly guided pathways, since 2015. Although researchers have studied many different change efforts and types of change in higher education, the focus of this research was on describing guided…

The purpose of this case study was to understand external stakeholder perceptions regarding factors related to effective community college civic engagement. The theory guiding this study was empowerment theory, as it allowed for exploring community-academic partnerships through a lens focused on community psychology, linking individual well-being…

This evaluation was chosen to address the desire of students to see themselves and their lived experiences in their coursework at University College, the location of this study. The purpose was to complete a utilization-focused evaluation that assessed first, the formal and informal practices involved in the course development process within an…

This qualitative Case Study sought to evaluate the perceptions of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's professional service delivery from the New Accelerated Promotions Program perspective. Institutional Theory, Transformational Leadership Theory, and Social Learning Theory were used as the primary lens for this study. JCF institutional documents on…

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to revolutionize the way we learn and educate, enhancing and supplementing the traditional learning experience by providing new ways to interact with information and people. However, its full potential in education has yet to be fully realized, as work in this space requires resolving cutting-edge technical…

The discourse on cost of attendance (COA) at American colleges and universities is ambiguous and complex. The literature around COA labels it as the 'sticker price' to attend college but categorization in this manner often negates the true application and meaning of this term. COA also accounts for living allowances (or indirect costs) to help…

Many organizations across the United States were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including institutions of higher education. Campus leaders needed to make decisions about closing campuses, increasing financial constraints, shifts in research, and changing class modalities. Past research shows that one preferred method for making…

This qualitative study will investigate the unintended consequences of implementing structural change in a rural community college in the mid-South region of the United States. Specifically, this study will examine the unanticipated outcomes of merging student affairs and academic affairs into one division. Scant empirical evidence exists about…

The college-going journey in rural areas is shaped by a large deficit of information on rurality and higher education. From a neo-institutional and Bourdieuian lens, this study explored the field of rural higher education by (a) centering the actors and organizations in the field, (b) highlighting the internal and external forces that shape and…