As demand for more highly educated workers rises, a growing number of community colleges have expanded their services beyond two-year degree programs and begun conferring baccalaureate degrees. These programs, referred to as Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) programs, have become increasingly prevalent: Prior to 2000, only four states offered…

Transportation Security is considered one of the important aspects of U. S. Critical Infrastructure resilience and civil security. However, safety issues in transportation regarding 'struck-by' incidents involving Emergency First Responders (EFRs) (Fire, Police, and EMS) while performing essential duties on roadways stand to diminish this…

In this dissertation, I analyze the development and dissemination of state-level policies to prohibit colleges from considering criminal history for purposes of admissions otherwise known as ban the box in higher education. This research engages with practical and instructive questions of how individuals or coalitions can learn from other policy…

Maryland has a strong educational system with a state legislature actively establishing policy through legislation to benefit its citizens. Often these legislated policies need to be implemented with benchmarks or considerations for the differences between the counties. This study addressed the impact of dual enrollment programs created by…

The undocumented college student population in the United States reflects a similar pattern of growth relative to the overall population of undocumented individuals (Goo, 2015). While the undocumented population in the U.S. has not recently increased substantially, and in some cases the undocumented population has actually declined (Baker &…

Cybersecurity best practices were the focus of this work and their use within the public school system. The problem of this study centered on the cybersecurity barriers Texas Independent School Districts faced during implementation. The educational system saw ransomware spread across the state, and without the implementation of best practices,…

After enduring the hostile Trump administration, undocumented students faced the transition into the Biden administration in 2021 with both hope and uncertainty. Online searches show hundreds of articles announcing various policy changes, and even more opinion pieces on who is and is not worthy of legal status and citizenship in the United States.…

This research highlighted the critical importance of colleges and universities to prioritize the education of diverse students, foster inclusive communities, and cultivate awareness of inclusive learning environments. As higher education continues to evolve with an increasingly diverse student body, a one-size-fits-all institutional model is…

On June 24, 2022, the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which has provided federal protection for safe and legal abortion access and care for 49 years in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This decision gave states the power to enact some of the most restrictive abortion policies, resulting in 14…

In this dissertation I undertook a critical analysis of the public education discourse in the United States. Specifically, this research took a critical look at the communicative practices used to establish and codify the discourse on public education to create an assumed common understanding and agreement on education practices. I utilized an…

Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine for healthcare delivery was uncommon. Medicare restricted routine fee-for-service reimbursements for rural patients, with payments made under restricted circumstances. In response to the pandemic, the Department of HHS amended the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental…

This dissertation examines two policies that affect women's education, bargaining power, son preference, and awareness of domestic violence in developing countries. The first chapter evaluates a conditional cash transfer program in Bangladesh to identify its impact on the education of multiple generations and explores the pathways behind the…

This research attempts to shed light on the persistence of the separate but equal ideology. An opinion that was ruled unconstitutional in 1954 by the US Supreme Court. Failure by the Holmes County School Board through intentional delays and legalities compelled Beatrice Alexander to file a civil court case with the District Court for the Southern…

This study examined the initial impact of the 2021 amendment to the Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) legislation on adult student program recipients at Delaware Technical Community College (Delaware Tech) in the state of Delaware. Additionally, the study explored the characteristics of adult student program recipients. The researcher used a…

This dissertation study explores how white, award-winning history teachers narrate the role of race, racism, whiteness, and antiracism in their identity formation, in their understandings of society, and in their teaching of history. Drawing from a nationwide sample and utilizing surveys and semi-structured interviews, this project explores…