Over the last century, the expected role of the classroom teacher has shifted dramatically. We have begun to move away from someone whose main purpose is to provide rote instruction to students, to a shift that educators are facilitators of learning that work to meet the needs of the whole child and not just their academic growth. An increased…

Student affairs professionals (SA-pros) play a critical role throughout campus life (Gaston-Gayles, Wolf-Wendel, Tuttle, Twombly, & Ward, 2005; Hirt, 2006; 2009). Although these staff are trained and responsible for LGBQ student well-being (Kezar, 2010; Kezar, Gallant, & Lester, 2011), those serving at Christ-centered institutions are…

The flagship professional organization, the American School Counseling Association, emphasizes the need for school counselors to be systems change agents. School counselors also recognize the need to be leaders within their workplace. When they can exercise leadership, school counselors have an opportunity to impact the school's culture and…

This thesis explores the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in two challenging scenarios -- autism therapy, and network-constrained, remote collaboration. In the first half of this thesis, we highlight the design and implementation of CustomAR and Augmented Playgrounds -- two applications that leverage the visualization and contextual abilities of AR…

Teachers across the United States are responding to an increasingly diverse classroom environment. Problems unfold where teachers face challenges in adapting curriculum to diverse learners. Historically, most research has focused on the voices of teachers in urban classrooms, however; the voices of teachers in rural classrooms with indigenous…

As the population of students who identify as transgender grows on college campuses, it is critical that higher education identify the ways in which institutions can more effectively serve the needs of this population, creating an environment that is supportive and inclusive. The literature demonstrates that campuses have fallen short of this…

School-based mental health (SBMH) services are receiving robust attention as schools themselves are raising concerns about increased student mental health needs. Policy makers are subsequently questioning whether providers have the training and supervision necessary to navigate the unique needs of delivering mental health in a school setting.…

This paper outlines a comprehensive project that used the Community Engagement and Social Innovation Model as a framework to drive a continuous quality improvement project focused on enhancing outcomes for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) college students. Recognizing the persistent impact of modern-day colonialism on NHPI communities…

The pressure being brought to colleges and universities by students to offer more flexibility in schedules has led to the adoption of flexible attendance by many institutions. Flexible attendance environments allow students to attend class in the manner that best meets the student's needs. Flexibility in scheduling and attendance are not…

This narrative study explores the experiences of five college students who were formerly involved with foster care. This study explores the ways former foster youth students tell stories of trust built or trust broken with adults before and during college. The data analysis revealed themes that add to the body of research by providing a clearer…

As the historically "traditional" college student body begins to include more marginalized and minoritized populations, institutions of higher education need to be cognizant of making all students feel welcomed, appreciated, and included. Doing so necessitates an understanding of dynamics surrounding gender, power, and privilege.…

The purpose of this phenomenological narrative study was to explore the BIPOC graduate student experience and factors impacting mental health and well-being. The researcher interviewed 10 BIPOC graduate students to explore how the graduate student experience affects their mental health and overall well-being. Additionally, the study explored…

Culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) is essential to research regarding culturally responsive pedagogy, reform, and social justice education. This comprehensive study sought to provide a responsive framework to meet the needs of diverse students in a holistic approach not limited to culturally sustaining pedagogy. This study included the…

The problem addressed in this study was that teachers feel ill-equipped to handle students who have been impacted by trauma. The purpose of this study was to examine the teachers' experiences in implementing a trauma informed schools (TIS) approach to classroom management in rural Tennessee. The theoretical framework used is Bronfenbrenner's…

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus--COVID-19--a worldwide pandemic in March 2020 (Baker, 2022). Situated at a unique crossroads in that they are both social service healthcare providers and student support personnel, collegiate case managers and counselors faced the same abysmal odds as healthcare providers: an…