The U.S. higher education system faces an unprecedented convergence of financial challenges that have the potential to negatively affect the operations of smaller institutions (Denneen & Dretler, 2012; Eide, 2018). These forces have increased the expectation for institutions to adopt innovative educational models that will ensure the financial…

The enrollment of military/veteran students at U.S. colleges and universities is growing steadily; however, factors affecting their academic success need further investigation. Guided by Tinto's student integration model and Bean and Metzner's model of nontraditional student attrition, the relationships between student characteristics and academic…

To ensure optimal patient care an especially high level of accountability is required when entering the workforce. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, describe, and define perceptions of accountability as described by sophomore and senior nursing students in two baccalaureate nursing programs. The research questions aimed to (a)…

This article explored the academic experiences of nontraditional students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. For the purposes of this study students were deemed to be nontraditional if they met one of the following characteristics: had delayed enrollment into postsecondary education; attended college part-time; worked full time; were…

The nursing shortage and the nurse faculty shortage are concomitantly connected. Considering the worsening shortage of nurse faculty, inquiry into factors which may influence the job satisfaction of faculty was warranted. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to explore whether a significant relationship existed for…

With the largest incarcerated population in the world, the United States has an urgent but unmet need for a correctional nurse workforce that is prepared with effective, evidence-based (EBP) care-strategies especially focused towards violence and sexual abuse mitigation. Standardized, proactive orientation and education processes within the world…

Nursing student attrition is of ongoing concern to programs of nursing and healthcare employers given the persistent shortage of nurses. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of ten graduates from two cohorts of a Pre-Licensure Program of Nursing regarding the impact of program-level and college-wide practices…

There are two different professional degrees for athletic trainers (professional bachelor's degree and professional master's degree). The same educational competencies and proficiencies are mandated by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) for either type of athletic training program, yet there is a difference in…

Higher education in the United States has experienced a revolution over the past half-century, with more students of color and low-income students attending college than ever before. This compositional change has emerged in parallel with an exponential expansion of the higher education sector, both in its size and variety. As a result,…

The purpose of this dissertation was to ascertain the outcomes of the transition of community colleges that now offer the nursing baccalaureate degree (BSN). Specifically, this study provides insight into the factors that prompted the addition of the BSN, the relationship to the institution's mission, faculty and administration perceptions of the…

The purpose of this study was to identify the conditions and reasoning considered when adding 4-year baccalaureate degrees to the curricular offerings at tribal colleges and universities. The tribal college was modeled after the mainstream community college, which has traditionally provided higher education opportunities that are accessible,…

A growing number of postsecondary students transfer from a two-year to a four-year institution. The joint admissions program between Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) and Western Kentucky University-Owensboro (WKU-O) is a unique example of such a transfer relationship. Research is needed to understand the nature of the joint…

Examining the Experiences of Latinx STEM Baccalaureates is a qualitative research study of Latinx who graduated with a bachelor's degree in an area of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The purpose of this dissertation was to learn about the experiences of Latinx who have attained a STEM degree at a four-year university. This study…

Many students who enter a community college expect to transfer and earn a bachelor's degree, yet many are unable to do so largely because of inefficiencies in the transfer of earned credits. Prior research has shown that students who leave community college with an associate degree are more likely to complete bachelor's degrees. However, this has…

The percentage of African Americans who pursue bachelor's degrees and graduate is dismal with less than 40% of the 2009 cohort earning a degree within six-years. For decades researchers have explored why a disproportionate number of minorities do not graduate. In this study, I take an anti-deficit approach to understandings bachelor's degree…