This dissertation explores the impact of physical campus spaces on the sense of belonging among commuter students. Drawing on qualitative data collected through photography, videos, interviews, observations, and campus materials, this study investigates how the physical campus environment shape students' perceptions of connection, inclusion, and…

This study examines perceptions of student learning outcomes assessment by Humanities faculty members at a regional comprehensive university. Participants from History, English, and Philosophy and Religion departments were interviewed about their perceptions of assessment. The results were that Humanities faculty members hold both positive and…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: Conley's college readiness model includes four key indicators: cognitive skills, content knowledge, academic behaviors, and transition knowledge and skills. The study determined how State Educational Agencies (SEAs) outside Mississippi with an average or above-average post-secondary retention rate measure…

How does leadership emerge and develop among university STEM faculty working to adopt evidence-based teaching practices? This qualitative case study examines academic departments as sites for instructional change, viewing leadership as an emergent property of the relationships within a social system. The researcher adopted a dual lens of McElroy…

More than 40 years ago, Hicks and Ridley (1979) asserted the need for Black Studies in psychology across American colleges and universities. Their study is one of few, if not the only, that has examined the frequency and types of course offerings in Black Psychology. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the current state of Black…

Women of Color faculty remain underrepresented across all fields of postsecondary science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Although extant literature describes the collective institutional-level experiences of Women of Color faculty, an effort to understand the departmental-level experiences and contextually how the…

The purpose of this study was to understand how the SLI process is perceived by faculty, department chairpersons, and the building principals as an evaluation instrument to address professional needs and expectations, such as communication, relationship-building, and support for professional growth/development. The participants in the SLI process…

Purpose. The purpose of this adaptation sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to determine the degree of importance that higher education department chairs ascribe to DeVore's (1994) five stress-inducing behaviors of authoritative command, evaluation, norm discrepancy, sanction, and targeting when initiating change in the behaviors of…

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case research study was to analyze the perceptions of academic leaders (faculty [and] department heads) within subcultures (academic units) on a community college campus. A subculture is a subdivision of a macro-culture that formed through differentiation. Differentiation, led to the development of subgroups…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how faculty chairs at a large, Midwestern community college understand and engage with the assessment of student learning outcomes within academic programs. This study was informed by two conceptual paradigms of assessment: accountability and improvement. Sensemaking was used as a…

My research project is based on The Role of Accessibility Specialists and Related Personnel in Supporting Students with Disabilities in Higher Education. I chose to pursue this topic simply because it is personal to me. I believe that students with disabilities in higher education deserve the opportunity to earn a college degree. However, limited…

Non-major music students are an integral part of university music departments, as they both bolster the department's enrollment numbers and bring diverse perspectives to the ensembles, lessons, and classes in which they participate. Although most non-majors focus their time on ensembles, a few choose to include lessons as part of their experience.…

Women are underrepresented as college and university (school) presidents and currently hold about 30% of school presidencies. In 2014, the American Council on Education (ACE) launched an initiative to achieve gender parity among U.S. school presidencies by 2030. To support this initiative, Dr. Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association…

Linguistic diversity is an integral thread in the tapestry of America. As such researchers how linguistic differences across ethnoracial groups can be understood as resources rather than problems. The aim of this study was to examine ideologies concerning race/ethnicity and language in the discourse of educational language policies that guide…

Since the beginning of public education in the United States, there has been a strong tradition of viewing schools as the mechanism for preparing young people for their role as citizens in a democratic society. Moreover, citizenship education has held a foundational place in social studies classrooms. However, despite this central focus of social…