Colleges and universities play an important role in training a skilled workforce and generating knowledge for society, but we know little about exactly how universities choose the skills and knowledge they provide to students. In my dissertation, I introduce novel data that allow me to document new facts about the supply of courses at a large…

In this qualitative study, undergraduate and graduate students (n = 21) who identified as foster care alumni (FCA) were interviewed about the factors that influenced their academic persistence and retention as they pursued a degree at a 4-year public university in California. Several themes emerged from the study: (a) systemic barriers, (b) a…

This qualitative interview study explored the experiences of mother administrators in higher education at public 4-year universities in California and how these women navigated their paths to leadership. Guided by a conceptual framework using the theory of gendered organizations and the kaleidoscope career model, this study aimed to illuminate the…

This longitudinal historical study examines the evolution of instructional delivery models in not-for-profit four-year higher education institutions over two decades, focusing on understanding the adaptations made in response to changing student demands. Utilizing data from publicly available resources and a study of both public and private…

Sexual assault is a deeply rooted issue on American college campuses. The purpose of this study was to examine the systems that enable a culture of sexual assault and then enact an action step that strengthened the institutional strategies for preventing these incidents on campus. This qualitative action research study took place at a mid-sized…

This qualitative case study investigates the experiences of food-insecure students at a public four-year university in the Midwest, aiming to enhance interventions supporting students in need. The study addresses two primary research questions: (1) What resources for food are students aware of? and (2) What are students' perceptions of resources…

The number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions of higher education continues to rise. With it, it is necessary to understand better how they experience their institution beyond curricular spaces. Presently, there exists a gap in the knowledge of how these students experience co-curricular support, including…

The purpose of this study is to better understand the subjective viewpoints of faculty members toward students with psychological disabilities as a subset of the larger student population with unique needs due to the hidden nature of the barriers they experience. This Q methodology study explores the views of 29 faculty who have taught students…

The issue of academic undermatching involves students enrolling at colleges and universities below the level of selectivity to which their academic profiles indicate they could gain admission. Undermatching has received significant attention because students who undermatch have been shown to experience less favorable outcomes than their peers who…

This study explored the association of four independent variables (i.e., sex, class standing, GPA, and living status) with the academic integration, social integration, and institutional commitment (the dependent variables) of international students attending seven public regional universities in West Virginia. A researcher-developed, Likert-type…

The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between age and media literacy for postsecondary civics students in the northeastern United States. This study was significant by the methodological, theoretical, and practical implications it presents for educational approaches in teaching media literacy to…

How are finances impacted in the higher education environment? How are students currently experiencing college? How are higher education leaders putting forth their best effort in ensuring the viability and sustainability of postsecondary institutions? These are key questions surrounding the most critical trending topics in higher education today.…

This research study seeks to explain how perceptions about higher education impact persistence in first-generation students within the University of Maine System. The design uses semi-structured interviews as well as data from the University of Maine System's 2020 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to analyze how engagement and…

Due to advancements in information and communication technology and the increasing student demand for online education, online learning units and their leaders are becoming central to the future of the larger institutions in which they reside. The current study was motivated by the imperative to understand how senior leaders influence the ability…

Purpose and Method of Study: This study focused on the relationship between the cost of undergraduate education (COUE) and graduation rates in four-year institutions in Oklahoma. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the cost of undergraduate education (COUE) and graduation rates at four-year higher education…