In business, educational, and other organizations, team members often connect with one another in informal groups in order to fill certain needs (Accel-Team, 2006). Such needs include the ability to connect with others who share worldviews, opinions, or beliefs. When social network analysis (SNA) or concept mapping is used to examine interpersonal…

Online learning is an important and rapidly growing area, and asynchronous discussions are a vital component of online courses. This doctoral study examined the influence of discussion moderator messages, specifically messages with direct instruction content, had on those discussions. This study obtained data from content analysis of course…

As places to engage with changing and complex ideas, institutions of higher education offer a logical site for bringing Indigenous ways of knowing together with environmental studies and science. However, profound differences between Indigenous and Western knowledges, as well as ongoing colonialism, cultural biases of science, and the nature of…

This study explores the lived experiences of six African American female administrators in Missouri public higher educational institutions. The Black Feminist Thought theory as espoused by Patricia Collins is the framework with which this research examines their leadership. The conceptual lens of race, gender, and class offers an opportunity to…

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of faculty at selected 4-year public colleges and universities in the state of Georgia regarding factors that would influence them to leave or remain at their respective institutions. This study uses a quantitative descriptive design, utilizing an online survey with 20 intrinsic and…

This study is about transparency in direct assessment of student learning information in higher educational institutions. Using content analysis, the self-study reports from institutions recently reaccredited by two different regional accreditors [the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC) and the New England Association of…

The purpose of this study was to solicit feedback of alumni of one Upward Bound's college preparation program on a selective public university campus in New England to explore the effects of the program's core components or elements on their college attendance and on their perceptions and attitudes about the program's effectiveness. The goal of…

With increasing awareness, digital media initiatives on a national level have permeated higher education. The permeation continues into the first year writing classroom. Neal Postman (1996) has argued that no one has taken up the call to implement new technologies with greater enthusiasm than the educator. Many writing educators believe that…

Public higher education institutions are presently faced with a perfect storm of financial crises. State appropriations are on the decline, endowments have been substantially reduced as a result of the declining stock market, generally poor economic conditions across the board, and recent, historically high tuition increases make additional…

Scope and Method of Study. Qualitative Case Study Research. Findings and Conclusions. Since the establishment of the public higher education system in the state of Oklahoma in 1890, there have been five women appointed permanently as president of a public college or university. A case study approach was applied to obtain a better understanding…

Low- and middle-income students at public, two-year institutions too often do not apply for college financial aid (Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, 2008; Kantrowitz, 2009a, 2011). This research first examines national data to identify what the risk factors are for not applying and compares those risk factors for students at…

A modified survey instrument, designed to measure faculty satisfaction with the online learning environment, was administered to the online faculty at a large, public institution of higher education in the western United States. The survey was administered in support of this study's first research question; what is the general level of…

The focus of this dissertation is on performance indicators--specifically, retention and graduation indicators--that impact allocation of the ever-dwindling public sources of money. Decreasing revenue trends make understanding the performance indicators that are often used to fund postsecondary institutions very important. There is a significant…

Parental involvement in higher education has greatly increased, specifically in the last 30 years. Some parents are hyper-involved in their children's lives, and educational leaders often spend almost as much time working with parents as they do students. The body of literature on parental involvement in higher education is limited. Therefore, the…

The study examined the issues of access in public and private higher education institutions in Islamabad, Pakistan. The policies and institutions currently in place to deal with access related issues are not effective, therefore, not providing students with the support systems to help them succeed at the institutions of higher learning. The…