This dissertation investigates the nuanced portrayal of higher education in superhero comic books, particularly the 13 years of publication from 1965 to 1978 when Peter Parker/Spider-Man was an undergraduate at Empire State University. Depictions of higher education and how they can influence perceptions of academia and its intersections with…

What has it meant to produce knowledge and to teach at the intersection of English literature and Black Studies? This dissertation asks after the history and function of Black literary studies as it emerged as an academic discipline in the late 20th century U.S. academy. I propose that Black literary studies' institutional knowledge project is…

This two-article dissertation explores and exploits the heterogeneity of the social world that becomes visible at times of crisis--in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic created a portal to study the dynamics of race and capitalism. In this dissertation, I conduct critical analyses of systems of oppression at the institutional…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe how higher education leaders demonstrated dimensions of cultural intelligence during exchanges with a US international education workforce. Cultural Intelligence (CQ) theory guided the research questions: How do higher education leaders describe general and specific knowledge of…

Although studies in higher education have paid attention to the complexities of learning disciplinary language and discourse, little attention has been given to learning professional discourse in a second language (L2). Recent studies on language socialization have addressed this gap by focusing on L2 students' emerging communicative competence in…

This study examined the phenomenon of what it takes to be a successful graphic designer. With an identity crisis in graphic design education, design curriculum is faced with uncertainties. With the diversity of programs and degrees in graphic design, the competencies and skills developed among the various programs reflect different purposes, thus…

In early 2015, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL, a division of the American Library Association (ALA) released the final version of the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education ("Framework"). With the "Framework," the ACRL sought to conciliate and address long-standing contentions of…

This quantitative correlational study investigated the relationship between self-perceived transformational leadership and self-perceived resilience within the confines of higher education leadership. This dissertation is written from a professional practice doctorate (PPD) perspective. A discussion of the PPD and its components is provided along…

This study investigated philanthropic giving to higher education among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) alumni. The primary purpose was to create a multi-institutional survey instrument that operationalizes philanthropic involvement and motivation among LGBTQ alumni. Additional objectives included creating factors and items…

Colleges and universities currently face challenges in the form of calls for increased accountability, clear economic outcomes and return on investments in education. These challenges emanate from many sectors, including students and families, employers in industry, and state and federal governments. The language of these calls for accountability…

The dissertation focuses on three academic programs at Tarrant County College, Northeast Campus, specifically the documents used to create and sustain these programs. The purpose of this study includes the following: first, to identify the terminology specific to each program and/or the documents used within the program; second and third to…

In this study, I explore the challenges, tensions, and opportunities facing a major research-intensive public university related to public service and engaged scholarship as the university system and higher education in general increase emphasis on service and engagement. This project was designed in cooperation with the university's Center for…

The purpose of this research and development study was to design and develop an affordable, computer-based, pre-service teacher assessment and reporting system to allow teacher education institutions and supervising teachers to efficiently enter evaluation criteria, record pre-service teacher evaluations, and generate evaluation reports. The…

Institutions look to the literature to discern successful practices to facilitate the transition to college and promote institutional commitment and persistence. However, the higher education literature presents little data on a community in which students are already involved, social network sites (SNS). Moreover, the literature is conflicting in…

This multiple institution case study examines the nature and scope of market(like) behaviors carried out within three student affairs organizations situated in distinct higher education institutional types: a public research university, a public master's university, and a small, private liberal arts residential college. Data was collected via the…