The study compared the Outcome Measures (OM) to the traditional Graduation Rates (GR) to ascertain if OM portrayed the performance of higher education institutions differently than GR and to determine which of the two metrics aligned better with accountability policy objectives. GR refers to the percentages of first-time, full-time students who…

Institutional reliance on tenure-line faculty reached a historic low after the Great Recession in 2009, remaining at approximately a third of all faculty through 2022. Postsecondary institutions have steadily increased their reliance on full-time adjunct faculty over the last two decades. Part-time adjuncts, meanwhile, were hired in great numbers…

Population dynamics modeling using stage-based transition matrices has been used in ecology for six decades. However, the data analysis method has never been used for students in higher education. This applied doctoral project used the principles of population dynamics to assess two student populations at an institution of higher education…

The present study examines the differences between public baccalaureate institutional expenditures and Pell Grant recipient graduation rates at high and low Pell Grant recipient graduating institutions. IPEDS data were analyzed, including instructional, academic support, student services, institutional support, and Pell Grant recipient 6-year…

"Reimagining Pastoral Education and Training" is a professional doctoral project born out of a burden of pastor-parish challenges that lead to pastoral dropout. A basic prelude question assesses the perceived problem: "Is there really a declining corps of young pastors leaving the ministry, disrupting their families, and…

With a decade-long stagnant 34% Black male college graduation rate, there was little understanding of how and why Black male initiatives, designed to improve Black male persistence and graduation in 4-year colleges, affected retention and graduation-related behaviors, as understood by the Black male participants in such initiatives. This…

As institutions face uncertainty in enrollment projections due to changing demographics, the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and stagnant high school graduation rates, focusing on improving student retention is important. Enrollment management models provide opportunities to assess the effectiveness of enrollment strategies and make…

The California State University's Graduation Initiative 2025 has strengthened and renewed campuses' commitment toward supporting students on their educational journey to ensure they meet their ultimate goal of graduation. Of equal importance is the elimination of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic equity gaps in graduation completion, especially for…

As part of the national agenda of accountability, state governments established performance funding policy to hold public institutions accountable for their performance. Accountability allows state policymakers to incentivize institutions to address state demands of increasing graduation rates in return for performance allocations. Although the…

This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of performance management systems (PMS) by examining adoption, stringency, and impact of performance-based funding (PBF) in public institutions of higher education within the United States. The public sector has been under increasing pressure to be more accountable to stakeholders--that is,…

Tennessee's future will be determined by the number of post-secondary credentials of its residents to support economic development. Additionally, Tennesseans must earn living wages to support their livelihoods. Finally, the psychological development of Tennesseans must be supported, which allows individuals to reach their fullest potential. While…

Higher education is widely recognized as a catalyst for upward mobility and a societal benefit, yet this acknowledgment often overlooks the unique challenges faced by low-income single mothers of color (LISMC). Despite the University of California (UC) system's status as a leading public research institution, it provides limited support for LISMC…

Extensively studied in several public policy contexts, O'Toole and Meier's (OTM) (1999) framework modeling public management's impact has shown that managerial, structural, and environmental influences matter for performance. This framework may have similar predictive value to explain performance for higher education in the United States.…

Low persistence and high attrition rates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are major challenges in higher education, particularly among underrepresented students. Therefore, it is important to identify barriers and examine strategies aimed at improving persistence, retention, and student completion in STEM courses and…

The effects of childhood adversity on health and socioemotional outcomes have received increasing examination in recent years. However, the impact of childhood adversity on academic outcomes has garnered little attention. This study aimed to explore the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on college graduation rates and whether…