This study endeavored to answer the question, what leadership model for change is effective in establishing exemplary programs for students with learning disabilities in private Christian colleges. The focus was on leaders in three private Christian universities who developed programs that positively affected students' success.This multiple case study of leaders produced evidence that Fullan's change model (2001), which is often utilized by leaders in K-12 education, could be applied to program development in higher education when collaboration is a strategic componet in all elements of the model. Interviews about the history and current status of each institution's program explored how leaders in the three institutions effectively implemented programs to assist students with learning disabilities. The interviewees indicated they endeavored to build collaborative relationships to create and share knowledge. Leaders developed collaborative groups to assist in coherence making. The overriding emphasis of the leaders in this study was on collaboration, which permeated all elements of the leadership model for change. Not surprisingly, given the context of the study, the data revealed that the guiding motivation for this service was faith in Christ. While data analysis revealed each leader used most elements of Fullan's (2001) model, there is little evidence of one element of the model, understanding the nature and effects of change. Findings included the importance of moral purpose, relationship building, knowledge creation and sharing, understanding change, and coherence making in program development. The researcher found three additional elements that seemed to enhance the success of disability services; (1) the leaders' propensity to innovate, (2) the faculty's attitude toward disability services, and (3) the administration's value of disability services. All of these elements functioned through a strong emphasis on collaboration. Due to the unique nature, culture, and structure of higher education, this study suggests that an emphasis on collaboration by the leaders is essential to all the elements of the model for developing programs for students with disabilities at Christian colleges and universities.

The problem of this study concerns the admissions and transition programs of undergraduate institutions which are members of the Christian College Coalition. The purposes of this study are to determine whether Christian College Coalition member institutions have encountered the same national concerns in the area of the transition from high school to college as identified by Ernest Boyer in College: The Undergraduate Experience in America, and to determine whether admissions programs in the member institutions are adhering to the principles of good practice of the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC).

An ongoing concern within the young field of public relations is the profession's lack of acceptance. In general, the literature agrees that public relations practitioners should have a "seat at the table" within top management though many scholars and professionals feel this has not yet occurred, especially within higher education. This would tend to suggest that practitioners are not yet in the managerial role or not following the two-way models of public relations. However, public relations roles and models within education have not been researched as heavily, especially in institutions of higher education or Christian higher education.This study attempts to gauge the readiness of public relations practitioners within Christian higher education for a seat at the decision table, through the use of role theory and the application of Grunig's four public relations models. Twenty-seven senior public relations practitioners from member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universitiesformed the sample for this study. Q methodology was used to elicit practitioner perceptions of Grunig's four models of public relations. A survey was employed to determine which of Broom and Smith's four public relations roles they perform. Correlation was used to compare model perceptions with role performance.Two factors, the Cooperators and the Protectors, emerged from this study's Q sort, indicating general agreement with Grunig's two-way models of public relations. Additionally, the sample of senior CCCU public relations practitioners indicated performing tasks most related to the expert prescriber and communications technician roles. However, there was no significant relationship between the Q factors and role performance. / Department of Journalism

The purpose of this study was to examine how academic advising was conducted among institutions in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The study examined organizational advising models used by these institutions and to what extent they utilized developmental advising methods. The sample consisted of all 105 member institutions of the CCCU. The sample equaled the population. A web-based survey was sent to each person responsible for academic advising at the 105 institutions.More than three-fourths of the respondents in this study reported they did not have a stand-alone office for academic advising. Faculty advisors were the primary group responsible for academic advising. The organizational model most utilized was the Faculty-Only Model. When asked if the respondent's institution achieved six ideal student developmental outcomes for advising programs, over 50% responded partially achieved for each of the six categories.If these institutions want to do more than partially achieve student developmental outcomes, they may need to reevaluate what they want their advising goals to accomplish and what type of organizational model is best for their institution. In order to combine the benefits of using both faculty and professional advisors, it would be beneficial for many of the CCCU institutions to gradually move toward a shared organizational advising model as time and institutional resources allow. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this research project was to establish consensus among experts regarding best practices of online undergraduate spiritual formation with a specific focus on the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Prior to this project, there was no consensus regarding best practices of online spiritual formation at the undergraduate level. Even less research existed with regard to the practices used among CCCU member institutions. Therefore, this project sought to identify the best practices implemented by CCCU member institutions to provide effective spiritual formation in their online undergraduate programs. This project was a mixed methods exploratory sequential design utilizing the Delphi Method. Sixteen expert faculty and administrators teaching in or overseeing Christian ministry departments within CCCU member institutions were enlisted to participate as panelists in this study. Round 1 gathered answers to 16 open-ended questions that were developed based on the CCCU definition of spiritual formation. Round 2 utilized a four-point Likert type scale with panelists evaluating the importance of 78 thematic practices that emerged from round 1. Round 3 utilized a simple agree or disagree dichotomous scale evaluating the importance of the remaining practices to online undergraduate spiritual formation. After three rounds of a Delphi Study with experts in the field of online spiritual formation at the undergraduate level, thirty consensus best practices were identified. Chapter 1 outlines the purpose and driving questions of this project related to best practices of online undergraduate spiritual formation. Chapter 2 reviews the precedent literature regarding the theological and theoretical foundations for Christian education and spiritual formation, as well as reveals a gap in the literature related to undergraduate online spiritual formation among CCCU member institutions. Chapter 3 articulates the design of this project and the use of the Delphi Method. Chapter 4 reveals the findings from each of the three rounds in this Delphi Study. Finally, chapter 5 analyzes and evaluates the findings of this project, including the thirty consensus best practices that were identified and their contribution to precedent literature, educational practice, and advancement of online Christian education.

Transformational leaders have tendencies that include: 1) projecting confidence and optimism about goals and followers' ability, 2) providing a clear vision, 3) encouraging creativity through empowerment and rewarding experimentation, 4) setting high expectations and creating a supportive environment, and 5) establishing personal relationships with followers. Transactional leadership as a process in which leaders and followers decide on goals and how to achieve them through a mutual exchange. The leader provides followers with resources, rewards, and punishment in order to achieve motivation, productivity, and effective task accomplishment. Laissez-faire leadership is the process of letting followers work without direction or guidance from the leader. The laissez-faire leader avoids providing direction and support, shows a lack of active involvement in follower activity, and abdicates responsibilities by maintaining a line of separation between the leader and the followers. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the assumption that a combination of transformational and transactional leadership factors is more predictive of greater followers' job satisfaction, motivation toward extra effort, and perceived presidential effectiveness than either leadership style alone. The study investigated perceptions of the degree to which transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and laissez-faire leadership were practiced by presidents of member colleges and universities in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). In addition, the study considered whether some combination of transformational and transactional behaviors is more predictive of job satisfaction, motivation toward extra effort, and perceived presidential effectiveness than either transformational or transactional leadership alone. The independent variables in the study included the transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership behaviors of the college and university presidents and the dependent variables were job satisfaction, motivation toward extra effort, and perceived presidential effectiveness. This study points to specific behaviors that are predictive of job satisfaction, motivation toward extra effort, and perceived presidential effectiveness. By combining the behaviors identified as transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership behaviors, this study determines specifically which behaviors are predictive of the three dependent variables. By combining the transformational leadership behaviors of Attributed Charisma and Individual Consideration with the transactional leadership behavior of Contingent Reward, leaders may develop leadership styles that are more satisfying, motivating, and effective for followers than solely using the transformational model of leadership. Followers indicate that they are more satisfied and motivated by leaders who possess great energy, high levels of self-confidence, strong beliefs and ideals, are assertive, have the ability to make followers feel more confident, who create greater personal confidence within their followers, and who use positive reward systems to affirm desired behavior. This information provides empirical data to support the concept that a combination of charisma, personal consideration, and a reward system may increase follower's job satisfaction, motivation toward extra effort, and perceptions of leaders' effectiveness better than transformational leadership behaviors alone.

This study identified tenure policies and practices among Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) member schools. A survey of CCCU member schools was conducted; 65 usable questionnaires were received. A response rate of 69% was achieved. Schools also provided portions of their faculty handbooks addressing tenure. The purpose of the study was to determine (a) what CCCU schools grant tenure, (b) why they grant tenure, (c) specific tenure policies and practices, (d) what CCCU schools do not grant tenure, (e) why they do not grant tenure, (f) retention policies used in place of tenure, and (g) how CCCU schools' tenure policies compare with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) guidelines. The data suggests that (a) the majority of CCCU schools (68%) grant tenure, (b) these schools represent nearly all religious affiliations within the CCCU, and (c) they are large in relation to CCCU schools that do not grant tenure. The predominant reasons given for granting tenure are protection of academic freedom, mutual commitment by institution and faculty, and recruiting / retaining quality faculty. The schools grant tenure based on teaching, scholarship, service, and the integration of faith and learning. Tenure success rates seem high. Thirty-two percent of the CCCU colleges and universities do not grant tenure. These schools are small in relation to CCCU schools that grant tenure. They represent nearly all religious affiliations within the CCCU. The predominant reason given for not granting tenure is tradition / institutional values. The majority of these schools use a gradated contract system while some use an eventual continuous contract system. The CCCU member schools' tenure policies are largely consistent with AAUP guidelines.

This study examined the career paths of women administrators serving as chief academic officers in Christian colleges and universities which belong to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The CCCU is a professional association of evangelical Christian institutions dedicated to integrating faith and learning. The exploration included each administrator's demographic information; her early, adolescent, college, and graduate school experiences; early vocational experiences; the effect of marriage and motherhood on her career; critical factors she identified as important in achieving her current position; and the importance of spiritual convictions or Christian faith in career decision making. Sixteen of the eighteen identified women holding the rank of chief academic officer agreed to participate in the study. The typical woman administrator was 50, married, and the mother of one or more children. She most likely had received her education in the humanities, with the terminal degree of choice being a Ph.D. She had served at her current institution for more than five years, but in her current administrative position for less than five. As an adolescent she excelled in the humanities, less so in math and science, and was involved in many extracurricular activities, including music endeavors, leadership, and her local church. She had received the most encouragement from her mother, although both parents expected her to do her best in school. For post secondary education, she had benefited from a mentor, had excelled easily, and had taken no time off between her bachelor's and master's degrees or between her master's or doctoral degrees. Although she had aspired to teach and received most of her early vocational experience in the professoriate, she had not aspired to be an administrator. As an adult, she had married in her 20's and had children before the age of 30. She had an unusually supportive spouse and believed her marriage to be a key factor in her career success. Her family and professional roles were potentially conflicted and required her to "juggle" her responsibilities. She believed the influence of her mentors, faith influences, and chairing an academic department were critical experiences that had led to her position in administration. Regarding her spiritual convictions and disciplines, she adamantly believed both affect her daily work and personal life. CCCU women administrators are deeply committed to their Christian higher education callings, highly educated, persistent, spiritually minded, and devoted to their families.

This study described the career paths of presidents of institutions of higher education which constitute the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). This study identified the demographic characteristics of the CCCU presidents and compared the career paths of the CCCU presidents with a corresponding national profile of American college presidents.

The problem of this study concerns the structure and content of teacher education programs in colleges and universities which are members of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). A questionnaire was developed and consisted of four sections: (1) general background information of the respondent; (2) questions relating to the live NCATE standards using a Likert scale of 1 to 3, regarding respondent's teacher education program; (3) general information concerning Bible credit hours required, critical problems and factors considered in job placement of graduates; and (4) an opinionnaire concerning current issues in teacher education, significant changes in respondents' programs and cooperative and unusual program arrangements. One hundred questionnaires were mailed to the 100 collegiate members of ACSI in 1987. Of the 75 returned, 57 were usable. This represents a 57 percent response rate. Based on the information provided by the chairpersons participating in the study, the following conclusions are drawn relative to ACSI teacher education programs: 1. The influence of an outside agency, such as the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), seems to benefit teacher education programs. 2. State accreditation of teacher education programs appears to be important to both NCATE and non-NCATE accredited programs. 3. Of the five NCATE standards, knowledge base for professional education was the standard that seemed to be the strongest to ACSI collegiate members. 4. ACSI schools emphasize biblical and theological education concurrent with teacher education. 5. Institutions with NCATE accredited programs seem to be satisfied with NCATE accreditation, although institutions with non-NCATE accredited programs seem to favor additional accreditation from an organization other than NCATE. 6. The small number of ACSI programs accredited by NCATE may be due to (1) theological conflicts, (2) fiscal requirements, (3) the amount of work involved in the accreditation process, or any combination of the three.