Improving the retention and graduation of African Americans and other minority groups in higher education is an important but highly politicized issue on college and university campuses. Prior studies emphasize the relationship between minority retention and achievement, cultural diversity, and racial policies and climates at predominantly White colleges and universities in the United States. In response to the need for further research, the effects of institutional actions related to diversity, minority group and African American retention, and social integration initiatives on African American graduation rates were examined for a national sample of United States (U.S.) colleges and universities. From a potential list of 7,018 colleges and universities, 2,233 met the inclusion criteria for the study. But necessary and complete information from national directories and the census could only be found for the final sample of 1,105. After dropping 30 outliers, several multiple regression analyses identified the institutional actions, social, and demographic factors that best predicted graduation rates. Public U.S. colleges and universities located in the Midwest region had lower African American graduation rates than private colleges and universities located in the South. Higher African American graduation rates occurred in colleges and universities with Black cultural centers, higher first-year retention rates, higher women enrollment rates, a higher number of student organizations, and Division III athletic programs. Colleges and universities located in a town had higher African American graduation rates than those located in a city, suburb, or rural area.

Thesis( MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Title: The Perceptions of Postgraduate Students About Female Condoms at The University of Limpopo Background: The female condom is one of the safest and effective female-initiated methods of contraceptives that has been promoted as an integral part of inventions that provide protection against the widespread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other Sexual Transmitted Infections among the youth, including at institutions of higher learning. A number of university students in South Africa are at risk of contracting HIV because of their risky sexual behaviours. How one perceives the female condom can have greater potential to influence its use. There is a gap in literature about this condom. Therefore, this study seeks to understand and document perceptions of postgraduate students about the female condom at the University of Limpopo. Objectives: To explore demographic characteristics of postgraduate students at the University of Limpopo regarding female condoms. To describe perceptions of postgraduate students at the University of Limpopo about female condoms. Methods: The study used the qualitative research approach. Participants of the study were full-time male and female postgraduate students at the University of Limpopo. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, participants were interviewed one by one using an interview guide. The sample size of the study was 10 participants which was determined by saturation of data. An audiotape was also used to record interviews with participants, and field notes were also taken during the interview. Data was analysed through Thematic Content Analysis. Results: Literature suggests that students are aware of the female condom and its potential to reduce the risk of contracting HIV and STI but are still reluctant to use it in preference of the MC which is well marketed and promoted. The observed discarding and misuse of female condoms among students is associated with lack of knowledge and their perceptions of it. Although this study does not generalise the overall students’ perceptions regarding the female condom, but as a qualitative research, the study provides a useful qualitative enquiry of postgraduate students at the University of Limpopo about the female condom. Conclusion: Many studies have concluded that a female condom is a female-initiated method that is developed to empower and educate women to take control of their sexual health issues as well as to develop other programmes that prioritise women against HIV/AIDS and other STI. There is a need for effective interventions and campaigns to improve student knowledge in order to minimise wasteful expenditure in the process of the procurement and distribution of female condoms. There is also a need to increase the availability and accessibility of these condoms at institutions of higher learning.

In this dissertation, I present an examination of the economics of education through three chapters. In the first paper, I study the overrepresentation of elite university graduates in senior positions in public administration. Using rich administrative data from Chile, I employ a stacked fuzzy regression discontinuity design to estimate the causal effect of attending elite universities versus non-elite institutions on the likelihood of working in the public sector and attaining top positions within it. The findings suggest that while the observed disparity in top positions within public administration is largely a result of selection rather than inherent advantages of elite education, attending elite universities may enhance social mobility for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly within specific majors. In the second paper, my coauthors and I propose an alternative approach using algorithms to predict college readiness and guide course placement. Drawing on experimental data from seven community colleges, the study shows that algorithmic placement increases placement rates into college-level courses without sacrificing pass rates. Moreover, algorithmic placement shows promise in narrowing demographic disparities in placement rates and remedial course enrollment, outperforming traditional placement tests in terms of predictive accuracy while mitigating discrimination. In the final chapter, I explore the relationship between school counselor availability and disciplinary outcomes in middle and high schools across the United States. Leveraging exogenous variations in student-to-counselor ratios driven by state recommendations and mandates, I employ administrative data from 26 states to estimate the causal impact of counselor availability on disciplinary actions such as suspensions, expulsions, and transfers. The results indicate that increased counselor availability reduces school disciplinary actions, with larger effects observed in high schools compared to middle schools. Moreover, speculative analyses suggest that the effectiveness of counselors in mitigating disciplinary issues may be complemented by the overall staffing levels in high schools. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of how educational policies and practices shape individual outcomes and societal inequalities, shedding light on avenues for promoting social mobility, improving educational access and equity, and fostering conducive learning environments.

This study explored both the relationship between coping resources (as measured by the Coping Resources Inventory) and psychological career resources (as measured by the Psychological Career Resources Inventory) and also whether individuals from different gender and employment status groups (part-time work experience versus no work experience) differ significantly regarding their coping resources and psychological career resources. A cross-sectional survey design and quantitative statistical procedures were used to analyse the data which was obtained from a purposive non-probability sample of N = 197 early career unemployed, black graduates. The results showed significant positive associations between psychological career resources and coping resources. It also emerged that the male and female participants differed significantly with regard to their emotional, spiritual and physical coping resources and the psychological career resources of career harmonisers and career drivers. In addition, it was found that those participants who had part-time work experience displayed a significantly higher need for career venturing and also manifested higher behavioural adaptability than those who had no work experience. Recommendations for future research and practice were made. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This study explored both the relationship between coping resources (as measured by the Coping Resources Inventory) and psychological career resources (as measured by the Psychological Career Resources Inventory) and also whether individuals from different gender and employment status groups (part-time work experience versus no work experience) differ significantly regarding their coping resources and psychological career resources. A cross-sectional survey design and quantitative statistical procedures were used to analyse the data which was obtained from a purposive non-probability sample of N = 197 early career unemployed, black graduates. The results showed significant positive associations between psychological career resources and coping resources. It also emerged that the male and female participants differed significantly with regard to their emotional, spiritual and physical coping resources and the psychological career resources of career harmonisers and career drivers. In addition, it was found that those participants who had part-time work experience displayed a significantly higher need for career venturing and also manifested higher behavioural adaptability than those who had no work experience. Recommendations for future research and practice were made. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

University education is ideally expected to significantly expand higher education capabilities among students. Yet, if left unchecked, university education processes can under-equip students in terms of higher education capabilities. In the last one and a half decades, public university education in Uganda has been rapidly growing in terms of student enrolment and course completion. However, the higher education capability levels among students and consequently new graduates (2001-2010) have apparently been declining, especially in terms of practical reason, sociality and participation, learning dispositions, and science and technology. The current study analyses why the new graduates of public universities in Uganda are seemingly deficient in higher education capabilities. Data for analysis were mainly collected from 221 stakeholders of two public universities, namely Makerere University and Mbarara University. The analysis focused on respondents’ perceptions of the three sub-variables of university education, namely curriculum content, teaching processes, and learning processes. Through regression analysis, it was established that these sub-variables jointly predict higher education capability expansion among students in Uganda by 81.2%. Meanwhile, results from qualitative analyses suggest that the curriculum content of public university education is at an acceptable standard and, therefore, a minor cause of higher education capability deficiency among students. However, the teaching processes are perceived as ineffective since lecturers mainly use non-participatory approaches, teach fewer sessions than timetabled, and engage ‘liberal’ quality assurance measures that are open to abuse. Moreover, the learning approaches of some students seem to be surface in nature and the students’ levels of research learning and practice are low. Hence, the study conclusions suggest that low levels of higher education capabilities among students or new graduates in Uganda are largely due to ineffective teaching and learning processes at the two public universities studied. Consequently, the study recommends that, in a bid to enhance higher education capability expansion among students, public universities should focus on improving teaching processes and learning processes, particularly on staff pedagogical skills, commitment, quality controls, and reducing the number of students enrolled in most university courses. / Development Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)

This study examined the relationship the television news sequence at four-year colleges and universities has with the employment marketability of those students who major in television news. Both vocational and academic approaches were examined. Three factors were taken into consideration: if the completion of any television news curriculum aids in the television news graduate's employment marketability, if the television news curriculum has merit when weighed against work experience without completion of such a discipline, and if another academic sequence might better prepare the aspiring television journalist. The study is significant in that the field of television news has been glutted in recent years by an influx of graduates who believe that the work is glamorous and exciting. Many graduates lack the basic verbal and mechanical skills to compete in the job marketplace. The first two chapters discuss the research problem and the factors comprising it. Details of the research design follow, dividing the study into an assessment of the problem and the analysis of the results of a questionnaire that was mailed to 213 television news anchors selected through a stratified random process. A background chapter on various television news curricula is included, with numerous books and periodicals cited. Educational profiles of selected network news anchors are also featured. Almost 60 percent of the local news anchors contacted completed and returned the questionnaires. The nominal data is discussed and presented in tabular form; the data is also analyzed through a series of cross-tabulations using specific demographical information and responses. Findings of the survey indicate that the television news sequence does not appreciably aid the graduate in securing employment, that practical experience outweighs the merits of completing such a sequence, and that the aspiring television journalist might benefit more from a concentration in the liberal arts.

Text in English / In its proposal of a communication strategy that will be of use as an enabling tool for increasing graduate employment potential, this study contributes uniquely to the discipline of communication. It envisages that communication takes into consideration the involvement of the key stakeholders, namely: government, labour market, education system, and media. Amid unemployment challenges that affect the majority of the population, media is regarded as a powerful tool to reach the majority of the population. With specific regard to graduate unemployment, media-driven interaction with unemployed graduates is not as efficient as it should be. Factors contributing to graduate unemployment are identified as career choices, skills shortage, job opportunities, career development, work experience, skills development, entrepreneurial skills, internships, and access to the labour market. It is also important to note that media is regarded as tool for disseminating information about such factors. In order to address this problem, the study establishes an integrated communication strategy that will be of use as an enabling tool for increasing the potential of graduate employment. The role of such communication could be applicable in various ways, such as organisational communication, business communication, public communication, personal communication, interpersonal communication, etc. This study locates itself in the domain of public communication because information about unemployment issues is a matter of public concern. This study adopts mixed research methodologies, with a survey research design—in order to gather data from the graduate students at a University of Technology. The study found that while social and print media are highly preferred and used due to their accessibility, there is a need to stress their use with regard to employment search. The main concepts that contributed to the establishment of the strategy included strategic communication, unemployment and media. It must be here noted that, for purposes of this study, strategic communication was informed by a confluence of the constitutive model of communication, systems theory, and situational theory of publics. The phenomenon of unemployment is informed by unemployment approaches, on the one hand, and the Maslow theory of needs, on the other. Furthermore, the understanding of the concept of media is informed by mass communication approaches and media richness theory. This thesis expects that, as an outcome, such a communication strategy would increase graduate employment potential. Public relations planning model is applied in the study in order to guide the implementation of the proposed communication strategy. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / The fiercely competitive nature of South Africa’s skilled labour market has necessitated a degree of awareness, from employers and researchers alike, of factors that potentially attract skilled graduates. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) the present study explored the formation of intentions towards job pursuit activities (i.e., submitting an application form) of the South African graduate. The proposed model of applicant intention that was tested in the present study is based on salient beliefs — an applicant’s attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control — that determine the development and strength of intentions to apply for a job. The study was conducted in two phases using a mixed method approach. The first phase employed a qualitative design on a sample (N = 32) of students in order to elicit salient beliefs associated with applying to a chosen organisation. Next, we conducted interviews, administered open-ended questionnaires and conducted content analysis to identify applicants’ salient behavioural beliefs about applying. The second phase of the study employed a quantitative design to test the hypotheses that behavioural beliefs (attitudinal beliefs, normative beliefs and control beliefs) would influence intention to apply. We administered belief-based measures to a convenience sample (N = 854) of students from a tertiary institution in the Western Cape. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the measurement and structural models found that the hypothesised models fit the data reasonably well and significant relationships between perceived behavioural control and intention to apply were confirmed. Latent variable correlation analysis showed that all three behavioural beliefs (attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) were significantly related to intention to apply, but only normative and control beliefs showed significant path coefficients when all the beliefs were considered jointly in the structural model. Following the confirmatory factor analysis, we further explored socio-demographic group differences in the levels of, and relationship between, behavioural beliefs and intention to apply to an organisation. The results showed that perceived behavioural control had a significant relationship with intention to apply. The study makes three important contributions to the literature. First, TPB can be a useful framework to explain graduate applicant’s intention to apply. Second, the significant role of perceived behavioural control and subjective norm in the formation of graduate applicant intentions was highlighted. Third, the diagnostic utility of the TPB framework for applicant intentions was established. Finally, the results suggest there might be group differences in behavioural beliefs and intention to apply – a finding that calls for more research on graduate applicant decision-making in the South African context.

University education is ideally expected to significantly expand higher education capabilities among students. Yet, if left unchecked, university education processes can under-equip students in terms of higher education capabilities. In the last one and a half decades, public university education in Uganda has been rapidly growing in terms of student enrolment and course completion. However, the higher education capability levels among students and consequently new graduates (2001-2010) have apparently been declining, especially in terms of practical reason, sociality and participation, learning dispositions, and science and technology. The current study analyses why the new graduates of public universities in Uganda are seemingly deficient in higher education capabilities. Data for analysis were mainly collected from 221 stakeholders of two public universities, namely Makerere University and Mbarara University. The analysis focused on respondents’ perceptions of the three sub-variables of university education, namely curriculum content, teaching processes, and learning processes. Through regression analysis, it was established that these sub-variables jointly predict higher education capability expansion among students in Uganda by 81.2%. Meanwhile, results from qualitative analyses suggest that the curriculum content of public university education is at an acceptable standard and, therefore, a minor cause of higher education capability deficiency among students. However, the teaching processes are perceived as ineffective since lecturers mainly use non-participatory approaches, teach fewer sessions than timetabled, and engage ‘liberal’ quality assurance measures that are open to abuse. Moreover, the learning approaches of some students seem to be surface in nature and the students’ levels of research learning and practice are low. Hence, the study conclusions suggest that low levels of higher education capabilities among students or new graduates in Uganda are largely due to ineffective teaching and learning processes at the two public universities studied. Consequently, the study recommends that, in a bid to enhance higher education capability expansion among students, public universities should focus on improving teaching processes and learning processes, particularly on staff pedagogical skills, commitment, quality controls, and reducing the number of students enrolled in most university courses. / Development Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)