Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: A, page: 0483. Adviser: Debra Bragg. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 244-251) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Educat.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1985. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-02, Section: A, page: 0395.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2440. Adviser: Debra Bragg. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 217-222) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D..)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Vita. Printout. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0445. Adviser: Debra D. Bragg. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-171)

<p> The study examined California Community College president&rsquo;s (CCCP) perspective on strategies for generating alternative revenue. The research revealed the CCCPs changing leadership roles, identified best practices in generating alternative revenue, and uncovered future strategies for California community college (CCC) leaders to be less dependent on state and local funding. The study advances the understanding of how community colleges are responding to declining state funding, rising operating costs, and the expanded mission of CCC to serve more students with less funding. A three round Delphi policy survey was conducted to determine what current and future revenue generating strategies are the most effective for community colleges. The research revealed that CCCPs have identified three thematic resource development strategies to develop effective approaches to generate alternative revenue. Thematic strategies for generating current and future revenue generation include (a) Expanding public/private partnerships with business and industry including increasing workforce contract education (b) Expanding the capacity of the colleges foundations and fundraising programs including cultivating diverse donors, and (c) Expanding and utilizing resource stewardship and entrepreneurship endeavors through the development of auxiliary services. Contrary to expectations, findings indicate that the majority of CCCPs are resource dependent on the state, and not fully aware or prepared for generating alternative revenue. The findings indicate that the community college culture is a primary barrier to develop innovated and entrepreneurial strategies to generate additional income. The research supports key arguments for CCC executives to be become more innovative and entrepreneurial in their approach to generating alternative revenue. CCCs will benefit from leadership that builds a responsive entrepreneurial culture and climate. The findings suggest that community college leaders would benefit from training in resource development planning, resource management and stewardship. Additional recommendations include the need to build capacity through professional development in order to expand partnering with business and industry and fundraising. The findings conclude that the community college president&rsquo;s effective abilities to change the mind-set of stakeholders, be a visible leader in the community, and be a good steward of resources, will have the biggest impact on their competence to generate future alternative revenue and to sustain and vitalize CCCs.</p>

<p> Student mothers are an often overlooked population within higher education. However, one national study found the majority of students raising children while attending college are located in community college and they are predominately female. Therefore, the experience of student mothers in California, which has the largest system of community colleges in the country with 114 colleges provides important understanding about this population. This qualitative study shares the stories of 23 student mothers enrolled in two California community colleges through a conceptual framework that combines the Intersectional Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity and Resiliency Theory. Student mothers described their intersecting identities as both invisible and empowering. Findings from the study point to the resiliency of student mothers who utilized personal assets (e.g. organizational strategies, self-care, and self-talk) and institutional resources (e.g. child care, opportunities for student engagement, and faculty support). The implications for this study are centered in an Ethic of Care by institutionally adopting practices and policies that engage students in a maternal way that responds to their needs with care. Recommendations for research and practice propose community colleges develop a strategic method to gather data on student mothers to better serve this student population. Further, institutions are encouraged to re-examine child care services and faculty support on campus. Policy changes can begin with educating faculty and students about Title IX, so student mothers can better exercise their rights within a more inclusive community college campus. </p><p>

<p> The research design was a blended methodology of social systems design and action research applied through the lens of transdisciplinarity to create the conditions for innovation in an educational institution. This research examined the barriers and opportunities for innovation to support community college students learn the skills and traits to thrive in the 21st century. Research participants were community college educators who, while acknowledging this need for change, have experienced institutional stagnation. The purpose of this research was to study how educators can be empowered to innovate from within the institution through the principles of social systems design, design thinking, and action research. </p><p> The team of community college educators were invited to co-create a collaborative academic makerspace for students to employ interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning. The action research and social systems design methodologies engaged the participants to research the current conditions for innovation and to identify interventions to increase the culture of innovation at the institution. One-on-one interviews provided background on challenges and hopes for innovation within their current education system. Data collected from interviews informed a collaborative design thinking process to involve the larger group in developing actionable solutions. </p><p> The research findings were twofold. The first layer of findings were the documented challenges and opportunities for innovation within a community college environment arising from the educators participation as well as their specific prototyped solution to address the challenges. Second, the design thinking process itself provided additional insights on how to engage stakeholders in similar educational settings in an active, solution-focused mindset. </p><p> Social systems design and design thinking provided the research environment for collaborative innovation while action research allows for multiple cycles of the research process. Educational leaders could learn from the research findings to structure environments to encourage innovation from within similar contexts. Scholars can continue the research efforts by implementing similar studies in other institutions, capturing how culture impacts the conditions for innovation, and engaging individual participants in storytelling methods. This study illustrated the benefits to involve stakeholders in their own innovation process for authentic organizational change.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to identify the obstacles faced and strategies used to overcome those obstacles by undergraduate teacher education majors who began their coursework at a community college and completed an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree in teacher education. In this study, the questions asked of the participants touched on the experiences of two groups of seven individuals each, all of whom earned AAT degrees in teacher education. The AAT was initially developed to provide a seamless transfer from the community college to the 4-year college. An oversight council continues to oversee the implementation and efficacy of this degree. 1. One group of prospective teachers, who began their studies at a community college, earned their AAT degrees, and transferred to and graduated from a 4-year teacher education program, became certified, employed teachers. 2. The second group began their studies at a community college, earned their AAT degrees, and then discontinued the journey at some point after graduation from the community college. </p><p> Using the narrative inquiry approach of qualitative research, participants were interviewed, the interviews were transcribed, and the participants validated those transcripts. Analysis of the interviews revealed two major themes in the obstacles faced by participants (college conditions and struggles in their personal lives) and two themes in the strategies used to overcome those obstacles (seeking and accessing a support network and mining the grit within themselves). </p><p> A binary logistic regression was utilized to evaluate the effect of the obstacles (college conditions and struggles in their personal lives) on the participant&rsquo;s outcome (the participant became a certified, employed teacher or not becoming an employed, certified teacher). Results indicated that the greater the number of obstacles a student experienced, the lower the likelihood that student became a certified teacher. That effect was statistically significant for personal obstacles faced. However, the effects regarding the strategies utilized to overcome the obstacles were not significant. </p><p> Recommendations include addressing college instructors&rsquo; problematic interaction with students and the continuing difficulty with the transfer experience that the AAT was to address at its inception.</p><p>

<p> This study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the career advancement experiences of 10 Southeast Asian women who worked in various California Community Colleges. Participants held different leadership positions in departments such as student services, human resource, library, marketing and outreach, and college administration. The women&rsquo;s ages ranged from the 30s to 50s. Theoretical frameworks employed in understanding the findings are based on symbolic interactionism and resiliency. The women&rsquo;s stories of career advancement represented a process of self-positioning as figures of authority and support within their work context. Data analysis revealed four themes that highlighted their career journeys: 1) Difficulties in viewing themselves as leaders; 2) Unintended recipes for leadership emergence; 3) The unique experiences of Asian American female leaders; and 4) Foundations, strategies, and redefinitions of leadership. Participants overcame the limitations of a poor self-perception to build a professional identity based on an orientation toward servant leadership. The journey into leadership was an arduous process that caused participants to experience emotional dilemmas. The participants described ways in which they have learned to re-set their minds and attitudes to maintain personal wellbeing. Implications for practice included ideas for leadership trainings and supportive programs for educational leaders to aid our understanding of existing institutional conditions needed to promote equitable opportunities for Asian Americans and others.</p><p>

abstract: ABSTRACT Community colleges are open access institutions, striving to meet the needs of all students regardless of level of academic preparation or achievement. Community college student enrollment continues to rise; however, the success of community college students has not increased accordingly. A significant number of students begin at community colleges academically underprepared, placing into developmental level courses in English, reading, and math. Success rates for students in developmental level courses, however, lag behind success rates of students enrolled in college-level courses. To improve course success rates and the overall success of students in developmental level courses, I designed a professional development experience to strengthen developmental education faculty members’ social capital, connecting faculty with peers who also teach developmental level courses. Twelve full-time faculty members participated in an interdisciplinary Professional Learning Network (PLN), where they engaged in shared critical dialogue and conducted and received a peer observation. I designed a mixed methods action research study where participants completed a pre- and post-survey measuring the influence of this professional development experience on their social capital and their use of effective teaching practices. Additionally, participants completed reflective journal responses, and I interviewed six participants to determine if participation in the PLN and conducting and receiving an interdisciplinary peer observation would transform their teaching practice. Quantitative results indicated that participation in the PLN had little influence on developing participants’ social capital and little influence on transforming teaching practice. The qualitative data indicated that participants’ confidence in their teaching practice increased. Participants’ social capital was strengthened as they developed an informal support network that grew from a sense of trust and common purpose. Furthermore, interacting with instructors from a different discipline expanded their ideas about effective teaching practices. Ultimately, participation in the PLN and conducting and receiving a peer observation led some participants to consider a transformation of individual teaching practices and in a few instances, modifications to teaching philosophy. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2017