Studies concerning spirituality and higher education, particularly for the college student, are beginning to appear in journals, conference papers, and presentations. However, there is little research conducted with professionals in higher education on the construct of spirituality. Spirituality has so many different definitions in the literature, it is difficult to define, and perhaps even more complex to study academically. Using a research-based conceptual model for religious faith, developed within the study of family sciences, this study examines the lived experience of how and why Catholic women administrators connect their faith and leadership in a setting of public institutions of higher education. Using a grounded theory qualitative approach to research the how, why and processes of the faith and leadership connection for women administrators, interviews were conducted with ten Catholic women administrators. Findings include four emergent themes which begin to explain and deepen the understanding of how religious faith and leadership are connected at work. These themes, with sub-themes, include: Faith at the Core of Identity, Using Faith and Leadership Connection for Performance Management (Management of Self and Management of Supervisees), Specific Actions of Faith and Leadership (Use of Faith in Decision-Making: Prayer; Faith as Action: Service Orientation, Valuing Others, Relationship Building, Doing the Right Thing), and Challenges in Practicing Faith (Public Institution Factors; Implicit/Explicit Actions/Thoughts). These findings begin the research agenda to study faith and leadership, particularly in settings of public institutions of higher education. One research recommendation from the study was continued qualitative study approaches interviewing a wider sample of women leaders, including those of other faith denominations and geographically diverse regions of the United States. Practical implications for Human Resource offices, as well as Catholic parishes and diocese are included. As the women themselves articulate the connection of faith and leadership as inseparable, with faith as the foundation of their leadership, more is understood about the way women of faith lead in public institutions of higher education. Universities and the Catholic parishes and diocese are positioned to provide time, space, and training initiatives for leadership development.

During the current tough economic times volunteers are playing an increasingly important role in making human services widely available and in building collaborative community partnerships. Volunteers are most likely to be productive, to be satisfied with their experience, and to sustain their volunteer service when the opportunities provided to them are aligned with their motives for volunteering, which may include building the kinds of knowledge, skills, and interpersonal awareness that are the cornerstones of leadership. Organizations that purposefully recognize, support, and develop their volunteers leadership potential generate positive outcomes not only for themselves and their volunteers, but also for the clients they serve, and for whole communities. Across the country more than 240 affiliates of the HandsOn Network (HON), the nations largest volunteer network, serve as clearinghouses for individuals seeking both long-term and short-term (episodic) volunteer opportunities, and for nonprofit agencies seeking volunteer services. In its commitment to civic engagement and innovative problem solving, HON is investigating opportunities and technologies for volunteer and community empowerment, and is actively engaged in the inquiry as to how best to serve volunteers who want to cultivate their leadership at every level. In partnership with HON, and using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), an elicitation study was conducted as formative research to determine the most salient factors that predict volunteers intentions to develop their leadership via their attitudes toward leadership development, subjective norms regarding leadership development, and perceived behavioral control of leadership development. Themes derived from the elicitation study provided the content framework to create a survey tool, which was then administered in a pilot study to HON volunteers across the country. Content analysis of pilot study responses produced a solution in which items reflecting the respective theoretical constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior separated with near-exact fit in a six-factor solution. This research resulted in the production of an instrument, the Volunteer Leadership Development Questionnaire (VLDQ), which can identify the factors influencing intentions of HON volunteers to express and develop their leadership. Recommendations are made for ongoing validation and refinement of the instrument.

Little research has been done to examine how the awarding of bachelors degrees, by community colleges, influences the traditional associate degree-granting role of these institutions. This quantitative study investigates the impact of this change on the community colleges that have been allowed to award bachelors degrees, examining how this change affects the traditional associate degree granting output of these institutions. The population for this study is all public community colleges in the United States that offer associate degrees, including those awarding bachelors degrees. A data query was used to collect the data for this study from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database. In the full sample, there was a correlation between the number of associate degrees awarded and whether a bachelors degree was offered. Schools that offered bachelors degrees tended to have higher numbers of associate degrees awarded. In the subsample of schools that offered bachelors degrees, there was a moderate positive correlation between the number of bachelor and associate degrees awarded. The number of associate degrees awarded was undiminished by the initiation of a bachelors degree program at two-year schools. As such, this study may indicate successful higher education marketplace competition, with community colleges evolving to offer bachelors degrees while successfully continuing their traditional associate degree-granting role. This study indicates that the awarding of associate and bachelors degrees is not mutually exclusive. The one can be conducive to the other. A successful synergy can be established. The community college bachelors may make sense as a competitive, market driven response to a societal need. Public community colleges that began to offer, over the last ten years, a four-year baccalaureate degree to meet higher education needs, in addition to the traditional two-year associate degree, are accomplishing this dual mission effectively. This conclusion is supported by the findings of this study and facts in the published literature. More states need to allow community colleges to offer bachelors degrees. In this way, the legislatures could recognize the reality of the educational and economic development needs of place-bound, non-traditional students who have increased the demand for localized bachelors degree programs.

This study investigated the impact participating in S.T.R.I.P.E.S., an extended orientation program, had on student satisfaction and retention. Student satisfaction was determined through a calculated total score on the College Student Satisfaction Evaluation. Retention was determined based on a students enrollment status beginning with their first fall semester and continued to the beginning of their second fall semester. In addition, the study investigated the relationship between student satisfaction and retention. Finally, the study sought to determine if selected variables explained a substantial portion of student satisfaction and contributed to the predictability of retention. The target population was all first time, first year students entering a large, public, research institution in the southeastern United States in the fall of 2009, 2010, and 2011. The accessible population for the objectives on retention was students that had complete information on selected variables in the study (N=12,466). The accessible population for the objectives on student satisfaction included all students with a valid email address (N=13,983). Data analyses were conducted utilizing correlations, stepwise multiple regression and stepwise logistic regression analyses. Results indicated a small relationship exists between participation in an extended orientation program and student satisfaction. No relationship exists between student satisfaction and retention. Students who participate in S.T.R.I.P.E.S. are 30% more likely to be retained to the second year than their peers that did not participate in the program. Finally, 8 variables: percent high school rank, S.T.R.I.P.E.S., on campus first semester, gender, fathers education level, first semester cumulative GPA, ACT, and ethnicity (white/non-white) are statistically significant predictors of student satisfaction and 9 variables: first year cumulative GPA, Pell Grant in the second year, Pell Grant in the first year, percent high school rank, fathers education level, residency status, on campus first year, gender, and S.T.R.I.P.E.S. are statistically significant contributors in predicting student retention. In the case of student satisfaction, the effect size was small with a small amount of variance being explained. Even though the effect sizes for the correlations and regression models tended to be small, the large sample size gives reason to believe that the effects matter.

The purpose of this study was to describe university Academic Administrators, Tenured Faculty, and Tenure-track Faculty at RU/VH: Research Universities (very high research activity) universities as designated by the Carnegie Foundation in the southeastern region of the United States based on demographic characteristics, as well as determine the knowledge and the perceptions of the three aforementioned groups regarding Stopping the Tenure Clock. Researcher-designed surveys were used to collect data. There were 49 participants identified as Academic Administrators, defined as employees who have administrative decision making authority over an academic unit at the level of department chair, director, or dean. Additionally, there were 346 Tenured Faculty who participated in the study while 180 Tenure-track Faculty participated. An important finding was that 78.3% of the Tenure-track Faculty participants were not aware of the Stopping the Tenure Clock process. It was based on this finding that the researcher recommended future research be conducted to determine the preferred and most effective method(s) of communication to the university community. Lack of awareness of Stopping the Tenure Clock may be a result of inadequate publicity of the policy or procedures. Administrators should consider a variety of communication methods such as website postings (on all related stakeholders websites), periodic announcements at faculty meetings or orientation, inclusion in applicable policies, employee handbooks, or print publications. Another important finding is that Tenure-track faculty had more positive perceptions than the Tenured Faculty of Stopping the Tenure Clock. This finding was based on the comparison of perception of Stopping the Tenure Clock by employee groups, whereby a significant difference was revealed between two or more groups. The post-hoc analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between the Tenured Faculty and Tenure-track Faculty groups. University administrators should acknowledge the reasons behind any negative perceptions and address them directly by opening up the dialogue and the appropriate medium of how they can be addressed.

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the trends in soil nutrient levels from soil samples submitted to the LSU AgCenter soil testing and plant analysis laboratory during 2008 to 2012. This study indicates the trend for soil pH, soil phosphorus and soil potassium for corn, cotton, rice, grain sorghum, soybeans, and sugarcane. These six crops were analyzed in this study because of the economic significance to the Louisiana agricultural industry. The trend in soil nutrients studied were generally within the recommended levels for sustainability and environmental stewardship. This study describes the trends for soil pH, soil phosphorus and soil potassium for Louisiana soils during the years 2008 2012. The value of this paper lies in calling attention to broad nutrient needs and challenges faced by the crop producers. Finally, the study findings demonstrate the importance of monitoring soil nutrient trends and environmental stewardship.

A competency model, for supporting student learning, was developed for the paraprofessional position (R.A., Community Assistant, etc.) in residential college or living/learning programs. The researcher developed the model through a two-stage process. In the first stage, the critical incident technique was applied utilizing the experiences of paraprofessionals at 15 different universities to develop an initial set of competencies and related tasks. In the second stage, the Delphi Technique was used to allow faculty and staff from 17 universities to refine and validate the competencies and related tasks. The final competency model includes twelve competencies related to linking hall community programs and activities to learning community curriculum, serving as a subject-matter resource, providing students opportunities to interact with faculty, connecting students with academic resources, assisting in registration/class selection processes, motivating academic success, guiding the application of academic survival skills, establishing a sense of community, providing emotional support, communicating and collaborating with faculty, role modeling, and establishing an environment that facilitates diversity. The competency model supports the notion that a set of competencies, different from those utilized for traditional housing paraprofessional positions, is needed for paraprofessionals in residential college or living/learning programs to support their students' learning.

Computer-based instruction (CBI) was considered the technological phenomenon to revolutionize education and training. Today, the Internet and computer technology are reported to have significantly altered the education landscape (Johnson & Aragon, 2002). The rapid advances in technology, the need for lifelong learning, and the growth of non-traditional students have encouraged the use of the computer as a method of instructional delivery. Evaluating the effectiveness of CBI as a whole technology is very difficult. The inability to measure effectiveness is attributable in part to the fact that CBI is not just one component, but a complex range of services and activities carried out for instructional and learning purposes (Gibbons & Fairweather, 2000). This study presents a theory of critical components that impact the effectiveness of computer-based instruction for adults. The theory was developed to provide a framework for research to explain or predict effective learning by adults using a desktop computer. The five conclusions drawn from this research are: (1) the characteristics of self-directedness and computer self-efficacy of adult learners play an important role in designing CBI for adults; (2) learning goal level impacts instructional design strategy and instructional control component of CBI design; (3) external support and instructional support are needed to provide a positive CBI experience; (4) CBI design is interwoven with the units of self-directedness, computer self-efficacy, learning goal level, instructional design, and external support; and (5) the theory draws together the isolated variables researchers consider important in the adult learning process and aligns them to provide effective CBI.

The National FFA Organization is an agriculturally-based youth organization in the United States which has been providing/facilitating international experiences for its members for a number of years. One of these programs is the International FFA School to School Linkage Program (SSLP), in which selected American agricultural education/FFA programs are linked with specialized secondary agricultural schools/lyceums located in one of the countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU). The programs main mission is for American students and teachers to share ideas with their FSU counterparts about the initiation and maintenance of small-scale agricultural entrepreneurships based on the United States agricultural education Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAEP) model as well as exposing them to FFA leadership activities. During the 1997-98 school term, six agricultural education students and two adults from Prairie High School located in Prairie, Louisiana (pseudonyms), participated in the SSLP as one of six schools from the United States. The school was linked with the Zolatoya Agricultural Lyceum in Zolatoya, Platnaya Region (pseudonyms), Russia. The families of the participants were highly involved in the whole experience, from initial planning to fund-raising to hosting the FSU students to living with their own children upon their return. This qualitative study investigated How have the lives of two Prairie High School, Louisiana graduates and their immediate families been affected by their participation in the 1997-98 International FFA School to School Linkage Program? Through literature review, observation, interviews, and obtaining and analyzing pertinent archival information, the major themes identified were: A) Intellectual Development/Career Guidance Choices, B) Developing International Perspective, C) Change in Perception of Host Country/International Representatives, D) Personal/Family Development, and E) Heightened Sense of Community. Developing an International Perspective, Personal/Family Development, and Heightened Sense of Community had the highest frequencies of reference. Within the major themes, some of the most frequently referenced sub-themes were Career/Educational Choices, Awareness of Cultural Differences, Appreciation for the American Lifestyle, Openness to New Cultures, Parental Life Transitions, Development of Parenting Skills, Anxiety, Building of Family Relationships, Student Maturation, and Concern for Others/Making a Difference. Overall, all participants found this to be a worthwhile and life-changing experience.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association through its member institutions has implemented academic standards governing initial athletic eligibility and has led reform initiatives tying the ability to compete athletically to student-athlete retention and graduation. Louisiana State University (LSU), like many Division I institutions, admitted its scholarship athletes using these initial eligibility standards as a minimum qualification for admission. However, as NCAA requirements have become less stringent, the admissions requirements at LSU have increased. Concerns about the retention and graduation of student-athletes and an increasing gap between the academic credentials of the student body and student-athletes led administrators to question the wisdom of this practice. There was a need to determine which variables can best predict the retention and graduation of student-athletes at LSU and whether or not these variables differed from results found in national literature. It was hoped that the predictive models could also be used to bridge the gap between NCAA and university admission standards. This study uses hierarchical logistic regression to predict student-athlete retention and graduation using six sets of pre-college and post-enrollment variables for each dependent variable. High school performance variables, characteristics of the high school attended, achievement test scores, demographic and sport variables were used to develop a pre-college model for both retention and graduation. College performance variables that measured the student-athletes' grade point average (GPA) at three academic milestones were added to these models. Results indicated that two different sets of variables predict retention and graduation of LSU student-athletes. The significant predictors in the pre-college retention model included: High School and English GPA, number of natural science and social science courses taken, total number of academic courses taken, math test score and sport and redshirt variables. The significant predictors in the pre-college graduation model included: High School and English GPA and total number of academic courses taken. In the development of the college performance GPA models, the researcher found that as the student-athlete progressed further in his/her academic career, the less important the pre-college variables became. However, most of the predictive power was attributed to the pre-college variables.