<p>The study of leadership practices of athletic training program directors is severely limited and the lack of clearly defined program director qualifications combined to provide the underpinnings for this research. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to identify if a relationship existed between athletic training program directors? leadership practices and the programs? 2012-14 academic years three-year aggregate first-time pass rates on the Board of Certification, Inc. examination. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the first five research questions sought to examine the directors? relationship of the Five Exemplary Practices of Leadership? and the directors? previous coursework in leadership to program pass rates. Athletic training programs? directors (N = 52) were solicited to participate, and completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self? and provided demographic information. Results from the Spearman?s rho correlation analysis indicated no significant relationship between any of the five leadership practices (Modeling the Way rs=-.159, p=.261; Inspiring a Shared Vision rs=.086, p=.545; Challenging the Process rs=.011, p=.937; Enabling Others to Act rs=.047, p=.743; Encouraging the Heart rs=-.039, p=.782) or the number of collegiate courses completed in leadership (rs=-.192, p=.181). Even though the results were not significant, the findings will contribute to an understanding of the inconsistencies and significant lack of leadership coursework for athletic training program directors. Additional research is needed to determine how leaderships effects student outcomes in athletic training education. Keywords: Athletic Training Education, Program Directors, Transformational Leadership, Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, Educational Outcomes, Certification Examination, LPI-Self?

<p>The battle of reintegration has largely been lost by the country?s veterans with disabilities, now identified as Wounded Warriors. High rates of homelessness, suicide, unemployment, and depression are reminders that the war goes on for them long after they have come home. The lost war of reintegration ? especially in terms of the college classroom ? served as the foundation of this study. Staff, faculty, and fellow students are often inadequately prepared to meaningfully interact with Wounded Warriors. Using a phenomenological approach, the goal of this study was to uncover the lived experiences of Wounded Warriors in the college classroom and use the findings to help colleges and universities effectively integrate them into the classroom and university experience. The five themes that emerged from in-depth interviews were: friction with traditional undergraduates, cooperation with adult learners, self-accountability, professorial training, and relating to other veterans. Results showed that traditional undergraduates were one of the biggest transition obstacles Wounded Warriors faced. Cooperation with adult learners was positive; self-accountability was the primary motivation behind academic success; professorial training was uniformly confirmed; relating to other veterans was positive but deeply nuanced. The findings of this study confirm the need for further research to better understand and serve this segment of the higher education student population.

<p> This study utilizes the lens of student experience to provide an understanding of how students&rsquo; behavior and attitudes are influenced by first-year college leadership programs in order to promote civic engagement. This qualitative study uses semi-structured, face-to-face, individual interviews, focus groups, and an online survey at three sites&mdash;the John Glenn College of Public Relations at The Ohio State University, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at The University of Maryland, and The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. The study reviews the best practices and principles of leadership in communicating and interacting with others through democratic dialogue and democratic deliberation. The focus of the study is on sophomores, juniors, and seniors who participated in first-year college leadership programs and how they express the value derived from their classroom and service-learning involvement in collective decision making and democratic settings for the common good of all. The findings contribute to understanding how colleges and universities may effectively implement their roles in the development of students as civic-minded citizens of an increasingly global community through first-year college leadership programs.</p>

<p>This dissertation examines the implications of the adjunct phenomenon on higher education. The researcher utilized multiple case study and document analysis to identify the major implications the adjunct phenomenon has on higher education through the framework of organizational culture and leadership as well as the concept of the herd. This was explored through the study of adjunct faculty perceptions of the adjunct phenomenon, the shift from tenure-track to non-tenure track faculty, hiring, implementation, and employment practices for adjunct faculty. The results of this study support the conclusion that the adjunct phenomenon is impacting higher education, specifically recruitment, retention, organizational culture, and faculty resources. The findings suggest that the negative impacts of the adjunct phenomenon are experienced through the matriculation of limitations on higher education through the state of Louisiana. Additionally, departments have the power to impact the adjunct phenomenon experienced in their department through making changes to recruitment and retention practices as well as the development of organizational culture, utilizing the concept of the herd.

<p> This qualitative case study was designed to investigate graduate assistantships at the University of Central Missouri (UCM). Specifically, the researcher sought to understand how assistantships prepare graduate students for real world practices, provide a place to perfect their leaned skills, and assist with professional goal attainment. Participants of this study included current graduate assistants, previous graduate assistants, university leadership, and supervisors of graduate assistants. The conceptual framework of this research study incorporated Kolb&rsquo;s (1984), Experiential Learning Theory. This theory was chosen because it gives credibility to the concept that graduate assistantships can enrich learning and professional development (Johns, 2001; Kolb, 1984).</p><p> Data collection for this study consisted of individual interviews, a focus group and an online survey. Furthermore, data validity and reliability were enriched through strategies such as triangulation, adequate engagement in collection of data, member checking, and rich thick description (Creswell, 2014; Merriam &amp; Tisdell, 2016; Seidman, 2013). Analysis of the data revealed topics such as professional development effectiveness, opportunities and experience, and the organizational value of graduate assistantships. This information provides concrete evidence pertaining to the benefits and value of graduate assistantships at UCM.</p><p>

<p> This study explored the perceptions that radiography faculty and students have of professionalism in health care. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand the substance and the meaning that radiography faculty and students give to professionalism. Learning professionalism in the imaging sciences necessitates emersion in authentic experiences, which the authors call "legitimate peripheral participation," so that skills and didactic knowledge gained in a classroom can be applied in real situations among a community of experts in a field of study (Lave &amp; Wenger, 1991). The research explored the perceptions that RT educators and students have of professionalism by asking the participants to define and describe professionalism and identify what aspects of the professional were meaningful to them. An anonymous survey and focus group discussions were used to gather the perceptions of the participants. The target population for the study was nine faculty members or instructors and ten students from the radiologic technology program of a private, not-for-profit, multi-campus university. These sets of participants were chosen because their firsthand knowledge and experiences of professionalism in the radiography program could aid in addressing the main research and sub-research questions. Both groups defined RT professionalism in terms of respect, empathy, and ethics. Important and meaningful aspects of professionalism included giving competent, compassionate patient care and assisting with diagnosis. The findings revealed that three major areas of professionalism in the imaging sciences must be addressed: interdisciplinary education, intradisciplinary education specifically around professionalism, and the development and implementation of specific competencies that encompass professionalism.</p><p>

<p> This study found that current selective admission practices continue to reflect traditional norms of leadership in which title and prestige of organization are most valued, in part driven by increasing external pressure for quantification which emphasizes higher positions in prestigious or familiar organizations because they are easier to enumerate and are perceived as having higher status. </p><p> Professionals in this study were asked a series of questions to identify how leadership could be better defined and measured in their current practices. Eighteen constructs across the three categories of Personal Traits, Interpersonal Skills, and Capacities for Socially Conscious Behaviors were identified as preferred characteristics demonstrating good leadership. </p><p> Forms of cultural capital shared by admission officers in this study include having college-educated parents, being raised in a home where college was an expectation, and who had earned at least a bachelor's degree. Further, most had worked as an undergraduate in admission, residence life, orientation, or as a tour guide. </p><p> Several of those interviewed questioned if and in what ways their own biases impacted their evaluation of an application. There was a genuine desire to be objective but also to understand the student in her or his own context. This contrasts with Bourdieu, but does agree with Swartz (1997) who posits that habitus can be raised to a conscious level and therefore can be adaptive. </p><p> A final emergent finding addressed a gender dynamic in which female staff expressed concern that female students are less likely to explicate their accomplishments compared to male students. Another aspect of this unexpected finding about perceptions of leadership in the office revealed some staff felt adherence to traditional forms of hierarchical leadership minimized or even excluded opportunities for younger staff, particularly female, to share their insights and participate in decision-making.</p><p>

<p>Service-learning, with a longstanding history in American higher education (Burkhardt &amp; Pasque, 2005), includes three key tenets: superior academic learning, meaningful and relevant community service, and persistent civic learning (McGoldrick and Ziegert, 2002). The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has created an elective classification system&mdash;Carnegie Community Engagement Classification&mdash;for institutions of higher education to demonstrate the breadth and depth of student involvement and learning through partnerships and engagement in the community (Dalton &amp; Crosby, 2011; Hurtado &amp; DeAngelo, 2012; Kuh et al., 2008; Pryor, Hurtado, Saenz, Santos, &amp; Korn, 2007). Community engagement &ldquo;is in the culture, commonly understood practices and knowledge, and (CCEC helps determine) whether it is really happening&mdash;rhetoric versus reality&rdquo; (J. Saltmarsh, personal communication, August 11, 2014). The study considers the applications of three Carnegie Community Engagement Classification designated institutions to understand the institutionalization of service-learning over time by examining the 2008 designation and 2015 reclassification across institution types&mdash;a Private Liberal Arts College, a Private Teaching University, and a Public Research University located in the same metropolitan area. Organizational Change Theory was used as a theoretical model. Case study methodology was used in the present qualitative research to perform document analysis with qualitative interviews conducted to elucidate the data from the 2008 and 2015 CCEC applications from the three institutions. Using intra- and inter-comparative analysis, this study highlights approaches, policies, ethos, and emerging concepts to inform how higher education institutions increase the quality and quantity of service-learning opportunities that benefit higher education practitioners as well as community leaders. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of alumni&rsquo;s perceptions of the impact and effectiveness of field education on their professional/career preparations for full-time ministry. The theoretical framework for this study, David Kolb&rsquo;s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle, identified the key elements upon which an effective field education program might be structured and provided a framework through which to analyze alumni&rsquo;s perceptions of the career/professional preparation they received. </p><p> This qualitative interview study explored the experiences of 18 recent alumni to understand their perceptions of the development of their career capacities as they relate to the role and responsibilities of a Salvation Army officer. The participants were all recent alumni of the Salvation Army&rsquo;s College for officer Training (USA Western Territory) and were selected based on their age and time since graduation. </p><p> Three main themes emerged: Meaningful Experiences, Attitudes, and The Field Supervisor. The alumni&rsquo;s meaningful experiences included hands-on opportunities to test and apply the theory learned in the classroom, insight to the role and responsibilities of the corps officer, and exposure to new and/or different expressions and traditions of worship and service to the community. Additionally, though alumni were divided on their attitudes towards tasks that were more menial, it was, ultimately, this attitude that determined the perceived value of that experience for both learning and ministry. To fully benefit from their field education opportunities, alumni had to be self-directed in their learning and make a conscious decision to want to learn, see value in experiences, and engage in reflection on their experiences. Finally, field supervisors not only determined the experiences that are offered, but their willingness to invest in the learning experiences of the alumni (being available for shadowing and observation, and providing feedback) was critical to the effectiveness of the field training experience. </p><p> Recommendations for policy and practice include the selection of appropriate field education locations, orienting and preparing the students for their field education experiences, selecting and preparing/training practitioners in the field to be effective field supervisors, and some best practices for field education programs.</p>

<p> Often considered the gateway to the middle class in the United States, community colleges are struggling to find ways to support all students in career planning and preparation. Unfortunately, increasing numbers of first generation students who enter community colleges through the door of open access, place into developmental education (remedial) courses and must satisfactorily complete this often-rigid sequence before beginning college level classes. For many first-generation, under-prepared, underresourced students, this is a frustrating and often insurmountable barrier, causing many students to abort their postsecondary training. </p><p> Creating intentional conditions and instructional strategies that support student learning is essential in increasing the number of first-generation, under-prepared and under-resourced students who enter and complete postsecondary training and degrees. Advancement via Individual Determination Higher Education (AVID HE) is one identified holistic support strategy showing positive trends in supporting this student population on one community college campus. </p><p> This study used a mixed methods approach which included both a statistical analysis of a treatment group in a combined reading/writing course called WR91 Mt Hood Community College AVID HE Learning Communities and two stand-alone reading/writing courses called RD90/WR90 courses, along with a case study qualitative methodology to investigate how AVID HE supports pre-college developmental education students to develop sufficient social capital to transition from non-credit (pre-college) to credited courses and programs.</p><p>