This study analyzes the Committee on the Future of the Virginia Community College System and its report, Toward the Year 2000: The Future of the Virginia Community College System, to determine if the committee product is an effective report that identified pertinent issues and is still used as a basis for planning. Research on the role of commission work in higher education indicates a dearth in scholarship about the subject. This study is conducted through an ethnographic examination of the committee process and an hermeneutic study of the report. Janet Johnson and Laurence Marcus' (1986) model for commission effectiveness is utilized to test the committee's impact. Through its application to the VCCS committee and report, additional elements of commission effectiveness have been identified.;Evidence from this study indicates that the committee's charrette process was expedient and effective for garnering input. Similarly, Toward the Year 2000 proved to have identified many pertinent planning issues for the VCCS through the 1990s which have not been derailed by subsequent higher education planning efforts in Virginia.

The narrative of first-generation, low-income students (FGLI) has a long, and often complicated tradition in the history of American higher education. FGLI students experience challenges in postsecondary retention. FGLI students are rapidly enrolling in higher education, but they are dropping out of college at alarming rates. Over 4.5 million FGLI students enroll in higher education, but 46.8% of FGLI students drop out of college and 90% fail to graduate within six years. For the past decade, a growing number of postsecondary institutions have attempted to increase their commitment to serve FGLI students through targeted pipeline interventions, such as summer bridge programs (SBP). Summer bridge programs occur during the summer before incoming college students’ first Fall semester, and last four to six weeks. The majority of older and more recent studies have found positive relationships between developmental SBPs and the retention of academically underprepared and economically disadvantaged students attending community colleges and open-admissions four-year postsecondary institutions. However, fewer empirical studies have been useful predicting the retention of academically prepared FGLI students who participate in non-developmental SBPs at selective institutions. The present study expands our empirical understanding about the relationship between non-developmental SBPs and the retention of academically prepared FGLI undergraduate students attending selective four-year institutions. Specifically, this study focuses on academically prepared FGLI undergraduate students attending Excel State University (ESU), a public, four-year university located in the Southeast. Developmental SBPs are predictive of the retention of academically underprepared FGLI students, but the findings in this present study reveal contrasting results for academically prepared FGLI students in non-developmental SBPs. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2019. / April 4, 2019. / Academically prepared, First-generation, Low-income, Student retention, Summer bridge program / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert A. Schwartz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Frances Berry, University Representative; Kathy Guthrie, Committee Member; Lara Perez-Felkner, Committee Member.

Music therapy degree programs originated in the 1940s and while programs have come and gone, not much was known about the profession’s trends. The current education policy was adopted in 2000, two years after the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy unified to form one governing organization called the American Music Therapy Association. In the decades since the first degree program was started, research focused primarily around entry-level competencies and curriculum issues. While the profession encountered meaningful growth in degree programs and enrollment, concerns were expressed regarding a possible shortage of doctorally prepared faculty. Full-time faculty openings are increasing along with a growing number of programs. Enrollment in undergraduate and master’s degree programs are also increasing. Hence, it is imperative that program trends and demand for qualified educators be examined. However, forecasting growth in programs, enrollment, and the need for faculty have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of current degree programs and full-time faculty, and to forecast future development of degree programs, enrollment, and the need for qualified faculty for the coming decade. The Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was used as the forecasting method and the models predict that music therapy degree programs will grow a modest 6% compared to the prior decade’s 17% growth. Music therapy enrollment at NASM accredited schools, will grow more rapidly at 34%, however it is still less than the 65% growth experienced from 2000 to 2018. Demand for new full-time faculty was estimated based on retirement trends and enrollment projections. The need for new faculty will expand by 80 full-time positions through 2030. Limitations of the study, the culture of higher education and its impact on future degree program development and faculty recruitment, as well as policy considerations are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2019. / April 19, 2019. / degree programs, faculty, forecasting, higher education, music therapy / Includes bibliographical references. / Lori F. Gooding, Professor Directing Dissertation; William G. Weissert, University Representative; Jayne M. Standley, Committee Member; Clifford K. Madsen, Committee Member; Michael Thrasher, Committee Member.

The current Canadian higher education environment is one in which there is competition for limited resources, learning must be measured and demonstrated, and student demographics are evolving and changing on a continual basis. The field of Student Affairs in higher education, which traditionally provides support services to students and is often referred to as co-curricular education, is a necessary and valuable Division in colleges and universities (Witt, 2005). The Division contributes to the cultural context and identity of the institution as well as to the success of its students. It is integral Student Affairs Departments and Divisions have a clear purpose, vision, and mission, to ensure continued success and longevity. Strategic planning is a central process to this development and implementation. Strategic planning, adopted from the corporate industry, is prevalent in higher education institutions around the world (Bryson, 2011). Examining how Divisions of Student Affairs (DSAs) engage with strategic planning, however, has not been studied, especially in Canada. With its unique purpose, role, and structure, Student Affairs Divisions need to adopt a strategic planning process that works for them, but much more research must be conducted before we arrive at this goal. To respond to this need, this study examined existing strategic planning processes used by Divisions of Student Affairs in Canada. Tromp and Ruben (2010) created the Strategic Planning in Higher Education Framework (SPHEF) for use specifically in college and university contexts. This model was used to guide the study, and data were compared to this model to determine its relevance and appropriateness in Student Affairs settings in Canada. The data were collected using a mixed methods approach involving a survey followed by interviews. The survey was distributed to all Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) in Canadian colleges and universities, with support from the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS). After garnering 37 survey responses, a 19.1% response rate, five interviews were conducted with specifically selected individuals based on their survey data. The key findings indicate that SSAOs and DSAs are engaging in planning efforts, with most pursuing strategic planning. The importance of institutional alignment, engaging Student Affairs leadership and staff in the strategic planning process, and the extensive use of data are some themes that were recurring. Some common challenges or barriers to success were managing capacity and resources, varying terminology, and some resistance or hesitancy by staff to engage in planning. The majority of participants indicated they will continue with the same planning approach in the future, but there was enthusiasm and eagerness to create a community of SSAOs to discuss strategic planning and share experiences and lessons learned. Additionally, it was found that the SPHEF is not an appropriate tool to be used by SSAOs in Canadian Student Affairs contexts. Several recommendations for additional research and potential changes to practice are presented, which include a suggestion to determine if a single strategic planning process or model is even required. The data indicate that it is necessary to study the Canadian context as unique, and different, compared to other international settings, such as the United States of America. While this study begins to fill the large gap in literature and research in the area of strategic planning in Student Affairs, especially in Canada, additional investigation is required to validate these findings and build upon the valuable conclusions generated from the data. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2019. / April 11, 2019. / Canada, Canadian higher education, post-secondary education, strategic planning, Student Affairs, Student Services / Includes bibliographical references. / Tamara Bertrand Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Bruce Lamont, University Representative; Kathy L. Guthrie, Committee Member; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member.

First-generation college students face unique challenges in higher education compared to students whose parents are college graduates. These students tend to come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and face difficulty enrolling and persisting in higher education (Horn, 1998; Ishitani, 2003; Latino et al., 2018; Nunez & Cuccaro-Alamin, 1998; Warburton, Bugarin, & Nunez, 2001). They rely more on financial aid and employment to pay for college (Choy, 2001; Pratt, Harwood, Cavazos, & Ditzfeld, 2017), and are highly susceptible to attrition as a result of lacking the financial means to pay for college (Eitel & Martin, 2009). Postsecondary transition and academic support programs were designed to address factors affecting first-generation college student success, postsecondary transition and academic support programs (Almaraz et al., 2010; Kezar, 2000; Tate et al., 2015; Thayer, 2000; Walpole et al., 2008). Effective programs target students with the greatest financial need, assist students with navigating college, and adapt programming to student characteristics (Perna, 2015). Participants of these programs tend to have greater levels of student success compared to first-generation college students who do not participate (Ackermann, 1991; Almaraz et al., 2010; Carey, 2008; Garcia, 1991; McGlynn, 2009). At Florida State University (FSU), the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) is a comprehensive transition and academic support program designed to increase access and student success for first-generation college students. In 2015, FSU developed the CARE Grant to provide a minimum of 75% of the cost of attendance to CARE students in an effort to reduce the level of unmet financial need and increase student success. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of awarding the grant-filled financial aid package on the persistence and academic achievement of first-generation college students enrolled in an academic support program. CARE provided a unique context to explore the effects of financial aid on academic performance and retention of students in an academic support program. This study is grounded in research relating to retention, first-generation college students, factors relating to their postsecondary persistence and academic success, transitional and academic support programs, financial aid and college costs, and relevant theories relating to the impact of financial aid and college costs on student retention. The research framework is influenced by Reason (2009), who developed a conceptual framework that included organizational context as an element contributing to retention. In the conceptual framework of this study, student demographics and pre-college characteristics contribute to a student’s persistence at FSU through the context of CARE participation. Financial aid and college costs variables are additional influences to a student’s persistence through to graduation. Through linear and binary logistic regression, the study analyzed the effects of multiple background, academic, and financial variables on FSU GPA, Overall GPA, and first-to-second year retention. The sample consisted of 1,425 students enrolled in CARE between summer 2013-2016 who reenrolled and received financial aid for the subsequent first term. The control group was students who enrolled in CARE in 2013 and 2014 who did not receive the CARE Grant. The study collected data on student GPAs and first-year retention to analyze the effects of the awarding the CARE Grant using data collection procedures native to FSU. The study’s findings suggested the grant had no statistically significant effect on academic performance and retention when controlling for other variables. Only high school GPA was statistically significant and positive for both FSU GPA and Overall GPA. High school GPA and Black/African American classification were statistically significant and positively related to retention. The findings are significant in advancing knowledge of first-generation student success, financial aid, and postsecondary academic support programming. Recommendations for future research include examining graduation rates for the population studied, adding additional variables to better explore what elements contribute to academic performance and retention for CARE students, and using mixed methods research to capture additional qualitative factors influencing academic performance and retention. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Spring Semester 2019. / April 10, 2019. / academic performance, financial aid, First-generation, persistence, Retention / Includes bibliographical references. / Tamara Bertrand Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Maxine Deloris Jones, University Representative; Shouping Hu, Committee Member; Toby Park, Committee Member.

Who Am I? The LGBTQ+ Student Experience during Study Abroad This dissertation takes an in-depth look at the unique experiences of five Florida State University study abroad alumni who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer after their experiences overseas. The purpose of this research was to understand if study abroad played a role in participants’ sexual identity formation. To examine participants’ lived experiences, this research used a qualitative life history approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. Results revealed two prominent themes: first, participants grew up feeling loved but not accepted; and second, study abroad provided an environment for students to “reinvent” themselves. Overall, this research illustrates that complex, emotional experiences such as studying in a foreign country can lead to a heightened awareness about one’s identity and sexual orientation. This study has implications for study abroad faculty and staff who may be exposed to students questioning their sexual orientation. Keywords: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, sexual identity development, study abroad experience / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Spring Semester 2019. / January 30, 2019. / LGBTQ+, Sexual Identity Development, Study Abroad / Includes bibliographical references. / Ayesha Khurshid, Professor Directing Dissertation; Steve McDowell, University Representative; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member; Stephanie Zuilkowski, Committee Member.

This is a constructivist grounded theory study that explored and investigated the leadership understandings of collegiate women in Saudi Arabia’s private non-profit universities, the opportunities they have to develop leadership, and how and why they develop leadership. The researcher engaged in semi-structured interviews with 25 collegiate women who have experiences in student leadership in one or more cocurricular program at their respective university. The findings revealed that collegiate women: (a) have a collective sense of the importance in developing their leadership potential to better themselves, to better each other, and for the betterment of the Saudi Arabian society; (b) they are interested in and motivated to develop their leadership potential; (c) develop leadership in inconsistent and informal ways; and (d) understand leadership as a relational practice. This is an unprecedented study in the field of college student leadership development within the context of Saudi Arabia. The findings have a number of important implications for action and future research in Saudi Arabia, as well as in neighboring countries that share similar complexities pertaining to women’s role and status in society.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 39-06, Section: A, page: 3391. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 39-06, Section: A, page: 3397. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 39-11, Section: A, page: 6577. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.