Studies explain that participating in community service enhances relationships, positively contributes to one’s purpose, and provides life satisfaction with a specific focus on retention and degree attainment for those enrolled in college (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2007). The simultaneous increase of Black women attending colleges as universities increase outreach to drive community engagement does not align with the shift in the research of civic engagement that excludes the activity of young Black people and is counterintuitive to the historical underpinnings of political and educational transformations in the United States (e.g., Civil Rights Movement) (Hewins-Maroney, 2008). The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of why current Black undergraduate women volunteer in their communities and how they perceive these volunteer experiences reflect on understanding themselves as Black women. Qualitative inquiry was used to explore the similarities and differences of how Black women make meaning of their experiences and understand themselves. The 11 Black undergraduate women who participated revealed eight themes that contributed to their reason for serving their communities. Overwhelmingly, the participants felt a drive, usually before college, that motivated them to serve their communities to impact themselves and others in transformative ways. Their work in the community was not without hardships or barriers, but overcoming those barriers were also motivating to the participants to recognize their privilege and continue to serve. The university’s role is something the participants were critical about as they had little connection to the university related to volunteering except for the marketing of service opportunities but contributed that to their peers. As the institutionalization of service-learning and volunteerism in higher education has become a strategy to increase retention, the findings from the present study add to the limited research of volunteer engagement of diverse populations. The participants shared their criticism of volunteering within the university as well as the community broadly, and they confirm that intentional outreach and educational spaces should be dedicated to ensuring that the community work of students of all backgrounds is valued and that these students be given opportunities to engage in meaningful volunteer work.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

<p> There are only six virtual early college high schools in North Carolina. This exploratory case study examined one of these for the purpose of highlighting this unique school model. The study was guided by one research question: how do stakeholders experience a virtual early college high school? </p><p> Using Eisner&rsquo;s (2002) research design of educational criticism and connoisseurship, sub questions probed the stakeholders for their description, interpretation and evaluation of the virtual early college high school. Themes were drawn from the findings, and recommendations for further study are presented. </p><p> The data in this single case study were collected by way of interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis. The data were analyzed using a three-tiered coding system. The structural codes were assigned, then in vivo coding was completed. Finally, focused coding was used to support the development of the themes, the last of Eisner&rsquo;s dimensions. After the data were coded within stakeholder groups, the same three-level coding process took place across stakeholder groups. Analytical tools were also used throughout the study. </p><p> Generally, the findings suggest that while the experiences of the stakeholders within this virtual early college high school are beneficial to the students, families, and the broader community, there are nonetheless barriers to this particular school model. While minimal, and managed within this context, the barriers suggest there is still much to be learned about virtual early college high schools, and progress to be made in relationships between K-12 school districts and institutions of higher education.</p>

<p> Leadership development has been identified as a key college outcome (Komives, Dugan, Owen, Slack, &amp; Wagner, 2011). Emotional intelligence as a leadership development framework has shown promise in many applications (Petrides, 2011). Able to be augmented through purposeful training and practice, high levels of emotional intelligence have been linked to job performance, healthy relationships, and emotional well-being (Joseph, Jin, Newman, &amp; O&rsquo;Boyle, 2014). This study focused on changes in emotional intelligence as a metric for personal and professional development through a state university&rsquo;s leadership program. Students&rsquo; self-reported change in global and factor emotional intelligence were measured utilizing the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF) as a research tool (Zampetakis, 2011). Additionally, students completed a survey consisting of open-ended questions designed to facilitate the evaluation of student perceptions in relation to emotional intelligence competencies after completing the leadership program. No statistical differences could be observed in pre-and post-participation TEIQue-SF results. Student perceptions after program completion revealed participation impacted their perceptions of and approach to emotional intelligence competencies as well as leadership. Overall, students expressed a level of personal awareness and the ability to nurture relationships and seek leadership roles.</p>

<p> In their seminal 1995 article, Barr and Tagg encouraged higher education to think differently about undergraduate education and suggested that a new paradigm be adopted that focused less on what is taught and more on what is learned. Dubbed the learner-centered paradigm, this reframing of education challenges long standing practices and removes the instructor as the literal and figurative center of the classroom, requiring that students take a more active role in their education and in the creation of knowledge. </p><p> Despite the fact that empirical research consistently finds that practices congruent with the learner-centered paradigm greatly benefits students, full-scale adoption of the paradigm has been slow across the higher education landscape. The SCALE-UP program that emerged out of North Carolina State University, however, has provided institutions with a model for how learner-centered teaching techniques can be leveraged in large enrollment courses and hundreds of institutions across the globe have successfully adopted this program. </p><p> In this multiple case study of two large, public institutions that have adopted SCALE-UP, this study provides insight into how faculty implementation of learner-centered teaching and learning practices is influenced by organizational structures and policies and how they can encourage and support faculty transition to a learner-centered practice. Findings suggest that these included policies and structures that involve: 1) institutional leadership; 2) finance and academic departmental influence and configurations; 3) faculty training and development programs; 4) physical facilities; and 5) incentives to learn, develop, and maintain new practices. </p><p> Extrapolated from the findings that emerged through this research are a number of implications and recommendations: Support and advocacy from institutional leadership is critical for the initiation and sustainment of paradigm change, academic departments can create learner-centered cultures that encourage and support learner-centered teaching practices, provide meaningful opportunities for faculty to become exposed to the learner-centered paradigm and create ongoing training and professional development to support related teaching and learning practices, invest in the creation of physical active-learning structures, create policies and structures that provide meaningful incentives for faculty to adopt learner-centered teaching practices, and strategically connect learner-centered practices and initiatives taking place across campus. </p>

<p> Some scholars have formed a more expansive view of knowledge that moves beyond the cognitive notion of intellect. For example, emotional intelligence (EI) theory posits that human intelligence encompasses both cognitive and emotional competencies, providing a framework for the concept of contemplative practices in an endeavor to support an eclectic understanding of cognition. Contemplative practices may benefit graduate student disposition and inform areas of educator preparation through the use of emotional adeptness in higher education. The purpose of this study was to: (a) develop a self-report measure: <i> Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education</i> (SCOPE); (b) address the issues of validity and reliability related to the SCOPE; and (c) expand the understanding of contemplative practices in the literature. Data collected from an extensive review of the literature, reference to personal experiences, and consultation with an expert panel were used to generate scale items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the factor model. Analyses resulted in a 30-item factor model with strong reliabilities.</p>

<p> Serving over two million students, the California Community College (CCC) system is a powerhouse in the nation for academics. Though many students attend and successfully complete this educational system, challenges for Black females are often overlooked for the mere fact that they complete at a slightly higher rate compared to their Black male counterparts. The purpose of this study is to explore how Black females within the CCC system make sense of their journey as they move towards graduation and/or transfer. To gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of Black women in the CCC, qualitative ethnographic interviews were conducted. The sample group included 15 Black female participants who are currently attending a community college in California. Four major themes emerged: support systems, educational awareness and expectations, self-awareness and foresightedness. These findings provide a new perspective that can assist in the promotion of programs, policies and resources specific to the needs of this population in order for them to be successful.</p>

<p> Many colleges and universities offer their commitment to partnering with local communities, and often do so with the goal of addressing societal needs. A growing field, such engagement between higher education institutions and community partners continues to evolve, including the purpose and rationale for this work, how engagement is accomplished, theoretical contexts, and how success is viewed by stakeholders. A qualitative case study was undertaken with the following questions at the fore: how does a self-described &ldquo;engaged&rdquo; university center function when viewed through the prism of an ethic of care? What are the characteristics of engagement efforts undertaken by staff, faculty and community partners associated with this center? What is a cultural description for the work associated with this center? The case studied was the Center for Community Research and Engagement (CCRE) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Data collection included a combination of participant-observation, document analysis, and open-ended interviews. Overall findings point toward many aspects of an ethic of care that can be understood to be prominent characteristics of CCRE, including the dynamic of relationships, longevity, and a focus on needs and attention paid. Further, acknowledgement of care is not one-directional, with undergraduate students, and by proxy the university, recipients of care. Findings suggest that relationships are the tough work, easily overlooked because they are difficult to quantify and capture in forms other than the perceived experience between people. The challenge of funding is also an ever-present reality, and contributions by university staff is a new and novel finding given the previous focus on faculty and students. A description of CCRE necessitates an understanding of context, core center efforts, and additional cultural dynamics that include a changing university. Findings from this research contribute to the theoretical development of engagement through the consideration of Care Theory, and also deepen understanding of community-university engagement by describing the complexity of human relationships.</p>

This study illuminates the perceptions of dental school administrators and faculty of a new, non-traditional dental school and the extent to which these perceptions influence the processes of dental education within their school as well as their perceptions of crises in dental education.Using an instrumental case study approach, an intrinsic case study examines perceptions that developed a non-traditional dental school. The case study is then instrumental in examination of the influences of the new economy and networks within the theory of academic capitalism that influence the formation and operation of this new school as well as influences on perceptions of crises in dental education as defined by organized dentistry.All characteristics of the new economy (globalization, knowledge as raw material, non-Fordist manufacturing, educated/tech savvy workers) are perceived as profoundly influencing the processes of dental education at the new school. Of four networks within the theory of academic capitalism (new circuits of knowledge, interstitial organization emergence, intermediating networks, extended managerial capacity) only new circuits of knowledge are perceived to have profound influence on the formation and operation of the school.The perceptions of characteristics of the new economy and networks of the theory of academic capitalism have established a dental school decidedly distinctive in the approach to dental education with the crises in dental education perceived as real and influencing this distinct approach taken by this school in providing dental education.Salient characteristics of the new economy and networks within the theory of academic capitalism, when operationally defined, serve as powerful tools as explanatory vehicles to define the extent of their influence on the foundations and operations of this dental education institution and the extent to which these foundations and operations may influence the crises in dental education.

Today large research projects require substantial involvement of researchers from different organizations, disciplines, or cultures working in groups or teams to accomplish a common goal of producing, sharing, and disseminating scientific knowledge. This study focuses on the international research team that was launched in response to pressing calls for internationalization. This study seeks to understand the social structure of the international research team and perceptions of team members on this structure by challenging social networks and social capital fields. By bridging social networks with social capital, the study examines social structures at the individual, subgroup, and team levels and adds complexity to different levels of analysis by stressing context through qualitative research methods. The results imply that hierarchical relations do not stand separately from the horizontal relations among team members in the international research team. Therefore, the construct of group social capital should be based on a multilevel model of combined moderate closure with horizontal bridging roles in international research teams.