<p> Institutions of higher education are replete with programs designed to position incoming undergraduate students to successfully persist toward a degree and to do and be well along the way. This longitudinal field study of incoming students&rsquo; transitional year focused on outcomes associated with two common types of program: bridge programs and living-learning programs. Bridge programs are intended to boost achievement and persistence of structurally disadvantaged (e.g., low-income) students to close the gap between them and their more advantaged peers, usually with some combination of financial and academic support. Living-learning programs are intended to generally promote achievement and persistence through the intentional formation of communities in which groups of students live together in wings of residence halls and engage in curricular and/or cocurricular activities together. Social-psychological interventions have been inspired by critiques that such programs inadequately support students who are at a structural disadvantage. Specifically, critiques have argued that financial and academic support are insufficient, that students also need psychological support. To strongly test that claim, I replicated one of these interventions within a bridge program and examined whether it affected students&rsquo; wellness and success at the end of their transitional year, over and above the bridge program itself. I also examined whether living-learning programs contributed to students&rsquo; wellness and success over and above living in conventional residence halls, and whether either of those two types of residential groups differed from students living off-campus. </p><p> Results from the intervention did not fit the theoretical framework on which it was based, the same framework contextualized in the bridge program, or an alternative framework on which other similar interventions are based. Results regarding residential groups suggest that living-learning communities did not augment wellness or success, at least at the particular institution under study. Rather, living on campus generally is associated with a greater sense of social-belonging, higher life satisfaction, more extracurricular activity, and taking advantage of campus resources. Practical advice and recommendations for administrators and researchers are outlined in the Discussion.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how institutional infrastructures influence the experience of faculty holding joint appointments by exploring this phenomenon in three U.S. schools of public health. The data for this research were collected through interviews with joint faculty as well as key administrators at each of the three sites. Observations from site visits as well as institutional documents were also used as part of the case study design. Institutional documents included accreditation self-study reports, institutional bylaws and policies, websites, and strategic plans. </p><p> Analysis of the case studies suggests that it is not a specific administrative infrastructure per se that prevents problems associated with joint appointments and/or promotes faculty satisfaction; rather, what matters is how the infrastructure aligns with organizational culture. In addition to looking inward to institutional culture, the study also suggests that schools should 1) foster strong faculty mentoring for joint faculty, 2) prioritize institutional transparency around joint appointment decision-making, 3) value and appreciate the unique arrangements and contributions of joint faculty and 4) recognize that place in career may influence joint faculty experience. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)</p>

Master of Science / Department of Counseling & Student Development / Kenneth Hughey / The challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students on college and university campuses are many. For example, LGBT students face harassment and discrimination at significantly higher levels than their heterosexual peers, and are twice as likely to receive derogatory remarks (Rankin, Weber, Blumenfeld, & Frazer, 2010). As the visibility of LGBT college students and the adversity they face has increased, there is ever more pressure on college and universities to evaluate whether LGBT students’ needs are being met. A dependable method of determining this is to conduct an assessment of the campus climate for LGBT students. Campus climate can be consists of the mutually reinforcing relationship between the perceptions, attitudes, and expectations of both individuals and groups, as well as the actual patterns of interaction and behavior between individuals and groups (Cress, 2008). Thus, in order to assess a campus climate, one must determine the current perceptions, attitudes, and expectations that define the institution and its members. Campus climate has a significant impact upon students’ academic progress and achievement and their level of satisfaction with their university. Whether or not a student feels as though they matter on their campus is largely a result of the climate. Evaluations of campus climate for LGBT students allow administrations to uncover what inequalities may exist on their campus, which is the first step toward being able to correct them. There have been many methods of improving campus climate that have been effective at a variety of colleges and universities. Administrations that wish to provide LGBT students on their campus with a better experience should invest in as many of these practices as possible. The most important action in improving campus climate is to institute an LGBT resource center or office with a full-time staff member and significant office space. Other impactful strategies include establishing a Safe Zone or Allies program, encouraging LGBT students to form organizations for themselves and their allies, increasing the amount of interaction between LGBT students and faculty—especially LGBT faculty, and establishing a Queer Studies academic program.

<p> El prop&oacute;sito del estudio se enfoc&oacute; en conocer c&oacute;mo funcionan los programas de retenci&oacute;n. Utiliz&oacute; un dise&ntilde;o instrumental de caso (Stake, 1995) y se delimit&oacute; en su alcance a explorar y describir la experiencia de un programa de retenci&oacute;n, en el contexto de una instituci&oacute;n universitaria privada en Puerto Rico (PR). Enfatiz&oacute; en los procesos y experiencias del programa, interesados en mejorar el entendimiento del fen&oacute;meno de la retenci&oacute;n estudiantil en el entorno de la universidad privada en PR. </p><p> Las preguntas fueron dirigidas a explorar y describir: los procesos y experiencias del programa que facilitan la integraci&oacute;n de los estudiantes; condiciones que generan una ecolog&iacute;a que facilite el &eacute;xito de &eacute;stos; mecanismos anticipatorios y de adaptaci&oacute;n que se observan en ellos, y c&oacute;mo son incentivados para responder a eventos que les afectan; y, aquellas interacciones en el campus y con el programa que involucran a &eacute;stos en su vida acad&eacute;mica. La informaci&oacute;n se recopil&oacute; mediante grupos focales, y el an&aacute;lisis e interpretaci&oacute;n, mediante triangulaci&oacute;n de datos y secuenciaci&oacute;n anal&iacute;tica (Stake, 1995), discutiendo y armonizando contrastes sobre la percepci&oacute;n entre los participantes sobre el &eacute;xito y contribuciones del programa. </p><p> Los hallazgos revelan: a) consensos sobre la contribuci&oacute;n del programa para facilitar la integraci&oacute;n de los estudiantes, mediante el apoyo para el manejo de la transici&oacute;n, el trato individualizado, la disponibilidad y accesibilidad de los servicios, ambientes de oportunidades, y el compromiso y liderazgo institucional; b) experiencias con influencias positivas en la retenci&oacute;n, posibilitadas mediante interacci&oacute;n entre pares, contacto con profesores, involucramiento en actividades extracurriculares, grupos de apoyo e interacciones con el personal del programa; c) fuertes conexiones de los estudiantes con el personal, con profesores y compa&ntilde;eros de grupo para responder a situaciones personales y de riesgo; y, d) testimonios que demuestran las fortalezas del programa para involucrar a los estudiantes acad&eacute;micamente, para mejorar el desempe&ntilde;o acad&eacute;mico y retenci&oacute;n. Finalmente, se plantean contrastes entre los participantes del programa, acerca de asuntos que les resultan comunes, pero que mantienen apreciaciones discrepantes entre s&iacute;, las cuales deben tener consideraci&oacute;n futura en el dise&ntilde;o e implantaci&oacute;n de los programas similares en otras universidades privadas en PR.</p>

<p> I conducted this autoethnographic research study to explore how I as a freshman orientation instructor meandered into college teaching through writing, which I used to develop my pedagogical content knowledge. Focusing my research as college faculty development, I reached back in the past and also in the present to select particular experiences to portray as vignettes, thus creating a kaleidoscopic lens. This kaleidoscopic lens serves to provide insight into my perspective of how my teaching philosophy based on the use of writing prompts developed. By connecting the personal experiences that had established my teaching philosophy using writing prompts to the classroom culture of first year students in a northeastern Alabama public two-year community college, the scholarly significance will be perused through integrating the theoretical framework of Lee S. Shulman&rsquo;s (1986, 1987) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) with additions of Otto and Everett&rsquo;s (2013) context knowledge and Zepke&rsquo;s (2013) threshold concepts. </p><p> I as a differently-abled instructor-researcher self-narratively depict how writing prompts supported my teaching experience as pedagogical content knowledge. Thus, my use of writing prompts as pedagogical content knowledge is purposefully intended for providing significant learning experience for my students, improving their readiness for writing college papers and also for communication skills as a potential employee and productive citizen. Over the course of spring and fall 2015 terms totaling four different seventy-five minute Orientation 101 courses, the data purposefully sampled from the students&rsquo; written responses to the prompts given and also from dyadic interviews with several peers ranging from active and retired faculty to acquaintances serve to support my own perspectives and experiences that determine use of writing prompts as effective pedagogical content knowledge.</p>

Previous research has identified spirituality (Riggins, McNeal, & Herndon, 2008) as an important component of academic success for Black college students. Other factors researched include first year/ freshmen experiences, mentorships, faculty–student engagement (Caboni and Adisu, 2004), rigorous high-school curriculums, and summer bridge programs (Palmer, Moore, Davis, Hilton, 2010). Much of the research on college student success provides a comparison between Blacks, Whites, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans (Caboni and Adisu, 2004; Carey, 2005; Palmer, Moore, Davis, Hilton, 2010; Townsend, 2007). However, few studies deal with Black students solely, and the influence of spirituality on the academic success within that one population. The lack of existing research on the relationship between spirituality and Black students’ college success, warrants a study that examines the possible ways in which spirituality might influence the academics of Black students (Hill, 2009). This grounded theory investigation examined the relationship between spirituality and the academic success among fifteen Black college students attending three Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Louisiana. Through depth interviews and analysis of resulting transcripts, it was found that spirituality plays a very important, yet indirect role in the academic successes of Black college students attending HBCUs. Three themes emerged: (1) Spirituality and Enduring Life’s Obstacles, (2) Spirituality as an Influence on Personal Transformation, and (3) the Academic Impact of Spirituality. This study helps to highlight a possible resolution to the post-secondary degree disparity seen between Blacks and Whites.

<p>ABSTRACT Researchers have noted gender and racial differences regarding hazing practices within Greek-letter organizations (Parks et al., 2014). Black Greek-letter organizations focus on physical hazing practices, while their white counterparts focus on alcohol abuse and consumption (Kimbrough, 2003; Parks et al., 2014). As it pertains to gender, black Greek fraternities are more likely to participate in hazing activities, than black Greek sororities. This research has explored the perceptions of black Greek fraternity members and higher education administrators regarding anti-hazing statues and policies, hazing within black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs), and its culture. It has been guided by the overarching research question: What are higher education administrators and black Greek fraternity members? knowledge levels and perceptions regarding anti-hazing laws and BGLO traditions and their effects on the BGF members? participation?

<p> There have been multiple studies regarding the levels of satisfaction or self-efficacy of adjunct faculty members; however, there have been few studies examining possible differences between adjuncts who have a positive desire to remain at their jobs and those who reluctantly remain. Secondary institutions are increasingly employing part-time adjunct staff in higher numbers and understanding the job satisfaction and self-efficacy of this changing workforce is valuable. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive, and causal comparative study was to describe the levels of job satisfaction and self-efficacy of reluctant and enthusiastic stayers, as described in proximal withdrawal states theory, and identify differences between these groups among adjunct faculty at community colleges across California. Forty-seven participants self-reported their job satisfaction, teaching self-efficacy, and desire to remain on the job. Adjuncts respondents were grouped into those who are reluctant stayers and enthusiastic stayers, and found to differ in reported satisfaction and dissatisfaction in aspects of their jobs. While both groups expressed dissatisfaction in pay and opportunities for promotions, significant differences were found in the average responses between the two groups, with reluctant stayers reporting lower levels of job satisfaction and self-efficacy than enthusiastic stayers. Implications from the findings include steps that should be taken by administrators to improve levels of satisfaction of adjuncts. Future research should explore aspects of these findings with random studies with larger sample sizes. The information gleaned from the study should be a starting point for additional research into how job satisfaction and teaching self-efficacy differ between those who are reluctant stayers and enthusiastic stayers among adjunct faculty.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this case study was to document stakeholders&rsquo; perceptions of adopting and integrating OER materials in higher education. Specifically, this study sought to understand the perceptions of institutional faculty, librarians, instructional designers, and students with the adoption and use of OER at a state college in east Florida. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional faculty, librarians, and instructional designers. A survey was distributed to students enrolled in OER integrated courses during the Spring semester. Theoretical perspectives on the adoption and diffusion of OER as an innovation were grounded in Roger&rsquo;s Diffusion of Innovation theory. </p><p> An analysis of the data revealed that stakeholder perceptions are a key factor in the rate of adoption and diffusion within the institution. Faculty perceptions of resource quality and time involved to curate the resources proved challenging for OER adoption and integration. Instructional designers perceived the resources as time consuming yet highly accessible. Librarians perceived the resources as beneficial, but a lack of awareness and understanding of licensing rules made adoption and integration challenging. Students perceived the resources as advantageous, above average in quality, and just as effective as traditional textbooks. Despite the challenges presented, stakeholders agreed that access to the resources and the cost savings for students were significant enough to outweigh the time involved to locate, adapt, implement, and utilize the resources.</p><p>

A majority of the research on student-athletes occurs at the Division I level, acid less is known about Division III student-athletes. The scant research addressing the experiences of Division III students-athletes focused on academics, campus involvement, development, and athletic identity (Griffith & Johnson, 2002; Heuser & Gray, 2009; Richards & Aries, 1993; Schroeder, 2000; Umbach, Palmer, Kuh, & Hannah, 2006). What remains unknown is how they manage life roles as Division III student-athletes.;This case study sought to address the time demands and life roles (e.g. athletics, family, friendship, religion, academic, and romantic interests) of student-athletes. Two private, Division Ill institutions in the Midwest were selected. A total of 21 student-athletes from both men and women's basketball teams were interviewed. The findings suggest student-athletes are strained by time demands, yet have developed strategies to better manage their time. Family serves as a foundation and the most important life role for a majority of student-athletes. Teammates, coaches, and athletic involvement offer additional support as student-athletes transition through college. The life roles of religion and romantic relationships, however, were not seen as important for student-athletes. This research concluded that Division III student-athletes juggle multiple roles but their priorities change over time. of note, participant's integrated roles over time and particular transition phases existed for students. Moreover, instead of border keepers vying to reinforce borders between roles, this study concluded that border bridgers existed instead that sought to aid students in blurring boundaries between their various roles. Male athletes were less able to describe how they managed time, whereas female athletes readily identified organizational strategies and stronger team bonds.