Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Carla Jones / Multiracial identity development has been a topic of study that has slowly begun to grow interest in academia. While it is important to acknowledge the process of multiracial identity development in and of itself, it is also essential to understand how this development is influenced by different ecological factors in higher education, such as when and where a multiracial student may encounter instances of marginalization, as well as instances of mattering. One of the more prominent facets of this ecology is race-oriented student services, which can provide either a space in which multiracial students feel marginalized, or one in which they feel that they matter. This report will examine multiracial identity development and why it is needed in order to better understand multiracial students’ needs, as well as how race-oriented student services affect development and expression of their identity.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Robert J. Shoop / Previous studies of the experiences of mainland Chinese students in the U.S. have focused on graduate students, the most prolific Chinese demographic change before 2008. However, a significant increase in mainland Chinese undergraduate students has occurred in American universities since 2008, and these students have different features from Chinese graduate students. Meanwhile, research on the mainland Chinese undergraduate student experience was very limited. For example, what are the sources of stress of these Chinese undergraduate students? What were their coping strategies? What changes did they have in the process? How do they evaluate their experience in the U.S.? This study is an attempt to answer these questions. This study employed a qualitative research method and a case study research design to examine the experience of six mainland Chinese undergraduate students in a midwestern American public university. Convenience, snowball and criterion sampling were used to identify the participants, who were conducted a semi-structured interview with in-depth follow-up probing sessions to yield data. Berry’s (1997) acculturation framework was the theoretical framework for the study. Patterns that emerged from the data include: (1) six stressors are discovered in participants’ acculturation process: language barrier, cultural difference, life skills-related stressors, relationships with others, academic studies, and concern for the future (including job opportunity and pressure for marriages). The stressors vary based on individual factors and their length of time in the U.S; (2) participants used three coping strategies to cope with stressful situation: problem focused, emotions focused and avoidance-orientation strategies; participants mainly rely on friends or roommates to cope with problems and are not aware of university’s resources for help; (3) participants experienced many changes in this process, including improved English skill, independence, stress management, changed perceptions about U.S. and China; (4) participants’ overall evaluation of the experience is positive but they don’t think studying in the U.S. is for everyone; they hope university to provide more help overcome the difficulties; (5) participants also talked about dissatisfaction about Chinese education, cheating problems at the American university, using agents when applying for universities, desire to return to China eventually and their family financial support. Themes emerged crossing all patterns included: (1) participants did not what to expect before they went abroad but managed to overcome difficulties in the U.S.; (2) participants are willing to make changes and improve themselves by overcoming all barriers with the resources they know; (3) participants desire more help from the university to overcome the barriers to a better education; (4) participants seek better job opportunities whether in China or in the U.S. soon after graduation, but they eventually will go back China; (5) participants’ family fully support participants’ endeavor to study in the U.S. As a conclusion, the study makes recommendations to American university administrators, professors and Chinese students who plan to come to the U.S. American universities should develop a holistic approach to help Chinese international students. Language and cultural training and engagement is important. Partnership programs between American students and Chinese students may be established to help them with language and cultural training. At the same time, life-skills, relationship skills, academic study skills and training are needed for students who came during high school or after high school. The university should also use standardized test for admission to ensure quality of students. Professional career help is a very critical need for these students in China and in America. Finally, the study recommends further research to better understand this unique population.

This case study sheds light on successful matriculation practices which emerge from the combination of institutional efforts and student needs. In order to discern successful matriculation data was collected in the form of interviews, observations, and documents at a less selective college with a high rate of retention. Mortimer Adler College possesses unique qualities with respect to curriculum, student population, teaching styles, and student life which affect retention in both positive and negative ways. The institution utilizes a highly structured Great Books curriculum and does not utilize traditional grading and assessment methods. The methods of student socialization are also explored through interviews with faculty and administrators. The findings of this study reveal the qualities of Mortimer Adler College which both support and hinder student success. The study also gives insight to the views of students within this unique institutional setting, focusing on their needs and goals and how their perceptions of the institution impact retention. The review of practices at this institution combined with the perception of the student body allows for the examination of programs and practices employed by Mortimer Adler College which aid in improving and supporting high retention that may also be used at other institutions of higher education. Higher Education, Retention, Persistence, Great Books, Socialization, Faculty Student Relationships

It seems reasonable to assume that the realization of the doctoral degree denotes that one is proficient in college teaching. However, the literature indicates that doctoral programs are failing to adequately prepare doctoral students for teaching in collegiate settings. The seminal work on doctoral student experiences suggests that doctoral programs are adequately preparing doctoral students for their research function, but concerns emerge around teacher preparation. Four bodies of literature inform this study: (a) the literature on the teaching role in higher education (b) the literature on doctoral students’ experiences as it relates to their teaching preparation (c) the literature on new faculty socialization (d) and the literature on the nature of academic disciplines and their differences as it relates to faculty work. The study fills a gap in the literature by examining junior faculty perceptions of their doctoral level teaching-related preparation by taking a cross disciplinary approach of eight disciplines (four high consensus and four low consensus). The omnibus question this study seeks to address is whether or not there are discipline differences in junior faculty perceptions of their doctoral level preparation for college teaching. The study employed a quantitative approach in collecting data using a survey design. The sample for the study was delimited to junior faculty in political science, sociology, psychology, economics, physics, chemistry, biology and geology from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Four-Year 1 institutions. An instrument developed by Hall (2007) which measures counselor educators’ perception of their doctoral level teaching preparation was modified for the purpose of data collection. Contact information for junior faculty in selected disciplines was collected from SREB Four-Year 1 institutions. Findings reveal an anti-teaching culture embedded within research institutions and also significant discipline differences in overall perceptions of doctoral level teaching preparation. The findings of this study provide higher education leaders and faculty with empirical results which could inform the training of doctoral students for their college teaching role.

Since the 1990s, academic physicians have been subjected to increased requirements for disclosure in their roles as educators and researchers and for conflict of interest (COI) resolution in their financial relationships with pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotech companies, collectively referred to as industry. The requirements are the result of the convergence of federal regulations, accreditation guidelines, professional and industry codes of ethics and conduct, and institutional policies. The disclosure and COI resolution requirements are managed and resolved by a review of forms and compliance with relevant guidance documents and policies. In the context of this environmental oversight, the purpose of the qualitative study was to explore physicians’ perspectives of how they manage and resolve conflicts of interest in their academic roles of teaching, research, and patient care. Minimal evidence-based research exists in the literature from the physician’s viewpoint. The grounded theory study examined the research question by using an issue-contingent, ethical decision-making theoretical framework from the management literature. The data were collected using a general interview guide that consisted of three sections – general questions regarding purpose and demographics, discussion of three case scenarios (teaching, research, and clinical practice), and finally, general concluding questions to assess the environment that is indicative of the context of the study. The theory emerged from the interview data as a refined theory representing a four-step ethical decision-making process with emphasis on the characteristics of physicians as moral agents. The study’s findings further indicated that bias is a significant concern. The study identified reasons physicians enter into financial relationships with industry, the risks and benefits associated with those relationships, methods for avoiding bias, and the need for healthy academic-industry collaborative research.

The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty and administrator perceptions of online learning compared to traditional face-to-face instruction by exploring the factors that impact online instruction. Strategies that can lead to effective online learning environments were explored. Faculty and administrators working with online education at 6 traditional, regionally accredited, degree granting higher education institutions were included in the study. The number of participants consisted of 169 from the public university, 98 from the private institutions, and 33 from the community college. The survey used a Likert-type scale, and had 4 dimensions (student engagement, student-student interactions, faculty engagement, and academic dishonesty) to measure faculty and administrator perceptions of online education. It contained 17 statements and 9 demographic questions. Statistical analyses of the data revealed: (1) No significant difference in the perceptions of faculty and administrators as measured by mean scores on the 4 dimensions of the survey by type of higher education institution, (2) No significant difference in the perceptions on the 4 dimensions of the survey between administrators and faculty, (3) No significant relationship in participants’ years of service and mean scores on the 4 dimensions of the survey, (4) No significant difference in the perceptions on the student-student interactions dimension between faculty who teach primarily online and those who teach primarily face-to-face, and a significant difference in the perceptions on the other 3 dimensions, (5) A significant difference in the perceptions of faculty towards academic dishonesty dimension depending on the percentage of online classes taught by the faculty (25% or less, about 50%, about 75%, and 100%). Group 1 (25% or less) had significantly lower mean score than the groups 2 (about 50%), 3 (about 75%), and 4 (100%), (6) A significant positive relationship in the perceptions on the academic dishonesty dimension based on the number of years teaching online courses, (7) No significant difference in participants’ mean scores on the 4 dimensions based on faculty members’ and administrators’ age, and (8) The perceptions of male faculty and administrators on student engagement tended to be significantly higher than the perceptions of female faculty and administrators.

This study examined an aspect of enrollment management at a private liberal arts college. Factors related to enrollment decisions of students accepted for admission to Milligan College were analyzed by comparing two groups: matriculants and nonmatriculants. The population consisted of 438 traditional-age applicants for the 1995 fall semester. Data were collected from the application for admission, financial aid application, and a survey instrument designed to obtain information relative to influences on the enrollment decision. The Purposes of the research were to determine if significant differences existed between the two groups and to identify the characteristics of the students most likely to enroll at the college. Analyses were conducted by calculating measures of central tendency, the chi-square test of significance, the independent t-test for equality of means, and multiple linear regression. Among the variables considered were financial aid resources, academic achievement, distance from the campus, church affiliation, attendance by relatives, and campus visit. Subjects were also asked an open-ended question on the survey regarding the primary reasons for their decisions. Major findings revealed significant differences between matriculants and nonmatriculants with respect to completion of the financial aid award process, church affiliation, scholarships and grants received, ACT scores, and campus visit. The survey respondents identified as primary reasons for a decision to enroll, the Christian atmosphere, programs of study available, and quality academics. Primary reasons for a decision not to enroll included, distance from the college, high cost, and the desired program of study was not available. Based on the results of the research the following recommendations were made. Steps should be taken to ensure completion of the financial aid award process is a high priority for all applicants. Scholarships and grants should be awarded at the optimum level for each qualified applicant. Recruiting efforts should focus on those areas, geographically and demographically, in which the prospects who are most likely to enroll can be identified, based on selected characteristics.

This study of principal preparation programs composing the Danforth Foundation Program for the Preparation of School Principals (DPPSP) was conducted to identify and compare the perceptions of program faculty and program coordinators of their respective instructional planning and teaching practices, and their like perceptions of department expectations of faculty regarding these same roles. Variables were constructed using a pilot survey with selected faculty who were members of the Southern Region Council for Education Administration. There were three major findings. Faculty and program coordinators ranked their perceptions of their own practice highly. Faculty and program coordinators ranked their perceptions of their own instructional planning and teaching higher than they ranked their perceptions of department expectations of faculty regarding their teaching. Faculty and program coordinators ranked their perceptions of their own practice higher than they ranked their self-reported use of various instructional planning and teaching strategies, and methods and resources. Several recommendations resulted from this study. Among the most notable were the following: faculty and program coordinators in DPPSP programs need to conduct research which focuses on graduate perceptions of the quality of instructional planning and teaching they experienced while in the preparation program: similar research which focuses on other principal preparation program faculty teaching practices needs to be conducted, possibly using a qualitative approach: in light of the disparity between faculty and program coordinator perceptions of their instructional planning and teaching practices, and their self-reported utilization of various instructional planning and teaching methods and resources, it was recommended that DPPSP faculties and coordinators engage in critical assessment of the assumptions under which they plan for and enact teaching and learning activities.

This study of sophomore students' at East Tennessee State University was conducted to determine students' impressions of the institutional academic advising program, to assess students' level of satisfaction with the academic advisor's assistance with those topics discussed in academic advising sessions, and to determine students' impressions of their academic advisor. The data collected in this study revealed that the sophomore students at ETSU were slightly dissatisfied with their advisor's assistance. Data derived from comparative analyses for differences in impressions of academic advising services found that specific demographic groups were basically neutral in their satisfaction with advising. Few statistically significant differences were found in these demographic groupings. A comparative analysis of ETSU students to a national norm study revealed significant differences in the impressions of academic advising services. The ETSU students were significantly less satisfied than students from the national norm study. The data in this study indicated there was a need for improving the academic services available at ETSU. Several recommendations were made. Institutional strategies and programmatic strategies were outlined to improve academic advising at ETSU.

This study of sophomore students' at East Tennessee State University was conducted to determine students' impressions of the institutional academic advising program, to assess students' level of satisfaction with the academic advisor's assistance with those topics discussed in academic advising sessions, and to determine students' impressions of their academic advisor. The data collected in this study revealed that the sophomore students at ETSU were slightly dissatisfied with their advisor's assistance. Data derived from comparative analyses for differences in impressions of academic advising services found that specific demographic groups were basically neutral in their satisfaction with advising. Few statistically significant differences were found in these demographic groupings. A comparative analysis of ETSU students to a national norm study revealed significant differences in the impressions of academic advising services. The ETSU students were significantly less satisfied than students from the national norm study. The data in this study indicated there was a need for improving the academic services available at ETSU. Several recommendations were made. Institutional strategies and programmatic strategies were outlined to improve academic advising at ETSU.