The main purpose of this applied dissertation was to explore why a new student who is fully admitted to an academic program never proceeds to registration during their first semester. A research study addressing these instances might help college administrators improve conversion rates of admitted students. The fact that four of the six participants only applied to one university, the researcher believes, validates several prior research studies that directly linked a strong connection between a student’s positive perception of a college and the likelihood that they enroll in it. All of these participants in fact did perceive the university positively; therefore, many of them only applied to it for admission. Several of the participants mentioned that the university’s course offerings, format, and academic fit were among the reasons why they applied to it as well. However, what the study results revealed was not so much about their positive perception of the university or whether or not it was a good academic fit, but more so the lack of communication with the university during the enrollment process, difficulty in navigating the financial aid process, and their common need for a more personalized experience with their financial aid needs that led them to not enroll. The researcher was able to identify six major participant experiences and topics that were among the most commonly used by each of the participants. They included financial aid, cost, personalized experience, level of ease or difficulty relative to the enrollment, expressed need for more information, and communication. After the researcher identified each of the six most commonly mentioned participant experiences and topics within the enrollment process, three major emerging themes became apparent. The three major emerging themes were: Personalized Experience, Communication, and Financial Aid. The results of this study, such as identifying multiple consistent emerging themes of why an admitted student chooses to not enroll, can add value for any university especially one that is seeking to improve its enrollment management processes, the overall experience of its admitted prospective students within its admission system, and its admitted and enrolled conversion rate.

De nombreuses études tendent à démontrer qu’au Québec et au Canada, les personnes immigrantes font face à divers obstacles pour accéder au marché de l’emploi québécois, surtout lorsqu’il s’agit d’y exercer une profession réglementée par un ordre professionnel. En effet, avant de décerner un permis, les ordres doivent s’assurer de la compétence des candidats à la profession, conformément à la mission de protection du public qui leur a été déléguée par l’État. Pour ce faire, ils imposent diverses conditions d’admission aux professions, dont celle d’obtenir un diplôme reconnu. Pour ne pas restreindre indûment l’accès aux professions, la loi prévoit que les ordres ont l’obligation d’offrir aux personnes aux parcours atypiques – dont la quasi-totalité sont formées à l’étranger – la possibilité de démontrer l’équivalence de leurs qualifications. Lorsque les ordres estiment qu’il n’y a pas équivalence, des mesures de compensation – sous forme de formations d’appoint, de stages ou d’épreuves d’aptitude – sont prescrites aux candidats. Or, certaines conditions d’admission et procédures de reconnaissance sont aujourd’hui contestées, car considérées inadaptées ou discriminatoires à l’égard des personnes immigrantes. Il convenait donc d’examiner la compatibilité des normes d’admission et de reconnaissance des ordres professionnels québécois au droit à l’égalité, tel que garanti par la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne. La présente thèse conclut que les personnes formées à l’étranger sont victimes de discrimination systémique dans l’admission aux professions. Pour en arriver à cette conclusion, nous avons, dans un premier temps, brossé le portrait du cadre juridique entourant l’admission aux professions, puis identifié, par le biais d’une revue de la littérature, les difficultés que les conditions d’admission et les mécanismes de reconnaissance posent aux personnes formées à l’étranger. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons appliqué la méthode du droit classique pour mettre en exergue les exigences du droit à la non-discrimination en contexte d’admission aux professions et de reconnaissance des qualifications. L’analyse de la jurisprudence pertinente démontre d’ailleurs que les personnes formées à l’étranger disposent de chances raisonnables de faire valoir le caractère à première vue discriminatoire des normes, pratiques et décisions en la matière. Dans un troisième temps, l’enquête empirique de type qualitatif que nous avons menée, en complément de la méthode du droit classique, mène à la conclusion que les ordres professionnels comprennent mal le sens que prend la protection du public et ses exigences particulières dans le contexte propre des professions qu’ils réglementent. Non seulement ce constat permet-il de remettre en doute la légitimité de l’ensemble des normes, pratiques et décisions des ordres relatives au contrôle de l’admission, mais il confirme que, dans de nombreux cas, les normes d’admission et de reconnaissance, prisent isolément ou lorsque considérées dans leur ensemble, portent atteinte, de façon injustifiée, au droit à l’égalité des personnes formées à l’étranger. Dans un dernier temps, l’ensemble de nos recherches nous a permis de proposer différentes mesures d’ordre systémique à l’attention des ordres, à titre de principaux responsables du contrôle de l’admission, et aux autres acteurs impliqués dans le parcours d’admission et dont l’action concertée est requise pour remédier à la situation. / Multiple studies tend to demonstrate that in Québec, and elsewhere in Canada, immigrants must overcome many obstacles to work in the field in which they were trained. These difficulties are even greater when it comes to accessing a regulated profession. Obtaining a license from a professional regulatory body is contingent on the candidates meeting various requirements, for example having obtained a recognized diploma, which are made to ensure that candidates are sufficiently qualified to practice the profession in a manner deemed safe for the public. In order to not unduly restrict access to these professions, regulatory bodies are legally obliged to offer foreign-trained candidates the opportunity to show that their qualifications are equivalent to those of locally trained candidates. If the qualifications are not deemed equivalent, compensatory measures, such as a training program, an internship, or qualification exams, are imposed. However, certain admission requirements and procedures for recognition of qualifications are now being challenged, as they are considered inappropriate or discriminatory towards immigrants. As a result, it is timely to examine whether these admission and recognition standards respect the right to equality as guaranteed by the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (Québec Charter). In this thesis, I conclude that foreign-trained professionals are victims of systemic discrimination when it comes to accessing regulated professions. To arrive at this conclusion, I reviewed the legal framework regulating admission to these professions, and the academic and professional literature relating to the difficulties faced by foreign-trained professionals throughout the admission process. Then, using the traditional legal method, I set out the teachings and principles of anti-discrimination law, and in particular under the Québec Charter. The decisions rendered across Canada in cases brought forward by foreign-trained professionals seeking access to a regulated profession show that, despite some loopholes, immigrants have reasonable chances to prove they are the victims of prima facie discrimination. In addition to the traditional legal method, I conducted a qualitative empirical research that demonstrates that Québec’s professional regulatory bodies misunderstand the meaning of public safety, and what it requires in the specific context of each profession. These observations confirm that, in many cases, norms regarding admission to regulated professions and the recognition of qualifications, whether by themselves or considered as a whole, are not justified, and therefore infringe the provisions of the Québec Charter. I conclude this thesis by proposing various measures, some of which are systemic, that professional regulatory bodies and other actors implicated in the admission processes can put in place in order to ensure that foreign-trained professionals’ equality rights are respected.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Business schools, businesses and prospective students will benefit from an indication of prospective MBA students’ likelihood of success in their studies. This study examines the relationship between GMAT and SHL selection tests and performance of students at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. The aim is to establish the feasibility of using models derived from the selection tests in order to identify students who are unlikely to succeed. It was found that variables analyzed in GMAT and SHL numeric and verbal tests as well as the SHL OPQ 32-test correlate significantly with weighted average marks on the MBA programme. Significant correlations were also found between GMAT and SHL numeric and verbal tests and the marks obtained in subjects with high failure rates. Different variables correlate significantly with weighted average marks depending on the mode of study. Said correlations were however found to be too weak to build a model to predict, with accuracy, the performance of a student based solely on the results of selection tests. Adding the subject Computer Literacy strengthens the models to the extent that discriminant analysis can identify many of the students whom would be expected to fail. Prediction efficiency of discriminant models is however not high enough to allow its sole use as basis for exclusion of prospective students. Linear models could not predict any of the students who failed to achieve a weighted average mark of 50% or above. Linear regression models could however explain 27.8% to 52.6% of variability in weighted averaged depending on the method of study and selection test taken. Linear regression and discriminant models can thus be used as part of a judgement based selection process or as a basis for the provision of guidance to individuals, it is however not suitable for use as sole measure in admissions decisions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Besigheidskole, besighede en voornemende studente sal baat vind indien hul ‘n indikasie kan kry van die waarskynlikheid van ‘n voornemende student se sukses. Die studie ondersoek die verhouding tussen GMAT en SHL toetse en prestasie van studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch Bestuurskool. Die doel was om vas te stel of dit wesenlik is om modelle, wat van die toelatingstoetse afgelei is, te gebruik om studente wat waarskynlik nie sal slaag nie, te identifiseer. Daar is gevind dat veranderlikes in die GMAT en SHL numeriese en verbale toelatingstoetse sowel as die SHL OPQ32 toets wesenlik korreleer met die geweegde gemiddelde punt vir die MBA program. Wesenlike korrelasies is ook tussen GMAT en SHL numeriese en verbale toelatingstoetse en die punte behaal in vakke met hoeë druipsyfers gevind. Verskillende veranderlikes korreleer op ‘n wesenlike vlak met geweegde gemiddelde punte afhangende van die metode van onderrig. Bogenoemde korrelasies is egter nie sterk genoeg om ‘n model te bou, suiwer gebaseer op toelatingstoetse, wat met akkuraatheid die prestasie van ‘n student kan voorspel nie. Deur die vak Rekenaargeletterdheid by te voeg kan die model sodanig versterk word dat diskriminante analise baie van die studente wat sou druip, kon identifiseer. Die voorspellings effektiwiteit is egter nie hoog genoeg om diskriminante modelle as enigste basis vir die weiering van studente te gebruik nie. Lineêre regressie modelle kon nie enige van die studente wat gedruip het identifiseer nie. 27.8% tot 52.6% van ‘n variansie in geweegde gemiddelde punt kan egter deur lineêre regressie modelle voorspel word, afhangende van die metode van onderrig en toelatingstoets wat geskryf is. Lineêre en diskriminante modelle kan gebruik word as deel van ‘n oordeel gebaseerde keuringsproses of as basis vir die voorsiening van raad aan individue. Dit is egter nie geskik vir gebruik as enigste keuringsmaatstaf nie.

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold. First, the study sought to determine if the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) Reading score predicts success on the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET). Second, the study addressed the effect on individuals of color of raising the minimum TASP Reading score entrance requirement for admission to teacher preparation programs. Data were collected from the ExCET Office of a Carnegie I metropolitan university. The defined sample consisted of 961 participants who had a TASP Reading score and had taken an Elementary Comprehensive ExCET, an Elementary Professional Development ExCET or a Secondary Professional ExCET between September 1999 and January 2001. Linear Regression, Box Test, Predictive Discriminate Analysis, and frequency distribution tables were used for analyses. This investigation examined the effects of the independent variable of TASP Reading score on the performance of participants on the dependent variable, the ExCET. Four null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. The TASP Reading score was a statistically significant predictor for success on the Elementary Comprehensive ExCET, Elementary Professional Development ExCET, and the Secondary Professional Development ExCET. However, the Predictive Discriminate Analysis indicated that a TASP Reading score of 220 predicted that no candidates would fail the Elementary Comprehensive ExCET, 6 participants would fail the Elementary Professional Development ExCET and 19 participants would fail the Secondary Professional Development ExCET. Five hypotheses addressed the effect of raising the TASP Reading score to 250. Findings of four hypotheses showed that raising this admission standard would impact the number of individuals of color granted admission to the teacher preparation program. These results call for the recommendation that governing agencies address the impact of state teacher education program accreditation that often results in the policy of relying on the TASP Reading score as one of the primary admission standards for teacher education programs. The unintended outcome of raising the reading admission standard in the anticipation of continued state accreditation is a noticeable loss of candidates of colors, especially African American candidates.

The primary questions addressed in this dissertation are whether race-based admissions policies in charter schools are constitutionally permissible, and if not, how could an admissions policy be designed so that it would promote school diversity without violating the law? These questions are important because there are significant numbers of philosophers and scholars who hypothesize that student body diversity not only enhances educational outcomes but also is a necessary component of civic education in a liberal democracy. The researcher takes no particular stance on the benefits of educational diversity, focusing instead on the constitutional questions raised by the use of race-sensitive policies in the interest of diversity. The primary methodology used throughout is legal research, though the literature review includes references to political philosophers and social scientists as well as primary legal sources. Chapter I outlines the most frequent arguments made in favor of school diversity and suggests that the judicial philosophy expressed by the Supreme Court over the last twenty-five years has moved away from the philosophy expressed in Brown v. Board. In Chapter II, Supreme Court precedent on affirmative action policies is analyzed, focusing mainly on the decision of the divided Court in University of California Board of Regents v. Bakke. Chapter III provides a detailed analysis of how six different Federal Circuit Courts interpreted Bakke, highlighting numerous recurring judicial themes and concerns. In Chapter IV, existing charter school laws are examined state by state. Chapter V suggests several policy options for those interested in promoting a diverse charter school student body.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of students from China's Henan province regarding inequities they experience in the Chinese higher education system based solely on their geography. Henan students are required to score higher than students from other provinces on the Chinese National College Entrance Examinations (NCEE) in order to apply for admission into Chinese top tier universities. Yet despite having higher scores than their peers from other provinces and meeting all admissions requirements, Henan students have little guarantee of admission. The study systematically reviews the history of the Chinese higher education system to contextualize the impact of current NCEE policies and procedures. The perceptions of six Henan students currently studying in the top tiered Chinese University were gathered using qualitative interviews and explored for commonalities and differences. The students’ responses reveal a range of feelings from anger to acceptance, and even gratitude for the ways the inequities impacted their lives. This work increases our understanding of the link between geography and access to Chinese top tiered university and the effects of that link on students from Henan province. / School of Education; / Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program for Education Leaders (IDPEL) / EdD; / Dissertation;

The thesis examines the process of recruitment of German prisoners of war (the former Wehrmacht soldiers) to the Czechoslovak foreign army in the West. Based on a wide variety of sources mainly of military origin, the thesis investigates the process of enlistment with all its specific regional features (the recruitment differed slightly based on the country where it took place). More specifically, the thesis also deals with questions concerning the German captives' security clearance, e. g. to which extent the actual recruitment followed the official instructions and guidelines, in which ways the captives presented themselves and what image they tried to create, how they were appraised and perceived by the Czechoslovak authorities and by officers, etc. The final mosaic should demonstrate that recruitment of the former Wehrmacht soldiers was not only inevitable, but also vital and necessary for completion of Czechoslovak armed forces. The vetting itself was a very strict and thorough process aimed on preventing potentially dangerous, unreliable individuals who might have posed a security risk from joining the Czechoslovak army.

M.Cur. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The main goal of the Master's Thesis is to describe and to analyse methods of pricing and other instruments of price policies used for sport events and sport facilities. The second goal is to analyse the effect of price policies on the attendance demand at sport events and sport facilities. The practical part of the Master's Thesis focuses on the comparison of price policies of the czech professional football clubs in the First Division. Price policy of the one First Division and of the one Second Division club in the Czech Republic was described more closer. These clubs were AC Sparta Prague and FK Viktoria Žižkov.