Many colleges have faced the challenge of engaging faculty in teaching and learning professional development. The purpose of this project study was to investigate why full-time school of business faculty at a small community college in Canada do not complete college course design and student assessment training. Faculty members are urged to complete these trainings in order to implement their courses to successfully prepare students to graduate from college and launch professional careers. The research questions in this study focused on faculty perceptions regarding factors that have prevented their completion of this college's course design and student assessment professional development. The conceptual framework for this study was the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation developed by Keller. A bounded case study design using purposeful sampling was adopted and 12 faculty members from the department agreed to participate in the study. Data collection included interviews that were coded and analyzed for common themes. The key findings suggested that faculty would be interested in having input in mandated professional development so that sessions were more closely aligned with their learning needs and performance plans. The project, a white paper, included recommendations based on findings that may be used by the college to establish a faculty professional development policy that is connected to performance and refine the faculty professional development offerings to accommodate faculty learning needs. Student graduates of the college might benefit from this research as faculty, through professional development, become better able to address the knowledge and skills they require to be positioned to contribute effectively to their communities and the Canadian economy.

The urgent need for teachers led the Florida legislature in 1887 to establish the Florida State Normal College at DeFuniak Springs. The college closed in 1905 with passage of the Buckman Act, which mandated a complete reorganization of state-supported higher education and ended coeducation for white students. This small college, open for eighteen years, was uniquely situated in time and place to examine larger questions in American educational history as well as contribute to the history of higher education in Florida, which developed differently than in other states. This historical case study used archival sources to examine this institution, and contribute to the history of the origins of Florida's system of higher education. Key questions guiding the research were the nature of the students, fundamental aspects of school life, the impact of the school on the students, and the role of the school in the development of higher education in Florida. Original sources included the Catalogs, Register and Minutes of the school. The census of 1900 was used to develop information on the backgrounds of the students. Findings were: DeFuniak Springs was chosen for the school because of the Florida Chautauqua; the school was coeducational and had few rules but the internalized social codes of the students resulted in almost no difficulties with discipline; the students, a majority of whom were women, were from middle-class southern families; the college compared favorably in faculty, facilities and curriculum to institutions elsewhere; although few students graduated, alumni played a key role in shaping Florida's common schools; and, the Buckman Act entirely changed the nature of higher education in Florida. Implications were: The coeducational nature of the college a hundred years ago significantly changes the picture of Florida's higher education; the school was small, but its influence far outlasted the institution; and, the school struggled with issues which continue to trouble modern educators such as finances, the legislature, student retention, underpreparedness, and the proper structuring of a curriculum, which indicates the persistence of these issues.

Early alert systems have been recognized as a high impact practice designed to improve student engagement and student success. Early alert is designed to identify students with at-risk behaviors early in the semester before they decide to drop-out, withdraw, or fail their classes, using resources such as a predictive analysis tool or advising. For an early alert to be successful and efficient, faculty should be included in the process of early alert. This qualitative study examined faculty's perspective and experiences when implementing early alert strategies and intervention in a two-year institution. Using Cranton's seven facets of transformative learning as a conceptual framework, this study examined the changes, perception, and experiences of faculty as a result of implementation. The literature reviews best practices that can be considered when faculty designs their early alert strategies and intervention. Participants shared their During and After Implementation Journal experience by completing reflection journals. After careful analysis of their journals and initial interview, the following major themes emerged: a) at-risk behaviors, b) high-impact practices, c) intentionality, d) personal connection, e) perspective transformation, and f) value. As a result of these themes, recommendations were provided to assist faculty development and change agents in two-year institutions in improving early alert methods to increase student success.

This purpose of this study was to determine to what extent programs for language-minority students at TBR community colleges adhere to the recommendations contained in the Conference on College Composition and Communications 2009 Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers and to investigate the factors beyond these professional recommendations that influence administrative decision-making about these programs and their designs. This study contained a survey sent to individuals at all 13 community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents system and follow-up interviews with 5 survey respondents from different institutions. Analysis of the results of the study indicates all TBR community colleges across the state are utilizing the CCCC’s 2009 recommendations to some degree but that no single institution has fully implemented every recommendation. Additionally, the survey showed that, across the system, the most followed recommendations are those related to classroom practices. Other areas assessed including placement, available resources, administrative decisions, and instructor qualifications were all implemented in decreasing order. The least followed recommendations are those concerning recruitment of learners into the program. Results also show that other factors beyond professional recommendations which influence the design and delivery of programs for language minority students include financial or budgetary considerations, administrative considerations beyond budget, misconceptions or a lack of knowledge about language minority students, the presence of experienced or dedicated ESL faculty, partnerships between offices on campus, the local, state, and national political climate, and an understanding that no program can meet the needs of all learners. These conclusions yield a number of considerations useful to individuals looking to implement or improve services for language minority students at their institution.

Community colleges face challenges with the high rate of retirement of community college presidents and the need to replace them with qualified leaders. Although leadership research has identified a number of desirable attributes of community college presidents, there is little research on the attributes sought by both faculty leaders and board members in an effective community college presidential applicant. This exploratory qualitative study sought to fill that gap. Its additional purpose was to examine how these two groups make a decision when differences occur. Attribute theory served as the conceptual framework that guided the study. Seven faculty leaders and 3 board members responded to questionnaires and participated in interviews on the attributes they deemed most important. Data were analyzed by using open and axial coding. Findings revealed that faculty and board members agreed on these key attributes of a community college president: communication skills, decision-making skills, honesty, problem solving skills, and vision. However, faculty discussed them from the perspective of what happens inside the institution, while board members discussed them from the perspective of what happens outside the institution. Applicants and committee members need to be aware of the importance of serving internal and external constituents. Both faculty and board members indicated using a democratic, collegial method to come to agreement when differences occurred. Social change implications include enhanced satisfaction and retention of community college presidents and thus better stability and performance of their institutions.

Higher education institutions in Ghana are challenged in providing access to affordable education to accommodate all qualified students for postsecondary education. Most Ghanaian students seek skills and knowledge to prepare them for a global workforce. The study's purpose was to investigate the adaptation of the U.S. community college's 2-year model for training students in Ghana's higher education system to participate in high skilled employment in business and industry, using a conceptual framework drawn from Becker's theory of human capital. The research questions focused on what support students need to participate successfully in Ghana's higher education system, and what concerns stakeholders have regarding higher education in Ghana that might be addressed by the U.S. community college model. This qualitative study included individual and focus group interviews with 11 participants, including college students, faculty, staff, the registrar, and community business partners. Data were analyzed to find emerging codes and themes. Results showed that participants perceived a variety of challenges that limited their access to and participation in higher education including: financial issues, lack of preparation in critical thinking, inadequate academic facilities, and inequitable distribution of education subsidies. Participants expressed the need for campus-based career development programs, partnerships with community business organizations, and employable skills and work experience. Findings may contribute to positive social change by encouraging entrepreneurship education that might help create wealth to break the cycle of poverty. Higher education administrators may be encouraged to provide practical education to address the problem of youth unemployment.

Intimate partner violence affects a significant portion of college-aged individuals, but researchers know little about how the intersection of age, race, class, and gender influence intimate partner violence among community college students in the United States. In this quantitative correlational study, I examined the relationship between intimate partner violence and gender, race, age, class, marital status, and past abuse among community college students using the intersectionality theory. I used the Abusive Behavior Inventory and a demographic survey to collect data via a convenience sample of the target population of men (n = 220) and women (n = 330) attending a community college or recent graduates. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated although no demographic variables were related to the frequency of psychological violence, lower age and higher socioeconomic status were related to increased frequency of physical violence. Individuals aged 18-24 were more likely than other groups to experience physical violence (t = -2.73, p = .008), and individuals with higher income levels (larger than $50,000) were more likely than individuals in other socioeconomic statuses to experience physical violence (t = 1.99, p = .049). The implications for positive social change include generating data regarding the potential predictive demographic factors that influence intimate partner violence, which may help professional's complete interventions that address intimate partner violence among community college students. More targeted interventions could reduce the rate of intimate partner violence and the long-term effects of intimate partner violence, particularly among the unexpected populations affected by intimate partner violence, as I indicated.

The effect of unethical behaviors in health care settings is an important issue in the safe care of clients and has been a concern of the nursing profession for some time. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between use of unethical behaviors in the nursing student experience and the use of unethical behaviors in the workplace as a registered nurse. In addition, the relationship between the severity of unethical behaviors utilized in the classroom, clinical setting and those in the workplace was examined. To insure greater honesty in self-report, only a limited umber of demographic variables were requested from participants. During the summer of 1997, a 56 item questionnaire was distributed to registered nurses enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate courses in a public or private institution. The participants were asked to self-report their own use of unethical behaviors as well as their peers use of unethical behaviors. In order to assign a severity score for each item, nursing school faculty were asked to rate severity of unethical behaviors which could be used during the nursing student experience and nursing administrators were asked to rate unethical behaviors which could be used in the workplace. A significant positive relationship was found between individuals' use of unethical behaviors during nursing school and those used in the workplace r = .630. A significant positive relationship was found between the severity of unethical behaviors used in the nursing student experience and the severity of unethical behaviors used in the workplace r = .637. No relationship was found between years of practice, type of initial nursing education and whether or not the participant was raised inside or outside the United States and the use of unethical behaviors.

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit. Emerging positive organizational theory and research shows promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. Therefore, this collaborative case study research was designed to explore positive influences on the success of the four community college units. This companion dissertation consists of three manuscripts. Chapter 2, a technical report, contains the collaboratively-written synthesis of findings from the four individual case studies. Key findings across the units suggest the influence on performance of: (a) a people-first culture, (b) authentic, trusting, inclusive leadership, and (c) resource richness beyond constrained tangible resources. In Chapter 3, the researcher presents the key findings of the individual case study that looks at the success of an ad hoc committee formed to guide their institution through the accreditation process. The findings of this study emphasize the important role that leadership plays in the team’s success. In Chapter 4, the researcher shares lessons learned throughout the research process and by walking through her leadership journey from reluctant to authentic leader.

The challenge of underprepared students' entering America's colleges and universities is not new. Because of their "open door" policies, community colleges are more likely to enroll students who are not college prepared. This retrospective study focused on the performance of students who had completed required developmental education courses compared to the performance of students without developmental requirements. The study examined developmental education success measures for five cohorts of first-time degree-seeking freshmen each tracked for a six-year period enrolled at Walters State Community College located in Tennessee. The success measures compared included grade point averages earned in college-level mathematics and English courses, cumulative college-level credit hours earned, cumulative college-level grade point averages earned, and number of graduates. Existing data, gathered from the college's student information database, were analyzed through the application of two univariate approaches--the t-test for independent samples and the chi-square. The study found that nondevelopmental students earned statistically higher grade point averages in college-level mathematics and statistically higher cumulative college-level grade point averages. The study found that significant statistical differences did not exist between the two student groups in grade point averages earned in college-level composition and in graduation rates. The study's findings relative to the comparison of average cumulative college-level credit hours earned by the two student groups were mixed. Although statistically significant differences were found for some performance variables, they were not so large as to conclude that the college's developmental education program was ineffective. For this study to be useful for future decision making, it must be compared with results of future studies designed to measure performance and effectiveness. Therefore, it is recommended that the analysis be updated annually. Practitioners at other state colleges should undertake research directed at establishing the level of overall effectiveness of developmental education across the state.