acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

This study serves the purpose of understanding presidential leadership and the forces that either restrain or influence their decision-making for change and adaptability at six small, private, liberal arts colleges (SPLACs) in Iowa. By utilizing a qualitative framework to gather knowledge utilizing Kurt Lewin’s Force-Field Analysis, this study provides current and future presidents with evidence of leadership challenges that are relevant to managing dynamic organizations. Three research questions directed this study: 1) What have been college presidents’ experiences leading small, private, liberal arts colleges in the 21st century?; 2) How accurate is Earl Cheit’s 1970s liberal arts assessment for Iowa’s small, four year, highly residential (S4/HR) college presidents in 2012, and what, if any influence, does it have on their decision-making and leadership?; and 3) Which driving and restraining forces impact presidential decision-making at these S4/HR colleges with regard to achieving sustainability of the liberal arts mission in the 21st century? Based on the participants’ responses, six themes emerged that identify the experiences and forces that impact these college presidents relative to their institutional environments: a) 21st century technology; b) curriculum expansion; c) consumer shifts and demands; d) demographic changes; e) affordability and financial constraints; and f) alumni, board, and donor support. Based on the data collected and analyzed, the results of this study show that for these S4/HR institutions in Iowa to stay competitive while addressing the influencing and restraining forces pertaining to their decision-making, presidents will have to develop new initiatives to address the following: an alternative financing formula for sustainable long-term budgeting through peer institutional collaboration and auxiliary services, curriculum expansion in high growth sectors, and endowment development; enhancement of partnerships among fellow undergraduate and graduate programs to institute and support a consortium network, including public/private partnerships among non-sector industries; increase of recruitment efforts to regional and national middle school students in growing demographic regions while enhancing program support for the growing nonwhite majority through specific targeting of high-growth zip codes around the country; working more intentionally among the Iowa Association for Independent Colleges and Universities (IAICU) to overcome the presumed misperception that a private liberal arts education is only for the affluent and highly talented; and being the leaders in renewing our country’s commitment to educational outcomes versus the commodification of the degree. Overall, while working to proactively solve these issues, these presidential participants have deep satisfaction in leading Iowa’s SPLACs. Although budgeting was discussed significantly, all six presidential participants were unable to provide a long-term alternative finance mechanism outside of the current practices of short-term tuition-discounting.

Using panel data from 31 small, liberal arts colleges from three academic years 2014-2017, I explore how the incidence of sexual assault is related to institutional characteristics. I use the number of sexual assaults per 100 students (sexual assault ratio) as my dependent variable and the following as my independent variables: total number of undergraduate students, female to male ratio, majority racial percentage, percent accepted, percent of students awarded financial aid, cost of attendance, religious affiliation, whether Greek life is available and racial percentages. I include racial percentages as additional independent variables in two of my regressions to analyze the relationship between these percentages and the majority racial percentage. Using a linear fixed effects model, it is concluded that increasing the total number of students, majority racial percentage, and cost of attendance decreases the sexual assault ratio of a college campus at a statistically significant level. Furthermore, using an OLS linear regression model to analyze cross-sectional college variation, I find that an increase in the total number of undergraduate students, female to male ratio, and percentage of students on financial aid is correlated with a decrease in the sexual assault ratio while an increase in the cost of attendance and percentage of White students is correlated with an increase the sexual assault ratio. If the impacts can be interpreted as causal, then the results of this study can help academic institutions understand how campus climate can affect the safety of their students and also assist college administrations with improving sexual assault prevention programs.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / An examination of the literature revealed that conflict is prevalent throughout American colleges and universities-especially within divisions of student affairs-and that senior student affairs officers are expected to assume an important role campus-wide in the management of conflict. Trends suggest a significant increase in their involvement with conflict over the next twenty years. This study sought to identify the nature of conflict and the conflict resolution process at small liberal arts colleges and to examine differences among senior student affairs officers in the methods they use to resolve conflicts, the theories they report as underlying these methods, and the sources of these espoused theories of conflict resolution. Interviews on these matters were held with 15 senior student affairs officers in such colleges in the American mid-west. The following are among the most important findings: 1) the deans have a firm understanding of how to handle conflict (contrary to many prior research findings); 2) the deans have a strong dislike for conflict; 3) one-third of the deans report that they avoid conflict whenever possible; 4) the deans see it as their responsibility to handle any conflict involving students and they have the potential to be directly and indirectly involved in almost any such situation, even outside their divisions; 5) handling conflict is reported to take up three-fourths of their time; 6) half of the deans attempt to mediate (minor) violations of policy while others deem it inappropriate; 7) factors which most frequently contribute to conflict include communication, and diversity-the interplay among people from different cultures and backgrounds; 8) the deans view issues of diversity as being the most difficult to handle because of their emotional intensity; and 9) the deans reported a predominantly trial-and-error preparation for dealing with conflict rather than through formal education. The findings suggest that further research is needed to address such questions as these: 1) What is the relationship between espoused theories of handling conflict and theories-in-use? 2) How does having a strong dislike for conflict affect one's ability to manage it? 3) How does institutional culture affect the handling of conflict? 4) What are the consequences of conflict avoidance? 5) How do institutions support deans in handling conflicts involving diversity issues? (6) What consequences typically ensue from trying to mediate policy violations? The findings also suggest the need for practical programs and policies such as the following: 1) improving relevant pre-professional programs; 2) improving in-service programs for those having responsibility for managing and resolving conflict; 3) changing the recruitment, hiring, and evaluation process for the dean of students position; 4) transforming college cultures in ways that better support conflict management and resolution; 5) institutionalizing the process of the effective management of conflict; 6) addressing the issue of avoidance to ensure that conflict is being addressed in a timely manner; 7) developing an ombudsman position to centralize and formalize the process of assisting faculty, staff, and students to resolve conflicts; and 8) creating a Center for Conflict Management to provide faculty, staff, and students with resource materials, training workshops, and assistance with mediating and managing conflict. / 2999-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential exploratory study was to develop an understanding of the ways in which graduates of liberal arts programs recognize, make meaning of, and apply the competencies developed as an undergraduate within the workplace. In the first quantitative phase of the study, the research questions addressed the association among liberal arts graduates’ perceived importance, academic preparation, and assessment of value attributed by employers of eight critical skills in the workplace and any differences based on participants’ academic domain. The data were collected via a self-developed web-based survey (N=328) sent to graduates of six institutions representing four different Carnegie classifications. The overall response rate was 9.4%. A chi-square analysis in conjunction with the Holm-Bonferroni procedure yielded a statistically significant relationship in five of nine academic domain relationships. A post-hoc contingency table analysis further revealed statistically significant results between academic domain and perception value categories. In the second qualitative phase, eight case studies, consisting of graduates of liberal arts programs from four Carnegie classifications and four academic domains, delved deeper into the results from the first phase. Four themes emerged during the within- and cross-case analysis related to participants’ perceptions of the use of critical skills in the workplace: (1) Personal accountability to the job, (2) workplace dynamics among coworkers, clients, and supervisors, (3) self-awareness of what is important in the workplace, and (4) employer support of the liberal arts in the workplace. The final phase of the study integrated the quantitative results and qualitative findings to determine broad-scale outcomes of the study. Based on the overall analysis, the study provides policy implications and recommendations related to practical skill development within liberal arts programs.

This qualitative research study investigates the perceptions of internships by seven students enrolled in a liberal arts program at an urban four-year R1 research institution; the study aims to understand why these students elected to participate in internships for academic credit when they are not required—Moreover, it explores how characteristics of the internships, such as payment or lack thereof, influence their overall perceptions of the internship experiences and value. This study uses Dewey and Kolb’s theoretical frameworks to emphasize the importance of concrete, hands-on approaches to pragmatic, real-world experiences. As we strive to develop an understanding of student’s internship experiences and their role in prepping them for future careers, we must comprehend how these experiences add value to students beyond the classroom.Purposive sampling in a case study methodology, including semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions, was used to dig into each participant’s perceptions of internships. Participants were asked why they elected to complete their internship for academic credit, what motivated them to do an internship, and their overall perceptions of internships, among other topics. The emerging themes were career clarification through internships, career development, and career-related outcomes. Several sub-themes emerged from the interviews, including exploring career interests and career paths, navigating uncertainty around career choices, learning and personal growth, career planning, skills development, and personal development. The participants were also asked whether they think internships should be mandatory for all students; the general census was yes, and they should be incorporated into the curriculum of the institution. / Educational Leadership

Thesis advisor: Ted Youn / The intent of this single-case study was to explore the effects of a competitive environment on organizational decision making. The study examines the decision making processes that resulted in the adoption of an undergraduate business major at a traditional, middle-tier Liberal Arts College and offers an analysis of academic leaders’ perspectives on institutional identity, environmental pressures, strategic decision making and organizational change. This qualitative study uses Institutional theory to examine organizational behavior in competitive environments. Analysis of interviews and institutional data revealed four important findings. 1. The external environment defined the organizational reality and significantly influenced and shaped behavior and decision making; 2. A unique organizational culture and identity moved the organization to rely on rules and routines which reflected historic institutional values; 3. Responses to uncertainty produced an organizational adaptation that reflected a decoupling of one subunit which represented a new institutional strength, and 4. The environment exerted isomorphic pressure on the College to adopt a change that was incongruent with its historic values. The implications of the study include identifying the pressing need for new revenue streams that strengthen the financial model for tuition-dependent liberal arts colleges while preserving the values of a liberal education. Also, organizations should find ways to extend and share leadership in order to facilitate necessary organizational learning and time-bound responses to organizational threats. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: John Cawthorne / As a student at one of the nation’s leading universities, Boston College, it seems imperative to look at the university’s aims and accomplishments with a critical eye. The conceptual goals of higher education, particularly liberal arts education, have been the object of philosophical and political conversations for centuries, and it is important that universities continually assess their status through deliberative discussions. This paper seeks to analyze the liberal arts education provided at Boston College in relation to historic conceptions of higher education, current understandings on methods of this education, and the possibility of disparities between what Boston College claims to provide and what students, in reality, receive. Further, this report seeks to make comparisons between the liberal arts education provided by the honors program at Boston College and that which is delivered in the regular core program. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Lynch School of Education.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Liberal arts education is an emerging phenomenon in China. However, under the pressure of exam-oriented education, memorization, and lecture pedagogy, faculty, university administrators and policy makers have not embraced it whole-heartedly. Through qualitative methodology, this study explores the current thinking of Chinese policy makers, university administrators, and faculty members on liberal arts education and its challenges. A study of the perceptions of 96 Chinese government and university administrators and faculty members regarding liberal arts education through document analysis and interviews at three universities helps in comprehending the process of an initiative in educational policy in contemporary Chinese universities. This research analyzes Chinese policy making at the institutional and national levels on curriculum reform with particular emphasis on the role of education in shaping well-rounded global citizens, and it examines how the revival of liberal arts education in China would produce college graduates with the creativity, critical thinking, moral reasoning, innovation and cognitive complexity needed for social advancement and personal integration in a global context. This research also found that the revival of interest in liberal arts education in China demonstrated that government and universities have begun to realize that the current curricula, professional training, and narrowly specialized education fail to help students to be competent in a globalized economy, and liberal arts is valued in China, and will be more effective as politics, economy and society more developed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.