Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-188). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-240). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-74). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-74). Also available on the Internet.

With the impending retirements of community college presidents hired during the rapid growth of the 1960s, consideration is imperative regarding how leadership vacancies will be filled. The turnover in leadership occurs at a time of increasing diversity in student enrollments; this gap is in contrast to the primarily homogeneous composition of current leadership. Although women comprise the majority of students and Latino enrollment is growing, the representation of Latinas in community college presidencies is woefully small. Without strategic intervention, the challenge of reflecting diversity at all levels of community colleges will grow in magnitude. The intersection of a changing student body and projected retirements present an opportunity to diversify leadership at the community college. The primary purpose of this research was to learn from Latina community college presidents about the conditions that influenced their ascension to the presidency. The conditions and experiences examined were (a) influences that Latina community college presidents identified as having the most impact on personal career success, (b) strategies Latinas have employed to overcome barriers or challenges on the pathway to the presidency, and (c) the organizational climate and practices within community colleges that either hinder or support Latinas. The convergence of these conditions was analyzed to determine effective strategies to support Latinas in achieving leadership roles. This study utilized mixed methods for data collection, both qualitative and quantitative. Data sources included interviews with 13 Latina community college presidents. Further, 22 participants completed questionnaires that provided demographic information. The following themes emerged from the findings: personal context, professional preparation, professional context, challenges and the leadership pipeline. In spite of the gains made by women in higher education and the increase of Hispanic students entering post secondary education, equity in the representation of Latinas in higher education at the administrative ranks has not yet been achieved. The findings suggests that trustees played a critical role in promoting diversity as the majority of the boards that hired the presidents in this study included representation from women and other minority groups. Moreover, although systemic barrier exist the Latinas presidents in this study refused to allow bias to prevent them from succeeding. Recommendations for further studies and implications for developing Latinas to gain access to the leadership pipeline were discussed in the findings. / text

When it comes to researching the physical activity levels of college students, there seem to be very few studies that truly depict and show the ranges of physical activity throughout a college student’s life. This statement has helped propelled me to collect and analyze data in order to see what the physical activity is like for an undergraduate college student at the University of Texas. Researchers have discovered that many college students have reported understanding the benefits of physical activity, but that they report that there are many barriers in their daily life that thrust physical activity into the backseat as a priority (Lopez, Gallegos, & Extremera, 2010). Knowing that some college students will ignore physical activity, regardless of the health-related benefits, urges us to further discover the attitude of college students towards physical activity and what factors seem to have the most affect, whether positively or negatively, when it comes to their decisions on physical activity. Many university students decrease their PA levels (Gyurcsik, Bray, & Brittain, 2004; Keating et al., 2005; McArthur & Raedeke, 2009). Knowing this, I seek to answer the question, “What happens to the levels of physical activity throughout an undergraduate student’s life and what are the contributing factors to their level of physical activity?” Researchers noted that a healthy college-aged student should be participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least 5 days per week (Nelson, 2007). My thesis is an analysis of daily and weekly activity, as well as what kinds of physical activity college students like and do not, the way in which they participate, either independently or with friends, as well as where they partake in physical activity. My subjects answered questions based on their physical activity levels throughout their college years. The subjects ranged between first and fifth year undergraduate students, which allowed me to get some insight as to how their physical activity levels have changed throughout the duration of their college careers. / text

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Searching for Self and Others is a qualitative, phenomenological study which utilizes Wijeyesinghe’s Factor Model of Multiracial Identity through in depth interviews with eight students. The study included two research questions focused on Black-White multiracial students at a predominately White institution and how the level of involvement related to their racial identity and other social identities (class and power/choice were most salient). The purpose of this study was to explore the use of student organizations as a key factor in Black-White racial identity for college students. Racial identity is a process for people of color to find a sense of self, and is a constantly evolving process. Increasing the awareness of how Black-White students utilize student groups can assist colleges to make multiracial students feel comfortable on our campuses, to understand identity struggles and how we might create a more open environment. Student groups can assist in constructing a positive racial climate in which all students feel accepted and able to discuss issues of identity. / text