Department: Higher Education ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
33 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 30.
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1.
Aponte, Ludy Glenn.
A Grounded Theory Approach to Studying Strategic Planning in Higher Education: A Qualitative Research Methodology Utilizing the Literature Review and Interview.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► This researcher demonstrates how applied qualitative grounded theory methodology was used in…
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▼ This researcher demonstrates how applied qualitative grounded theory methodology was used in this dissertation to develop a framework to generate future substantive and/or formal theory (objective of the study). He also fulfills his dissertation's dual purpose: The researcher first describes, analyzes, and explains strategic planning in higher education and its general strategy process so that they are better understood. Second, he establishes a base (i.e., framework) for the development of formal theory from one participant interview and its situational, social, and historical contexts using grounded theory. Collectively, these two purposes and the study's objective comprise this dissertation's scope. It is problematic if faculty members who are stakeholders in strategic planning in higher education understand its general strategy process and are not included in it. Why? Faculty members collectively constitute higher education's key participants in the teaching, research, and service variables essential to its success. Yet no research studies currently exist that explain the relationship between strategic planning in higher education and faculty members who are stakeholders in it. For the researcher, this revealed the complex challenge inherent in his dissertation for developing a framework that would generate a future substantive and/or formal theory. His difficulty is compounded by the research problem: What is the relationship between faculty members who are stakeholders in strategic planning in higher education and other aspects of university policies? Results from the one interviewed faculty stakeholder generated one theme with three sub themes, two metaphors, three propositions, and two social issues about the process of strategic planning in higher education. Further analysis of this one participant enabled this researcher to develop a ten stage process model for conducting grounded theory analysis. Results fulfill this dissertation's purposes and potentials for significance: (a) to serve as a foundation to generate future formal theory, (b) to help close the gap between higher education research and practice, (c) to aid possible development of new higher education policy, and (d) to contribute new knowledge to the literature.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hamer, Lynne.
Subjects: Higher Education
Keywords: grounded theory; strategic planning in higher education
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2.
Barger, Becky Marie.
Faculty Experiences and Satisfaction with Academic Freedom.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2010, University of Toledo
► An original questionnaire concerning academic freedom policies and practices was created and…
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▼ An original questionnaire concerning academic freedom policies and practices was created and mailed to 1,264 faculty members from 316 private baccalaureate colleges and universities. There is a lack of empirical research on faculty satisfaction with academic freedom policies and practices. The variables under investigation included faculty members’ demographics, work attributes, experiences with academic freedom, and institutional characteristics, as well as policies and practices with regard to academic freedom. A total of 331 faculty members completed and submitted the questionnaire. Out of the 56 variables studied, a total of 17 variables emerged as significant predictors of faculty satisfaction with academic freedom.
Advisors/Committee Members: Opp, Ronald.
Subjects: Educational evaluation; Higher education
Keywords: Academic freedom; faculty satisfaction
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3.
Bauerschmidt, Christopher J.
A National Study on Cost Containment Practice Savings at Public Community Colleges.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► In the recession of 2008-09, community colleges were experiencing record enrollment increases.…
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▼ In the recession of 2008-09, community colleges were experiencing record enrollment increases. Meanwhile, state governments, with their loss in revenue, were being forced to cut funding to the institutions. To meet the growing enrollment demand and still provide access to higher education, institutions needed to increase revenue. Their only options were to raise tuition and fees or reduce operating costs. With the public outcry about the rising cost of higher education, the question of whether community colleges practiced cost containment or not needed to be explored. In an exhaustive search of the literature it was found that a study of cost containment practices in higher education was done for public four-year colleges and universities, but not for public community colleges. A survey, titled The Public Community College Cost Containment Questionnaire, was sent to 981 community colleges to assess if cost containment practices were being utilized for fiscal year 2008-09. The responses demonstrated that institutions placed a strong importance on cost containment practices. It was found that the most savings documented by the institutions were realized through the following: facility and infrastructure energy management, adjustments to staffing levels, and changes in academic and extracurricular activities.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David L.
Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education
Keywords: Higher Education; Cost Containment; Community Colleges
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4.
Bourassa, Mark J.
Academic Dishonesty: Behaviors and Attitudes of Students at Church-related Colleges and Universities.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► The purpose of this study was to examine acts of academic dishonesty…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to examine acts of academic dishonesty of students at church-related colleges and universities to inform policy decisions aimed at reducing these behaviors. The study examined self-reported cheating rates among students at four-year Mennonite-affiliated colleges. This study involved assessing attitudes towards cheating and the cheating practices of students at these institutions. The relationship of contextual factors, such as the peer culture, and of individual difference factors, such as gender, academic achievement, age, and extracurricular involvement to academic dishonesty, were also examined. Results of this study indicated that students at these church-related institutions were engaging in cheating behaviors. The overall self-reported cheating rate was 77% based upon responses to 24 possible cheating behaviors. These behaviors included cheating practices related to plagiarism, cheating on tests and examinations, and inappropriate sharing of work in group assignments. Cheating rates for these behaviors ranged from less than one percent to nearly 45%. There were several differences in perceptions and attitudes towards academic dishonesty between groups of students that engaged in cheating behaviors and groups of students that did not engaged in cheating behaviors. Students that engaged in academic dishonesty were more likely to have observed actual incidents of cheating. They were also more likely not to report cheating and to perceive that other students were involved in the inappropriate sharing of work in group assignments. Data analysis suggested that most individual difference factors were not significantly related to academic dishonesty. The exceptions to this were in age and involvement in intramural athletics. Students who reported having engaged in cheating behavior tended to be younger and more involved in intramural athletics than those who reported not having engaged in academic dishonesty behaviors. This study sought to provide additional resources to assist students, instructors, and administrator in better understanding the prevalence of cheating within the context of institutional religious affiliation. Based upon the results of this study, there does not seem to be evidence of a relationship between student cheating attitudes and behaviors and the religious status of their institutions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Education
Keywords: academic dishonesty; academic integrity; cheating
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5.
Bowers, Denise E.
The History of the Rhodes State College Dental Hygiene Program.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2012, University of Toledo
► The historiography of the Rhodes State College Dental Hygiene Program (Program) presents…
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▼ The historiography of the Rhodes State College Dental Hygiene Program (Program) presents a historical journey of health care, as it relates to oral health, in the United States, in Ohio, and in Lima. This study bridges the gap between the history of higher education and the history of an academic program, dental hygiene. Prior to this study, there was a lack of research on the connectivity between the history of higher education and the history of academic programs. John Thelin’s theoretical framework of horizontal histories informed this study. Seven historical leaders instrumental to the Program’s existence were selected to participate in this historiography. Each leader was asked a series of 16 questions in a face-to-face interview about their perspectives of the events, issues, and challenges that surfaced during the historical journey of the Program’s inception and development. The story presents a detailed account of the journey from 1971 when initial discussion of developing a dental hygiene program in Lima ensued to 2012.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Dentistry; Education; Education History; Health Care; Health Education; Higher Education; History
Keywords: historical dissertation; history of a dental hygiene program; history of the Rhodes State College Dental Hygiene Program
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6.
Corder, Shazlina.
Nontraditional Adult Women Experiences with the Institutional Services and Support Systems at the University of Toledo.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► The U.S higher education demographic has changed, and adult women constitute the…
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▼ The U.S higher education demographic has changed, and adult women constitute the fastest-growing segment in the higher learning environment. Increasingly, many institutions of higher education have come to recognize the important role of student services and support systems in the lives of adult women learners. Although much effort exists in creating supportive learning environments for adult women students, educators and higher education practitioners still know very little of these students’ experiences with institutional support and student services, what services are beneficial to them and why. The purpose of this study is to enhance our knowledge of nontraditional undergraduate adult women students’ experiences with the student services and support systems. An additional purpose of this study is to explore the types of institutional student services and support systems that are found useful and beneficial by these undergraduate women learners themselves and why they are found useful, as well as to explore the challenges, needs, and expectations of adult women learners regarding institutional support systems that they deem unavailable but necessary. A qualitative research method was employed in this study. The participants in this study were nontraditional undergraduate adult women students enrolled at The University of Toledo (UT). The research design used was a semi-structured open-ended interview questionnaire. The in-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face, and the data generated from the interviews were analyzed. The data analysis provided insight into adult women’s experiences with the institutional support services in higher education, and captured adult women students’ thoughts on the ways they used and benefited from the available academic support, student activities, and campus facilities. The data analysis also provided insight into the adult women students’ challenges, needs, and expectations pertaining to their academic journey for success. The results from this study enhance our knowledge of nontraditional undergraduate adult women students’ experiences with the institutional support services that effectively support their achievement and academic goal.
Advisors/Committee Members: Slantcheva-Durst, Snejana.
Subjects: Higher Education
Keywords: nontraditional adult women; adult student; instutional support system; student services; academic affairs; student affairs; campus facilities
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7.
DeAngelo, Angela.
Orientation Instructors and Undecided Students' Perceptions of Course Objectives.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2004, University of Toledo
► A general assumption in higher education is that students who do not…
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▼ A general assumption in higher education is that students who do not make a successful transition to college life are more likely not to be retained for the second year. Historically, colleges and universities have implemented programs and courses that assist first-year students in developing academic and social skills. Developing these types of skills allow first-year students the opportunity to make a transition to college life. Undecided students are at-risk students, and it is important for a college to provide a support system to these students through effective advising, and courses that are concentrated on first-year success. Orientation courses have been a part of the overall first-year experience for students in large numbers of colleges and universities. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions of 322 first-year undecided QUEST students, enrolled in an eight-week orientation course at the University of Toledo (UT). The orientation instructors’ perceptions were also investigated in considering the effectiveness of the course in achieving first-year objectives. Students and instructors recorded their agreement or disagreement with the statements on the opinionnaire. The statements concentrated on the objectives that would allow first-year students to make a transition to college life. Opinionnaire statements were constructed using the QUEST orientation course syllabus, an informational flyer provided to students during the Fall 2003 registration, and other QUEST FYE documented objectives. The data from the opinionnaire responses recorded on a Likert scale were machine scored, and summed using the numerical values assigned by the students and the instructors to each opinionnaire item. The sum of the numerical values established a rating hierarchy of agreement or disagreement for each objective and the objectives were ranked. Course objectives that were ranked high included the first-year objectives of academic advising, balancing campus life, resource discovery and utilization, and having a learning community present in every class meeting. The orientation course currently being implemented provides first-year students transitional guidance. The findings revealed that seventy percent of the course sections resulted in significant differences when comparing the students from one section with their instructor from the same section to the extent to which course objectives were perceived as being achieved.
Advisors/Committee Members: Perry, Richard R.
Keywords: first-year students; First Year Experience; Orientation course; successful transition to college; Likert scale; first-year objectives; rating hierarchy
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8.
Deters, Matthew J.
Preventing Violent Unrest: Student Protest at the University of Toledo, 1965-1972.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2010, University of Toledo
► The student protests of the late 1960s and early 1970s were the…
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▼ The student protests of the late 1960s and early 1970s were the most widespread in American history. Students around the country organized themselves in response to political, social and cultural developments. War in Vietnam, the hippie movement, generational conflict, Communism, the Civil Rights Movement, and rapid growth and bureaucratization of American higher education, all had an influence on the generation of young people entering college. Towards the end of the 1960s, student protest tactics shifted from relatively peaceful rallies and sit-ins to more radical tactics, often involving disruption, property destruction, and violence. Higher education institutions across the nation, especially in Ohio, were affected by student protest and in some cases suffered significant property damage and violence. Similar to many other campuses across the country, and across Ohio, the University of Toledo (UT) also experienced incidents of student protest in the late 1960s and early 1970s. UT had radical political groups such as the Students for a Democratic Society. There were massive rallies protesting the ROTC on campus and the Vietnam War. There were protests that took action against what the protestors viewed as the administration’s repressive practices and policies. There were controversies surrounding student rights,representation, and code of conduct, as well as rallies for free speech. The University of Toledo students went through the same cultural, political, and generational changes that caused rallies and protests on other campuses around the country. However, the University of Toledo did not face the shutdowns, injuries, deaths, or property damage that other campuses, including a few in Ohio, did. Sound administrative leadership, recognition of student rights and representation, proper law enforcement, and effective communication, all contributed to the prevention of violent unrest on the UT campus during a tumultuous period of American and Ohio history. The present study is a historical analysis of campus unrest at the University of Toledo between 1965 and 1972. This historical analysis examines the incidences of student protest at UT and the institutional role in responding to student unrest. The study is based on primary documents from local newspapers, correspondence, speeches, memoranda, and other materials collected in the UT library archives. A brief review of the history of American student activism places the case of the University of Toledo into the larger national context of student protest in the United States during the 60s era.
Advisors/Committee Members: Slantcheva-Durst, Snejana.
Subjects: American history; Education history; Educational sociology; Higher education; History
Keywords: University of Toledo
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9.
Detwiler, Robert R.
Assessing Factors Influencing Student Academic Success in Law School.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► The literature on student academic success of law students is limited to…
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▼ The literature on student academic success of law students is limited to mostly single institution studies, and as such, a nationwide, multi-institutional empirical study of the factors that predict student academic success is greatly needed by higher education scholars, law school admission officers, faculty, and administrators. This dissertation analyzed what effect, if any, undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores, in addition to environmental variables, has on cumulative law school GPA among full-time third-year law students in the United States responding to the 2008 Law School Survey of Student Engagement. A regression analysis revealed five input measures, one between-college characteristic, and fifteen environmental measures were significant predictors of cumulative law school GPA among third-year law students (n=1,756). The intended outcomes of the dissertation are twofold. First, law school faculty and administrators can use this information to promote student involvement that has been shown through this dissertation to influence students’ GPA, which is well known in the legal education environment to be critical in the internship and job search process. Second, future studies of law students and other fields of professional education are encouraged to examine what role, if any, student involvement has on outcomes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Opp, Ronald.
Subjects: Higher Education
Keywords: Law schools; student involvement; graduate and professional education; involvement theory; assessment; Law School Survey of Student Engagement; law school GPA; IEO Model; graduate enrollment management; Alexander Astin
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10.
Discher, Jennifer M.
A Narrative Analysis of Familial, Collegiate, and Professional Experiences that Enhance the Formation of Civic Engagement and Mission Commitment among Catholic Health Care Nurses.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► Educating for citizenship has pervaded the mission of higher education from classical…
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▼ Educating for citizenship has pervaded the mission of higher education from classical Greece up to the present day. Colleges and universities increasingly encourage service learning and other curricular approaches that promote social responsibility and civic involvement. Other mission-oriented institutions, such as Catholic health care, grapple with issues of social responsibility and civic involvement as they discern their role in the community and face the challenges of a changing workforce. This dissertation examines, through narrative analysis, how mission commitment in a specific industry—Catholic health care—is influenced by higher education, and how higher education might learn from mission commitment development in that industry. The study explores how nurses understand their personal development of mission commitment with a specific focus on the way in which life experiences—familial, collegiate, and professional—have enhanced or driven their mission formation. Because higher education is an integral part of the process of nurturing and sustaining responsible civic engagement, this study first seeks to understand that process as a pedagogical endeavor. It next narrows this broad discussion of responsible and engaged citizenry to a more focused study of the specific discipline of nursing: first, its theoretical and practical curricular and co-curricular approaches to education, and then the expectations of a specific corresponding industry—Catholic health care— for its newly hired professionals. The Backward Design process frames the discovery of common ground shared by higher education and Catholic Health care in mission commitment formation. Participants in this study comprise a purposeful sampling of 13 nurses employed by a large Catholic health care system in the Midwest. These nurses are front-line, baccalaureate-prepared, and institutionally recognized, cited, or awarded for their mission commitment. Their collected narratives, analyzed through the lens of a model created by Labov and enhanced by the work of others such as Riessman, Coffey, and Atkinson, lead to recommendations for more effective mission formation practice in both Catholic health care and higher education.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hamer, Lynne.
Subjects: Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Theory; Education History; Education Philosophy; Ethics; Health Care; Health Care Management; Health Education; Higher Education; Medical Ethics; Nursing; Organizational Behavior; Religious Congregations; Religious Educati
Keywords: Higher Education; Civic Engagement; Social Role of Education; Mission Commitment; Catholic Health Care; Student Development; Mission Formation; Nursing Education; Nursing; Sponsorship
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11.
Ecklund, Joseph D.
The Perceptions of Faculty in Developing a Learning Community Within Online Courses at Jesuit Universities.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► American Jesuit colleges and universities, long a bastion of traditional classroom-based education,…
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▼ American Jesuit colleges and universities, long a bastion of traditional classroom-based education, have recently begun to embrace the online course delivery method. There exists a lack of research on the learning communities that develop within these online courses taught at Jesuit institutions. This study examines how these learning communities develop, how they compare to the development of learning communities within the physical classroom, and the connection that they have to Jesuit pedagogy and educational tradition, all through the perspective of faculty who teach these courses. Ten faculty members from nine different Jesuit universities around the United States were selected to participate in this phenomenological study, and were asked a series of eight interview questions over the phone about their perceptions of the online learning community, the differences they see in the traditional and online methods of course delivery, and the influence of the Jesuit educational mission and tradition on the learning community. The professional experience of the participants is diverse, but at the time of the interview, each of the participants had experience teaching in both the virtual and physical classrooms within the previous 18 months.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration
Keywords: Learning Communities; Online Education; Jesuit Education
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12.
Ferguson, Lauren M.
Student Self-Reported Academically Dishonest Behavior in Two-Year Colleges in the State of Ohio.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2010, University of Toledo
► This study investigated college students' self-reported academically dishonest behaviors at two-year colleges…
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▼ This study investigated college students' self-reported academically dishonest behaviors at two-year colleges in the state of Ohio. More specifically, this study investigated two-year students' self-reported perceptions of acts of plagiarism and whether particular characteristics were related to students who chose to plagiarize. This study replicated research from Donald McCabe's investigations of four-year institutions and students' self-reported cheating behaviors. This survey research used the McCabe Academic Integrity Student Survey instrument. Multi-stage sampling was used to collect data from English Composition I class sections from four two-year colleges in the state of Ohio. The results from this current research revealed that demographic traits such as age and gender were related to the students who chose to engage in self-reported acts of plagiarism. Women self-reported cheating more than men and younger students self-reported cheating more than older students. Students with grade point averages of 2.49 and higher self-reported cheating more than students with lower grade point averages. Cheating was self-reported most by students ages 18-31. Students between the ages of 18-24 self-reported cheating more than those ages 25-31.The students that identified pressures related to part-time or full-time work and/or caring for children or an older adult self-reported cheating more than students not affiliated with such pressures.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Education; Higher education
Keywords: plagiarism; cheating; two-year colleges; community colleges; cheating; self-reported behaviors; academic dishonesty
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13.
Gomaa, Nabila.
A Case Study of a Public Higher Education Institution’s Engagement in Authorizing Charter Schools.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► Higher education institutions have been engaging with public schools in different forms,…
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▼ Higher education institutions have been engaging with public schools in different forms, such as teacher preparation, curriculum design, and research. Starting in the 1990s, higher education institutions began to collaborate with a new form of public school called charter schools. This collaboration is called “sponsorship” or “authorization.” Nationally, very few higher education institutions have taken advantage of this collaboration opportunity. However, a number of higher education institutions in the State of Michigan entered into relationships with charter schools through authorization. Even though different forces, such as public school officials and teacher unions, resisted this collaboration, colleges and universities in Michigan have continued to engage with charter schools and their collaboration has grown and flourished. The purpose of this study is to understand the reasons behind the choices made by higher education institutions in Michigan to authorize charter schools. By studying the history and experience of one higher education institution’s engagement with charter schools through authorization, it was hoped that this study would shed light on the reasons that might have led higher education institutions in Michigan to work closely with and authorize charter schools. A qualitative design that employed a case study approach was utilized. Methods of data collection, such as interviews and document analysis, were used to try to understand the motives behind the initial decision of the chosen higher education institution to authorize charter schools. The study was guided by the stewards of place conceptual framework. The results revealed that the decision to sponsor charter schools was made by the institution’s leadership without the constituencies being either consulted or informed of the decision. The results also showed that political forces, such as the Governor and the Michigan state charter school law, were the influential factors behind the institution’s leadership decision to sponsor charter schools. Justification for the decision was the use of stewardship of place and mission, as well as engagement. The results of the study suggested that the institution’s leadership needs to include its constituencies, especially faculty members, in the decision-making process and to build mutual trust with them. Other higher education institutions that are reluctant to sponsor charter schools out of fear of community and constituency opposition can learn from this institution’s experience that building trust and shared decision-making can aid in gaining approval.
Advisors/Committee Members: Opp, Ron.
Subjects: Educational Leadership; Education History; Education Policy; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration
Keywords: Public Higher Education Institutions, Charter Schools Authorizers; Charter School Law; Michigan Charter School Legislation; Engagement with Charter Schools; Political Forces; Higher Education Instiotution's Environment; Stewards of Place
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14.
Grieve, Kimberly Ann.
Urban African American Male High School Students’ Educational Aspirations for College and the Influence of Family, School, and Peers.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2009, University of Toledo
► This quantitative study examined the influence of family, school, and peers on…
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▼ This quantitative study examined the influence of family, school, and peers on the educational aspirations of 60 urban African American male high school students attending two high schools in the Midwest. Participants completed an in-class survey that included demographic information as well as survey questions regarding educational aspirations, family, school, and peers.Three significant factors relating to educational aspirations of urban African American male high school students were discovered. The results of the regression analyses revealed that financial support and support from teachers, counselors, and peers were the significant predictors of educational aspirations of urban African American male high school students.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hornak, Anne.
Subjects: African Americans; Higher education
Keywords: African American males; educational aspirations for college
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15.
Griffith, Sunday Dawn.
Using the National Survey of Student Engagement as a Tool to Determine Influences of Overall Student Satisfaction with the College Experience and Help Define Student-Centeredness.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► Many colleges and universities have a desire to become more student-centered, yet…
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▼ Many colleges and universities have a desire to become more student-centered, yet some struggle with establishing what student-centered means to them. Without a clear definition, it is difficult to determine which areas to strengthen in order to become more student-centered. The purpose of this study was to examine results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to decipher what variables influence overall student satisfaction with the college experience and to create a statistical model to help define student-centeredness. The driving theory of this study was Alexander Astin’s student involvement theory. A connection has been made in this study to link student involvement and student-centeredness. A subset of the NSSE national dataset was used to conduct a blocked stepwise regression to determine which student involvement variables influence student satisfaction. The significant predictors of student satisfaction were then used to create a regression model for other colleges and universities to use with their NSSE data to determine which of those items best predict satisfaction on their campuses, which will help to define student-centeredness for that institution. The University of Toledo NSSE data was used as an example of how the model can be utilized and to demonstrate how the results can help formulate a definition of student-centeredness.
Advisors/Committee Members: Opp, Ronald.
Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration
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16.
Gruber, Donna.
The Effects of The Enhanced Summer College Readiness Program on Academic Self-Efficacy.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► The problem of the lack of academic readiness of high school students…
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▼ The problem of the lack of academic readiness of high school students for college is a critical one. In today’s economy it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete in the job market, and positions that might have been given to people with little experience are being passed to those who hold college degrees. The possession of a college degree communicates something to employers that may not be said for candidates who have not gone to college. Therefore, being prepared for college is essential, and a high school diploma does not guarantee that a student is prepared to undertake postsecondary level courses. In fact, many students are not prepared for college-level work and are required to first complete remedial or developmental courses before starting to accumulate credits towards postsecondary degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an Enhanced Summer College Readiness Program on students’ academic self-efficacy scores. The intended goal was to determine whether or not college readiness programs increase or improve high school juniors’ academic self-efficacy. Two research questions were examined: (1) Was there was a difference between high school juniors that completed the new Enhanced Summer College Readiness Program and those who completed the regular Summer College Prep Workshop in academic self-efficacy scores; and (2) If academic self-efficacy scores were significantly different for students who participated in the new Enhanced Summer College Readiness Program, to what extent this significance could be attributed to the program. Academic self-efficacy data were gathered from high school juniors prior to participation in and again at the completion of the program. The participants were high school juniors who had identified interest in a summer college readiness workshop at a private Midwestern university. The College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) was the instrument used (See Appendix A). The study used a Solomon Four-Group experimental design. There were two experimental and two comparison groups. One experimental and one comparison group were pre-tested and all four groups were post-tested. The results from quantitative and qualitative data showed that the new Enhanced Summer College Readiness Program improved academic self-efficacy better than the current Summer College Prep Workshop.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Higher Education
Keywords: self-efficacy, higher education, college readiness
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17.
Hofman, Brian D.
“What is Next?” Gay Male Students’ Significant Experiences after Coming-Out while in College.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2004, University of Toledo
► The purpose of this study was to explore the lives of gay…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to explore the lives of gay students after they had come out in college, because most of the current research stops at the initial coming out experience. Specifically, this study sought to understand how gay students construct their sexual identity and how interactions influence the continuing construction of their sexual identity. D’Augelli’s model of lesbian-gay-bisexual identity severed as the theoretical foundation for the study. The study employed a qualitative design. Data were collected through open-ended interviews with six gay college students, ages 19-22. Three themes emerged from a cross-case comparative data analysis: (a) continuous and distinct coming-out decisions, (b) expectations versus the reality of coming-out, and (c) integration of sexual identity into overall identity. Coming-out is not a one-time occurrence, but instead a dynamic process that has been, and continues to be, influenced by the variety of experiences. All participants arrived at college with certain preconceptions of college life. Coming-out introduced the participants to many new experiences and led participants to develop new expectations of college. Throughout their coming-out process, all participants began to integrate their gay identity into their overall identity; integration each participant attained varied. Results of this study led to four conclusions: (a) a person’s cornerstone, an individual or group from whom affirmation was most desired, seems to have the most profound impact on continued identity development; (b) the size and culture of some colleges create additional identity challenges; (c) positive exposure to gay individuals and culture while growing up may impact the timing of a person’s coming-out, and the speed and depth for identity integration; and (d) a seventh process may need to be added to D’Augelli’s model. Results of this study have important implications for policy and practice. This study showed there is a strong need for safe classrooms and living environments, gay role models on campus, and a wide variety of support available to gay students. This study confirms that each new experience in the lives of gay students causes ripples of change, and that continued study regarding the experiences of gay students must persist.
Advisors/Committee Members: Poplin Gosetti, Penny.
Subjects: Education, Higher
Keywords: identity development; gay identity development; sexual identity development; gay college students; gay students; coming out; gay bars; gay socialization
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18.
Idczak, Sue Easter.
Nursing Students' Experiences of Being and Presence: A Hermeneutic Approach.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2005, University of Toledo
► An Abstract of Nursing Students Experiences of Being and Presence: A Hermeneutic…
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▼ An Abstract of Nursing Students Experiences of Being and Presence: A Hermeneutic Approach The profession of nursing is both an art and a science. Although nursing practice intertwines the art and science of nursing, nursing education focuses on the scientific behavioral outcomes of learning content knowledge and nursing skills. The behaviorist scientific curricula of most nursing schools are not congruent with nursing practice. Therefore, the outcomes of nursing education do not pedagogically match the objectives of nursing practice. Nursing educators do not know how nursing students learn to intertwine art and science, the being of nursing. The purpose of this study was to understand how student nurses make meaning of experiences of being in nurse/patient interactions. This study was conceptualized using Heidegger’s philosophy of being and Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory of learning. Heidegger’s philosophy describes being as a process or activity of existing. Vygotsky’s theory describes the learner as a constructor of knowledge who actively searches for meaning in transactional, socially-constructed situations. The participants were 28 sophomore nursing students, enrolled in a basic fundamentals course, and in the first year of clinical experiences with patients in acute care settings. The participants self-selected experiences to ejournal by answering six open-ended questions concerning their thoughts and feelings of being in nurse/patient interactions. The data were analyzed using an interpretive process true to hermeneutic phenomenology. Five themes were identified: fear of interacting with patients; developing confidence; becoming self aware; connecting with knowledge; and connecting with patients. A possible sixth theme was experiencing sacred space. The relevance of the research is the understanding of the process of learning as uncovered in the students’ experiences. Four conclusions were drawn from the study: student nurses intertwine the art and science of nursing in nurse/patient interactions; nursing education must be restructured to include a balance of the art and science of nursing; reflection and/or journal writing is a valuable way to enhance learning; and student nurses are developing identity simultaneously as a nurse and as a person. Nurse educators could therefore enhance optimum cognitive and psychological learning in the clinical and classroom environments.
Advisors/Committee Members: Poplin Gosetti, Penny.
Keywords: Nursing Students; Nursing Education; Being; Higher Education
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19.
Johnson, Betsy S.
State Share of Instruction Funding to Ohio Public Community Colleges: A Policy Analysis.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2012, University of Toledo
► This study investigated various state policies to determine their impact on the…
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▼ This study investigated various state policies to determine their impact on the state share of instruction (SSI) funding to community colleges in the state of Ohio. To complete the policy analysis, the researcher utilized three policy analysis tools, defined by Gill and Saunders (2010) as iterative processes, intuition and judgment, and advice and opinion. The findings identify key policies that impacted the development and state funding of community colleges. Additionally, the researcher found access was the key policy driver during the time period of this study. The state of Ohio linked its state higher education budget to the policy of access by implementing and maintaining an enrollment-driven formula throughout the years of this study during which data were examined (1962-2009). In fiscal year 1997, Ohio added the Access Challenge, which provided funding to community colleges to help them keep tuition costs low, which again reflected and emphasized the State’s policy to provide access to all citizens.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Community Colleges; Education Finance; Education Policy; Higher Education; Public Policy
Keywords: community colleges; state funding; public policy; higher education; ohio
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20.
Karabin, Beverly Lynn.
Student Engagement for College Students with the Hidden Disability of Orthostatic Intolerance.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2009, University of Toledo
► This study described the factors that contribute to engagement patterns of college…
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▼ This study described the factors that contribute to engagement patterns of college students with the hidden health-related disability of orthostatic intolerance. Specifically, this study used a qualitative methodology and collective-case study design to explore the categories of campus physical, institutional, academic and social engagement from a student perspective. Guided by theories from college student development, student engagement, and identity development in both the disabled and non-disabled, the research also examined student self-disclosure, self-advocacy and identity. The data collection method consisted of two in-depth interviews with five undergraduate college students over one semester and participant observation of each student in their college setting over several on-campus site sessions. Finding from the study indicate that these students encountered a number of barriers affecting all categories of engagement. Themes included lack of student centeredness, roommate difficulties, rigid institutional and classroom policies, curriculum pressure, financial penalties, lack of understanding of hidden disability, perception of lack of legitimacy of the disorder among administrators, faculties and peers, social isolation, conflicting values from peer regarding parties and alcohol use, and limited physical energy to engage on all levels. Factors that played an important role in student engagement included self-disclosure, self-advocacy, integration of disability identity, and positive faculty interactions. Although an exploratory study, it is clear that these students with hidden disabilities need assistance from higher education officials to provide a successful campus engagement experience.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hamer, Lynne.
Subjects: Education; Health care; Higher education; Nursing; Rehabilitation
Keywords: student engagement; college students; hidden disability; orthostatic intolerance
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21.
Keller, Patricia Ellis.
Donor Perceptions of Stewardship and Recognition Practices at the University of Toledo.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2008, University of Toledo
► This study solicited recommendations to improve The University of Toledo's (UT)…
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▼ This study solicited recommendations to improve The University of Toledo's (UT) donor recognition practices following its merger with the Medical University of Ohio (MUO). The sample included 1,469 randomly drawn contributors. The instrument was a mailed questionnaire. A response rate of 26% was realized. Responses revealed that giving philosophies and loyalties to UT influenced giving decisions for survey participants, while contact with UT administration and staff did not. Respondents were highly satisfied with aspects of the UT stewardship program. Events and club membership benefits were not highly valued. The researcher suggested that UT update its donor data base, develop forms of communication aligned with donor loyalties, and create events for newer donors to aid in donor retention. Recommendations included structuring gift clubs around members' common interests and loyalties.This study contributes to the body of knowledge concerning donor recognition practices. It informs endeavors to improve fund raising performance at institutions of higher education.
Advisors/Committee Members: Gosetti, Penny Poplin.
Subjects: Education; Higher education; School finance
Keywords: fundraising, stewardship, universities
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22.
Miller, Megan C.
Challenges and Institutional Support for Advisors of Academically Underprepared Students.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► This study focused on the challenges academic advisors encounter when working with…
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▼ This study focused on the challenges academic advisors encounter when working with academically underprepared students and the institutional support provided to them. The challenges and institutional support were explored through the perspective of 142 advisors, who were members of the First-Generation College Student Advising and the Probation, Dismissal, and Reinstatement distribution lists of the National Academic Advising Association. The study aligned with prior research on academic advising in general and revealed that few academic advisors of underprepared students received specialized training to prepare them for their work with underprepared students, that academic advisors need more institutional support, specifically more funding and more advisors to work with academically underprepared students, and that the most important characteristics of the advisor-advisee relationship are that the relationship be ongoing and purposeful. In light of the growing number of academically underprepared students entering colleges and universities and the central role of advising for their success, it is necessary to better understand challenges facing advisors of academically underprepared students and the resources necessary to those advisors that help them be effective at their jobs to foster students’ growth and development.
Advisors/Committee Members: Slantcheva-Durst, Snejana I.
Subjects: Higher Education
Keywords: academic advising; underprepared students
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23.
Ott, Katherine S.
Students’ awareness and perceptions of the activity fee at the University of Toledo: A descriptive research study.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2009, University of Toledo
► Mandatory student activity fees have been funding extracurricular activities, a hallmark of…
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▼ Mandatory student activity fees have been funding extracurricular activities, a hallmark of American higher education, since the turn of the century. During the 1960s, activity fees came under fire from students questioning the legality of their dollars subsidizing organizations not supported or utilized by the entire student body. From many court cases judicial guidelines emerged on the collection, control, and allocation of mandatory student activity fees. Little research investigates if students are aware they pay a student activity fee and the value students place on activities and organizations funded through the activity fees. This quantitative study utilized an online survey to determine if University of Toledo full-time undergraduate and professional students were aware they paid an activity fee, the degree to which students could identify organizations and activities funded through the activity fee, and students’ views of the importance of organizations and activities funded through the activity fee.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Higher education
Keywords: Student activity fee, general fee, students' rights, college funding
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24.
Paskvan, Brian A.
Owens Community College: A Case Study on the Effects of Politics, Economics, Social Factors, and Technological Factors on Future Educational Delivery Strategies, Space Needs, and Design.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► The purpose of this case study was to explore the influence of…
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▼ The purpose of this case study was to explore the influence of four factors—politics, economics, society, and technology—on educational delivery strategies, space needs, and design at Owens Community College. The future effects of these factors on the college were predicted four to six years from the time the study was conducted. The researcher employed the political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis model to conduct the study, and qualitative methods were used to identify the effects of each of the four factors. Technological, political, and economic influences were predicted to be the most influential factors affecting the delivery of education at the college during the next four to six years. The study further revealed the following five predictions: (1) technology will play a major role in the future delivery of education and learning environments; (2) faculty technological competency will be vital to the success of the technological delivery of education; (3) student technological competency will be a factor in the use of technology to deliver education; (4) funding of college-wide technology initiatives will need to be identified as a college priority; and (5) space needs and design will change due to the use of technology. This study also includes the following recommendations—specifically related to technology and funding—to assist in resolving the issues identified in the study: (1) technological learning environment recommendation: create a technology review and implementation process; (2) technical competency of Owens Community College faculty recommendation: create a technological assessment and training program for faculty; (3) technical competency of Owens Community College students recommendation: create a technological assessment and training program for students; (4) funding initiatives recommendation: develop a funding plan that identifies technology as a college priority.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Education
Keywords: Delivery of education; educational space design
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25.
Passero, Thomas.
Using popular culture to teach the community college business curriculum: A comparative study.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► This study addressed a need for comprehensive quantitative empirical studies to determine…
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▼ This study addressed a need for comprehensive quantitative empirical studies to determine the effectiveness of using popular culture media as a teaching technique. A quasi-experimental design was implemented to examine whether a group of community college students taking a first-semester introduction to business course who were exposed to a teaching method incorporating popular culture media (Treatment Group) would have increased levels of knowledge and stronger preferences toward this method versus a group of students taking the same course who were not exposed to this teaching style (Control Group). Specifically, this study examined: (1) Do differences exist relative to student learning; (2) Do differences exist relative to perceived student comprehension; (3) Do differences exist relative to student semester retention; (4) Do differences exist relative to student semester attendance; (5) Do differences exist relative to student interest in the discipline of business; (6) Do differences exist relative to student’s interest in taking additional business courses; (7) Do differences exist relative to student satisfaction; (8) Do differences exist relative to student satisfaction between Millennial students and non-Millennial student. The 143 students taking part in the study comprised six intact groups, meaning they selected the days and times of the sections available that appealed to them (non-random samples). Without the students’ knowledge, the researcher/instructor arbitrarily selected three sections as the Treatment Groups and three as the Control Groups. Throughout the semester, general business concepts from the course textbook were taught to the Treatment Group using films, television shows, comic strips, and music. The Control Group were taught the same concepts but without the use of any popular culture media. Participants completed Pre-Delivery and Post-Delivery attitudinal questionnaires and took five multiple-choice exams during term. The fit of survey and exam data were tested using the Rasch model, with further hypotheses testing accomplished with Independent t’s, Chi-square cross-tabulations, and dependent paired samples. The analyses showed no significance between the groups receiving different teaching methods on knowledge, retention, or attendance. However, there were statistically significant differences on perceived knowledge, interest in the business major, interest in taking additional business courses, and course satisfaction for both the Treatment Group and Control Group favoring the popular culture-enhanced methodology. Regarding generational attitudes this alternative teaching method, both the Millennial and Non-millennial sub-groups strongly favored the popular culture techniques over the traditional ones. Implications for students and instructors are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Adult Education; Business Education; Education; Educational Tests and Measurements; Experiments; Higher Education; Inservice Training; Instructional Design; Mass Media; Pedagogy; Teacher Education; Teaching
Keywords: teaching techniques: instructional methodology; popular culture; quantitative study; quasi-experimental; Rasch; community college; millennial; survey; media; business education; empirical study
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26.
Powless, Seth J.
College Student Satisfaction: The Impact of Facebook and Other Factors.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2011, University of Toledo
► This study examined the impact of undergraduate college student Facebook usage on…
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▼ This study examined the impact of undergraduate college student Facebook usage on college student satisfaction. Participants in the study completed an electronic survey to determine academic Facebook usage tendencies, non-academic Facebook usage tendencies, levels of involvement with in-person college-related activities, and feelings of being connected to the college or university environment. Both academic and non-academic Facebook usages, and level of satisfaction with the college experience were also topics of focus. Participants were undergraduate college students who were enrolled in Ohio colleges and universities during the spring of 2010. This study found that undergraduate college student Facebook usage impacts college student satisfaction, mediated by student‟s feelings of being connected to his or her college or university. Data from this survey (Appendix B) are discussed in conjunction with an extensive study on student involvement, social media websites, and student satisfaction. Participants reported using Facebook both for academic and non-academic purposes. Participants also reported using Facebook regularly, often multiple times a day for various activities. Data analysis conducted within this study suggest that participants who used Facebook regularly are more satisfied with various facets of their college experience, including academic and social experiences. This increase in level of satisfaction among participants appears to be mediated by feelings of being connected to the college or university environment. Results from the study have implications for both academic and student affairs professionals, concerning policy decisions on how college or university stakeholders utilize social media for academic purposes including pedagogy, recruiting, student learning, and student outreach.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kovach, Lisa.
Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Information Technology; Technology
Keywords: Facebook; Student Satisfaction; Student Involvement; Connectedness
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27.
Schipull, Rachel L.
Factors Determining Student Choice of Christian Liberal Arts Colleges.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2009, University of Toledo
► The research question this thesis answers is why do students choose to…
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▼ The research question this thesis answers is why do students choose to attend selected Midwestern Christian liberal arts institutions for their education. The literature indicates that there are many different factors influencing college choice, and there are three different phases of college choice: the decision to go to college, of where to apply, and of where to enroll. This study will address all three stages, but focus on the third. To answer the research question, 20 first-year college students were interviewed using an interview guide for 30 minutes each, 10 at a Midwestern Christian liberal arts college and 10 at a Midwestern Christian liberal arts university. The interviews were transcribed and data was lifted from the transcriptions through a typological content analysis, which allowed the researcher to compare the themes of college choice found in the research to those in the literature. The final chapter examines how the influences indicated by the study participants have implications for the endurance of Christian liberal arts colleges in our current time and also has recommendations for further study.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Educational sociology; Higher education; Religious education
Keywords: Christian liberal arts; christian; college choice; student choice; liberal arts; Midwestern college; spirituality; factors determining choice
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28.
Schriner, Cheryl L.
Clinical Nurses Transitioning Into a Faculty Role: A Cultural Analysis of the Nursing Profession, the Academic Discipline of Nursing, and the Academic Professorate.
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2004, University of Toledo
► Nursing faculty are initially socialized into the culture of the nursing profession…
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▼ Nursing faculty are initially socialized into the culture of the nursing profession and then must transition into the culture of the academic discipline of nursing as they assume their new professorial role. This study explored how cultural similarities and differences influenced the transition of clinical nurses into a faculty role. The study was guided by Peterson and Spencer’s (1990) model of organizational culture and Schlossberg’s (1995) adult transition theory. A qualitative design focused on a phenomenological method of ethnographic inquiry was utilized. Multiple methods of data collection, including document review, interviews, and participant observation, were used to examine elements of culture. Six themes emerged from the cross-case comparative data analysis including: (a) stressors and facilitators of transition, (b) deficient role preparation, (c) changing student culture, (d) realities of clinical teaching and practice, (e) hierarchy and reward, and (f) cultural expectation versus cultural reality. Study results led to the following conclusions. First, cultural dissonance exists in new nursing faculty as nurses adjust to a faculty role based on the values they bring from clinical practice. Second, cultural dissonance creates conflict in nursing faculty that influences the transition of nurses into academe. Third, access to faculty mentors who understand the issue of cultural dissonance will facilitate nurses’ transition into faculty roles. Fourth, cultural dissonance can be improved through formal education and socialization to the faculty role. Finally, colleges of nursing must adapt to the values inherent in the nursing profession. Implications for policy and practice include providing clear expectations for the faculty role, increasing the availability of programs in nursing education, increasing access to faculty role models, improving resources and support for clinical faculty, and creating a reward structure based on values inherent in the nursing profession. The nursing profession is experiencing a shortage of new faculty at the same time current faculty are building the level of doctoral preparation expected to fulfill the norms of other academic programs. An understanding of how cultural dissonance affects the transition of nurses into faculty roles is of special importance to higher education administrators due to the escalating shortage of nursing faculty throughout the country.
Advisors/Committee Members: Poplin Gosetti, Penny.
Keywords: Higher Education; Nursing Education; Culture; Faculty Transition; Faculty Socialization
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29.
Shutina, Reti.
An Investigation of the Role that the Nation's Six Major Higher-Education Associations Have Played in the Internationalization of American Higher Education During the Last Decade (1996-2006).
Degree: PhD, Higher Education, 2008, University of Toledo
► "The integration of internationalization into the core functions of higher education" has…
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▼ "The integration of internationalization into the core functions of higher education" has become a major objective for colleges and universities (Deetman, 1996, p. 33). Although this integration process is mostly the responsibility of the educational institutions themselves, research suggests that the higher education associations, albeit an outside agent, can play an important role in the process of campus internationalization (Ruther, 2002). This study was an attempt (a) to identify and describe the role of the nation's six major higher-education associations in the internationalization of American higher education, and (b) to map their involvement in terms of their advocacy efforts for international education programs and their support of member campus internationalization endeavors. The purpose of this study was accomplished through the use of the case study research method. The data for the study were collected from personal interviews with association representatives in charge of international programs and analysis of various relevant documents. The findings were presented in the form of six individual case study reports and a comparative cross-case report. The study found that, despite their longstanding interest in international issues, it was only at the turn of the 21st century that internationalization was promoted into an area of strategic priority in the presidential associations' agenda. Regarding campus internationalization, the presidential associations saw themselves first and foremost in the role of a supporter of their members' efforts to advance internationalization on their campuses. Within this supportive role, the major associations have assumed a number of functions, such as convener, public forum, research and resource center, leadership forum, and facilitator. They provide a wide array of services for members: research data, legislative updates regarding international education issues, information regarding funding and partnering opportunities, facilitation of international partnership-building efforts and international student recruitment efforts, and professional development opportunities. In addition to acting as an advocate for international education programs at the federal level, some presidential associations have also assumed an advocacy role with their members by promoting a comprehensive strategic approach to campus internationalization. They have done so through publications that provide roadmaps for the internationalization processes and recognition and diffusion of outstanding achievements and best institutional practices.
Advisors/Committee Members: Meabon, David.
Subjects: Higher education
Keywords: Internationalization of American Higher Education
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30.
Tumblin, Randall S.
The College Choice Process Of Non-traditional Students.
Degree: MEd, Higher Education, 2002, University of Toledo
► Non-traditional students are attending post secondary institutions in the United States in…
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▼ Non-traditional students are attending post secondary institutions in the United States in record numbers. The college choice decision process of these students has attracted little research when compared to the existing research base for traditional-age students. During the 2000 academic year, nontraditional students at nine private colleges and universities were studied to determine aspects of the college selection process that These students considered important. Students also revealed their level of concern over financing educational costs along with their primary sources of funding. The students, all of whom were employed full-time and attending college classes during the evening, also provided self-reported data on their personal and professional objectives for continuing post-secondary education. Students considered the academic reputation of an institution and the convenience factors associated with their program of choice as important factors in their enrollment decision.
Advisors/Committee Members: Opp, Ron.
Keywords: Adult college students; College choice
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