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K. Crist 2024 My Ethic of Care.pdf (1.18 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

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My Ethic of Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Professional Staff Experiences in Small Private Universities

Crist, Karen E.
http://orcid.org/0009-0005-1032-9488
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch172052911748946

Abstract Details

2024, Ed.D., Antioch University, Education.
Beginning at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education experienced a sea change in reduced enrollment, altered course delivery models, and increased need for student support. While observing staff's actual impact on the student experience during this time, this study will address the question, “How do professional staff in small private universities a) perceive their contributions to the retention of students and b) perceive their overall value to the institutions they serve?” Owing to gaps in research on professional staff experiences, the literature review synthesizes current trends related to enrollment, retention, and persistence, focusing on small, private, non-profit 4-year institutions; discusses the disparate impact of these trends; examines the context of academic staffing trends; reviews the experiences of professional staff, focusing on critical connections between student and institution, student learning within liminal spaces, gender, and relational practice; and, examining social justice leadership in postsecondary education staffing. This qualitative study employs a constructivist grounded theory method using an initial anonymous questionnaire and interviews with volunteers for a deeper exploration of themes. The pool of nine interview participants comprises mid-level professional staff with at least three years of experience in student-supporting roles from five private universities with under 5,000 students. Potential implications relate to improving student retention practices and eliminating barriers by rethinking staff structures, resource allocation, and investment in student support areas. Further implications are related to staff role satisfaction, socially just models for professional development, and training of the next generation of professional staff. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).
Emiliano Gonzalez, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Douglas Judge, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Cristy Sugarman, Ed.D. (Committee Member)
181 p.
Educational Leadership; Ethics; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Organizational Behavior
professional staff; student services; student support; relational practice; third spaces; ethics of care; social justice leadership; educational leadership; small universities; qualitative; grounded theory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Crist, K. E. (2024). My Ethic of Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Professional Staff Experiences in Small Private Universities [Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch172052911748946

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Crist, Karen. My Ethic of Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Professional Staff Experiences in Small Private Universities. 2024. Antioch University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch172052911748946.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Crist, Karen. "My Ethic of Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Professional Staff Experiences in Small Private Universities." Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch172052911748946

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

antioch172052911748946
56
© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Antioch University and OhioLINK.