Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2010, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to assess whether one private, residential campus had created an atmosphere and culture that encouraged political involvement and civic engagement. This ethnographic study consisted of observational findings, content analysis of institutional documents, and three focus groups composed of residential students who attended Midwestern College. Five central themes were indentified as meaningful influences on Millennial students' levels of political involvement and civic engagement: (a) Campus Connection with the Community, (b) Family-like Campus Atmosphere, (c) Emphasis on Community Service, (d) Awareness of Local, National and Global Issues, and (e) Foundational Quaker Values. These themes were integrated into varied aspects of campus life, developing a campus climate that positively influenced students' levels of civic engagement and political awareness. It was found that the core Quaker values were the foundation for students' levels of political involvement and civic engagement, as well as the other four themes.

Committee: Lawrence Mrozek MA (Committee Co-Chair); Charles Ryan PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Rick Danals PhD (Committee Member); Suzanne Franco EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Urban Educational Leadership

The challenge of ensuring educational equity, closing the achievement gap between African American students and White students attending public schools has gone on for half a century. As we enter the twenty-first century, neither educational reforms enacted by the public school system nor legislative actions, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, with its accountability mandate have produced solutions that will insure that African American children are equally educationally prepared to pursue a post-secondary education or to enter the workforce with marketable skills that would allow them to compete for jobs which offer competitive salaries more than a step above minimum wage. In fact the gap is widening (Ladson-Billings, 2006; Lee and Orfield, 2005). It has been suggested that public schools must change how they improve student learning outcomes and consider developing outside relationships (Elmore, 1996). There has been growing agreement on the importance of community involvement in schools (Epstein and Sheldon, 2005; Noguera, 2003; Sanders 2003). Researchers are continually examining what affect community involvement may have on the academic outcomes of children attending schools in urban communities. However, examining perceptions and beliefs of residents in predominantly African American communities and what variables may influence individuals in those communities to commit to working collectively for the educational success of children in their neighborhood required investigation. Using one-on-one in-depth interviews, field observations and documentation, this qualitative study examined long-term and short-term residents, and community organizational representatives' views from one community on perceived collective efficacy. This study utilized the conceptual framework of Bandura, (1982) and Sampson et al., (1997) Collective Efficacy construct. The findings suggest that using a qualitative approach provides data for studying perceived collective effic (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lionel Brown EdD (Committee Chair); Vanessa Allen-Brown PhD (Committee Member); Roger Collins PhD (Committee Member); Scott Dewitt PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy

PHD, Kent State University, 2012, College of Communication and Information / School of Communication Studies

In an era of increasing network connectedness, researchers have debated whether people are becoming more isolated from (e.g., Putnam, 2000) or more connected to (e.g., Wellman, 2005) their place-based communities. The goal of this study was to increase research knowledge regarding the effect of Internet use on community. Specifically, I studied the influence of Internet use on students' psychological sense of community (PSC). I introduced a model of Internet use and PSC that draws on communication theory (uses and gratifications theory) to examine the influence of individual differences (i.e., social loneliness and LOC), Internet use motives, amount and types of Internet use, and community involvement on university students' PSC. I conducted hierarchical linear regression and path analysis to test the proposed model. My regression results suggested that participants who were not socially lonely, did not use the Internet habitually to pass the time, and were involved in their university community had a stronger university PSC than did their counterparts. My path analysis results indicated that, for participants in this study, the interpersonal use of the Internet (i.e., interpersonal communication motivation and social community-related Internet use) influenced students to be more involved in their university community. Community involvement in turn was linked to students reported feelings of a greater sense of connection to the university. However, being motivated to use the Internet to pass time detracted from PSC, whereas other use (e.g., habitual entertainment, relaxation, escape, convenience, information) did not build or detract from community or PSC. This study adds to building research support for the role of the Internet as a tool for connecting people, and for building and maintaining communal relations (e.g., Behrens et al, 2007; Fox, 2004; Hampton & Wellman, 2002; Katz & Rice, 2002; Robinson et al., 2000; Quan-Haase et al., 2002).

Committee: Paul Haridakis Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jeffrey Child Ph.D. (Committee Member); Albert Ingram Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mei-Chen Lin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Haridakis Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Communication

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

This dissertation examines parents and teachers' perceptions of effective parental involvement in education, situated within Epstein et al.'s (2009) framework of six typologies of parental participation. The study, through a comprehensive comparative analysis, reveals critical insights into the disparities and commonalities in how parents and teachers perceive effective parental involvement and its impact on student achievement. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative measures of parental and teacher perceptions alongside qualitative insights gained from the Turkleton Community Schools (TCS) environment.

Committee: James Olive Ph. D (Committee Chair); Mary Beth Reardon Ph. D (Committee Member); Derek Arrowood Ph. D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Engineering Education

There is substantial value in expanding parents' perspectives so they can see that STEM learning is not confined to and can often thrive outside of the classroom. Exposing parents to valuable nonclassroom contexts for teaching and learning STEM (e.g., concerts, parks, athletic events, and libraries) can enable them to promote and develop STEM learning experiences for their children.Through this dissertation, I offer evidence that highlights how Black parents can learn to use their culture as a vehicle to promote culturally relevant (CR) approaches toward supporting/promoting their children's learning STEM in the home. As the central intervention within this study, I facilitated a Community of Practice to answer the following research questions: (1) How do parents interpret and implement CR STEM learning in the home? (2) How do CR STEM experiences empower Black PI? This study produces new knowledge that promotes Black parents' empowerment through the leveraging of their culture to support their children's STEM learning.

Committee: David Delaine (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2022, Higher Education

Adult students constitute a large and increasing proportion of community college enrollment across the United States. For personal, economic, and sociological reasons, the success of these students is vital to the students themselves, the institutions they attend, and society as a whole. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine results from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to determine what variables influenced adult community college students' success as measured by cumulative GPA using Alexander Astin's I-E-O. Astin's Theory of Student Involvement was the theoretical framework for the study. Using multiple linear regression design, the study's sample included 21,386 students aged 25 and over from 589 two-year institutions. The results showed that 31 input and environmental factors were predictive of cumulative GPA. The environmental factors were primarily centered around the classroom and support services. These results may be used to inform community college practitioners and researchers to focus policies, practices, and future research on practical ways to measure, increase and support adult student success.

Committee: Ron Opp (Committee Chair); Penny Poplin Gosetti (Committee Member); Dennis Lettman (Committee Member); Craig Kolins (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2018, Leadership and Change

The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceived value of their community college experience and its relationship to other factors often related to student persistence in college, namely satisfaction, academic quality, service quality, and engagement. The research was guided by three focused questions: How do students describe and define perceived value of community college; what components emerge from exploratory factor analysis of items designed to measure perceived value; and how, if at all, is a student's perception of the value of a community college experience different from related measures such as satisfaction, engagement, or quality? Data were collected from students enrolled at, primarily, three Massachusetts community colleges, employing a three-phased, mixed methods exploratory sequential approach. Phase 1 consisted of focus group interviews with students from one of the participating colleges to identify the themes and language for developing the perceived value construct. Phase 2 consisted of an online survey targeting currently enrolled community college students. Factor analysis identified key components of the perceived value scale and multiple regression analysis determined the relationship between perceived value and other control variables. Phase 3 consisted of a virtual post survey focus group with voluntary survey participants from Massachusetts community colleges to discuss and clarify the quantitative results and narrative survey responses. The dominant theme emerging from the findings was that students described perceived value as “I am valued” by the college. Results also indicated that the perceived value construct was different from other measures and suggested promising ways for further exploring and measuring student persistence. As a result of the study's findings, a conceptual framework in the form of a Perceived Value Wheel was proposed with recommendations to community college leaders and practical contribution to higher (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jon Wergin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carol Baron Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ruth Slotnick Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Administration; Business Education; Community College Education; Community Colleges; Continuing Education; Education; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Educational Tests and Measurements; Educational Theory; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Management; Marketing; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

Over the past thirty years many urban areas of the United States have seen significant declines caused by disinvestment related to growth outside of the regional core. While many businesses have followed the population shift to the suburbs, many major corporations remain in the center city. These corporations have the assets and influence to have a significant impact on the redevelopment of these declining urban areas. A concurrent trend during the past thirty years has been a recognition of the responsibility of companies to address societal ills. This ideology is commonly referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR transforms a corporation‘s ability to improve its city into a responsibility to take an active role in that change. To understand the application of CSR in a depressed urban area, the city of Cincinnati was studied. Despite a long and significant population loss in the city, many of the largest companies in the region maintain a strong presence in the city‘s urban core. Nine Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in downtown Cincinnati as well as many of the area‘s largest employers. Fifteen of Cincinnati‘s largest corporations were studied to determine how corporations are fulfilling their community involvement expectations. Furthermore, the study analyzes how these efforts compare with contemporary urban best practices for community involvement. The study concludes by identifying Cincinnati‘s best practices, which serve as models for other companies locally and nationally.

Committee: Charles Ellison (Committee Chair); Terry Grundy (Committee Member); Carla Chifos (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Community; Urban Planning

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2002, Environmental Sciences

In partial fulfillment of the Master of Environmental Science degree at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, I completed an eight-month internship with the Environmental Management Office at the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. I conducted interdisciplinary environmental work as the Pueblo?s Environmental Management Officer. My responsibilities were to manage the Environmental Management Office, administer grant funds, implement work plans, develop operating budgets, identify environmental issues, create action plans, and serve as liaison with local, state, and federal organizations. My work focused on media specific areas such as air, water, land, solid waste, and hazardous waste. I prepared an Environmental Characterization report, a Tribal Environmental Management Plan, a Quality Management Plan, a grant proposal, and other environmentally related documents. Included in my projects were community-based activities that focused on the Tribe?s environmental and cultural concerns. This internship provided me with invaluable professional experience working for an Indian tribe at the grassroots level.

Committee: Adolph Greenberg (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Sciences

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2006, Leadership and Change

The central purpose of this research study was to develop common indicators of engagement for civic initiatives between institutions of higher education and their community organization partners. The unique aspect of this study was that the indicators were generated by the community organizations participating as stakeholders in campus-community partnerships. Using an action research methodology that involved eleven community organization participants from the health and wellness sector, the study advocated for research that provided a deeper understanding of the perspectives of community organizations. Findings suggested that significant divides existed in core civic areas dealing with service-learning, relevance of academic research, and equitable treatment of community partners. The study produced a formal set of community partner indicators of engagement that were developed by the participants in the study and disseminated to higher education leaders. The indicators illustrated the expectations of community partners that engaged in civic partnerships with higher education. Additionally, the study provided an analysis of the literature on civic engagement, identifying a lack of empirical research concerned with the perspectives of community organization partners. The electronic version of the dissertation is accessible at the OhioLINK ETD center http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/.

Committee: Jon Wergin (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Higher

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2012, Judith Herb College of Education

Ohio needs to increase the number of college-educated citizens to improve the state's economy and to remain competitive in the global economy. The Ohio Board of Regents challenged colleges to develop better methods of retaining students to increase graduation rates. Learning community curriculum models have been used to restructure the curriculum, student learning, and the classroom environments to improve student persistence and academic achievement. However, there is limited research on how learning communities are used in business programs in community colleges. This multi-case study examines how three learning community curriculum models have changed the learning environment and the findings provide a comprehensive, contextually rich description of each learning community based on an insider's perspective. A document analysis, three classroom observation, and interviews with 34 participants were included in the multi-case study. The findings show how learning communities facilitate student involvement and social and academic integration, and describe best practices of learning communities in community colleges.

Committee: David Meabon PhD (Committee Chair); Debra Gentry PhD (Committee Member); Mary Edwards PhD (Committee Member); Ron Abrams PhD (Committee Member); David Hyslop PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2012, Higher Education

The orientation and training of public community college trustees is inconsistent. This empirical study investigated that training and its influence on board use of best practices. The study used adult learning theory and involvement theory. Astin's input-environment-outcome model was used as a conceptual framework with a blocked form of stepwise regression. The criterion variable was board use of best practices, created from a scale score of board best practices. Trustees from 146 institutions in 16 states responded to the electronic survey (n=253). Six predictor variables were significant at the p<.05 level. Results provided a better understanding of board use of best practices, orientation and training, and suggested ways in which trustee orientation and training could be improved.

Committee: Ronald D. Opp Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Larry G. McDougle Ph.D. (Committee Member); Snejana I. Slantcheva-Durst Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jerome E. Webster Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Community College Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration