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

Higher education in the United States is threatened by the continued decrease in state and federal funding, increasing competition for the ever-decreasing funds. The need to understand and articulate institutional value is critical so institutions can communicate their worth as a means of ensuring viability. There currently exists an unclear understanding of how the public value of four-year colleges and universities is identified and communicated; this study provides some understanding. Using the Delphi method, this research examined how presidents, or their proxies, of four-year colleges and universities in Ohio identify and communicate institutional public value. Presidents are selected as participants because for centuries, college presidents have been tasked with conveying their institution's mission and value to the public. This study defines public value as “creating a pluralistic democracy through education, research, and community engagement for the betterment of society, which helps all people to flourish,” provides characteristics of this definition, and includes implications for current practice.

Committee: Edward Janak PhD (Committee Chair); Snejana Slantcheva-Durst PhD (Committee Member); Christine Fox PhD (Committee Member); La Fleur Small PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, 2025, Business Administration

Utilizing data from the Department of Education's College Scorecard website, this study consists of two parts, which are calculating program-specific net present values (NPV) for 2019 and 2021 graduates and using linear regression to predict future college costs for each included institution.  A paired t-test conducted on the differences in NPV between 2019 and 2021 shows that the majors with the most significant differences in values were in healthcare, engineering, and business fields, which supports broader trends in salary growth, hiring, and industry performance.  The second part of the study, predicting future college costs, finds future annual academic year costs for each institution included through the 2027-28 academic year.  These costs were analyzed by control type, geographic region, and urban versus rural designation.  This data indicates an increasing gap between the costs of public and private universities. Additionally, the study shows that colleges in the Northeast are more expensive than in other regions, and schools in urban areas are more costly than those in rural areas.  Overall, this study sets the stage for future research to be done on degree program values and the predictability of them once more data is available, which was the original intention of this undergraduate thesis.

Committee: Ehsan Ardjmand (Advisor) Subjects: Business Administration; Economics; Education Finance; Finance; Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2023, Higher Education

This quantitative study explored the intricate landscape of marketing strategies influencing adult learners' satisfaction with their decisions to enroll in community colleges. Using survey research design, this study illuminated significant insights into the multifaceted world of higher education marketing, particularly in the context of community colleges. By employing a robust methodology and comprehensive analysis, this study provided valuable implications for both theoretical advancements and practical applications within the field of higher education marketing. The study utilized the 7P marketing mix theoretical framework and a wide array of demographic and promotional marketing variables to understand the complex landscape of adult learner enrollment. The research questions delved into various aspects, including the role of promotional marketing strategies, value factors, ways of gathering information, and their correlation with adult learners' satisfaction with their enrollment decisions. The study made several significant findings. Firstly, the study highlighted the pivotal role of electronic communication methods such as email and text messages, alongside word-of-mouth recommendations, in influencing adult learners. These findings underline the importance of targeted, digital marketing strategies for community colleges. Additionally, the research shed light on the significance of interpersonal experiences, emphasizing the value of one-on-one meetings and in-person events in adult learners' decision-making processes. The study also unveiled gender-based disparities in satisfaction levels, with female adult learners exhibiting notably higher satisfaction rates than their male counterparts. This gender-specific variation emphasized the need for tailored, gender-focused marketing approaches to enhance satisfaction levels effectively. The research identified a combination of six key predictors that significantly influenced adult learners' enrollment decisions in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Snejana Slantcheva-Durst (Committee Chair); Vicky Wood (Committee Member); Michael Mallin (Committee Member); Ron Opp (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Marketing

PHD, Kent State University, 2021, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

This study has three primary objectives. First to provide insight into possibilities for moderation/mediation analysis in education research by discussing analytical methods based on the counterfactual and developed in other disciplines. Second is to highlight specific issues related to mediation and the estimation of effects when the outcome is dichotomous. The final objective is to apply counterfactual-based analytical methods to two questions pertaining to student success in community college mathematics, using a dataset spanning twenty years of student transcript information. This study will estimate moderated and mediated effects, use a generalized linear model approach to calculate odds and risk ratios, and incorporate a measure of possible confounding known as the E-value in the investigation of two research questions pertaining to student success in community college mathematics. Prior grades were the most important predictor of success, both in a second sequential mathematics course and for credential completion. While a small association was found between timing of first math class and credential completion, there is no evidence that timing has a causal effect. Policies hoping to enhance student success should focus on effective advising rather than specifying either the timing between sequential math courses or on the timing of the first math class. Researchers using logistic regression should estimate risk ratios instead when an outcome is not rare. Research using regression models should include sensitivity analyses as a standard practice.

Committee: Aryn Karpinski (Advisor); Stephen Brown (Committee Member); Anthony Vander Horst (Committee Member) Subjects: Mathematics Education

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

PHD, Kent State University, 2015, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

This mixed methods study sought to determine the effect of a spreadsheet-based learning environment on college students' attitudes toward mathematics. How students might use this technology to develop their conceptual understandings of specific mathematical concepts was also explored. Participants were comprised of students enrolled in an undergraduate Mathematics with Applications course at a small, private, liberal arts university in Northeast Ohio. Three frameworks were used to collect and analyze data: (1) the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) was utilized at the beginning and end of the study to measure an initial 36 participants' attitudes toward mathematics; (2) the Master, Student, Partner, Extension-of-Self Framework (MSPE) was employed to assess a smaller sample of six students' ways of interacting with technology; and (3) the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes Taxonomy (SOLO) was used to measure the understandings and sense makings of mathematical concepts for the same six students. Although there were no significant changes in students' attitudes based on the quantitative findings, qualitative results suggest that students' value of mathematics increased. In addition, for most students, the use of spreadsheet technology to interact with mathematics increased over the duration of the study. Limitations of the ATMI are discussed with suggestions for the development of a new instrument that incorporates the use of technology. Implications for the use of spreadsheets in post-secondary mathematics courses are proposed and recommendations for future research based on unanticipated findings regarding the dynamics of student pairs are suggested.

Committee: Scott Courtney (Committee Co-Chair); Michael Mikusa (Committee Co-Chair); Lisa Borgerding (Committee Member); Mark Kretovics (Other) Subjects: Education; Mathematics Education; Technology

BA, Oberlin College, 2008, Economics

Using a hedonic pricing model, I estimated the effects of changes in college and university characteristics on house prices in three regions of Ohio. I used cross-sectional housing and census data for the year 2000, compiled by David M. Brasington of Louisiana State University, and college data from Barron's Profiles of American Colleges 2001. I measured college and university impact within radii ranging from one to two miles around a campus admissions office, allowing for an investigation of how the impact of academic institutions changes with distance. I found that changes in campus size, undergraduate student population, graduate student population, on-campus student housing, college competitiveness, the presence of a Bachelor of Music program, number of college sports, the presence of fraternities and sororities, and the presence of other college characteristics that are not specifically controlled for have statistically significant effects on house prices within about a 1.5-mile radius of a college admissions office. Bachelor of Music programs, increases in graduate student population, and increases in campus size have no effect or a positive effect on house prices in all three regions; increases in full-time undergraduate population have no effect or a negative effect on house prices in all three regions.

Committee: Hirschel Kasper (Advisor); Jordan Suter (Advisor); Barbara Craig (Advisor); Luis Fernandez (Advisor) Subjects: Area Planning and Development; Economic Theory; Economics; Higher Education; Music Education; Statistics; Urban Planning