Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research

Student Perceptions of First-Year Experience: A Comparison of Participants and Non-Participants in a Learning Community Program and Their First-Year Experiences

Jordan D. Black — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:26:33 PDT

The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to better understand first-year experiences from a student perspective, while comparing two different student groups: learning community participants and non-learning community participants. First-year experiences studied were defined through intentional conversations with administrators and students to better understand what experiences were believed to be common at the institution studied. An online survey was then administered to determine the perceived value of experiences, followed by interviews with selected participants to better understand their perspectives. The results demonstrated that although there were differences between the perceptions of experiences between the two samples, the reasoning behind the perceptions was similar and provided for a brief understanding of the student experience at the institution studied.

Adviser: James V. Griesen

A Phenomenological Study of Mid-Career Female Student Affairs Administrators' Experiences Navigating the Career Labyrinth Including Obstacles in Catholic Higher Education

Michele Starzyk — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:21:49 PDT

While the role of women in the Catholic Church has been a topic of much discussion, there has also been a call for the Church to partner with the laity. However, women who choose to work in Catholic co-educational, male sponsored higher education institutions may find a gendered organizational culture to embrace. Little research has been done in regards to the experience women have navigating the career labyrinth at mid-career while employed at Catholic institutions.

This study attempted to answer the grand tour question of what meaning do mid-career female student affairs professionals make of navigating the career labyrinth, including obstacles, in male order sponsored co-educational Catholic institutions of higher education? More specifically,

What are some of the obstacles they have had to face?

Who or what created these obstacles?

How does the Catholic Church sponsorship influence the situation?

How do women navigate career obstacles?

Why do women persist in lieu of these obstacles?

These questions were addressed through a phenomenological design to allow for participants’ voices to emerge through 15 interviews. Themes of motivation to work at the institution, personal obstacles, organizational challenges, coping and moving forward were shared. Career obstacles were experienced by mid-career women in Catholic, male religious order sponsored institutions both as personally imposed and organizationally constructed. Women struggled with changing personal goals, perspectives and life factors. Dealing with organizational constraints, women have developed a myriad of coping techniques to thrive in mission rich institutions. Relying on support systems, allies, mentors, professional/personal development and their faith, women navigated obstacles with positivity and hope, as many individuals enjoyed their work in Catholic institutions. The researcher offered recommendations for practice based on the participants’ shared advice, such as providing orientation programs that name potential obstacles and strategies to overcome them for individuals new to the campus culture. Additional recommendations included institutional efforts that can be undertaken such as university committee work.

Advisor: Richard E. Hoover

Expectations v. Reality: A Study about Chinese Students' Expectations and Experiences at a Midwestern University in America

Sarah J. Barg — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:37:19 PDT

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to add to the research regarding the expectations and experiences of Chinese students studying at an American university. In doing so, this study sought to examine newly arriving Chinese students’ expectations of what their experience would be like compared to the reality of what their experiences actually were while attending Midwestern State University (MSU). Ten participants participated in two semi-structured interviews. The first set of interviews explored what Chinese students expected their experience studying at MSU to be like. The following interview explored the actual experiences the Chinese students had while studying at MSU. Their transition was also linked to Schlossberg’s (1981) Transition Theory.

The result was an in-depth understanding of what Chinese students not only expected their experience at an American university to be, but also a critical look at what those experiences actually were during their first semester studying at MSU. Interestingly, some of the expectations matched the students’ actual experiences. However, not all of the experiences were mentioned in the expectation interviews. This research, combined with the literature, provides institutions like MSU with a better understanding of how to meet Chinese students’ wants and needs.

Advisor: James Griesen

Institutional Crisis Readiness as Perceived by Small College and University Senior Student Affairs Officers at NASPA Member Institutions

Philip D. Covington — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:57:11 PDT

The purpose of this study was to examine current readiness plans of small colleges and universities through the eyes of Senior Student Affairs Officers and develop recommendations for institutional use. Plans were examined across both institutional size and type to gauge institutional readiness, and commonalities were sought in the areas of plan development and maintenance. This explanatory mixed-methods study utilized survey research methodology and phone interviews. Following the initial survey administration, five respondents participated in phone interviews focused on the development and maintenance of institutional crisis management systems. Unexpected delays in the research necessitated a second administration of the survey to provide more recent data.

The researcher focused on four primary indicators of institutional crisis preparedness: (a) identification of the types of crises addressed by institutional plans, (b) crisis phases addressed by institutional plans, (c) crisis management systems in place, and (d) level of stakeholder involvement in institutional plans.

The findings suggested that small colleges and universities generally are prepared to face crisis situations, as nearly every institution had a written crisis management plan and an established crisis management committee. Roughly three of every four small colleges and universities had taken a broad approach to their planning, as indicated by the presence of at least one written contingency plan in each of the four major categories of crises: natural, facility, criminal, and human. Additionally, the findings suggested that planning was reactive, rather than proactive, as noted by the limited attention given by institutions to the pre-crisis phase of planning.

Private institutions were more confident in their overall level of preparedness for campus crises than public institutions. Additionally, confidence in the level of preparedness was highest at the largest institutions in the study. Interview participants focused on the level of comfort among the team of individuals charged with leading through institutional crises as critical. Lastly, interview participants acknowledged the need for outside expertise to bring focus and experience to planning.

Advisor: Richard E. Hoover

Older Undergraduate English Majors and their Self-Described Value of English

Joseph W. Price — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:12:10 PDT

The purpose of this multiple case study was to develop an understanding of what older nontraditional undergraduate English majors voiced as the challenges, attributes, and promises concerning their choice of that academic major.

Ten participants took part in this study; these were students enrolled during the Spring 2012 semester as English majors at an urban state university in the Midwest. Data from ten interviews were analyzed using a combination of structural and verses coding. Thirteen themes surfaced that cut across cases and questions and offered insight and explanation to the research question and sub questions. These included (in alphabetical order): being older, coping strategies, encouragement, fear, finances, interruptions to enrollment, possibilities, reading’s influence, resistance, skills gained, understanding the world, the English major’s worth, and writing’s influence.

While these participants voiced challenges such as being older, fear, and interruptions to enrollment, in all but one case, the life-long love of reading and/or writing sustained their aspirations in the major. All participants envisioned careers that would utilize the skills gained in the study of the English major. All participants also stated that understanding the world better was a benefit of the English major. However, the encouragement to pursue the English major that participants received, whether the source of that encouragement was internal or external, took place in formal or informal settings, or was mostly positive or negative, permeated their entire lives. These participants swam in a sea of mostly positive encouragement that reinforced their choice of an English major. In some cases, these positive encouragements were nothing more than simple courtesies or compliments professors bestowed upon participants. While seemingly minor, these actions had a profound effect on students. Implications and future research are discussed.

Advisers: Brent Cejda and Donald Uerling

FIRST TO SECOND YEAR RETENTION BASED ON FINANCIAL AID PACKAGE: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY

Emily E. Carpenter — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:51:33 PDT

Retention in higher education continues to be a constant issue for administrators. The university studied for this research is one that intends to expand its current undergraduate body by more than 25% by 2017. To do this, the chancellor of the institution has claimed that increasing the retention rate is vital. As shown in many studies, if an institution can retain students into their sophomore year they are more likely to graduate them within a 6-year period. This study specifically analyzes 1,328 equity aid eligible resident students from the 2011-2012 academic year to the 2012 fall semester. A student is equity aid eligible if his or her family cannot contribute more than 10,601 dollars per year towards the student’s education. Students in this study fall under three categories: equity, not equity, and not awarded. The ‘equity’ indicator acknowledges that the equity aid eligible student has applied for his or her financial aid package by April 1^st (on time) and has received the maximum amount of $11,000 dollars from grant aid from the federal government, state government, and institution need-based grants. Both the ‘not equity’ and ‘not awarded’ indicators acknowledge that the equity aid eligible student has applied for their financial aid package late (after April 1^st) and has either received some grant aid, but not the maximum (not equity) or no grant aid at all (not awarded). This study looks at the retention of these 1,328 students from their freshmen to sophomore year to determine if there is any correlation between the type of aid received and if they are retained or not.

Advisor: Debra Mullen

The Role of Leadership Experience in Self-Authorship Development: A Qualitative Case Study

Anna Pressler — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:01:27 PDT

Marcia Baxter Magolda’s research showed development of self-authorship typically occurred around 30 years of age. However, some programming and experiential learning presented opportunities to accelerate self-authorship development in college. Baxter Magolda emphasized the importance of self-authorship in the formative years of college and post-graduation with significant life decisions of academic major, career choice, and relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the role leadership experience played in development of self-authorship in college. Previous research touted multicultural programming, developmental advising, challenging classroom environments, and living-learning community models as ways to promote self-authorship development, but little research examined the role of leadership. By exploring men’s fraternity presidents’ experiences and progress toward self-authorship, the researcher hoped to distinguish what aspects of leadership experience promoted development of self-authorship. Findings indicated elements of leadership experience, such as peer accountability, higher level decision making, and personal reflection, positively impacted self-authorship development.

Adviser: James V. Griesen

Special Education Teacher Persistence

Sally A. Thorp — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:01:26 PDT

The focus of this study was special education teachers, who remained in the teaching field 5 or more years. Through the use of qualitative mixed-methods study, variables contributing to their longevity were explored. Research indicates that 50% of special education teachers leave the field within five years of employment (Alliance for Education, 2004). For the study, 22 teachers from different school districts, as well as different geographical parts of the U.S., were interviewed. One man and 21 women, all with more than five years of experience were interviewed. Data obtained from these interviews was organized into six themes. Themes identified were: Children and How They Contribute to Longevity, Administrative Support, Opportunity to Collaborate and Network, They Felt it Was A Special Calling, What They Do is Appreciated, and The Freedom to Teach What Students Need. Each theme is explored in depth to determine its contribution to the understanding of longevity for special education teachers. Implications for the retention of special education teachers are presented.

Advisor: Marilyn L. Grady

Influences on Student Attitudes: An Examination of Ten Selected Influence Areas that Impact Community College Students’ Attitudes Towards Postsecondary Education and Student Outcomes

Luke A. Stobel — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:51:44 PDT

The purpose of this study was to examine different selected influence areas that may have an impact on a community college student’s attitudes towards their education. The study was first examined in relation to existing research regarding influences that can affect, positively or negatively, a student’s attitude towards education, the courses and type of institution that they select, and ultimately in their decision to pursue higher education in general. Ten different selected influence areas were chosen and aspects of each area were examined to provide insight into influences that may impact student attitudes towards education and ultimately student outcomes. Some of the impacts reinforced those which were represented in existing literature, and some of the influences were new with regard to existing literature. Previous studies and existing literature were discussed in detail to include any connections, similarities, and differences between the existing literature and the current study. A sample of 22 community college students was chosen from Western Nebraska Community College. A 20 question Likert Assessment was implemented, and 8 students were chosen from the sample of 20 to participate in the interview portion, which consisted of 10 semi-structured questions about the selected influences in an effort to shed more light on why certain influences impacted students and in what ways that occurred.

Adviser: Richard E. Hoover

Developing Purpose in College: A Mixed Methods Study to Investigate how First-Year and Senior Students Developed Purpose at a Large Research Midwestern University

Laura J. Coombs — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:46:54 PDT

The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to investigate how students develop purpose at a large research Midwestern University. More specifically, this study assessed how students developed their sense of purpose in college, according to both first-year students and senior students.
The central research question for this study was: how do students develop purpose in college? More specifically, how do first-year students compare with senior college students when developing purpose in college? The Developing Purpose Inventory (DPI), created by William Barratt, was utilized to determine how students were developing purpose in college, according to Arthur Chickering’s student development theory. Students self-selected to participate in a follow-up research interview, which examined in depth how students perceived their development or purpose evolved throughout their college education. The three sections of developing purpose studied were avocational recreational interests, vocational interests, and style of life.
One hundred and twenty seven students completed online surveys. The author also conducted semi-structured interviews with three first-year participants and four senior participants who volunteered to complete a follow-up interview after the initial survey.
This study showed that students develop purpose between their first-year and senior year of college at a large research Midwestern University. Statistically significant evidence from the DPI suggested that students developed avocational recreational purpose and style of life purpose during college. The DPI also suggested that students develop vocational interests during their academic career. Six qualitative themes also emerged from the qualitative research: he/she believed in me, college as the next step, exploring possibilities, value of experiences and involvement, supporting and helping others, and preparation to do something greater.

Adviser: Richard E. Hoover

EXPLORING CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE IN AN INTENSIVE ENGLISH PROGRAM AT A US MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Yishi Long — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:29:13 PDT

This phenomenological study described Chinese students’ learning experiences in an Intensive English Program at a U.S. public university. Its main purpose was to investigate whether Chinese students think this program help them transition to American academic and social environment more smoothly.

The researcher adopted purposive sampling because there were selection criteria: (a) Chinese Intensive English students, (b) not in the Partnership Degree Programs, (c) 19 years of age or older, and (d) enrolled in 2013 spring academic semester at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The sample was 10 students, five males and five females, from Basic Level to Advanced Level.

The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews to gather data. Interview questions consisted of open ended, multiple and probing questions. Few closed questions were used. The data were analyzed and organized into themes. Demographic data and findings were showed in tables and figures.

Findings revealed that the majority of the participants were satisfied with the program because they observed their great progress with listening and speaking after they took classes, however, the level they satisfaction depended on how long they had to study in the program. The students reported lower level of satisfaction when they studied longer in the program. One major recommendation of the study was that language instruction should be more integrated with academic course content in the Intensive English Program. This qualitative study also recommended topics for future research based on the ideas the researcher gathered from the interviews.

Advisor: Miles T. Bryant

The Legislative Purposes and Intent of the Common Levy in Nebraska’s Learning Community

Matthew L. Blomstedt — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:29:12 PDT

The purpose of this historical study was to establish the purposes and intent of the common levy in Nebraska’s learning community. The development of this unique regional educational structure consisting of eleven school districts in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area is central to the study. The research detailed the context of the decisions made by the Nebraska Legislature to establish and implement the learning community law from 2005 and 2012. Specifically, the study focused on the establishment of a regional tax base, the common levy, as a response to boundary and finance instability that persisted in the Omaha area. The research relied on written news accounts and legislative records. The findings include implications for researchers, educational leaders, and policy makers who seek to address complex finance and urban growth dynamics that impact educational structures. Although the policy history does not seek to judge the effectiveness of the learning community or common levy, it is intended to contribute to future evaluation of such policies.

Adviser: Marilyn Grady

A Qualitative Study to Examine the Relationships of First-Year Student Residents and Their Resident Peer Assistants at a Four Year Private University

Janet P. Goodman — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:17:26 PDT

This research study investigated the characteristics of a positive resident to resident peer assistant relationship. At Nebraska Wesleyan University, resident peer assistants “are trained students dedicated to giving their peers personal and academic guidance” (Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2011, sect. Peer Assistants). Peer Assistants work to “organize social and educational programming on their floors and in their buildings. They coordinate social activities and enforce community standards, university policies and state laws” (Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2011, sect. Peer Assistants). Two Residential Education Coordinators at Nebraska Wesleyan University recommended residents they believed had a highly interactive relationship with their resident peer assistants for interviews for this study. Students interviewed were asked about the relationship they had with their resident Peer Assistants, the programs sponsored by the resident Peer Assistants, and the expectations they had of their resident Peer Assistants. The study was conducted with the intention of implementing similar positive interactions in future resident peer assistant hiring, training, and programming requirements.

Adviser: Richard E. Hoover

How College/University Administrators Handle the Disgruntled Parent

Loreal E. Robertson — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:17:24 PDT

This qualitative study explored how student affairs and academic affairs professionals communicate with parents of undergraduate students who attend MidPointe University (MPU). The literature review indicates that there has been little research conducted on the nature of the interaction between college and university administrators and parents. Available research studies indicate that administrators communicate with parents with more frequency than expected, considering the past findings. Millennial students are sheltered, pressured, unique, and are overly involved (Howe & Strauss, 2007; Elam, Stratton & Gibson, 2007). Parents of today’s students are making an extra effort to be involved in the lives of their children and want to support them, especially when it comes to education.

Semi-structured in person interviews were conducted with nine student and academic affairs professionals with varying levels of experience in these fields. Interviews took place on-campus at a large Midwestern, predominately white institution. Administrators in the offices of University Housing, Financial Aid, and Admissions were able to share their personal experiences and encounters with angry parents, share how they diffuse anger, discuss the protocol that their offices have (or do not have) for dealing with frustrated parents, and offer advice to new professionals who may experience this situation in their careers. Senior-level administrators who took part in this study admitted to not communicating with parents as often as they have in the past; however, if a parent concern is brought to their attention, the level of anxiety from the parent is typically high. Findings indicated that administrators should communicate regularly with parents and that listening to their concerns, maintaining professionalism, and working to solve the issues are strategies that are best to utilize when working with frustrated parents.

Adviser: James V. Griesen