Browsing by Subject "Graduate Students"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Memorable Messages from Mentors: A Qualitative Study of First-Generation Graduate Students
    (2019-04) Ojeda, Opal
    This study’s inquiry aimed to examine the mentoring experiences of first-generation graduate students, meaning first-generation college students who are currently enrolled in graduate school. Mentors can provide guidance for first-generation graduate students and can have a positive impact on their experience of the graduate school process. This study examined the impact of mentoring relationships on first-generation graduate students and the memorable messages they received from these mentors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen first-generation college students who were currently in doctoral programs. Using the qualitative research approach of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), predominant domains and themes were created to provide a rich description of the entire data set. A total of three overarching domains were identified with ten themes within them. Domains covered the areas of 1) Creating a Positive Relationship, 2) Navigating the World of Higher Education, and 3) Supporting the Emotional Needs of Students. Participants emphasized how mentors created positive mentoring relationships. These relationships often began through connecting over shared backgrounds or interests and then deepened through the supportive environment that mentors created. Within the supportive environment, mentors were open to both a personal and professional relationship with their mentees. Participants also reported that their mentors helped them to navigate higher education. This was done by helping participants with the application process to graduate school and providing them with opportunities that were needed to make them competitive applicants. Mentors also assisted students in navigating the culture of graduate school and in guiding their career paths. Finally, participants stated that mentors supported their emotional needs. This was done in a variety of ways including encouraging students to attend graduate school, building up students’ confidence that they can be successful in graduate school, and increasing students’ sense of belonging in graduate school. Discussion of research recommendations and implications for training and practice are included.
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    Organizational change in academic programs: a case study of doctoral students‘ experiences.
    (2011-04) Frazier, Christina Coffee
    This qualitative case study explored the experiences of doctoral students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as they transitioned from a fairly stable academic department experiencing significant changes. To achieve the purpose of the study, I investigated the experiences of doctoral students through an organizational development perspective and analyzed how they themselves interpret changes. This study attempted to expand research to include a conceptual foundation for organizational change, identify how departmental changes affect doctoral students, and strategies for an academic department transformation. Perceptions from doctoral students and document data as back up were seen as essential in furthering the understanding of organizational changes in higher education. Using the interpretive case study methodology of Michael Quinn Patton, I devised a conceptual foundation for organizational change in an academic department about the core elements of doctoral students' needs during transition for continued progress toward degree completion. A missing link within and among the core elements would alter or impair a doctoral student's experiences and advancement toward degree completion. In the end, what continued to be an important stronghold for them before the transformation and then following the merger of the department remained critical. These doctoral students needed communications, considered the faculty relationships necessary, and looked for a sense of community. What was presented to and arranged for them caught them by surprise. Findings yielded an analysis of doctoral student unlike any mentioned in the literature.
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    Understanding the ‘Why’: A Research Study on the Motivations of Graduate Students for Public Engagement
    (2015-08) Dunens, Elizabeth
    The purpose of this research study was to better understand the motivations of graduate students at U.S. higher education institutions for involvement in public engagement. The study employed a mixed-methods research approach with a modified transformative sequential strategy to identify and analyze graduate student motivations for public engagement, and was guided by the typology of Dr. KerryAnn O'Meara (2008) on faculty motivations for public engagement in combination with the findings of Dr. Timothy Eatman (2012) on publicly-engaged graduate and early career scholars. This study contributes to extant literature on motivations for public engagement through its focus on a less-studied population (graduate students) and development of a conceptual model for understanding graduate student motivations for public engagement. On a more practical level, findings may also enhance institutional, departmental, and programmatic understanding of how to cultivate and sustain graduate student motivations for public engagement.