Browsing by Subject "Organizational leadership, policy, and development"

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Academic achievement gap: the role of ethnicity and parent involvement in predicting reading achievement
(2014-08) Ricks, Teri Marsha Primm
The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relative strength of parent involvement versus ethnicity and how they affect the academic achievement gap between racial backgrounds of Caucasian, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American as measured by the reading portion of the State Site of Research Comprehensive Assessments-Series (SSRCA-II). The sample is drawn from Connecting Parents to Educational Opportunities (CPEO) parents and their children who are in the district which was the site for this research. To be classified as a CPEO parent, he/she had to have completed a seven-week course at one of the research participant's Title I school sites since its 2008 inception year to present. The composition of student racial backgrounds in the present study was 53% Caucasian and 25% African-American students, which made up 78% of the sample. Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students at percentages of 12%, 7%, and 3%, respectively, represented the remaining 22% of the sample. The inferential statistical results are based on the logistic regression analyses. Parenting and ethnicity variables, which were both independent variables, did not significantly improve any of the models' ability to predict students' reading proficiency. However, social economic status (SES), control variable, remained statistically significant through all of the analyses. Referring to the research question, the major finding from the research showed that SES was a significant predictor of student reading achievement. The findings were not expected but informative in terms of reshaping the discussion on academic achievement. The present study was not an experiment. Therefore, causal claims cannot be made, but implications for practice may be drawn from the data analyses. Insights gained and ideas to ponder based on the data analyses are the (a) Cradle to Prison Pipeline, (b) equity of opportunities, and (c) business education.A pathway has been laid to answer the research question and provide new knowledge to school districts and the research community with a focus on equity, achievement and excellence for K-12 students. The focus on parent involvement and ethnicity should be redirected to address the challenges of SES. Parent involvement and ethnicity are factors in the achievement gap issue. However, addressing SES primarily may bring greater reduction in the achievement gap and increased student achievement among public school students.
Academic staff views of higher education quality in Somaliland
(2014-11) Jones, Thomas J.
Academic quality in `peripheral' universities in sub-Saharan Africa is a critical issue for international higher education development. The purpose of this study is to determine academic views of institutional quality in the Republic of Somaliland, to understand the purpose and framework for measuring quality in their system. Significant enrollment growth, new institutional formation, private higher education expansion, and very limited public resources define a region like Somaliland. Though growing equity of access for students is suggested, system growth in a context of limited resources raises significant questions regarding institutional quality and academic intensification. A congruent, mixed-method of surveys (N = 166) and interviews (37) are used to determine academic viewpoints at three sample institutions: University of Hargeisa, Amoud University, and Admas University College. From these data, academic staff in Somaliland mostly define institutional quality according to the foundational purposes of maintaining civil peace through youth engagement and economic development through human capital training. Academic staff agreed that the overall qualification and training of lecturers was a limiting factor for higher education quality. Due to human resource flight during the civil war of the late 1980s-90s and significant growth of the higher education sector, lecturers are under qualified compared to international and regional standards; only 4% hold a doctoral qualification. Consistent with this result, academic staff view the number of professors with doctoral degrees as the most important indicator of quality in higher education. Though, as is shown in qualitative interviews, phenomena related to students (post-graduate employment, enrollment, and performance on international exams) are also important indicators of institutional success.
Being and becoming: an exploration of student spirituality in the second year of college
(2015-02) Melin, LeeAnn Jessen
Spirituality is a critical component of the holistic development of college students. This phenomenological case study explored the ways in which 11 second-year students conceptualized and experienced spirituality while enrolled in a course addressing life purpose at a large public research institution. Their unique journeys captured how students encountered a spirituality framed in meaning, purpose and connectedness during their second year of college. Their experiences were shaped by influences of their past, present and future which therefore created a unique and individualized spirituality. Students experienced connectedness as a sense of belonging in college and in relation to a universal connectedness. Students' spirituality emerged in how they experienced diversity, the campus climate, their spiritual practices and wellbeing, and through co-curricular involvement. The busyness and pressures of college life served as a barrier to their spirituality. A course exploring life purpose provided a guiding framework to accompany, support and stimulate the motion of spirituality during their second year. Implications of the study address intentional policies and practices that encourage and support students' spiritual development.
College student peer bullying behaviors: a social cognitive perspective
(2015-01) Knudson, Laura Jean
Peer bullying is a "hot topic" issue in the media. The bulk of the research on peer bullying comes from K-12 literature and is understudied within higher education. Higher education bullying is often related to faculty-graduate student relationships or faculty, staff, and administrator workplace issues, and not peer-related. The following research questions guided the study: a) How do students describe bullying or harassing behaviors that they experience from peers? b) How do students address bullying or harassing behaviors that they experience from peers? What university resources do they use, if any? and c) To what extent do students perceive that resources, either from the university or elsewhere, are appropriate and adequate? Twenty-one undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota were interviewed to learn more about how they experience bullying-type behaviors by peers while in college. A model based on the social cognitive theory that considers the college student development process and the higher education environment was useful for developing the interview protocol used to study the bullying behaviors. Data analysis using an open coding method revealed findings in four areas: a) certain common behaviors exist; b) structured social contexts serve as a primary location; c) confusion exists in distinguishing conflict and bullying, including a lack of norms about inclusion/exclusion; and d) there is sensitivity to holding people accountable for negative behaviors. The findings lead to implications for higher education professionals in setting expectations, encouraging the use of campus resources, capitalizing on peer relationships, and training faculty and staff to handle bullying situations.
Community based youth programs utilizing a culturally relevant framework (Educacion) to implement impactful learning opportunities for immigrant Latino youth
(2014-12) Landrieu, Maria Josefina
A theoretical perspective of non-formal learning and social and cultural capital is proposed to provide a deeper and holistic understanding of the educational experiences of immigrant Latino youth participating in out-of-school time (OST) programs. An educaciόn lens informed by anthropological perspectives on education offers a promising view of how immigrant Latino youth and families have conceptualized notions of learning and education as part of larger global discourses of immigration, transnationalism, and citizenship education. This study aims to shed light on the reasons why Latino immigrant youth join well-structured OST programs and how they enact their agency and motivation to stay engaged and continue to participate in the program activities while reaping the benefits of the experience. Drawing on qualitative methods of participant observation, interviews and document review, this dual-site case study presents a framework for understanding the role of non-formal learning environments in the educational trajectories of Latino immigrant youth. The proposed framework identifies locally formulated notions of educaciόn and recognizes the need for non-formal learning environments, such as culturally based community youth programs, to act as a partner force in considering Latino families' responses to the education of their children. At a time in which Latino youth's educational needs are not sufficiently addressed by formal institutions, the role of these programs must be recognized as a potent and effective democratizing space that can redress educational inequities.
Correlations between strategic planning and financial performance: a focus on Lutheran Colleges and Universities
(2014-09) Ries, Thomas Karl
Higher education finance is complex, and a grasp of it by governing boards and academic leaders is enormously important if colleges and universities are to effectively pursue their missions. The notions of achieving positive operating results and growing net assets are foreign to many educators, yet vitally important to the long-term health and vitality of institutions of higher education. Nonprofit private colleges and universities are often particularly vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the macro-economic conditions around them, as well as their own particular financial circumstances. Within the cohort of private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in the United States are 40 colleges and universities which identify as Lutheran.Strategic planning has long been touted as an important mechanism for achieving positive financial results. This study examined the strategic planning practices at Lutheran colleges and universities to determine whether there is a correlation between strategic planning and financial performance. A key part of the research was a survey of four administrators at 38 of the 40 accredited, four-year Lutheran colleges and universities in the United States. The four administrators surveyed were the President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Advancement Officer (CAdvO). Survey data were collected from a total of 98 administrators.Descriptive research revealed that a centrally-coordinated, institution-wide strategic planning process had been conducted at all 38 institutions since 2003, and 91 of 98 respondents reported that their institution would continue to perform institution-wide strategic planning in the future. Some form of internal and external environmental scan was part of the planning process at all 38 institutions (as reported by 96 of 98 respondents) and Budget/Finances was the topic most often cited as extremely important in the planning process.Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between some aspects of strategic planning and financial performance as measured by the U. S. Department of Education's Financial Responsibility Composite Scores. More specifically, the results revealed statistically significant relationships between financial performance and a number of financial best practices, which may or may not have been implemented at the Lutheran institutions as a result of their strategic planning processes.A secondary descriptive benefit of the study was the observance of perspectives among the four categories of administrators at each campus. The research frequently revealed statistically significant differences in perspectives among the four administrators in their perceptions of strategic planning and financial performance. College and university leadership teams may find it helpful to review these observed differences in order to gain a better understanding of the relative viewpoints and expectations of strategic planning among the individual members of their teams.
Dueling discourses: an examination of administrator, teacher, and parent talk about English language learners
(2015-01) Vecchio-Smith, Margaret Joanna
The purpose of this critical theory study is to examine the perceptions of English language learners and their families at "Patna Elementary" through the talk of native English speakers and native speakers of other languages. Emergent themes for native English speakers are organized by level of equity awareness, and emergent themes for native speakers of other languages include the impact of cultural capital. This study uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine the discoursal patterns of native English speakers. The study found, among other things, that educators who were highly focused on equity were aware of the diversity of lived experiences of EL families, were metacognitive about equity, and used significance-building techniques to describe their work; educators who were highly focused on equity increased the level of equity at Patna Elementary.
The effect of alternative compensation programs on teacher retention and student achievement: the case of Q Comp in Minnesota
(2015-03) Choi, Won Seok
purpose of this study was to examine the effect of alternative teacher compensation programs (ACPs) on teacher retention rates and average student achievement in schools. ACPs base teacher pay mainly on some measure of their performance, such as student achievement, leadership, professional knowledge and skills, and instructional behavior. This study used the Minnesota Quality Compensation program (Q Comp) case to examine the effect of ACPs.The relationships between ACPs and 3 types of school-level outcomes were explored: overall teacher retention rate, retention rate of teachers with three or more years of teaching experience, and rate of students who were at or above the proficiency level (student proficiency rate). In addition, it was also examined whether ACPs' effects on those three school-level outcomes differed by type of school, charter or traditional.This study investigated teacher retention rates and student proficiency rates in Minnesota public schools over 8 years, 2003-2010. Because Q Comp began from the 2005-06 school year, the research period makes it possible to examine the effect of Q Comp implementation for up to 5 years, which was a long investigation relative to previous studies. Data on assignment of Minnesota public schools teachers developed by the Minnesota Department of Education and publicly posted on the Pioneer Press website were used to calculate teacher retention rate by school level. The school-level student proficiency rate for the third-grade mathematics and reading tests of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) was used to measure school-level student achievement. To minimize selection bias problem, this study adopted a fixed effects model to control for unobserved time-invariant variables across schools as well as to consider time-variant observable variables.This study found a positive effect of Q Comp on overall teacher retention rate only in schools with 5 years of implementation. In addition this positive effect, charter schools with 5 years of Q Comp implementation faced a negative effect of Q Comp on overall teacher retention rate. A positive effect of Q Comp on retention rate of teachers with 3 or more years of teaching experience was also found only in schools with 5 years of implementation. Regarding the effect of Q Comp on student achievement, this study did not find any significant overall effect on schools. Charter schools with 3 years of Q Comp, however, enjoyed a positive and significant effect on the third-grade math proficiency rate.The findings of this study imply that it takes ACPs some time to realize their effect. It took about 5 years of implementation in the case of Minnesota Q Comp for there to be an effect on teacher retention rate, which is a contribution of this study. Another contribution of this study is the finding that the effect of ACPs could differ by school type. The findings could lead to further discussion on whether the effect of ACPs could be sustainable and whether the positive effect on teacher retention rate would lead to improvement in student achievement, which remain considerations for future studies.
The effect of functional fixation in problem solving among preschool, second grade, and ninth grade children
(2014-12) Nehring, Michael Kenneth
Functional fixedness is a cognitive function whereby an individual becomes fixated on a given function of an object, which prevents the individual from using the object in an alternative fashion to solve a problem (Duncker, 1935/1945). The current study analyzed the effect of functional fixedness on 36 children from three different age groups, preschool, second grade, and ninth grade. The children were presented with a problem solving activity based on a problem used by German and Defeyter (2000), in which they concluded that young children are immune to the effects of functional fixedness. Research conducted by Chrysikou (2006) indicated using an alternative categorization task could reduce the effects of fixation. The current research sought to answer three research question: are children susceptible to the effects of functional fixedness; are there differences in the effect of functional fixedness based on age; and does participating in an alternative categorization task reduce the effect of functional fixedness. The results indicated that children are susceptible to the effects of functional fixedness, when the children use the target object in a typical preutilization function, regardless of age. The results also did not demonstrate a reduction in the effect of functional fixedness after participating in an alternative categorization task.
Ethnicity, poverty, and secular schooling: Muslim Hui students' identity negotiations in rural China
(2014-08) Wu, Xinyi
Intrigued by the heterogeneous development of rural and urban China, persistent poverty in rural ethnic minority regions, and dilemmatic quality compulsory education provided for ethnic regions as a key to poverty alleviation, this dissertation sets out to examine the rural appropriation and implementation of compulsory education and its impacts on the lives of students from one particular ethnic group, Muslim Hui in Xihaigu, Southern part of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwestern China, as they respond to changing rural dynamics, fighting against poverty, and trying to maintain ethnoreligious identity.Informed by critical theory and constructivism paradigms as well as studies of ethnicity and ethnic identity, cultural reproduction theory, and cultural production theory, this study use critical ethnography as a method of research to particularly examine how secular schooling is practiced in this rural and Muslim Hui concentrated region and is lived everyday through routinized pedagogical practices and administrative maneuvers. Most importantly, through the voices of local Muslim Hui, it explores parents' changing views of secular schooling and how the changed views affect Muslim Hui students' exercise their power to participate in school activities, whether they resist against and struggle with secular schooling or straddle across secularity and ethnoreligiosity. In the end, this study attempts to make a theoretical contribution by challenging the binary relationship between the dominating and the dominated that guided majority of studies of ethnic groups in China. Muslim Hui students in my study exhibit diverse reactions and responses to the dominant Han culture and constantly negotiate a life of their own.
An Examination of how participation in a cohort-based leadership development program for high-potential employees contributes to the development of leaders at a Major Professional services firm in the United States
(2014-12) Bialek, Tani K. Keenlyne
This case study examined the leadership development experience of employees who participated in a high-potential leadership development program within a major professional services firm in the Midwest United States. Leadership development is a top priority for many organizations and a critical driver of success. Effective leadership is also recognized as a source of sustainable competitive advantage and greater market value. Despite these compelling factors, the need for developing leaders has been listed among organizations' top concerns for more than a decade. These factors create challenges in developing the talent needed for organizations to remain competitive. As these challenges converge they intensify the need for well-planned, consistent, and rigorous development of high-potential talent. These needs support the call for a greater understanding of how participation in a cohort-based leadership development program contributes to high-potentials' development as leaders.
Expert urban youth workers and the stories they tell: a narrative of lived experience
(2014-09) Ezaki, Jerilyn May
Relationships are the key to good urban youth work practice. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to give understanding to how youth workers create and maintain trusting relationships. A literature review looked at what relationship development looks like in the various ways adults work with youth. The literature on expertise in practice was reviewed to understand how youth workers use their experience and skills to create relationships with youth. The approach was to observe, interview, and have informal conversations with five expert youth workers over a period of nine months. The data was analyzed using a selective or highlighting approach.Three overarching themes emerged: The stance of youth work, the youth work dance and the relational nature of youth work practice. Under these three major themes several sub themes or aspects of each theme were discussed. From the stories of the youth workers a pattern t developed; a web of confluence. It is not linear, but for this group of youth workers most of these aspects are present in their creation of relationship. It starts with the stance; and the youth work dance and the relational nature of the work is interwoven with the stance to make it all come alive. The data supports the theory that relationship is the cornerstone of good youth work practice.
Family-school collaboration in Mexico: perspectives of teachers and parents
(2015-03) Schalla, Lisa Kathleen
This mixed-methods study examined the perspectives of teachers and parents regarding family-school collaboration in elementary schools of western Mexico through the lens of the cultural-historical contexts of various communities. Third Generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) provides the framework for comparing complex contexts of interacting groups (Engeström, 2001). It was employed to make comparisons across public, private, and rural community schools, as well as between teachers and parents. These contexts, as well as perceived access to mediating tools and the psychological beliefs of role construction and self-efficacy (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997), help to build expectations for working with students and with each other. Results indicated that both teachers and parents are open to adopting various roles in the family-school relationship and have felt some success in engaging in those roles. Gender and teacher perceptions of average family income levels predicted teacher role construction, sense of efficacy, and how they assessed parents, while one's own experience in school and time living in the community predicted how parents reported their own role construction and efficacy. However, the rich descriptions provided through focus group interviews revealed more conflicting experiences with the family-school collaboration than did the survey results. In addition, despite substantial variation in responses, teachers assessed parents as being less committed to and confident about collaborating towards children's education than parents reported themselves. These internal contradictions are characteristic of activity theory and can become the instruments needed to drive change (Engeström & Glaveanu, 2012).
The governance of denominational colleges and universities in an era of declining denominational identity among students
(2014-12) Dorner, Michael H.
Higher education in the United States, in comparison to the rest of the world, has a unique group of colleges and universities linked with Christian denominations, some of which have an active role in their governance. The governing boards consist of lay volunteers who accept the fiduciary responsibility of setting the mission and vision of the institutions with the goal of acquiring the assets needed so that the institutions will last well into the future. Denominationally-related institutions are now feeling the impact of the social change of people identifying less with organized religion and more with spirituality that has little relationship to the values and beliefs systems of denominations. This research examined how trustees at denominational colleges and universities lead their institutions in an era of declining denominational identity. The framework guiding the study was agency theory with the view that the administration works as agents on behalf of the principal, the denomination. Quantitative and qualitative research methodology were included to collect data on the experiences of a group of trustees with the denomination, administrators and students. The denomination for this research was The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and its ten colleges and universities which are members of the Concordia University System. In the quantitative study, board members responded to an Internet survey regarding their preparation for serving as board members, their views of the denomination and their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of being a board member. Of the 134 board members who could have responded, 102 did so for a response rate of 76.1%. In the qualitative study, limited to the board chairs of each institution, nine respondents expressed their views about current board structure, expectations about the future of their denomination and interpretations of the current religious climate and its impact on higher education. The results from both the survey and interview indicated that while the board members are aware of the changing religious climate and its impact on denominations, they remain focused on leading their institutions in ways that remain connected to their denomination. Some concern was expressed about the declining numbers of students from the denomination in comparison to the other students enrolling, but 86.3% of the board members place greater importance on the denominational identity of the faculty as being critical to maintaining a Lutheran identity. Results also indicated concern about the structure of governance and the process of selecting board members. Agency theory worked well as a framework for analyzing the board members and their relationships with their institutions and with the Synod.Leaders from other denominations that have active involvement in the governance of their colleges and universities could use this study as they review their mission if they are experiencing falling enrollment of students from their denomination and determine how to react to it. The quantitative data of experiences could be beneficial as a point of comparison to university presidents and board chairs as they review their processes for selecting trustees. Board members and administrators could use the qualitative data as they seek to guide their institution at a time when fewer students have an interest in the denomination that brought the institution into existence.
How economic theory can inform qualitative analysis in evaluation
(2014-12) Larsen, Lindsay S.
This paper examines how economic theory can inform qualitative analysis and what an evaluator should consider when incorporating an economic theory. The study applies a specific economic theory, the theory of rational addiction, to a series of interviews with tobacco users before and after a cigarette tax increase. This study tests the extent to which the economic theory added value to the analysis of qualitative data and the implications this has for an evaluation. The researcher first analyzed the interviews using codes created from the content of the transcripts; she then analyzed the interviews again using predetermined codes from the theory of rational addiction. The study found that using this economic theory provided another lens through which the evaluator could interpret the data. In addition to revealing extra themes, the theory also helped the researcher better understand her positionality and assumptions about the participants.
Identification of the intended and unintended outcomes of offering the international baccalaureate diploma program at an International School in Egypt
(2015-02) Belal, Susan Mohamed
The purpose of this study is to identify the intended and unintended outcomes of offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) at the Cairo American College (CAC) in Egypt, both for the students and the school.This mixed methods study involves a qualitative case study including document analysis, interviews, a focus group, and a quantitative tracer study. The document analysis was performed using literature from within and external to the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). At CAC, interviews were conducted with four school administrators, eight students, and ten alumni, while the focus group was conducted with six teachers. Matriculation data for all students graduating from CAC in 2012 and 2013, including those who did not participate in the IBDP, was obtained as part of the tracer study component. The findings of this study show that the outcomes of offering the IBDP at CAC depend on the style of implementation of the IBDP, teacher interpretation of the curriculum, and choices students make during the program. The administrators, teachers, students, and alumni shared intended outcomes which included university preparedness, enhanced writing skills, and perceived advantage for university admissions. The results of the study indicate that offering the IBDP broadened most students' worldviews. It helped students by exposing them to a range of subjects and by developing their research skills. In addition, offering the IBDP helped to attract students to the school. The most frequently stated unintended outcomes of participating in the IBDP were students earning college credit, as well as developing time management and organizational skills. Other unintended outcomes indicated were the stressful and elite nature of the program. Engagement with the diverse local community was not one of the perceived main outcomes of offering the IBDP at CAC and is found to not be unique to participating in the IBDP. The diversity of the CAC student body was perceived as an integral factor for helping students develop a wider worldview. The tracer study results show that three times as many IBDP graduates were enrolled in the top 50 universities worldwide as compared to non-IBDP graduates.The most relevant theoretical frameworks for this study, due to CAC's diverse student body and the mission statement of the IBDP, are Allport's social contact theory and Mezirows' transformative learning theory. These frameworks help understand the IBDP and its impact.The findings of this study inform educators, educational leaders, and the IBO about the intended and unintended outcomes of offering the IBDP at the CAC, including the factors that impact engagement with the diverse local community and international mindedness in the context of the IBDP. There are implications for educational leaders such as the need for a diverse student body in order to help develop wider worldview in students, as indicated by the findings of this study. The findings also reveal several implications for the IBO with respect to the perceived stressful and elitist nature of the IBDP. The IBO should consider the intense workload both for the students and the teachers, as well as the exclusive nature of the IBDP mostly due to the cost. There are also implications for the IBO in that the outcomes of the IBDP are dependent on the school, teacher, and student. This results in variable outcomes for each participating individual student. For example, the outcomes of creativity, action, and service (CAS) are dependent on students' choices of project. In addition, there are implications for educators as they embark on their journey of teaching course content while trying to implement the ideological aims of the IBO.
Implementing data analytics as an organizational innovation in colleges and universities
(2014-11) Foss, Lisa Helmin
This study explores the question, How are individual adoption and organizational implementation of innovations in higher education related to the context of the organization, the characteristics of the innovation, and the attitudes of adopters? The study uses data collected from a survey of deans and department chairs from U.S. higher education institutions to examine the implementation of data analytics, or the extensive use of data, statistical analysis, data mining and modeling to drive organizational decisions, as an example of an organizational innovation. The findings indicate that individual adoption is associated with the adopter's perception of the usefulness of data analytics in practice and its legitimacy in solving organizational challenges. The usefulness of data analytics is related to the innovation characteristics of usability and functionality, which are in turn related to an organizational context that includes institutional and professional support for adoption, academic leaders engaged in implementation, data and information integrated into existing operations, and an organizational culture that is data-driven. Legitimacy is related to the functionality of data analytics and the existence of a data-driven culture but also the discipline of the adopter and institution type. The findings also indicate that organizational implementation of data analytics is associated with the alignment of data analytics to its organizational culture, the pressure exerted by the external environment, and the organization's dissatisfaction with current external methods or practices in use.
An investigation into fundraising initiatives that will potentially impact Wisconsin Technical Colleges
(2014-09) Kwosek, Craig Thomas
As higher education institutions face a decrease in external funding, the need to identify alternative funding resources continues to be discussed. Historically, universities have dedicated a considerable amount of time and resources in the research and development of their fundraising initiatives. While university fundraising practices are well established, this is not the case with Technical Colleges. Fundraising is a relatively new approach that Technical Colleges are beginning to explore. There is no previous literature to specifically guide Technical College presidents efforts to increase fundraising. This study describes new fundraising initiatives that seven Wisconsin Technical Colleges presidents have implemented over the past two years, or plan on implementing over the next two years. The study utilized a qualitative descriptive method to provide a comprehensive summary of fundraising initiatives in everyday terms. Results indicated that presidents believe fundraising is a viable option to increase support for students and that they are ultimately responsible for their institutions fundraising success. Fundraising initiatives identified during the interviews focused on informing the communities of the need for student scholarships, developing active alumni, identifying alumni with the greatest giving potential, utilizing foundation board members and their acquaintances, and cultivating relationships and partnerships with business and industry.
A meta-study of teaching practitioner's conceptions of their work
(2014-12) Conroy, Anne L.
It has been posited that meaning making around occupation both fuels pursuit, and guides vocational development as conceptions form. This dissertation investigates post-secondary teaching professionals conceptions of their vocation with the goal of highlighting possible occupational developmental pathways. Through a meta-study of several phenomenographys a holistic view of the profession emerged. Utilizing existing findings from twelve contributing phenomenographic studies, sixty-one categories of description were gathered. These past findings provided the underpinning work conceptions of post secondary teaching professionals. These categories upon deconstruction into conceptions reveal different ways teaching practitioners could understand their vocation. Through an iterative process patterns of work meaning were sought by deconstructing, interpreting and synthesizing. A dynamic activity context of the vocation of post-secondary teaching emerged.Patterns of interaction appear to link with the professional's teaching intention. This suggests that interactions can be a dynamic meditational tool utilized for promoting learning, yet flexible to support teaching practices in often changing circumstances.
Paving the path to graduation: salient factors for successful transition and persistence of transfer students at a four-year institution
(2014-09) Gray, Monita Mohammadian
Representing a larger percentage of the undergraduate population on campus across the U.S, coupled with a predicted decline in the "typical" college-going population of 18-year-olds, transfer students will play an increasingly critical role in the national completion agenda. This study examines the complexity of the transfer student experience as it relates to their transition to a small, private four-year institution and persistence to bachelor's degree completion. Specifically, the goal of the study is to discover factors that facilitate success from transfer students' arrival to graduation and determine the applicability of several prominent models of student success and persistence to transfer students' experiences (Bean, 1980; Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Tinto, 1975, 1987). 48 transfer students were interviewed shortly after their arrival or after several semesters of enrollment at one four-year university. Using grounded theory for data collection and analysis, the findings suggest that the most salient factors for successful transfer student transition are early and effective preparation, and strong self-advocacy and utilization of faculty and staff resources to help them navigate their new university environment. The findings also suggest that transfer students' personal motivation and prioritization of education and learning over other obligations foster persistence to degree completion. This study provides a better understanding of the lived experiences of transfer students and evidence that existing models of student success and persistence require revision to consider this prominent undergraduate student population.

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