Library tutorials offer on demand and as-needed instruction, a necessity as higher education continues to extend the reach of online learning. Our institution has increased its online course offerings alongside a university-wide shift in pedagogical and student-centered philosophy. To align our library tutorials webpage with these advances, we…

This article presents a multifarious examination of natural resources and environmental scientists' adventures navigating the policy change toward open access and cultural shift in data management, sharing, and reuse. Situated in the institutional context of Virginia Tech, a focus group and multiple individual interviews were conducted exploring…

The linkages between interventions and outcomes of leadership initiatives have been insufficiently studied. To better understand these links, the Virginia agricultural leadership program conducted a pathway mapping session to investigate the program's theory of change. In this novel process, program participants engaged in collaborative…

While quantitative research has determined that first-generation college students (FGS) are less likely to interact with faculty than are their non-FGS peers, this qualitative study examines how incoming first-year college students, both FGS and non-FGS, perceive faculty-student interaction and whether they consider it important. Addressing…

This community-based participatory research (CBPR) project used a collaborative process to develop a culturally relevant workbook for parents of overweight children. We followed a mixed methods iterative process to assess clear communication using a CBPR approach. Materials were evaluated using readability tests, the Clear Communication Index…

Hybrid programs are changing the landscape of doctoral programs at American universities and colleges. The increased demand for hybrid doctoral programs, particularly for educational and career advancement, serves as an innovative way to increase scholarship, advance service, and promote leadership. Hybrid programs serve as excellent venues for…

The introduction of performance-based state funding of higher education can be traced to the late 1970s which eliminated bonuses, and replaced regular state funding in part or completely, with funding tied to achievement of state-defined performance goals, which often include student outcomes, like graduation and retention rates. In this article,…

For various, largely unknown reasons, decision makers do not have equal interest in all Extension and outreach topics pertinent to a particular concept. This situation hampers Extension's ability to effectively deliver information and efficiently allocate limited resources. Using survey data, we identified heterogeneous preference for various…

Continued agricultural productivity hinges on understanding how to manage soil resources. A 2-week undergraduate introductory-level module: "A Growing Concern: Sustaining Soil Resources Through Local Decision Making" was collaboratively developed through the InTeGrate Project. InTeGrate modules and courses engage students in grand…

Research Findings: The connections between parents' emotional competence (emotion expression, regulation, and knowledge) and children's social-emotional learning (SEL) have been well studied; however, the associations among teachers' emotional competencies and children's SEL remain widely understudied. In the present study, private preschool and…

Currently in the United States, 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia have established prekindergarten (pre-K) age 4 learning standards that are intended to outline skills and knowledge that set children on a path to success in kindergarten and upcoming grades. These standards are emphasized as a centralizing force in early…

This practice paper describes how leadership education faculty and students at Virginia Tech have facilitated change through the use of appreciative inquiry (Ai) at the departmental level, program level, and project level. Appreciative inquiry has been found to be a useful tool for leadership educators, as its foundation in social constructionist…

In response to US accountability policies and yearly performance targets, school districts are implementing periodic or benchmark assessments to provide teachers with data to improve instruction and student achievement. The tests are typically given quarterly to track student progress toward yearly accountability goals, as well as to inform…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the mathematics educational experiences of Black undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines at the University of Virginia. Using Murrell's (2009) situated-mediated identity theory as the theoretical framework, this study examines factors…

Challenges for novice school leaders evolve as information is managed differently and as societal and regulatory expectations change. This study addresses unique challenges faced by practicing school administrators (n = 159) during their first three years in a school leadership position. It focuses on their perceptions, how perceptions of present…