Although not officially named in the shared governance of an institution, instructional designers play an important role as they collaborate with administrators and faculty to create high quality, regulatory-compliant courses for enrolled students. Instructional designers working in centralized, academic reporting units may be well-positioned to…

The landscape of higher education is dynamic and continually changing due to cultural shifts, student demography, the influence of technology, and pressures from external constituents. The changing landscape of higher education requires good governance. Community colleges are called upon to rethink their existing governance structures (Crellin,…

The purpose of this study was to understand and perceive how student leaders, and specifically student body presidents, navigated social power and used influence with institutional leaders in the higher education decision-making environment to achieve the goals and objectives of their presidencies. The foundational texts of higher education…

Research on turnaround schools suggests that school districts have had limited success in effectively turning around underperforming schools including how districts support turnaround principals. Furthermore, the research makes an explicit connection between the success of a turnaround, the principal, and district support. Absent from the…

This study sought to bring clarity to the discussion regarding various recommendations over the past 25 years to strengthen the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. Using a review of historical documents and administrating a survey and using follow-up interviews, the study attempted to establish a general sense of community college…

When a specific system is chosen, in reference to selecting a school superintendent, contention between constituents who oppose such system ensues. Such issues range from demographics and differences in management style to which superintendent is more credentialed. In Florida, each county is considered a school district and has its own school…

Establishing "new small schools" is a major focus of school improvement, especially at the high school level, with the hopes of increasing academic success and reducing violence. Key arguments for small schools are the personalization of schooling and increased academic performance. The structures and process of small schools are…

This study examined the leadership styles of the chief state school officers of the United States and the District of Columbia. The entire population of 51 chief state school officers was surveyed and a response rate of 60% was obtained. The study examined the relationship between the leadership style, select demographic variables, and the…

Extensive research has been conducted on students pursuing degrees off-campus; however, limited studies have been directed to explain the growing practice of students enrolling in courses and degrees at off-campus degree centers. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the organizational issues related to governance and management of…

In 2006, Urban Community College (pseudonym) became the first public community college to lose its accreditation. In order to continue serving its students the school was required to partner with a neighboring college and was renamed an "Educational Center." The overall objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the perceived…

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the behaviors of effective governance teams as they move through stages of group development during regular school board meetings, utilizing the task and process behaviors identified in the Group Development Assessment (Jones & Bearley, 1994). Methodology. This mixed-methods…

California Community Colleges are facing increased accountability while at the same time experiencing reduced and uncertain state funding. When resources are not properly allocated there is waste, public criticism, and ultimately increased oversight. A review of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) sanction letters…

Research indicates that stress is steadily increasing among college administrators. This has implications for the California Community College (CCC) system's ability to recruit and retain qualified leaders as the need to replace retiring baby boomers increases. For those working in leadership positions in CCCs, stress is compounded by the way that…

The purpose of this descriptive-quantitative study was to examine which models of academic governance are utilized by Southern Baptist related liberal arts colleges and universities. Special attention was given to the distribution of institutional power among seventeen campus leadership groups or power holders. Using J. Victor Baldridge's models…

This study analyzes the relationship between school management strategies and student's academic achievement, while controlling for factors such as the school principals' age, gender, experience, as well as school size and location, Student's Social Economics Status (SES), English as a Second Language learner's population (ESL), Special Education…