Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This…

Leadership development is a multi-billion-dollar industry with a strong focus on learning through experiences, yet most experiential leadership development efforts typically center on work-based experiences and not personal life experiences. This study delves into the relationships among significant life experiences, leader identity, and adult…

Teacher retention continues to be an issue in rural school districts nationwide. The problem is teachers are leaving the profession within the first 5 years. While there is evidence to show a correlation between mentorships and teacher retention, there is a gap in the literature on effective teacher mentorship program experiences and rural teacher…

Schools in the United States average an annual teacher turnover of 16%, with half of all teachers who change jobs also leaving the profession. This problem is important because high teacher turnover interrupts the development of pedagogical acumen among teachers, adversely affects student achievement, and diverts budget dollars that are needed…

In Catholic high schools, the positions of campus minister and theology teacher have shifted from vowed religious and clergy to the laity. The job descriptions and expectations of these positions have not changed to reflect the realities of those who hold them. Based on my own experience and anecdotes of colleagues, I have noticed a consistent…

As higher education tries to reimagine its value in the post-pandemic world, professional live-in staff members are fleeing from their positions at a higher rate than new professionals are entering the field. These professionals are expected to work through challenging issues, with minimal training, experiencing secondary trauma, while working in…

Principal retention is essential for maintaining school stability, fostering positive cultures, and improving student achievement. This qualitative phenomenological study examines the factors influencing principals in Texas public schools to remain in their roles for more than three years and explores the consequences of principal turnover. Ten…

Teacher leaders, who are stakeholders in the school and implement policies designed to improve student achievement, are a crucial part of educational reform efforts. However, the responsibilities of teacher leaders vary widely at the site level. Teacher leaders' self-efficacy must be substantive in order for them to enact change. This quantitative…

Student affairs professionals (SA-pros) play a critical role throughout campus life (Gaston-Gayles, Wolf-Wendel, Tuttle, Twombly, & Ward, 2005; Hirt, 2006; 2009). Although these staff are trained and responsible for LGBQ student well-being (Kezar, 2010; Kezar, Gallant, & Lester, 2011), those serving at Christ-centered institutions are…

This multi-case study analyzed the formal and informal development of adaptive capacity in fire service leaders within the context of increasingly complex situations driven by urbanization and climate change. Triangulating interviews, observations, and documentation review, this study included two urban fire service cases impacted by past complex…

This research explored how mentoring, professional development, and the work environment correlate to postdoc satisfaction. Postdoc satisfaction perceptions were gathered through an online survey completed by postdocs at a research university in the southeastern United States. Mentoring satisfaction, professional development satisfaction, and work…

This case study explored the impacts of school shootings on K-12 school principals. Eleven school principals and assistant principals from rural, suburban, and urban areas in all regions of the United States were interviewed. The study answered two research questions: What impact do school shootings have on school principals? and What do…

In recent years, within the United States and globally, workforce members who directly and tangentially treat and serve traumatized individuals have begun to experience an additional occupational hazard in the form of compassion fatigue. Consistent school leadership can be a critical factor in increased student achievement and school-based…

School counselors face adversity in the urban environment that impacts them personally and professionally, including their career sustainability in the urban field. The focus of this research study was to investigate and analyze the experiences and perceptions of 10 urban professional school counselors. Data were obtained through a generic…

Stress and burnout can affect an individual's life in physiological and psychological ways. The problem addressed in this study was the excessive amount of stress counselors and teachers experience and the lack of available professional training and training in practices such as mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to design and conduct a…