This dissertation is about North Dakota's political structures and culture spanning the past 30 years through a case study approach examines the modern identity of politics that derive meaning into how policies are decided upon, and ultimately, the dynamics of those policies for the state's system of higher education. Individual interviews and…

Low African American male student graduation rates in the United States have been a concern for higher education administrators, and more strategies to address their challenges are needed. This basic qualitative study addressed the experiences of African American male students who persisted to graduation at a predominantly Black institution in the…

Within institutions of higher education, shared governance is an essential component to a healthy functionality. Among the many stakeholders at these institutions, students are the largest in number and hold primacy. Participation in student governance establishes a sense of shared ownership over their communities while also providing a unique…

Launched in 2009, the college completion agenda aims to significantly increase the number of community college graduates by 2020. While the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) (2012) believes that the goals of the completion agenda can be achieved without institutions sacrificing their mission or reducing student services, little is…

High enrollment in developmental education, low completion, transfer, and graduation rates, led to the enactment of P.A. 12-40 (An Act Concerning College Readiness and Completion) by Connecticut policymakers. The purpose of this single case exploratory study with embedded units was to investigate how Connecticut State Colleges and Universities…

School superintendents are charged with the responsibility of organizing and managing human and material resources within a complex system of interest groups and collective bargaining agreements that is largely funded by taxpayers with competing wants and needs. "The superintendency has long been regarded with three traditional leadership…

This dissertation examined two higher education federal activities, President Harry Truman's 1947 Presidential Commission on Higher Education and President Barack Obama's 2009 American Graduation Initiative, to understand how the federal government's mission for community colleges has evolved from one of student access to student success over the…