This dissertation intends to inform self-assessment and data collection practices within Rutgers University and act upon the encouragement of university leadership to advance the potential of the public service mission. These goals are accomplished by exploring relevant questions to inform the practices of institutional research (IR) and…

Purpose: To systematically examine the institutional values and campus recreational policies and practices of all Big 10 institutions to determine whether equitable physical activity opportunities are being provided. Approach: Websites were systematically searched, and data extracted were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: Community…

This brief serves as a practice-oriented companion to "Recommitting to Stewardship of Place: Creating and Sustaining Thriving Communities for the Decades Ahead" (Orphan & McClure, 2022)[ED627610]. Whereas the philosophical report provides a set of principles that constitute stewardship in a new postsecondary context, this…

Current research suggests that faculty development should address a cross-section of personal and professional needs of the faculty, as well as support the institution's mission. Using evidence to support faculty development can foster reflective practitioners and close the gap between teaching and research by creating "sustainable…

This qualitative phenomenology investigated the job-related experiences of early career Catholic elementary school principals (N = 13) in the Mideastern region of the United States. Data were collected from an introductory survey, semi-structured interviews, two focus groups, and a participant designed plan for professional development. The…

John Dewey and W.E.B. Du Bois were prominent critics of how vocational education programs were often used to restrict rather than enhance student aspirations. An overview of the Bordentown Manual Training and Industrial School for Colored Youth (1886-1955) suggests that it met requirements both men articulated for the right kind of vocational…

Schools develop mission statements in part to communicate their purposes of schooling to internal and external audiences. The goal of this study is to employ text analytic techniques to analyze school mission statements. Focusing on Arizona and New Jersey's schools, we seek to understand: 1) what themes (topics) emerge from their mission…

The intent of this study is to explore the actions and strategies used by the administration at Bergen Community College to serve its institutional mission in increasing student completion. Facing challenges in low completion rate, Bergen Community College began the student completion initiative to develop a strategy that would best serve the…

The mission of the Center on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) at the Rutgers University School of Social Work is to strive to eliminate physical, sexual, and other forms of violence against women and children and the power imbalances that permit them. This mission is accomplished through the use of a collaborative approach that focuses…

An intensive orientation program gives new teachers in one district and valuable introduction to the instructional culture. The authors argue that by aligning your orientation and onboarding processes to the mission and vision of your school, you are creating stronger relationships among school leaders and teachers and also reducing teacher…

American colleges and universities are facing a civic imperative. The nation is floundering, if not unwinding. Democracies are vulnerable social constructions. They flourish in eras of social consensus and economic prosperity, when citizens believe in the prospect of brighter futures. They stumble, if not decay, during times of harsh economic…

Research shows that internationalization of higher education is a process rather than an end product. This paper applies the Dynamic Systems Theory to examine the nature and development of internationalization of higher education, and proposes that internationalization of higher education is a dynamic system. A dynamic framework of…

Academic libraries have reported long-term declines in circulation, reference transactions, reserves, and in-house library materials usage. Increasingly, libraries are perceived as being less critical to the academic enterprise. Are these trends irreversible? Perhaps public libraries and some innovative academic libraries can provide us with some…

The most prevalent model of Catholic schools has always been and remains the parish elementary school. Catholic schools are not simply private schools but a faith based arm of a larger parish. The interconnected leadership of schools by pastors and principals is at the core of understanding the model and inseparable in long-term viability. The…

During the past decade, urban colleges and universities have been undergoing changes attributable to the reemergence of outreach initiatives. More recently, these outreach efforts have been specifically designed to increase community engagement among faculty and students and to lend the institution's scientific, policy and social service expertise…