Community college libraries exist to support institutional outcomes. One such outcome is student retention. This study's purpose was to fill the gap in the literature at the community college level, proposing that a model including all library service use types would explain variance in student retention beyond that explained by total library…

This qualitative, collective case study explored the experiences of Hispanic community college students who participated in high-impact practices and the effect of participation upon their transfer success. Experiential, high-impact practices (e.g., first-year experience, learning communities, service-learning, and internships) have been noted to…

Structural changes in European universities have been the subject of a significant body of research analyzing how governance is affected by external stakeholders such as states, markets, and other academic institutions, and the influence of internal stakeholders such as faculty and students. As state-imposed reforms interact with national…

This quantitative study examined school district leaders' engagement in a community of practice and reported the relationship between inter-district collaboration and school district leaders' learning and changes in professional learning efficacy. The theoretical framework involved Wenger's (1998) Community of Practice theory and the Standards for…

The COVID-19 pandemic--coupled with ongoing prominent injustice related to race, poverty, healthcare, and education--has highlighted the interlocking and reinforcing nature of systemic oppression. Now more than ever, facilitators of experiential learning are galvanized to explore and deepen their understanding of systemic change and to enhance…

Principal retention is a concern for school districts nationwide and in Texas. Many factors influence why school principals quickly leave their roles, such as school culture and climate, teacher attrition, and school district finances. Nationally, 8.2% of all principals are Hispanic, while 10.1% of Hispanic school principals leave in their…

Student engagement on college campuses is linked to a range of student outcomes and student retention (Tinto, 2007). Engagement in support programs can be even more important for underserved populations including first generation students. First generation students are more likely to leave a four-year institution at the end of the first year and…

This dissertation is related to the areas of labor, education, and health economics. In a dramatic reversal from the recent past decades, more women than men now attend college in the U.S. and worldwide. Meanwhile, both male and female marriage rates have declined, especially for younger cohorts. Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the implications of the…

This qualitative phenomenological study sought answers about how first-year Tennessee Promise students viewed their experiences with the scholarship program. The Tennessee Promise scholarship was designed to allow more high school graduates to attend community college or technical school tuition-free. This statewide program was the first of its…

One of the major challenges that Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) in the United States faces is the provision of support services for English Language Learners (ELL). This population is comprised of international students, immigrants, and Generation 1.5. Understanding the linguistic and cultural barriers of this growing population is crucial…

Retention rates have been an ongoing concern for higher education institutions for the last few decades, and there has been extensive research conducted to determine the root cause of this decline especially among underserved student populations. Black and Hispanic communities are rapidly growing and are expected to be the majority races within…

This dissertation research chronicles my experiences with emotions and learning as a student conduct administrator throughout the arduous process of investigating, becoming, and transforming by engaging sociocultural theory. Grounded in Authentic Inquiry (Tobin, 2006), this research centers my lived-experience and nuances the role of emotions in…

The nature of future employment is rooted in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Educating the current and future workers will require the inclusion of STEM education, especially in the K-12 classrooms. African Americans run the risk of being left behind in future STEM jobs due to their poor STEM representation throughout…

Gaining popular recognition in the U.S. with the advent of the first White House Maker Faire in 2014, makerspaces have become an increasingly popular feature of the K-12 educational landscape. While makerspaces have been subject to critique related to the lack of inclusivity within the broader predominantly white and male 'maker culture', they…

This case study sought to determine the most salient needs of higher education faculty who instruct and accommodate students with disabilities (SWDs). Therefore, the faculty were analyzed as a community in a university setting. Currently, the accommodations that faculty provide for SWDs vary from institution to institution. Additionally, certain…