Matching Items (11)
Description
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University (ASU) serves as a universal role model for organizing the resources of an institution to support highly motivated and prepared students. In 2009, Barrett, The Honors College (Barrett) opened the nation's first purposefully designed undergraduate honors residential college campus. Given the current demand by other American higher education institutions who wish to better understand how Barrett emerged as a distinct and singular model for an honors residential college experience, this action research study explores the effectiveness of the decisions, execution and outcomes central to Barrett's development. Five senior administrators of college units or universities were interviewed and provided insight for constructing a design for how other honors programs and colleges can learn from the challenges and accomplishments presented in developing an honors college for the 21st century while replicating Barrett's success. The study is framed in the overall context of how Barrett actualizes the New American University at ASU in meeting the demand for producing students that can compete in a global marketplace.
ContributorsHermann, Kristen (Author) / Ewing, Kris M (Thesis advisor) / Rund, James (Committee member) / Hesse, Marian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The purpose of this action research study was to determine the effectiveness of two online college success courses: CPD 150 (College Success, 3 credits) and CPD 115 (Success Strategies, 1 credit), at Rio Salado College, a Maricopa Community College in Arizona. The goal of these courses is to prepare students to be college-ready by examining college readiness and learning skills. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire measured students' perceptions of their own college readiness in a pre-test/post-test format. Understanding students' perceptions of their own college readiness is the college's first step in understanding the effectiveness of these courses. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to compare the pre- and post-tests to determine whether the average student scores changed after completion of the college success course. Paired samples t-tests (or repeated-measures test) were conducted on 2 scales consisting of 13 subscales of the MSLQ of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Data analysis revealed that students reported that they had better study skills after the course than before completing the course. Particularly, learning strategies, test anxiety, self-efficacy, effort regulation (self-management), control of learning beliefs, study skills, and time and study environment stand out as showing substantial improvement for the students.
ContributorsAbts, Melanie (Author) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Thesis advisor) / Hesse, Maria L (Committee member) / Wukash, Barry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Females and underrepresented ethnic minorities earn a small percentage of engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States, earn an even smaller proportion of master's and doctoral degrees, and are underrepresented in the engineering workforce (Engineering Workforce Commission, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2012; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009a; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009b). Considerable research has examined the perceptions, culture, curriculum, and pedagogy in engineering that inhibits the achievement of women and underrepresented ethnic minorities. This action research study used a qualitative approach to examine the characteristics and experiences of Latina students who pursued a bachelor's degree in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU) as part of the 2008 first-time full-time freshman cohort. The researcher conducted two semi-structured individual interviews with seven undergraduate Latina students who successfully persisted to their fourth (senior) year in engineering. The researcher aimed to understand what characteristics made these students successful and how their experiences affected their persistence in an engineering major. The data collected showed that the Latina participants were motivated to persist in their engineering degree program due to their parents' expectations for success and high academic achievement; their desire to overcome the discrimination, stereotyping, and naysayers that they encountered; and their aspiration to become a role model for their family and other students interested in pursuing engineering. From the data collected, the researcher provided suggestions to implement and adapt educational activities and support systems within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering to improve the retention and graduation rates of Latinas in engineering at ASU.
ContributorsRobinson, Carrie (Author) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Thesis advisor) / Hesse, Marian (Committee member) / Ganesh, Tirupalavanam G. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
This study provides an understanding of how administrative leaders make decisions regarding enrollment management within academic units at a major research university in the southwestern United States. Key enrollment management functions of recruiting, admissions, marketing, orientation, financial aid/scholarships, academic advising, student engagement, retention and career services were identified from the literature. Typically applied at the institutional level, this study provides an understanding of how leaders in academic units decide to implement enrollment management. A case study was conducted using qualitative data collection methods which emphasized interviews. Senior administrators, such as associate deans within academic units who have responsibility for enrollment management, served as the sample. Three main theoretical constructs were derived after analysis of the data: Theoretical Construct 1: To meet enrollment and retention goals, leaders strategically plan structures and manage resources for enrollment management functions in their academic units. Theoretical Construct 2: To increase retention, leaders intentionally strive to develop a sense of community through customized programs and services for students in their academic units. Theoretical Construct 3: To achieve enrollment objectives within a school-centric model, leaders build relationships with centralized enrollment management functions and other academic units. The discussion and analysis of the study suggests that academic units follow a similar evolutionary model to institutions as they develop enrollment management functions. Five recommendations on how leaders in academic units can more strategically utilize enrollment management principles in decision making are offered.
ContributorsDeBiaso, Nick (Author) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Thesis advisor) / Hesse, Marian (Committee member) / Faris, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
With budgets on the decline, university officials are seeking alternative methods to maintain and increase the type of services provided to students. By incorporating social entrepreneurial competencies in the daily actions of university staff members, staff members will be able to perform their work more effectively and help students acquire skills such as innovative thinking, which is needed in today's society. Social entrepreneurs are defined as change agents for society; these individuals seize opportunities missed by others, improve systems, create solutions, innovate and adapt, leverage resources they do not control, and advocate for what they and others need to be successful (Ashoka, 2010a; Bornstein & Davis, 2010; Dees, 1998). Universities will be more successful in respect to helping students with a workforce of social entrepreneurs capable of leveraging resources. Through action research, this study utilized a phenomenological perspective with both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis to introduce social entrepreneurial competencies to the live-in housing professionals (pro-staff) at Arizona State University (ASU) and then examined the incorporation of the competencies into the pro-staff's daily work. Ten current pro-staff participated in two phases of the study, each of which consisted of surveys and workshops. Participants' responses indicated that there are five competencies and three strengths related to social entrepreneurship that are significant to the pro-staff position and their daily work at ASU.
ContributorsVela, Alicia L (Author) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Thesis advisor) / Cook, Kevin (Committee member) / Hesse, Marian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
This study explored the phenomenon of student affairs professionals working at Arizona State University who shifted from a student affairs unit to perform similar work in an academic unit. The conceptual framework for this exploration was social identity theory (Tajfel, 1974), which asserts that individuals develop a self-concept or image that derives, in part, from her/his membership in a group or groups. This qualitative study utilized in-person interviews to capture raw data from four purposeful participants, and a software package (NVivo 9) aided in the grounded theory approach to data analysis (Charmaz, 2006). The study found that participants placed a high value on the college-centric approach to their student affairs work, but they still identified as student affairs professionals working inside the academic unit. Findings are useful to: supervisors who have an interest in the professional development and personal well-being of staff; faculty and administrators of master's and doctoral degree programs designed to prepare student affairs professionals; associations that serve student affairs professionals; higher education leaders engaged in organizational change; and higher education administrators interested in the roles of individual biases and values in organizations. This study will interest student affairs professionals making the shift from a student affairs unit to an academic unit, and it will inform the researcher's own practice and career development through his investigation of his own organization.
ContributorsMader, Michael (Author) / Mcintyre, Lisa R (Thesis advisor) / Hesse, Marian (Committee member) / Roen, Duane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
President Obama's (italic)Completion Agenda (/italic) is a plan that emphasizes improved student retention and persistence. The agenda also emphasizes the important role community colleges play in moving the nation toward economic prosperity. Current statistics indicate that nearly 48% of first-time college students are lost to attrition before the end of a student's first year of college. Student success is largely determined by student experiences during the first year; in order to address the (italic) Completion Agenda (/italic), colleges will need to support initiatives designed to help first-year students succeed. This study investigated the effectiveness of peer mentoring and college success courses on developing the self-efficacy of first-year community college students by evaluating the effectiveness of two course formats of a college success course; one format uses support of a peer mentor(s) and the other format does not use support of a peer mentor(s). The self-report College Student Self-Efficacy Inventory (CSEI) served as a data source instrument designed to measure the college experience in general and, in particular, the degree of confidence students have in their abilities to successfully perform a variety of college-related tasks. The CSEI consisted or 20 questions designed to measure three principle factors: academic self-efficacy, social self-efficacy, and social integration self-efficacy. Student demographic factors, including gender, age range, ethnicity, educational background, and data pertaining to the participants' educational goals and enrollment history, were also examined. Analysis methods included descriptive statistics, a t-test, and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) measuring differences for each factor based on whether the student was supported by a peer mentor or not. Data analysis revealed no immediate measurable differences between the two formats; however, findings could suggest that the seeds of college success were nurtured and the experience of being enrolled in either course format of a student success course has yet to be realized. It was assumed that understanding the relationship between the two course formats and development of students' self-efficacy would provide useful insight into the effectiveness, merit, or value of peer mentoring and college success courses.
ContributorsMiranda, Vivian (Author) / Mcintrye, Lisa (Thesis advisor) / Hesse, Marian (Committee member) / Solley, Anna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The transition experience for students who are transferring from community college to university can be an overwhelming experience for any typical student, but can be even greater for students with vulnerable backgrounds. This phenomenological action research study followed the five-month community college to the university transition experience of five students in a scholarship program. The students participated in a three-part intervention in support of their transition experience. Three theoretical perspectives framed the study: community cultural wealth, transition theory, and transfer student capital. This framework enabled me to first identify the strengths the students possessed, despite their vulnerable backgrounds, through participation in individual interviews. The students then participated in pre- and post-focus groups and completed pre- and post-questionnaires. Through these, they identified which transition coping skills were their strongest and which transfer capital they possessed from their community college experience. They also shared how they applied those prior learned skills and capital at the university. This study revealed how these students utilized their strengths at moments when they lacked certain coping skills and transfer capital during their transition experience. One particular strength was how the students accessed the resources of the scholarship program at the center of this study to help them with their sense of the ability to succeed at the university.
ContributorsMartinez, Jo Ann Lopez (Author) / Harris, Lauren M (Thesis advisor) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Committee member) / Plinske, Kathleen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Academic advisors play a critical role in student success within United States institutions of higher education. Although uniquely positioned to contribute to important institutional and student outcomes, academic advising is identified in the literature as an emerging profession, often delegitimizing advisor authority and limiting their contribution to institutional objectives. A review of the literature explores the history academic advising, and the current state of professionalization of the field. Additionally, entrepreneurial mindset is introduced as a framework of practice for professional agency. As a field working to professionalize itself within the higher education context, academic advisors must be able to fully participate and contribute to the process of developing innovative practices within the contexts of their institutions. This mixed-methods study drew upon proactive work behavior as defined by Hackman and Oldham to understand how academic advisors demonstrate and perceive their professional agency and ability to make decisions when working with students in the context of their role. Findings suggest professional agency as a construct exists not as a stand-alone concept, but rather as part of an ecosystem within the institution that includes layered systems, structures, and cultures which influence advisor behaviors and how they navigate decision-making. Implications include considerations for academic advising leaders and administrators, specifically related to departmental structures and advisor perceptions of their professional agency. This study contributes to the advising literature in the area of professionalization, with implications for scholarship and practice that can address gaps in the current scholarship.
ContributorsRudd, Melissa (Author) / Basile, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Kim, Jeongeun (Committee member) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The purpose of this action research study was to understand better student perceptions of entrepreneurship opportunities, with a particular focus on exploring how a peer-mentor might play a helping role supporting the entrepreneurial activities of their peer students in a college environment. This action research study focused on the experience of a five-week, virtual mentorship program. The theoretical perspectives guiding the research included the work of Ajzen, Bandura, and Stets and Burke. In this mixed method study, quantitative data were collected for three constructs—self-efficacy, entrepreneurial identity, and entrepreneurial mindset. Quantitative data were gathered using pre- and post-intervention surveys. Qualitative data were gathered through written journal reflections and semi-structured interviews at the end of the study. Participants were undergraduate students serving as mentors and first-year, full-time students engaging as mentees. The study was conducted during the fall 2020 semester and occurred in a fully, virtual format in response to COVID-19 public health considerations. Modest increases in levels of agreement with entrepreneurial self-efficacy and relational support for entrepreneurship were indicated from the analysis of the quantitative results. A slight decline for entrepreneurial identity also occurred. Qualitative data provided richer understandings of student perspectives. Themes around the perception of self, relationship with others, entrepreneurial focus, and feelings towards entrepreneurship emerged from the mentee’s qualitative data. Central themes for the mentor data included helping, focusing on the college experience, and feelings as a mentor. The perspectives of mentors and mentees were also explored in analysis of journal entries. Students indicated they valued entrepreneurial activity and mindset, with the majority expressing future goals relevant to entrepreneurship. The discussion focused on the complementarity of the data, connection of the outcomes to the theoretical frameworks, personal lessons learned, limitations of the study, and implications for research and my own practice.
ContributorsDunning, Lauren (Author) / Buss, Ray (Thesis advisor) / Mcintyre, Lisa (Committee member) / Westlake, Garret (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021