Search

The purpose of this study was to explore how college and university presidents perceive the Greek social organizations that exist on their campus. Fraternities and sororities, in recent years, have increasingly been placed underneath a microscope. While a variety of research exists in regards to perceptions of Greek social organizations there is a dearth of research analyzing college and university presidents. A phenomenological approach was used in order to allow the participants to share stories, experiences, and perceptions freely and unfiltered. The study focused on the Ohio Valley region of the United States. Sixteen presidents volunteered to participate in the interview which represented 5 states and various institution types. The semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed for rich conversation, storytelling, and detail descriptions of the phenomenon. Data explication allowed for the finding of three themes across the sixteen participants. These themes were: Financial Impact, Campus Impact, and Desired Evolution. The participants expressed their approval and excitement for the research as it gave them an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and freely share their thoughts. This study is one of the first to investigate the lived experiences of college and university presidents as it related to Greek social organizations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Postsecondary education (PE) is vital to meet the needs of the changing economy. The cost to attend PE continues to increase, which has elevated student loans. The ratio of debt to potential future income should be a factor considered when choosing to pursue PE. Bakersfield College (BC) and California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) are both public institutions, serving a similar student body of underrepresented minorities. The loan default rates of each institution differ; 3-year mean rates (2012-2014) for BC were 21.0%, compared to 6.4% at CSUB. The purpose of this study was to examine the economic impact of the undergraduate programs of BC and CSUB on the labor market in Kern County. Specifically, it compared the institutional alignment with the labor market, examined private and public net financial returns and assessed risk exposure to individuals by educational attainment. The top degrees at BC and CSUB do not align well with labor market demands in Kern County but do meet the generic demand for educated workers. The individual economic benefit exceeds the costs in the long run, but in the short run, it is dependent on the time it takes a student to complete their degree. The institutional economic benefits and costs were positive but are dependent upon students completing their degree and entering the labor market. Risk is most significant while a student is in school but diminishes when a degree is attained. Institutional risk and monetary loss are heavily impacted by market risk in Kern County. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In 2012, President Obama signed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) into effect, a policy that provided limited protections to approximately 800,000 immigrants brought to live in the United States by their parents at a tender age, but that did not address equitable access to higher education. States have since decided whether DACA recipients could attend public colleges and universities at a reduced, in-state tuition cost. Such a practice was controversial as many argued that the cost was not worth the investment. In 2017, President Trump initiated a repeal of DACA, which was put on hold by court challenges, leaving undocumented immigrants without a clear vision of the future. To establish evidence that may help inform policymakers whose decisions affect access to higher education, this study used aggregated data from the U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics to answer two research questions: 1) Does DACA policy affect states' rate of return on investment from pre-DACA implementation to post-DACA? and 2) Are there state-level factors that explain differences in states' rate of return on investment over time? The research questions were examined based on a series of mixed-effects models. Findings indicated a significant increase in tax revenue generation by foreign-born non-citizens with earned bachelor's degrees. In addition, states with in-state tuition policies had significantly higher increases over time in the college enrollment and vehicle ownership of foreign-born non-citizens than did those states without such policies. Implications for practice also were discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

While college students are increasingly mobile across countries, there is limited evidence of these mobile students' impact on local communities in host countries. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by investigating the impact of international students on local economies in the United States. I examined two overarching research questions in particular: (1) How does the international enrollment affect the housing and labor markets of areas adjacent to college campuses? and (2) How does the production of international college graduates in a state affect the stock of international college-educated workers in that state? For the first research question, I used county-level data from the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) between 2010 and 2017 to test the impact of international enrollment on three local economic outcomes: median rents, median house values, and employment. A shift-share instrumental variable that exploits the historical share of international student enrollment in each county was constructed to address the endogeneity of international enrollment. Findings from spatial panel models with two-way fixed effects show that an increase of 1,000 international students increased the median rents in an average county by 0.6-0.8%, the median house values by 0.6-1.2%, and employment by 0.1-0.2%. This study also contributed to the field of higher education by applying spatial panel models to estimate the spillover effect of international enrollment. In other words, international students studying in a particular county significantly contributed to the economies of neighboring counties as well. Moreover, this study found that international undergraduate students had a larger impact than international graduate students on local economies while enrolled at higher education institutions. When the analysis was disaggregated by geographic regions, international students had the greatest impact on rents and house values in the South and the least in the Midwest. The analysis of the second research question used state-level data from ACS and IPEDS between 2006 and 2016 to estimate the relationship between the production and the stock of international graduates. While the production was measured as the number of college degrees (i.e., bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees) conferred on international students in a given state, the stock was measured as the number of foreign workers who had earned a college degree. Using spatial panel models with two-way fixed effects, this study found a modest production-stock elasticity for international graduates. A 1% increase in the production of international graduates with bachelor's degrees was associated with a 0.2% increase in the stock of college-educated international workers. The production-stock elasticity for international graduates with advanced degrees was not statistically significant. This suggests that international graduates are overall very mobile. The location of a higher education institution may have a larger impact on bachelor's-degree recipients than those with advanced degrees. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

China has been experiencing tremendous economic prosperity since the initiation of the Economic Reform in 1978. However, such enduring success has been dampened by significant economic inequality among provinces. In the same period, we have observed another kind of inequality in China that has long been overlooked. As a legacy from the central planning economic system, Chinese higher education policy makers have been implementing quota limits to control and adjust college enrollment in each province. As a result, the allocation of higher education quotas has long been unbalanced, causing inequality in higher education opportunities among provinces. It also makes higher education quotas an appropriate and unique measurement for regional human capital levels in China. In this paper, I collect and analyze over 30 years of panel data in China, from 1985 to 2015, to examine the relationship between inequality in regional higher education access and economic development. I base my analysis on an augmented Solow model and then expand it to test the direct effect of the higher education quota on economic growth, as well as its indirect spillover effect on Total Factor Productivity by applying fixed-effect regressions and two-stage least square regressions. The estimation results confirm the positive and significant effect of higher education quotas on economic growth in China. The subsequent scenario forecasts provide insight into policy implications to find the balance between eliminating inequality and maintaining economic growth. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study provides empirical evidence of enhancing an individual's ability to make an informed decision about higher education. The purpose of the causal-comparative design was to observe the relationships between the time a student completes a college degree and their self-reported lifetime income while considering gender. A convenience sample of United States residents who earned a four-year (bachelors) degree from an accredited college or university was collected by a professional survey service. The sample size for final analysis was 799 respondents consisting of 32.67% males and 66.58% females. The results of the ANOVA indicated significant differences in lifetime income among the levels of traditional, non-traditional and traditional-plus students. The study concluded that the traditional students, who participated in this research, earned higher lifetime wages than their non-traditional or traditional-plus colleagues. The study also supported the literature that males earn more over their lifetime than females. However, many factors that affect a student's college completion were not considered in this research, such as, societal influences, cultural pressures, or family history. Future studies should strive for stronger focus groups that take into account the individual's economic status as well as the nation's economic status within the same timeline. Future studies should also consider including a higher minority population and include a special emphasis on the challenges facing first-generation college students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to use human capital theory to develop a policy approach towards college student migration in Illinois. A rate of return analysis revealed the social rate of return for college student migrants who return to Illinois and the private rate of return was 15.95%. It was estimated that due to college student migration in Fall 2000, Illinois lost 4,781 college graduate residents. The economic impact of this in terms of lost lifetime tax dollars to the State of Illinois from college student migration was estimated to be $776,400,930. Policy recommendations included mission differentiation, incentives for residents and non-residents to enroll at Illinois institutions, and encouraging college graduate residence in Illinois. (Contains 24 tables and 5 figures.) [Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.]

The economic value of international students to higher education had become important and global competition to attract and retain these lucrative students was fierce. In British Columbia, educational goals were set to ensure that all students receive quality learning experiences and provide maximum economic benefit. Cultural values affect perceptions of service quality and satisfaction, but the problem facing researchers was the need to understand how individual cultural values relate to the formation of satisfaction judgments. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the predictive relationship of students' individual cultural values and their judgments of classroom service satisfaction. Empirical tests included Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's rho, and multiple linear regression with Bonforonni correction. Data was collected through an Internet questionnaire comprised of the SERVQUAL and CVSCALE instruments. The sample of 250 adult students had completed at least one on-campus course at the British Columbian university. Overall satisfaction had excellent reliability and internal consistency (a = 0.91) with dimension scales ranging from 0.82 to 0.88. Overall cultural values had good reliability and internal consistency (a = 0.80) and the dimension scales ranged from 0.72 to 0.84. Spearman's rho coefficients were statistically significant with weak effect size between overall satisfaction and uncertainty avoidance (? = 0.26, p < 0.001) and between overall satisfaction and long-term orientation (? = 0.20, p = 0.001). The correlation coefficient between overall satisfaction and masculinity was statistically significant (? = -0.20, p = 0.002). There were no statistically significant correlations between overall satisfaction and any of the other cultural variables. The results of the multiple linear regression models were statistically significant, F(5,248) = 4.42, p < 0.001, R[superscript 2] = 0.08, indicating that approximately 8% of the overall satisfaction variance was explainable by the cultural variables; however, only uncertainty avoidance statistically significantly predicted overall satisfaction B = 0.13, t(248) = 2.35, p = 0.020. The study intentions were completed and contributions made to the expectancy disconfirmation and individual cultural values literature. The analyses provided evidence of statistical and practical outcomes. Recommendations for future research included redefining the sampling criteria to permit comparative analysis, controlling for extreme response style bias, and increasing data sensitivity measures. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine factors related to enrollment in higher education during the 2008-2009 economic downturn. The study focused on small private colleges and universities without historic prestige, schools that are non-selective and dependent on enrollment tuition. When viewing student enrollment through a consumer viewpoint, attendance at these intuitions fits the definition of luxury goods, which are highly susceptible to income changes like those associated with a recession. Hedonic modeling was used on 38 colleges and universities throughout the Midwest. Descriptive statistics revealed that average enrollment at these institutions actually rose during the recession. Institutions with specific business programs outperformed those without. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between graduation rate and enrollment. There was a negative correlation between acceptance rate and enrollment. The presence of nursing programs had no correlations with enrollment. The economic theory of oligopoly was utilized to interpret behavior between schools. Bolman and Deal's Political Frame theory was used to interpret decision-making at like institutions during times of change. The study revealed a tradeoff between long-run enrollment success and short-run enrollment success. Additionally, the study revealed that student enrollment at such institutions was not viewed as a luxury good. The study concludes with recommendations regarding institutional changes for maintaining or increasing enrollment, especially during economic downturns. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study addressed the current paucity of research dedicated to the perceptions of strategic planners in Jesuit colleges and universities pertaining to how current market trends are impacting their institutions. The collective success of member institutions is paramount as these institutions are purveyors of Ignatian principals such as social justice and inclusivity--principles that have been thrust into the national spotlight in the past few years as a result of media coverage of the heightened racial and religious tensions in American colleges and universities. The perspectives of academic leaders at AJCU institutions had not been solicited with regard to how these marketplace vectors are impacting their institutions and what corrective steps they are implementing to remain competitive in a highly volatile market. With generational theory and the theory of disruptive innovation as a theoretical framework, this study's purpose was to discover how current market trends are specifically impacting Jesuit colleges and universities as perceived by key administrators. It also sought to discover perspectives on current best practices and suggestions for the future sustainability of the business model. The participants were key decision-makers in the areas of strategic finance, planning, or budget at each of the selected colleges and universities in the sample. The findings revealed that while many of the Jesuit colleges and universities are generally meeting enrollment goals, it has become increasingly challenging to reach net revenue goals. Strategic planners shared several perspectives on current best practices and offered suggestions for achieving long-term sustainability. Future studies are needed to assess the success of the strategies introduced in this study and investigate how the political climate in the wake of the 2016 election will further exacerbate current trends in the market. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This case study of one comprehensive university's economic-development engagement in its region was designed to better understand perceptions and actions by higher education leaders and economic development professionals. Findings indicated that one regional comprehensive university was an effective economic development partner because its leaders were actively engaged outside the confines of the institution. Effective engagement and collaboration between the institution and the economic-development organizations reportedly positioned the institution's academic and research prowess to support and enhance economic growth. Application of this study's findings at other institutions should be explored, and continued research is recommended on higher education engagement in local and regional economic development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Little is known about the long-term socio-economic impact of student loan debt on African-American graduates of the University of Phoenix who reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this case study is to examine the socio-economic impact of student loan debt on these students five years after receiving a degree from this for-profit institution. This research study focused on answering the following questions: What factors influence an individual's decision to attend the University of Phoenix?; How do the student services offered at the University of Phoenix prepare its graduates to repay their student loan debt?; How does student loan debt associated with attending the University of Phoenix impact African American borrowers' ability to make major life decisions, such as purchasing a home or starting a family?; and, How does obtaining a degree from the University of Phoenix serve as a vehicle for African-Americans from marginal communities that want to improve their socio-economic lives? The research is structured as a qualitative research method design and based on a case study approach. A qualitative design was selected because it allows the researcher to obtain an extensive and in-depth examination of the contemporary phenomenon of student loan debt within the real-life context of African American alumni from the University of Phoenix. The researcher achieved this goal by speaking with the participants to learn their impressions and opinions, from both the psychology and social aspects, and obtaining a detailed, in-depth analysis of the socio-economic impact of student loan debt on African Americans five years after graduating from the University of Phoenix. The case study approach is one that is presented as straightforward while giving the research participants a voice and ultimately examining the depth of the research within the study. The use of Yin's research approach served as a guide for the researcher's case study to present a sound methodology that will stand up to strict scrutiny, and questions of validity and reliability. The participants in this study included ten African American student loan borrowers that graduated from the University of Phoenix and live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The participants ranged in age from 33 years old to 46 years old. During the years 2011 and 2012, the participants obtained degrees ranging from Associates to Doctorate from the University of Phoenix. The data collection using semi-structured individual interviews, focus groups, and artifact review led to the development of six central themes. These findings were: 1) The University of Phoenix uses aggressive sales strategies; 2) The University of Phoenix has low admission standards; 3) The University of Phoenix provides flexible nontraditional classes for students; 4) The University of Phoenix has extremely expensive tuition; 5) The University of Phoenix lacks in institutional resources for students; and, 6) Society has negative attitudes and beliefs toward for-profit institutions. Four study results were derived from these findings. These results, which were correlated to relevant literature, are: 1) The University of Phoenix tends to target low-income and minority communities; 2) The University of Phoenix is attractive for adult students because it offers flexible and convenient nontraditional classes; 3) The University of Phoenix graduates are left with exorbitant student loan debt without institutional resources to prepare them to repay the debt upon graduation; and, 4) African Americans in this study with a degree from the University of Phoenix have difficulty moving up the socio-economic ladder. The findings and interpretations laid the foundation for three action recommendations. These recommendations are: 1) The University of Phoenix should provide effective financial counseling to all students that obtain federal student loans to pay for their education to significantly reduce the rate of student loan default; 2) All colleges and universities receiving Title IV funding must obtain proper accreditation for all of its programs; and, 3) Universities and colleges within the City of Philadelphia, which are located within communities with large populations of historically underrepresented African Americans, should build a pipeline in partnership with underperforming local primary and secondary schools to increase their minority enrollment, so for-profit institutions do not appear so attractive. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation is comprised of three essays, all of which focus on various impacts of economic recession. The first two essays utilize county-level data to examine differences between rural and urban response to economic downturn, while the final essay makes use of individual-level data to examine the impact of recession on enrollment in higher education. Essay 1: "Response to Economic Shock: Impacts of Rurality and Recession on County-Level Suicide in the United States." Using a negative binomial model, we examine the effect of recessions on suicides in rural and urban U.S. counties. We include the effects of other economic variables, as well as county demographics, and estimate gender-specific models. We find that, after accounting for differences in population, not only do urban counties have fewer suicides than rural counties, but urban counties experience smaller increases in suicide numbers than rural counties during periods of recession. We also find that long-term economic factors such as high chronic poverty or unemployment have a greater impact on male suicides, while short-term economic crises have a larger impact on female suicides. Higher percentages of children in the county have an increasing effect on male suicides, but a decreasing effect on female suicides. Essay 2: "The Impact of Rurality on the Economic Resilience of U.S. Counties to the Great Recession." We utilize a simple OLS regression analysis to examine regional patterns in the resilience of U.S. counties to the Great Recession through the use of two measures: resistance (the initial sensitivity of a region to economic shock) and recovery (the extent to which a county or region has resumed its prior employment levels four years after the recession). We find evidence that county-level resistance to and recovery following the Great Recession are correlated with county-level economic dependency as well as state effects. We also find that several variables, such as chronic poverty and the percent of individuals within a county with four or more years of college, are predominantly statistically significant for urban---but not rural---counties and vice versa. Essay 3: "Impacts of the Great Recession on Higher Education Enrollment in the United States." Through the use of a multinomial logit model, we investigate the impact of demographic and economic factors on the probability of individual enrollment in four-year or two-year institutions. This research extends prior research by examining a wider age range than is typically examined and also by examining differences in enrollment patterns between two key age cohorts:18- to 24-year-olds and 25- to 49-year-olds. We find that that, while an increased unemployment rate is associated with an increased probability of enrolling in either a community college or a four-year institution, an increase in the unemployment rate appears to have a greater effect, in terms of magnitude, on the probability of enrolling in a community college than on the probability of enrolling in a four-year institution. We also find enrollment patterns differ significantly between traditional and non-traditional students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of eight full-time community college faculty members who taught during the economic crisis of 2008. The study was guided by the central research question, "How do community college faculty members describe their lived experiences regarding the recent economic crisis of 2008 and its impact on the community college setting?" Furthermore, this study examined five additional research questions to gain a better understanding of what it means to teach during an economic crisis. This study used a phenomenological research design to uncover the universal essence of what it means to teach during a period of financial hard times in higher education. Data were collected from eight full-time community college faculty members who taught at a small multi campus community college system in Mississippi. The findings suggested that these faculty members had concerns about their personal finances and the funding of the college. Furthermore, the findings revealed that these eight faculty members experienced an increase in teaching demands, integrated commitment to teaching and learning, community of practice focused on student needs, supportive college administration, communal interaction between faculty and staff, while experiencing an increase in their emotional and empathetic behavior. Despite all of the changes brought on by the economic crisis of 2008, these faculty members expressed nothing changed about their instructional practice, faculty connected more, and the institution as a whole focused on how they could help the students to meet the goals they were there to meet. In essence, the focus of the college during the crisis period was on teaching and learning, in spite of the fiscal challenges brought on by the economic crisis of 2008. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Colleges and universities currently face challenges in the form of calls for increased accountability, clear economic outcomes and return on investments in education. These challenges emanate from many sectors, including students and families, employers in industry, and state and federal governments. The language of these calls for accountability and return on investment comprise a neoliberal rhetoric that posits education as a tool for economic development and prosperity, often at the expense of the more traditional purpose of higher education. This study explores this rhetoric at the federal level, as manifested in commencement addresses delivered by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, and Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller, from 2009 to 2012. The study examines to what extent neoliberal ideology shapes the rhetoric. This study also examines whether the discourse creates an ideal to which institutions must aspire. Study findings reveal a liminal rhetoric that embraces the traditional and neoliberal agendas for higher education, and an ideal that also combines traditional and neoliberal ideologies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For two decades, state financing of higher education has been on the decline and the situation has exacerbated since the onset of the economic recession, where the US state systems have resorted to a substantial cut of funding for higher education. Faced with the challenges of limited resources for financial pressure and an increasing demand, community colleges either have taken or are considering taking a series of cost-saving strategies. Some of the most prominent trends seen in the past decades include sharp expansions in distance education offerings through online coursework, an increasing reliance on part-time adjunct faculty, and a heated discussion about slashing expenditures on remedial education. Yet, many researchers argue that these strategies might be implemented at the cost of poorer educational quality and less desirable student outcomes. My dissertation assesses the impacts of several important strategies that community colleges are engaged in an era of financial constraints on student academic outcomes and educational equality. In Chapter One, Shanna Smith Jaggars and I examine the fast growth of distance education and its impacts on student outcomes relative to traditional face-to-face delivery format. Based on a large administrative data set from Washington State, we found robust negative estimates for online learning in terms of both course persistence and course grade. While all types of students in the study suffered decrements in performance in online courses, we also identified strong variations across subpopulations and academic subject areas. Chapter Two is prompted by the spiraling increase in part-time faculty hiring in open-access two-year community colleges. Based data from a large community college system, I identified a positive impact of taking one's first course in a subject area on his contemporaneous course performance but negative impacts on subsequent course outcomes and enrollment patterns. Finally, Chapter Three is inspired by the heated debate related to the effectiveness of college remediation. Exploiting discontinuities in students' probability of receiving remediation both around the college-level cut off and the cut off for short versus long sequence of remediation, I found small and insignificant impacts of remediation for students on the margin of needing remediation, but significantly negative influence on students receiving long sequence of remediation compared to those who received short sequence. These results suggest that some cost-saving strategies that colleges are recently engaged may bring negative impacts on student learning outcomes, and therefore policymakers and college administrators may need to take steps to ensure the quality of education offered to students before enacting policies that would incentivize an accelerated expansion of online enrollments, and overreliance on adjunct instructors. Additionally, the insignificant and negative impact of remediation suggests that the huge investment in remediation may not have been effectively utilized to serve its purpose and colleges will need to explore ways to improve its effectiveness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

I present empirical research considering the response of health and educational outcomes to alcohol consumption, drug abuse, and collegiate athletics. Chapter II considers the effect of legal access to alcohol on student achievement. The empirical approach identifies the effect through changes in students' performance after gaining legal access to alcohol, controlling flexibly for the expected evolution of grades as students make progress towards their degrees. The estimates indicate that students' grades fall below their expected levels upon being able to drink legally but by less than previously documented. Chapter III considers the relationship between collegiate-football success and non-athlete student performance. The findings indicate that the team's success significantly reduces male grades relative to female grades and only in fall quarters, which coincides with the football season. Survey data suggest that males are more likely than females to increase alcohol consumption, decrease studying, and increase partying in response to the success of the team. Yet, females also report that their behavior is affected by athletic success, suggesting that their performance is likely impaired but that this effect is masked by the practice of grade curving. Finally, chapter IV considers the effect of substance-abuse treatment on drug- overdose deaths. Though the provision of substance-abuse treatment may be an effective way to reduce drug abuse, whether it has a causal effect on drug-related mortality has not been documented. I analyze the effect of substance-abuse treatment on mortality by exploiting county-level variation in treatment facilities driven by facility openings and closings. The estimates indicate that a 10-percent increase in facilities lowers a county's drug-induced mortality rate by 2 percent. The results also suggest that spillovers of treatment reduce other causes of death related to drug abuse. As a whole, this body of research offers insight into the economic impact of behaviors involving drinking and other substance use. This dissertation includes previously published co-authored material. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The study examined the relationship between recession and alumni contributions to institutions of higher education for operational expenses and capital expenditures that include property, buildings, and equipment. Identifying variables that may decrease alumni contributions is important because decreased state funding for higher education institutions and increased costs of maintaining higher education infrastructure have created growing demand for alternative means of funding. The scope of this study included 54 public and private college and universities in the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The collection of archival data from the Council for Aid to Education VSE databases provided data for this study. The variable under consideration is the effect of current macroeconomic recessions that occurred from 2000 to 2010 on alumni contributions to their respective colleges and universities. In addition, the application of contributions received (if any) to sustaining programs or capital programs were also considered. The study concluded that there is no significant difference among the mean total alumni donations given in the years 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2009. It is further concluded that there is no significant interaction between the year of alumni donations and the school category (public or private). Additionally, it is concluded there is no significant difference between the alumni donations to operating funds in public (non-secular) versus private (non-secular) universities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The community college, like all of higher education, has been significantly impacted by the Great Recession and coincidental increased enrollment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the decision making processes of community college presidents as related to resource allocation and the impact of these decisions on the comprehensive community college mission. Declining state funding and increased enrollments have greatly impacted how community college leaders make decisions with leaders incorporating shared governance and informed decision-making. Community college leaders have also been proactively seeking out alternative revenue streams in order to help offset decreased state funding. Findings of this study show that there is no single best practice that community college leaders can employ in order to weather difficult times faced by their institution. Community college leaders continue to forge new ground in unknown times as they continue to search for a sustainable revenue source. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For the last 25 years, research on the effects of community colleges on baccalaureate degree attainment has concluded that community colleges drastically reduce the likelihood of attaining a bachelor's degree compared to the effects of four-year institutions on this likelihood. The thesis of this dissertation is that community colleges have been misjudged as institutions that tend to perpetuate social and economic stratification; what previous studies on the topic have found is based on systematic differences in the student populations. Community college students are consistently more at risk of failing academically than four-year students. Then, the positive impact that four-year colleges have on their students compared to the impact of two-year colleges is to a great extent due to the fact that four-year students tend to have more resources and means to handle college requirements than two-year students. The main challenges to analyze two- and four-year sector effects relies on identifying community college students who resemble four-year college students and then compare their outcomes. This dissertation expands on previous research that has only looked at the effect of community colleges on students' educational outcomes by including labor market outcomes. The analyses conducted in this study primarily relied on propensity score matching (PSM) and the Heckman two-stage estimation procedures to reduce bias in the analysis by accounting for non-random selection into the treatment. In addition, the analytic samples were disaggregated by gender and ethnicity. To estimate the effects of interest, a nationally representative sample that is longitudinal and panel in nature was used: The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Results revealed that neither the two- nor the four-year sectors were able to help students with very low probabilities of graduation from a four-year college. A new financial aid approach that bridges merit-based and aid-based perspectives is proposed. Community colleges, by welcoming a greater proportion of first-time, full-time undergraduate students, many of whom are underrepresented in higher education, and by helping their students to perform similarly than four-year college students in the outcomes analyzed, are conceptualized as engines for mobility helping surpass economic and social stratification of opportunities in American society. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Using the embedded case study method, this investigation described the experiences, relationships, and perspectives of administrative leaders within the higher education environment during the most recent economic crisis, specifically attempting to answer the question of, "How does an economic crisis, like the most current recession, impact a university leader's ability to deal with the issues of faculty recruitment, retention and support?" Participants in the study were 8 administrators from Purdue University, a Land-grant institution. In addition to the interview data related documentation was also examined, and analysis of all the data collected resulted in the development of 75 descriptive codes which were then categorized into a total of eight emergent themes within the study. The eight emergent themes included: (1) leadership insights; (2) sense of mission or business as usual; (3) negative consequences of the recession; (4) Perceptions/Attitudes/Feelings/Assumptions/Values/assumptions/values; (5) alternative strategies; (6) positive consequences of the recession; (7) the quest for information and input; and (8) other significant concerns. Outcomes of the study were that the recession had an impact on each area of question within the study: recruitment, retention, support and the relationship, and dealt with the impact with the use coping mechanisms. For recruitment, the recession had an impact in the area of hiring faculty as the number during this timeframe was decreased but not halted altogether. In regard to retention efforts, the recession made it harder to retain top-performing faculty but the university launched an initiative to assist their colleges and schools to try and support those efforts. As administrators were unable to provide support to their faculty with raises and other means during this time, they emphasized the idea of making the faculty feel valued by decreasing their workloads whenever possible. Finally, to ensure the relationship between the faculty and administration was not altered, the leadership employed communication and transparency with the situation whenever possible. Based upon this research, recommendations for future university leadership facing an economic crisis include: (1) more inclusion of faculty and staff early in the decision making process; (2) accessibility of administration to stakeholders; and (3) developing mechanisms for enhancing communication. Implications for future research include a number of studies such as a complimentary study done with the faculty, staff and other stakeholders at Purdue University to gain insight into the other side of these issues; a study with peer institution for a comparative study; and a study with private or community college for yet another comparative, but different study environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

International students on American college and university campuses represent important under-recognized complex non-homogeneous minority presence commonplace at institutions of higher education in the early twenty-first century. The impact of international students on institutions of higher education is generally recognized from four primary perspectives including academic, cultural, political and economic characteristics (Funk, 2001). International students represent 3.5 percent (671,616 of 19,103,000) of all students attending institutions of higher education in the United States in the 2008-09 academic year(Institute of International Education, 2011). International students were estimated to generate $17.66 billion to the US economy and $118.9 million to the State of Louisiana economy with the inclusion of educational and living expenses in the 2008-09 academic year(NAFSA: National Association of Foreign Student Advisors, 2011). Previous research determined these estimates based on secondary data underestimated true economic return when compared to analysis based on primary data (Funk, 2001). Accurate economic estimation may positively affect state-level funding policy to institutions of higher education campuses. The problem addressed by this study is the determination of the economic impact of international students to the study campus and regional economy. The research questions addressed included determination of the international student economic impact to the study campus, Louisiana State University, and the community, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Cost and benefit economic impact assessment provided economic return with data summarization calculated using SPSS analysis. Data collection occurred at the study campus, Louisiana State University and A&M College, and included secondary data from university records, state budget and planning documents and primary data gathered from students. Stratified proportional random sampling of the sub-population of international students at Louisiana State University provided a proportional representation of the student population. The study provides a determination of the economic impact of the international student population of LSU on the university and community through exploratory and confirmatory examination of new primary student data compared with previous research and generally accepted models that made use of secondary data to generate reported results. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The United States economic recession is now in its third year and continues to have a serious impact on the American higher education system, including Illinois' public community colleges. Illinois community colleges are seeing increases in enrollments while at the same time seeing significant decreases in state funding. The purpose of this study was to provide data leading to a systematic understanding of how Illinois community college continuing education programs are delivered in the 21st Century. The analysis included survey data from community colleges presidents and continuing education program managers (CEPMs) and interview data from three presidents and three CEPMs representing urban, suburban and rural community colleges. Several findings and conclusions were discovered as a result of this study, including: (1) respondents indicated offering courses which do not meet profit expectations, but they do and should continue to because they are testing or building new curriculum, (2) primary state funding sources are inadequate and unreliable and secondary funding options, such as grants, endowments, and donations are used to support programs, (3) financial pressures are having an adverse effect on continuing education departments and their budgets, (4) approximately 35% of the state community colleges' enrollment can be attributed to continuing education enrollments, yet most colleges only allocate 1-10% of their institutional budgets to this purpose, (5) about one quarter of the respondents do not feel their colleges' continuing education program is prepared for the influx of senior citizens. Several general recommendations were made, including dissemination of study results to state associations, community college presidents and CEPMs. The study concludes with recommendations for practice for presidents and CEPMs as well as recommendations for further research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In the Thai Universal Coverage scheme, hospital providers are paid for their inpatient care using Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) reimbursement. Questionable quality of the submitted DRG codes has been of concern whereas knowledge about hospital coding practice has been lacking. The objectives of this thesis are (1) To explore hospital coding practice and its determinants, (2) To identify the ways hospitals may use to manipulate the DRG system, and (3) To describe and compare the characteristics of hospitals that were included in the Summary and Coding Audit Database (SCAD) and those that were not. These three objectives are answered by three types of analysis: a case study of hospital coding practice, systematic literature review, and a nationwide hospital survey. In the case study, interviews with responsible staff in selected hospitals suggested that hospital coding practice comprises structure and process components. The structural component includes human resources, hospital committee, and information technology infrastructure. At least eight health care professional disciplines are involved in the coding process which comprises seven major steps: (1) Discharge Summarization, (2) Completeness Checking, (3) Diagnosis and Procedure Coding, (4) Code Checking, (5) Relative Weight Challenging, (6) Coding Report, and (7) Internal Audit. Hospital coding practice can be affected by five factors: (1) Internal Dynamics, (2) Management Context, (3) Financial Dependency, (4) Resource and Capacity, and (5) External Factors. The literature review, which was conducted using seven databases clarified that DRG creep (defined as a deliberate and systematic shift in a hospital's reported case-mix in order to improve reimbursement) is not merely about upcoding. Indeed, DRG system can be manipulated by hospitals using three different approaches I have called "3C": Corporate, Clinical, and Coding Practices, which are, respectively, the responsibility of hospital management, the clinical care team, and hospital coders. The questionnaire developed from case study findings was used to survey 920 hospital included in SCAD and 390 Non-SCAD hospitals. The overall response rate was 37.56%. Characteristics and hospital coding practices of the two groups were found to be different. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to simplify 63 opinion-based questionnaire items to a 3-factor model with 20 items, which can be used to develop a Hospital Coding Practice Scale. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation addresses the consequences of political influence on state higher education funding at the committee level. The State of South Carolina has a long history of using a formula to determine the appropriate amount of funding that is to be allocated to its colleges and universities. I use the funding level implied by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education's formula as a counterfactual against which actual levels of appropriation are measured. The membership of key state legislative committees with alumni members is used to determine if colleges receive a greater proportion of their performance funding target than those colleges without alumni on those committees. I find that, in most cases, schools with alumni on the committees receive more funding from the state government than schools without representation. Senators redirect funding more effectively than do Representatives, sometimes startlingly so. Research colleges with an alumnus on the on the Senate Finance committee receive 128% more than the average one-year appropriations than research schools without representation. The same figure for teaching universities is 75% of the average. Also, the proclivity to increase a school's funding appears to be stronger for alumni than for legislators who fight for university funding by dint of constituency. The local representative redirects about 56% of what an alumnus-legislator does. As a consequence to this tendency for legislative adjustment of budgets, it is important to know if augmentations to university budgets by state governments crowds out private funding of public universities. Over the past decade both state funding for and private donations to institutions of higher education have exhibited similar patterns. Possibly because the recessions of 2001 and 2007 play such a dominant role over this period it appears as if state-government funding attracts private donations to universities which would constitute a startling result. In order to discern the true effect government funding has on private giving to universities, I adapt the standard Andreoni (1989) model of altruism to include income taxation. In the model, public and private universities differ only in the degree to which income taxes are remitted to them. University-level data on institutional characteristics and data on private philanthropy are combined to construct a panel of public and private institutions of higher education from 1999 to 2008. Even though the correlation between state funding and alumni giving is 0.08, the volatility of state funding leads to as much as 94% proportional crowding out of alumni donations for Doctoral universities and 55% proportional crowd out for small baccalaureate colleges. Finally, the sensitivity of donors to changes in government funding of public universities raises the question of whether they are similarly responsive to comparable changes in other private sources of funding as they are to public sources of funding. An incredible amount of private money has been flowing into institutions of higher education over the last two decades. Yet, with one exception, no study has attempted to analyze the dynamics involved in funding higher education beyond the crowding-out effect the government has on private giving. This chapter examines the 30-year history of five universities to uncover the effect major private gifts have on the giving of other private donors to the universities. Using a comprehensive listing of all major gifts to institutions of higher education (in excess of $50 million) I am able to determine exactly when subsequent responses to the major gift should occur. The data show that giving to most of the universities, and especially the one public institution in the study does not discernibly change during the five years after the announcement of the major gift in relation to its longer-term trend. That donors to the public university appear to be unresponsive to a $125 million gift to their university seems contradictory to the demonstrated sensitivity alumni have to changes in government funding. This contradiction could mean private donors view the substitutability of government funding for their own giving differently than they view the substitutability of other sources private funding. It could also mean that donors recognize that only a portion of the large gift can be spent in the same manner that the entirety of the government allocation can. If this is so, it may be that $1 from the government would be worth more in the short run to the university than $1 of giving to the university's endowment from private sources. This effect may be the source of the difference in responsiveness by donors to the changes in two sources of university income. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A commonly held belief is that formal education has a strong positive association with earnings (Sanchez, 1998). The motivation for individuals to pursue and complete an education beyond high school is likely founded in the hopes of higher paying jobs or a higher position. The "economic benefits" of a community college education can be defined as the gain in personal earnings over time because of the skills and knowledge acquired, as reflected in credit hours completed, at the community college. The purpose of this study was to determine how the skills, knowledge, and credentials obtained in community college occupational courses and the completion of occupational degrees affect employability and future earnings. As a result, a valid source of accountability was produced, providing evidence to stakeholders through the State, community, and institution that the investment in higher education provides a positive rate of return and further validates the important role of the community college. The framework of this study is embedded within the theoretical construct of the human capital theories of education. According to Human Capital Theory, higher education is both, a consumption good and an investment good. As an investment good, individuals sacrifice time and money to receive an education for the purpose of earning a higher salary and having a better standard of living in the future. It is a consumption good because of the immediate benefit derived from the college experience: socialization and learning for the sake of learning (Becker, 1992). For this project, student databases were obtained through the offices of Institutional Research at two Missouri community colleges. Unemployment wage data from the State of Missouri was accessed for each student through the Department of Economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This wage data was adjusted using the Gross Domestic Product Implicit Price Deflator to normalize the data for inflation. Data was analyzed using regression analysis and paired samples t tests. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the labor-market returns to the State of Missouri community college occupational education experience. The increase in earnings was significant for each sub-group of students researched. The methods used in this study cannot establish causality, however, the findings are compelling. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to trace the organizational history of the University of California Santa Cruz from its inception in 1965 to its 40th anniversary in 2005. The study investigated the original vision of small residential colleges as modeled after the Oxford University plan. The study chronicled the critical turning points of university development as well as the factors that influenced key players. The impact of historical context was explored, as was its resultant impact on the organizational growth and development of the university. Methodology: Historical research methodology was used. This method was selected as a means of reporting events and conditions that occurred during the university's first 40 years. Oral histories were collected from fifty UCSC leaders, faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Where possible individual histories were recorded and analyzed by the researcher to assure the intended input of subjects was retained. Findings: The Oxford model influenced the university's original design. Guided by the British and German models for higher education, the university succeeded in creating a credible academic and research institution. Although altered over time, the alternative educational plan and political activism left an indelible mark. The economy had a significant impact on the campus, which forced the university to adjust its long range development plan. Campus leadership, UC Regents, and UCOP played a critical role in the vision plan and guided the decision-making processes that helped shape the growth and development of UCSC. The campus adjusted its plans to changes in statewide demographics. In the end, the university changed the social, political, and economical picture of the local community. Recommendations: In 2005, the campus was at another turning point. New business architectures had just been implemented. New struggles lay ahead in the form of recession and state cutbacks. The campus was once again contemplating its next direction. The next phase of valuable research would be to continue the history to the university's 50th anniversary. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In recent years, a growing number of undergraduate college and university students in the United States have sought international internships. A great deal has been written about internships as a form of experiential learning and a great deal has been written about international study abroad as a source for global learning, but there is limited information available about international internships. For example, why do undergraduate college students pursue international internships? How do undergraduate college students describe their international internship experiences? What do students feel they have gained from the international internship in terms of their career development? Knowing the answers to these questions would help faculty advisors and/or career counselors/advisors to assist students in choosing international internships that would best help students meet their goals. An in-depth look at the impact of international internships might also be helpful for academic departments and institution-wide faculty committees to make informed plans for internationalizing the curriculum. For this research, a collective case study approach was used to gather in-depth data on the impact of international internships on undergraduate college students. Three cases were explored--business students, engineering students, and liberal arts students. Undergraduate students at two large, Ivy League, research universities, one in eastern Pennsylvania and one in central New York, were selected for the study. Fifteen students participated in one-on-one interviews as a means to better understand their international internship experiences. Five career services professionals who work with students in the academic disciplines represented in the study were also interviewed. An important goal for this research was hearing individual student voices and sharing their stories. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Increasing numbers of adults are pursuing higher education. The demand exists, to some measure, on changing demographics, rapid advancements in technology, global interconnectiveness, and more recently, a global economic downturn. Thus, there is a far greater need today for adults to acquire new skills or to be re-trained. Because of this, increasing numbers of higher education programs have begun to focus on the needs of the adult learner. This study was developed to explore how adult learners at a two-year technical institution perceive instruction and how their perceptions contribute to their overall academic success. The research on andragogy confirms that the methods of instruction are important to meeting the needs of adult learners and their success. The researcher gathered information on how students based their perceptions of instructional strategies, and how these perceptions factored in the students' academic success. The underlying goal was to provide information about how adult learners at this two-year technical institution perceived their instruction as being significant to their needs and academic success. A quantitative approach was used in this study, administered to students during a one- week period enrolled at this two-year institution. The data gathered were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviations. The study resulted in a clear picture of how student perceptions of instructional strategies are connected to academic success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Dual credit programs have become increasingly popular with 71% U.S. public high schools offering dual credit courses in 2002-2003. As this popularity has grown, so have concerns regarding academic rigor, course quality, parity with college courses, and effects on higher education. Determining actual dual credit course equivalent in higher education has also been problematic for many universities. To best address this problem, the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (ICALS) partnered with the Idaho Vocational Agriculture Teachers' Association and Idaho Division of Professional Technical Education to design a dual credit program based on nationally identified strengths of quality programs. The creation process embraced Constructivist Leadership practices with the goal of maintaining quality instruction and rigorous content throughout the program. Courses were also aligned with state and national pathways, or a specific sequence from secondary to post secondary education, to clarify college course equivalency. Seven courses were developed and offered during the 2008-2009 school year and 156 students earned 307 credits. This quantitative study was designed to identify high school student dual credit course participants' perceptions, influencers, and preferences regarding: a) factors and individuals that affected their decision to take dual credit courses, b) which higher education institution they planned to attend, before and after the program, c) which academic college and major they planned to seek, and d) what information and individuals influenced enrollment decisions. The study results provided insights into dual credit programs and the relationship to: a) student gender, b) the size of the students' high school, and c) whether the duel credit courses increased the probability of the student enrolling in the providing higher education institution. Findings of the study included: a) the secondary instructor had the greatest impact on student participation in the dual credit program, and b) gender and school size of the participant had little relationship to participation or perception of the program. Recommendations for further research included: a) annual replication of this study, b) study of the economic impact of dual credit programs on post secondary institutions, and c) impact of distance education technology on dual credit programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This research examined the funding request process whereby higher education institutions seek financial support from state government. The study tested whether a model based on state goals and priorities for higher education could distinguish a funded request from an unfunded request. The research was qualitative and followed a comparative case design examining two instances where Michigan State University submitted a funding request for a project through the state of Michigan's capital outlay process. One of the requests received funding while the other funding request did not. Information on each case was collected through interviews with people involved in the design and implementation of each funding request, and through an analysis of relevant documentation on each request. A conceptual framework based on perceived state goals and priorities for higher education and lobbying methods was used to analyze the cases. The research findings revealed that the case that received funding aligned more closely with the components of the study's conceptual framework than did the case that did not receive funding. However, the interview process revealed that closely aligning with the conceptual framework was not the primary reason for the final outcome of each case. Factors outside the control of the institutions, specifically the economic conditions in Michigan, contributed to whether funding for both cases was granted. Although the model tested was beneficial in distinguishing the unfunded from the funded case, the findings indicated that the model itself needed to be modified to account for variables outside the control of the institution in all stages of development of the funding requests. The environment that influences state higher education funding is very dynamic, and institutions need to adjust each funding request accordingly throughout the design and implementation process. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Since the establishment of the University of Hong Kong in 1911, higher education in Hong Kong has been transformed from an elitist system to one that supports the Hong Kong government's vision of a highly educated workforce and widely accessible lifelong learning. Between the late 1970s and 1994 the system expanded from admitting 2% of college-age students annually to 18%. The government's goal of providing postsecondary education and training to 60% of college-age students and adult learners by 2010 offers a glimpse of the continued transformation. The trajectory of transformation often meets with unexpected challenges and opportunities. For Hong Kong, the challenges and opportunities came together in a "Perfect Storm" in 1997--the handover of Hong Kong to China by the British government on July 1 was immediately followed by the start of the Asian economic crisis. This historical study tells the story of how the leaders of three Hong Kong universities navigated the storm. Information was gathered in a literature review, including an extensive search of newspaper articles, and personal interviews conducted with senior administrators from each university. Through the lenses of the universities, this study explored the role played by the Hong Kong government, the University Grants Committee, and the leaders at each institution in guiding higher education through economic, social, and political challenges. The institutions chosen--the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong Baptist University--exemplify contrasting missions, cultures, and histories. The study revealed three critical success factors for higher education in Hong Kong--the triennial funding cycle, the disciplined and structured planning and review processes imposed by the UGC, and the role of individual leadership at the universities. The story presented here is one of leadership in trying circumstances helping three universities to succeed, in many instances beyond all expectation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.

The purpose of this study was to explore how junior level students at a Georgia postsecondary institution perceived their college experiences were impacted by the meritbased aid they received. The study employed a phenomenological method and was based on Tinto's psycho-social-economic-organizational model, from "Theories of college student departure revisited" (1986). A total of nine students participated in face-to-face interviews that consisted of 21 questions divided among psychological, social, economic, and organizational categories. Data analysis revealed the following themes regarding the psychological aspect of HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) scholarship: (a) "positive feelings and impact", (b) "some influence on college choice and advanced degree attainment", and (c) "universal motivation on grade performance and degree completion". The social impact themes were based on the following student experiences: (a) no or some positive/negative peer relationship impact, (b) universal stress relief and positive impact on college life integration, (c) mostly positive impact on college experiences with a possibility of laziness/apathy. The economic impact themes were based on the following student experiences: (a) little to no influence on college major choice, but some impact on course selection, (b) more positive than negative impact on spending/saving money, and (c) universal benefits of free/discounted books or free education/degree attainment. Finally, the organizational impact themes were based on the following student experiences: (a) primarily positive impact joining/benefiting from campus organizations, (b) campus organizations viewed as very/extremely important in deciding to complete education, and (c) no direct impact on college major choice, but primarily positive impact on student life integration. This study was largely based on the recommendations for future research by Orefice (2007) who concluded in "Student perceptions of the impact of their merit-based financial aid on their college experience" that the debate surrounding changes in merit-based aid policy should focus entirely on student college experiences in order to maximize its benefits and minimize its drawbacks. Based on the themes associated with HOPE recipient student experiences, this researcher concluded that the benefits from most to least strength of agreement were related to psychological benefits, then equal benefits from economic and social categories, and lastly organizational benefits. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The presence of a college or university in a community can be a source of great pride and economic vitality. An institution's presence, however, may also generate unintended off-site impacts, such as traffic congestion, inadequate parking, heightened crime, insufficient taxable property, and deteriorating neighborhoods, which strain local infrastructure and services. The vast majority of studies that investigate the economic impact of universities broadly assess and measure an institution's impacts within a large metropolitan context on the basis of regional economic development, human capital development, and expenditure. Very little, however, is known in terms of whether and to what degree a college or university impacts local property values on a housing unit level. As colleges and universities begin to play a greater role in physically shaping their surrounding communities, greater attention must be taken to understand the fiscal consequences and impacts of on- and off-site developments on surrounding property values. By understanding what factors impact housing values, town-gown tensions can be better mitigated. This study empirically examines the impacts of higher education institutions on local property values using a hedonic-pricing model across four sites in Maricopa County, Arizona. This study examines variables used in comparable studies employing hedonic analysis, such as real estate transactions and characteristics at the housing unit level, sale price and physical characteristics of each house, block group level census data on income and racial characteristics, environmental data, and neighborhood characteristics. This study includes a combination of analytical models (classical and spatial error) and techniques incorporating Geographic Information System (GIS) functions to measure the distance of single-family houses to the selected campus site. The study also uses a difference-in-difference analysis to determine whether the impact of university sites on local property values changes over time. The difference-indifference approach estimates the difference between prices of properties in the area surrounding the institution and the price of comparable properties that are outside the designated area. The analysis then examines whether the extent of this difference has changed over time and whether this change is the result of institutional development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study explored perceptions of possible future scenarios for Jesuit higher education in the United States by the year 2030. This study focused on two questions, (a) How do leaders perceive the future of Jesuit higher education? and (b) What key factors identified by these leaders will lead to the most desirable outcome for Jesuit higher education in the next twenty years? Interviews were conducted with ten leaders from the Jesuit higher education community. The ten participants included presidents, provosts, high-ranking officials, and directors. Eight participants are employed in universities across the United States, and two participants are employed as administrators of Jesuit education. The methodology used in this study was Ethnographic Futures Research, an approach used to elicit participant perceptions of alternative futures from optimistic, pessimistic, and most probable future scenarios. This study aimed to present a strategic outline in the form of recommendations to guide leaders of Jesuit institutions through times of rapid and imminent change. Findings from this study include identification of common perceptions of factors that will influence change to the future of Jesuit higher education. Factors of change include leadership strategies, economic impact, technological advances, and evolving student demographics. Findings further revealed more specific driving forces of change, including faculty influence, societal influence, and Jesuit identity issues. A general discovery made by this study was the significant acceptance that change cannot be avoided and strategies must be implemented so as not to respond and react to these changes, but to engage in change with the confidence only attained through strategic and ongoing future studies that will aid in the sustainability of Jesuit higher education institutions in the United States. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Since MIT launched the first OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiative in 2002, responses from the academic community have ranged from exuberance to angst. Some institutions have been reluctant to adopt a program of open publishing because of concerns about long-term funding and possible adverse effects on paid enrollment. Money is an issue, forcing some organizations that initially created OCW programs to furlough them due to funding challenges. This study examined the cost of converting online distance learning courses to OCW, the impact of opening these courses on paid enrollments, and the long-term sustainability of OCW through the generation of new paid enrollments. As part of this study, Brigham Young University's Independent Study Program (BYU IS) converted three university and three high school courses to OCW. BYU IS provided an option for OCW users to pay regular tuition and enroll in the online course for credit. The average ongoing cost to convert BYU IS courses to OCW was $284.12 per university course and $1,172.71 per high school course. The six opened courses generated 13,795 visits and 445 total paid enrollments in four months. The profit margin on the paid enrollments OCW generated was calculated to be 3.81% for open publishing to be financially self-sustaining at BYU Independent Study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In this dissertation, I develop a definition and regional measure of entrepreneurship that will aid entrepreneurship research and economic development policy. My new indicators represent an improvement over current measures of entrepreneurship. The chief contribution of these new indicators is that they incorporate innovation, which others ignore. These indicators represent a significant contribution to the literature and can stimulate discussion among entrepreneurship scholars about how we conceptualize and measure entrepreneurship. Chapter 1 motivates the need for a different regional measure of entrepreneurship. Chapter 2 posits a three-part definition of entrepreneurship, with roots in the work of early entrepreneurship scholars including Schumpeter, Knight, and Say. Chapter 3 assesses widely used measures of entrepreneurship and their relevance to the proposed definition. The lack of a clear definition and measure of entrepreneurship hinders the research informing entrepreneurial support policies (Bruyat and Pierre-Andre, 2000). Chapter 4 develops new indicators of entrepreneurship that capture all three components of the proposed definition. The identification of innovative industries, industries with high level of skill, technology, patents, churn, and employment growth, using detailed NAICS (North American Industrial Classification System) industry data, represents an important contribution of this dissertation. By applying the innovative industries to single-unit employer establishment birth and self employment data, I create indicators that are available annually for all counties. Using the reduced-form model of entrepreneurship developed by Goetz and Rupasingha (2008), Chapter 5 assesses the determinants of the new entrepreneurship indicator. In Chapter 6, I use a growth model recently developed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (McGranahan, Wojan, and Lambert. 2009) to examine the relationship between my new indicator of entrepreneurship and economic growth. I find a positive and robust relationship between growth and my new indicator of entrepreneurship. Chapter 7 reviews the results and addresses policy-implications, problems, and future work. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]