A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF DOCTORAL GRADUATES’ PERCEPTIONS OF MENTORING BY THEIR DISSERTATION CHAIRS

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to examine doctoral graduates’ satisfaction with the mentoring provided by their dissertation chairs. The relationships between doctoral students and their dissertation chairs can positively or negatively influence a doctoral student’s dissertation journey. The researcher developed and validated a survey to determine doctoral graduates’ perceptions of mentoring by their dissertation chairs based on best practices in the literature. The online survey was announced nationwide using email and social media: 133 graduates from multiple disciplines and institutions responded with complete data. The responses were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the analyses revealed that this sample of graduates viewed their chair’s mentoring as helpful or very helpful during the different phases of the dissertation process (M = 2.92 on a 4-point Likert scale). The graduates also agreed or strongly agreed that their chairs used best practices of mentoring doctoral graduates (M = 4.12 on a 5-point Likert scale). Analyses of open-ended survey items reiterated the importance of the relationships between doctoral students and their chairs to promote successful completion of the dissertation. Graduates valued mutual trust, encouragement, goal setting, shared research interests, and timely feedback. Implications of the study and recommendations for future research were discussed. Keywords: dissertation chair, doctoral student, doctoral program completion, mentee, mentor, mentoring, more knowledgeable other (MKO), online mentorin

Employability in Academe for Athletic Trainers with the Doctor of Athletic Training Degree

The doctor of athletic training (DAT) degree has recently been introduced into academe. Limited literature exists regarding how individuals with this degree can become part of an athletic training faculty. To identify department chairs\u27 perceptions of the DAT degree and determine whether they viewed the degree as viable when hiring new faculty within a postbaccalaureate professional athletic training program. Cross-sectional study. Online survey instrument. A total of 376 department chairs who had oversight of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education athletic training programs were invited to participate. Of these, 190 individuals (50.5%) accessed the survey, and 151 of the 190 department chairs (79.5%) completed all parts of the survey. A web-based survey instrument consisted of several demographic questions and 4-point Likert-scale items related to perceptions of the DAT degree. Independent variables were degree qualifications, advanced degree requirements, institutional control, student enrollment, current faculty with a clinical doctorate, and institutional degree-granting classification. The dependent variables were the department chairs\u27 responses to the survey items. More than 80% of department chairs were moderately or extremely familiar with the concept of an advanced practice doctoral degree, and 64% believed it would be extremely to moderately beneficial to hire someone with this degree in the athletic training program. Furthermore, 67% of department chairs were very likely or likely to hire someone with a DAT degree and expected they would do so in the next 5 years. Characteristics associated with higher perception scores were lower institutional student enrollment, having more current faculty with an advanced practice doctoral degree, and a lower institutional degree-granting classification. Department chairs recognized the DAT degree as a viable degree qualification for teaching in professional athletic training programs. Future researchers should examine the need for athletic trainers with the DAT degree in clinical practice settings

Review of Doctoral Programs in Technical Education

This article describes the third phase of a study which examined the readiness of technology education and career and technical education fields for online and hybrid doctoral degree programs in technical education. In this phase, interviews were conducted with chairs and coordinators of 19 doctoral programs in the US and Canada, creating a snapshot of existing doctoral programs in technical education, to inform those undertaking doctoral program design or revision of the variety of approaches to doctoral education. Findings may also be useful to those pursuing employment as faculty members in institutions such as these, and to those considering doctoral study in the field

Exploring The Effects Of Social Exchange Relationships On The Scholarly Productivity Of New Faculty Members In Accounting

This paper explores how social relationships between new accounting faculty members and their former dissertation chairs can influence the publishing productivity of the new faculty members in their early academic careers. The focus on social relationships offers a unique approach to studying the effectiveness doctoral education. Our findings show that strong social exchange between new faculty members and their former chairs can have a significant impact on new faculty members’ scholarly productivity and provide some reasons for those effects. We also find differences in relationships between mixed and same gender pairs and examine reasons for those differences

Examining Student Mentorship Experiences in an Online Doctoral Program

As more students elect to complete their doctoral studies online, faculty need to identify and implement mentorship approaches that are conducive to student understanding of the dissertation process. Faculty to mentee relationships are a prominent aspect of student retention and success in doctoral programs. Due to advances in technology, dissertation chairs have access to tools that allow for real-time feedback and support. Therefore, this study examined student dissertation and faculty mentorship experiences. Participants expressed satisfaction in their doctoral studies and dissertation process. However, students shared challenges associated with balancing multiple commitments, feeling lower levels of writing self-confidence, and understanding the dissertation process and expectations. These findings provide additional support on the importance of developing and maintaining positive online doctoral experiences

Mentoring in Nursing Doctoral Education: Processes, Perceptions, Problems and Prospects

This study described the mentoring relationship between doctoral nursing students and their committee chairs. Twenty-two public university doctoral programs responded to a request for names and addresses of their doctoral candidates. The Major Professor Mentoring Scale was used to measure the mentoring relationship. The survey also included demographic and open-ended questions regarding the student-committee chair relationship. Surveys were mailed to 269 doctoral students with an 86% return rate. A principal components analysis was performed to identify the structure underpinning the relationship. The typical doctoral student in this sample was found to be a 44 year old Caucasian female, married with children, working full or part time while pursuing a PhD degree. Students traveled an average of 85 miles each way to campus and nearly half had selected their program based on its location. The typical committee chair was a Caucasian, tenured, associate or full professor between 46 and 69 years of age. The majority of chairs were married and had funded research projects. The students in the study reported knowing their chairs for an average of five years. The study revealed that mentoring is occurring in the majority of relationships between doctoral nursing students and their committee chairs. Students identified many strengths and weaknesses in their relationships with their chairs although the relationship appears to be largely positive. The mentoring relationship is composed of four principal components, the largest of which is psychosocial support. Dissertation support, role modeling and scholarly collaboration comprise the other three components. The factor receiving the most positive rating was role modeling, suggesting that students see their chairs as intelligent and hard-working. Students also report positive feelings about both the psychosocial and dissertation support they have received from their chairs. Students reported more neutral feelings about scholarly collaboration suggesting that this is not a frequent occurrence in the relationship. Demographic variables including age, sex, race, geographic distance and family status were not predictors for mentoring scores

Transformational Leadership Qualities Among Students Within Doctoral Higher Education Leadership Programs

Transformational Leadership Qualities Among Students Within Doctoral Higher Education Leadership Programs is a mixed-method study utilizing program evaluation of course descriptions and transformational leadership fostering activities, interviews with program chairs surrounding transformational leadership fostering activities, and completion of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x™) survey results from doctoral higher education students and their programs within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Researchers in the field of Higher Education and Leadership indicated that Transformational Leadership was more apt for college and university presidency, that doctoral degrees were more preferable for college and university presidency, and as doctoral higher education programs provide students with curriculum geared toward college and university leadership training, these programs may be seen as a training ground for the nation’s future college and university presidents. Transformational Leadership is defined as “an exceptional form of influence that moves followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them. It is a process that often incorporates charismatic and visionary leadership” (Northouse, 2016, p. 161). This study aimed to address not only current Transformational Leadership measurement of doctoral higher education students through the MLQ-5x™, but also how their corresponding programs are seen by program chairs in charge of these programs, and how the programs are described through program websites. This study investigated the only five public doctoral higher education programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia and surveyed a total of thirty students across these programs. These individuals self-rated using the MLQ-5x and were peer-rated by colleagues to enhance validity of results. Themes surrounding how these programs are administered were collected, and findings suggest that while students are in fact above average regarding transformational leadership, there is no correlation between student transformational leadership scores and program offerings

Perceptions of Social Support Impacting Persistence of Online Doctoral Students

Attrition in doctoral programs has been a problem of practice for countless years. With the surge of online degree programs and the high attrition rates in online doctoral programs, factors that could reduce attrition and increase retention are rising in importance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine social support factors that influence persistence to completion rates in online doctoral studies. Furthermore, this study was focused on obtaining student perceptions of family, the academic community, and peer support influencing persistence during the dissertation stage. Data were collected from participants using survey questionnaires and semistructured interviews. The sample population consisted of 12 former students from a small private university who had completed their dissertation and online doctoral degree between 2018 and 2020. The findings revealed that these three social support groups, family, the academic community, and peer, provided important motivational support in the form of knowledgeable guidance, relationships/connections, and emotional and time support. Families primarily provided needed emotional and time support. The academic community, especially dissertation chairs, provided desired knowledgeable guidance during the dissertation process. Peers, in the form of cohorts, provided critical encouragement and emotional support. Existing relationships from which participants relied on for support included family members, coworkers, and friends, while new connections and bonds with cohorts and dissertation chairs played a vital role in influencing completion. In addition, the findings also revealed that internal motivation and self-determination played a significant role in persistence to completion. Keywords: social support, attrition, persistence, academic community, dissertation, online doctorate degree, student integratio

Message from the EDOC 2020 Workshop, Demo, and Doctoral Consortium Chairs

International audienceFor over twenty years the EDOC conference has been the primary annual event for disseminating and discussing the latest developments in the area of enterprise computing. The workshop program is an important satellite event of the EDOC conference. Workshops cover more focused topics and allow for the presentation and discussion of work that is in the earlier development stages. As such, the workshops provide an excellent forum for discussing topics from the area of enterprise computing that have the potential to become important research streams within the next few years, and for discussing topics that are already important in a smaller and more focused setting. In addition to the workshop program, the EDOC Demonstration track offers an exciting and highly interactive outlet for researchers and practitioners to present prototypes and applications in the context of enterprise computing. Four demonstrations are presented this year. 2020 is the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a strong impact on research and social life. Despite the challenges of new organization (the conference and the workshops will be held on-line), we are proud to present an interesting program and the four workshops that will be held in conjunction with EDOC this year:• The workshop on Trends in Enterprise Architecture Research, (TEAR)• The workshop on Service-oriented Enterprise Architecture for Enterprise Engineering (SoEA4EE)• The workshop on Privacy and Security in Enterprise Modeling (PriSEM)• The workshop on Frontiers of Process Aware Systems (FoPAS).[...