Supporting the Student Service Member and Veteran Population as Learners: An Exploratory Study of Academic Motivation and Best Practices in Student Services at a State Comprehensive University

This article explores best practices in student services for Student Service Members and Veterans (SSM/V) learners at a Midwestern state comprehensive university (SCU.) The Military Learner Academic Success Perception Survey (MLASPS) was administered to a small but targeted cohort population of SSM/V’s enrolled in a customized Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program through the institution’s new centralized student support center for SSM/V’s. The research team collected data related to the enrolled students’ perceived academic preparedness, student service needs, and academic motivation. Results informed the center about how to best serve SSM/V’s in persisting through graduation. Results may also be valuable for other universities in the early phases of launching military-student initiatives and partnerships. Additionally, this research contributes to the literature surrounding academic motivation and retention/persistence of the SSM/V population and adds to the literature on the Academic Motivation Scale – College Version AMS-C28 survey instrument

Faculty Perceptions of the Essential Elements Of Leadership Across Generations and Sex

This exploratory quantitative study, whose population consisted of full-time faculty at a Midwestern state university, measures perceptions of the degree of essentiality of ten elements of effective leadership, and whether or not those perceptions were significantly different across generational cohort (baby boomer, GenX, and millennial) and/or biological sex (male, female). Current literature on generational cohort/gender and perceptions of effective leadership is equivocal at best. This study attempted to fill gaps in existing literature, as applied to faculty in higher education contexts. The essential elements of leadership identified for this study were: influence, promoting teamwork, change facilitation, authority, collaborative dialogue, risk-taking, followership, emotional intelligence, ethical behavior, and self-awareness. A survey of full-time faculty members (n=105) at a state comprehensive university revealed self-awareness, ethical behavior, and promoting teamwork as being most essential, while risk-taking, use of authority, and influence were identified as least essential. Additionally, the only element that produced a significant interaction effect was influence. These findings suggest that generational cohort and biological sex have an extraordinarily minor impact on faculty perceptions of the essential elements of leadership, which is counter to existing literature and suggests a trend towards broad congruence in perceptions about leadership across sex and generations

Assessing quality in midwest adult degree completion programs: an exploratory study

Doctor Of PhilosophyDepartment of Educational LeadershipW. Franklin SpikesThere has been a steady rise in the number of adult degree completion programs in the last twenty years, and predictions indicate the trend will continue. Simultaneously there is a growing concern for quality in higher education. One of the ways that any organization can assess quality is to gain consensus from a variety of stakeholders as to what institutional goals should be pursued and then measure the level to which those goals are met. The Institutional Goals Inventory consists of 90 goal statements that measure 20 outcome and process goal areas and asks a variety of stakeholders to assess perceptions of both real and ideal goals within an institution. This exploratory, descriptive study polled faculty, students and administrators (n=224) in three Kansas area adult degree completion programs. Questions guiding this study included finding out what goal areas the various stakeholders deemed most and least important, whether or not there was a significant difference in those perceptions between stakeholder groups and/or institutions, and how well each of the institutions is meeting the goals their stakeholders deem most important. Results indicate that all stakeholder groups agree that the Principles of Good Practice for Alternative and External Degree Programs both is and should be important in these programs. Other highly ranked real and ideal goal areas were Academic Development, Community, and Intellectual Orientation. The results also show that while there is a fair amount of consensus among and between stakeholders and institutions on real and ideal goal in these programs, in virtually all instances the stakeholders rated all ideal goal areas as significantly higher than the real goal areas. Several recommendations for adult degree completion programs are offered as well as a lengthy list of suggestions for future research

Electronic Portfolios as Capstone Experiences in a Graduate Program in Organizational Leadership

Assessment of student learning in graduate education often takes the form of a summative measure by way of written comprehensive exams. However, written examinations, while suitable for evaluating cognitive knowledge, may not fully capture students’ abilities to transfer and apply leadership related knowledge and skills into real-world practice. This application brief describes a new form of comprehensive exam in the form of an e-portfolio process, and how an institution has turned a common assessment management tool into an instrument for learning. This brief offers the perspectives of two professors who developed and assessed the student projects, as well as a graduate student who has completed the process. Recommendations for future use to enhance the quality of the experience are also discussed

Assessing leadership education in three instructional modalities: Lessons learned

Student learning outcomes assessment, when done right, is an ongoing and systematic process. Faculty and staff for leadership education programs often struggle to develop a comprehensive approach to assess the effectiveness of their programs, especially when those programs are offered through multiple modes of instruction. One department at a Midwestern public university has developed a thorough, five-stage process which any leadership education program can follow, regardless of size or method of delivery. This department considers three modes of instruction, including face-to-face on a traditional American campus, asynchronous online, and face-to-face at foreign universities via international partnerships. This manuscript describes the comprehensive process and offers readers considerations for implementation at their own institution

Student-Moderated Discussion Boards in a Graduate Online Course

This application brief describes a “Module Discussant” activity assigned in an online graduate-level leadership theory course. The assignment was designed to stimulate higher-level thinking, apply leadership theory to practice, and foster extensive communication among students in the online learning environment using a common learning management tool—the online discussion forum. This brief presents leadership educators with perspectives from two professors who coordinated the assignment, as well as the perspective of a graduate student participating in the activity. The professors and students involved report that the assignment resulted in compelling levels of engagement and critical thinking. Recommendations for future use and for enhancing the quality of the assignment are also offered