Browsing by Subject "Higher Education"
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Item Academe Maid Possible: The Lived Experiences of Six Women Employed as Custodial Workers at a Research Extensive University Located in the Southwest(2013-03-14) Petitt, BeckyThis qualitative study sought to understand the ways classism, as it intersects with racism and sexism, affects how low wage-earning women negotiate their work world in the academy and the way the academy functions to create, maintain, and reproduce the context within which oppression is able to emerge. Field research took place at State University, a pseudonym for a Land Grant, Research Extensive institution located in the Southwest. Through the lenses of critical theory and critical feminist theory the stories of six women employed as custodial workers, nine administrators employed at State University, and two State University employees involved in the community's Living Wage initiative, were analyzed. The lives of women employed as custodial workers are largely unremarked and undocumented, and the ways in which their work serves to make the academy possible have been unacknowledged. This study found that the job of cleaning in the traditional higher education environment is laced with challenges. The nature of the academy, the ethos and operation of State University, and the interlocking systems of classism, racism and sexism fuse together arrangements of power that simultaneously obliterate and render these women agonizingly visible through systems of oppression. In an environment where honor is conferred upon "the educated," the custodial participants, whose opportunities were limited due to their social locations, exist on the border of the academy. Their marginality is reinforced daily, as they are in constant contact with higher-status individuals who perform raced, classed, and gendered behaviors that are woven into the fabric of our society. The study also found that the custodial participants and the university administrators are locked in a relationship of mutual distrust. State University administrators do not trust the custodians and the custodians do not trust State University administrators. Furthermore, existing at both the literal and metaphorical "bottom" of the organization, custodians are among the first to feel the impact of major institutional shifts, such as increases in student and faculty bodies, and large-scale economic recovery initiatives. Additionally, I reconceptualize the notion of "borrowed power" to name the impermanence of the authority which Black custodial supervisors, and people of color in general, hold in our racialized society. Finally, the data decidedly point to White male students as primary actors and architects of the overtly hostile work environment within which the women work. The custodial participants negotiate these challenges with facility. They find creative ways to resist and to negotiate the obstacles they face. Unfortunately, they also occasionally internalize negative messages and are complicit in their marginality. Administrators who participated in the study were aware of these conditions, but remained silent on the issue of resolution. Through various intentional (if unconscious) State University policies, practices, rules, norms, behaviors, and structures that sometimes act in insidious, hidden ways, the dominant groups? interests continue to be pursued while the interests, needs, and even the very presence of marginal members is ignored. Thus, systems of domination and subordination are produced, reproduced, validated, and institutionalized in the academy. This process is presented in a Conceptual Map of How Systems of Oppression Flourish and are Re/produced in the Academy. The findings of this study contribute to existing bodies of knowledge that discuss racial, gender, and economic inequality. Yet it opens new lines of inquiry into the overlapping conditions of gender, racial, and economic marginality as they impact the lives of women custodial workers in the academy. The findings issue a clarion call for institutions of higher education, one of our nation?s longstanding and respected foci of social change, to tap into its available expertise to end oppression, beginning in its own "backyard."Item Application of Faith Development Theory for Understanding Students' Transformational Learning as a Result of Bonfire at Texas A&M University(2012-07-16) Petersen, Brent RussellConsiderable attention by scholars for the last two decades has focused on issues of spirituality and higher education. Literature in the field of college student affairs suggest that, in order promote the development of the whole student, practitioners in the field should consider adopting theories of faith and spiritual development. This study considered the application of faith development theory, as developed by James W. Fowler, for contextualizing students' response to the 1999 Bonfire tragedy at Texas A&M University. The primary intent of this study was to (1) understand how a student's level of faith development relates to the transformational learning resulting from the Bonfire tragedy, (2) whether such a tragedy was a trigger for transformational learning, and (3) how student affairs professionals can utilize faith development theory for understanding students' narrative account of the tragedy and their commitment to the university. This study utilized a comparative case study approach. Nine respondents were recruited and participated in a semi-structured and the classic Faith Development interviews. The accounts provided by three respondents were selected for in-depth analysis. The investigative tools used for this analysis were hermeneutical and included constant comparative methodology and narrative analysis. Results from the study indicate that transformation of meaning schemes and meaning perspectives are key components of young-adult faith development. Evidence indicates that Bonfire was a student activity that was unique to Texas A&M University and had the potential to become a center of value and power for many students. Findings suggest that faith development theory can be an effective tool for exploring the structure of students' faith relationships and their commitment thereto. Based on an analysis of the narrative accounts, the Bonfire tragedy was a source of cognitive dissonance but not necessarily a disorienting dilemma. For some students the 1999 tragedy was part of a longer cumulative process that advanced the faith development process. Implications from the research findings and recommendations for future research are explored at length.Item Campus Environmental Factors Influencing Student Leadership Development and Civic Engagement(2012-02-14) Boren, LauraHigher education institutions are continuously called upon by society to prepare students to be engaged citizens. Leadership is a core component to an individual being an actively engaged citizen. How do college students learn and develop leadership skills? How do college students learn and become civically engaged during their collegiate years? The purpose of this study was to identify campus environmental factors perceived to influence student leadership development and civic engagement that resulted in students? perceived capacity to create positive social change. The study was conducted at a public four-year comprehensive higher education institution regionally located in the south central region of the United States. This qualitative study examined undergraduate students? perceptions of personal leadership, influences on personal leadership development, and experiences with leadership and civic engagement. Following a naturalistic qualitative research method, interviews were conducted with ten undergraduate participants. Hoy and Miskel (2001) higher education organizations social system model and A Social Change Model of Leadership Development by the Higher Education Research Institute (1996) was used as conceptual frameworks for the study. The researcher determined from participant responses that peer and mentor relationships, community identity, personal identity, and democratic experiences were key environmental factors influencing student leadership development and civic engagement. Collegiate relationships with peers and faculty/staff mentors were a primary influential factor to participants? university experiences resulting in their perceived knowledge of leadership and value for civic engagement. Identity as a campus community member and local community member was an environmental factor influencing participants? commitment to civic engagement. Participants who were engaged in their personal cultural heritage articulated a deeper understanding of leadership and had a greater commitment to engaging with ethnically diverse populations. Participants who experienced the tenants of Democratic values in their academic and co-curricular experiences had a deeper sense of empowerment to create positive social change. The conclusions drawn from the researcher?s findings indicate the depth to which campus environmental factors influence student leadership development and civic engagement result in the level students? build their leadership knowledge and capacity. The intent of the study was to gain an understanding of a campus environment through the constructed reality of individuals within the environment in order to determine factors that can be enhanced to improve leadership development and civic engagement.Item Challenging hegemony in education: specific parrhesiastic scholars, care of the self, and relations of power(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Huckaby, M. FrancyneThis dissertation explores how five specific intellectuals challenge hegemony in education and society, and express uncomfortable truths about hegemony faced by local communities in their academic practices. Their actions of free speech in regards to dangerous truths are similar to those of the ancient Greek parrhesiastes. This word, parrhesiastes, was used to describe the male citizen in ancient Greece, who had and used his rights to free speech or parrhesia. The activity of speaking freely, parrhesiazesthai, however, is not without its risks. Such speech is dangerous to the status quo, as well as the parrhesiastes. The activity is engaged despite the consequences and the parrhesiastes faces dangers and risks. It is argued that the five scholars who participated in this study are specific parrhesiastic scholars. They are specific intellectuals in their relations with academia, communities, and movements; and parrhesiastes in their actions to assure their rights to and exercise of freedom. While the ancient parrhesiastes served a critical and pedagogical role in transforming citizens to serve the best interests of the city, the specific parrhesiastic scholar, in the case of these five scholars, argues for changes in society for the benefit of citizens whose interests have been ignored or trampled. Foucault acknowledged that the work of specific intellectuals could benefit the state to the detriment of local communities or could work to transform the state to include the interests of specific communities. Specific parrhesiastic scholars choose the latter. The focus of this study is the intersection of technologies of the self with technologies of power. This intersection, which Foucault terms governmentality, comes closest to a utilitarian exploration of resistance to power and the formation of freedom, and understanding of how individuals negotiate their particular positions in truth games for resistance and freedom. The basic conditions necessary for parrhesiazesthai are "citizenship" and understanding the distinction between positive and negative forms of parrhesia. The parrhesiastic practices of the five scholars are explored through three analytical frames: (1) self-knowledge and resisting repression, seduction, and desire; (2) political activity and tactics; and (3) the self within systems of subjugation.Item Diversity Distress: The Experiences of Students of Color in Higher Education(2011-02-22) Pratt, Beverly M.In this study, I specify the reasons why racial minority undergraduate students choose to pursue higher education studies at historically White colleges/universities, despite the schools' potential for diversity controversies. Rather than looking at why students do not attend historically White institutions, I investigate what characteristics of both the educational institutions and the students contribute to students' decisions to stay at historically White institutions despite perceived hostile environments. I also examine students' experiences at historically White institutions, including attitudes toward diversity and any discrimination that they may experience. In doing so, this study adds a fresh yet central perspective to the complex issue of diversity: the opinions of students of color themselves. Doing so may lead to more positive answers and propositions for what administrations can do to increase the percentage of racial minority students. The study is a mixed-methods approach, including 17 semi-structured interviews with Latina/o students and a sample of 287 students who self-identify as racial minorities, including Latina/os, African Americans, and Asian Americans, at a historically White southern university. From these mixed-method results, the following themes were found: 1) The size of a hometown has a statistically significant effect on how often discrimination is experienced, 2) Self-identifying as Black has a statistically significant effect on how often discrimination is experienced, 3) Latina/o students choose to attend SCU because of university affordability, proximity to their home towns, and the university's academic reputation, 4) Latina/o students experience racial oppression at SCU because of the lack of campus diversity, direct racist acts toward themselves and friends, and they consider transferring to more diverse educational institutions, and 5) Latina/o students remain at SCU because they want to make a difference at the university for themselves and others, certain characteristics of the university are appealing, and because of professorial mentors.Item The evolving American research university and non-faculty professional work(2012-12) Lee, Elida Teresa; Somers, Patricia (Patricia A.); Sharpe, Edwin Reese; Rose, Mary; Moore, John R; Betz, KayThis exploratory study was a response to claims that non-faculty professionals at universities were the cause of administrative bloat. The purpose of the study was to build from the work of Rhoades (1998) and Kane (2007) to determine whether non-faculty professional employees at the University of Texas at Austin(UT Austin) performed core university work of research, teaching and/or public service. In the spring of 2012 a survey was sent out to 1036 UT Austin non-faculty professional employees. The survey results determined that a sizable number of non-faculty professional employees at UT Austin were performing or directly contributing to research, teaching and/or public service. In addition to the three areas of core work, it was determined that non-faculty professional employees at UT Austin had advanced degrees, published in peer-reviewed journals, had specialized skills and bodies of knowledge, applied for grants and engaged in entrepreneurial activities.Item Graduates' Perceptions of the Criminal Justice Degree as Preparation for a Career in Law Enforcement(2010-10-12) Franks, George RobertThere continues to be much debate in the criminal justice academic community about the value of the degree in the practice of law enforcement. Most of the debate centers on earlier research that was both non-discipline specific and did not include direct data collected from persons holding the degree and serving as police officers. Unfortunately, there is little identifiable research into whether criminal justice graduates perceive their degree as having a positive impact on their career in law enforcement. This research is an exploration of the relationship between criminal justice higher education and the majoring graduate?s success in a law enforcement career. The research is vital in understanding the perceived relationship between the criminal justice degree and the law enforcement career from a program graduate/law enforcement practitioner perspective. The study utilized qualitative inquiry and interpretive phenomenological analysis to develop major themes of the graduates' perceptions of how their criminal justice degree has contributed to their success in a law enforcement career. The findings of the study indicate that most graduates perceive the degree as having direct links between college course curriculum and the academy training programs for law enforcement officers. There is also an indication that strong criminal justice related writing requirements improve career opportunities. In addition, the study supports the inclusion of required internship programs in the criminal justice curriculum, and the use of regular and adjunct faculty with career experience in law enforcement.Item Impacts of Racial Composition and Space on Racial/Ethnic Identity Development for Mexican Origin College Students(2015-05-05) Sanchez, Marisa EThis dissertation examines the racial/ethnic identity development, and the racialized experiences of Latino college students of Mexican origin. Furthermore, this dissertation advances research on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) by comparing and contrasting HSIs with various student racial composition trends and a predominantly white institution (PWI). Current research on the marginalized experiences of Latino students at PWIs is clear that they continue to face interpersonal and structural forms of racism on campus. However, previous research on the experiences of Latinos attending HSIs are unclear about the benefits or challenges that Latinos face within those racialized spaces. This dissertation examines specifically how racialized space functions within HSIs of various racial compositions in the Southwest compared to a PWI that is an emerging HSI. This dissertation finds that experiences of racism and/or discrimination vary by an institution?s racial composition that has both negative and positive impacts on racial/ethnic identity development. The HSI in this dissertation with 80 percent Latinos in the student body offers the most institutional support for Latino students of Mexican origin and fosters an environment for racial/ethnic identity exploration, development, and celebration. However, there are several accounts of internalized racism between U.S. born and immigrant Latinos. Furthermore, participants from the HSI with 40 percent Latinos report interpersonal and structural forms of racism on campus similar to the experiences of Latino students at PWI. Students at this HSI also report similar feelings of needing to hide or change their racial/ethnic identity when on campus, and are aware of limited opportunities to explore or celebrate their racial/ethnic identities. Overall, this dissertation finds that we should not homogenize HSIs in analyses. We need to continue investigating differences in experiences within racialized spaces at HSIs with various racial compositions. Furthermore, comparing these institutions by how long there has been a majority of Latinos in the student body is also important. The longer Latinos are the majority over whites in an institution, the more there is institutional support and programs for Latinos of Mexican origin. This support contributes to an overall more inclusionary campus racial climate, and thus more positive opportunities for racial/ethnic identity development.Item Intersecting Philosophies: A Qualitative Study of Student Conduct Administrators and Their Decision Making Utilizing the Concepts of Justice and Care(2013-07-31) Waller, JenniferStudent discipline has been issue for higher education administrators in the founding of college campuses. Today?s student conduct administrator is faced with complex issues that require an understanding of the legal requirements of due process while supporting the education mission of the institution. However, little research has addressed student conduct administrators as professionals and no research has explored their decision-making process. This qualitative study examined eight student conduct administrators and how they make decisions in their positions through the concepts of justice and care. These individuals were employed at large public research institutions at mid-level, working full time in student conduct. In-depth interviews were utilized to collect data that were categorized and evaluated through the lenses of justice, based on the framework of Kohlberg, and care, based on the framework of Gilligan. The findings indicated that student conduct administrators used both justice and care in their decision making. Justice was seen primarily through the findings phase of the student conduct process, when a student conduct administrator must determine whether the student code of conduct has been violated. Care was seen primarily through the sanctioning phase, when a student conduct administrator must decide what outcome should occur if the student has violated the code of conduct. The findings suggest that gender had no impact on the use of justice and care, as all participants used both concepts.Item Latina Administrators' Ways of Leadership: Preparando Chicanas(2013-04-04) Lopez, Michelle MarieThe purpose of this study was to 1) identify the pathways and strategies by which Latina administrators reach their positions within student affairs, 2) examine how the intersection of gender and ethnicity influence their leadership and 3) describe their leadership styles utilizing traditional models, or something unique to Latinas. As the number of Latinas enrolling in higher education continues to rise and outweigh those of their male counterparts, this knowledge can help inform current student affairs administrators about ways to recruit and increase the pipeline of Latinas prepared to assume administrative positions within higher education, particularly in student affairs. A naturalistic inquiry research method was employed utilizing both a feminist and Chicana feminist lens. The author interviewed 12 Mexican American women in the state of Texas who were employed at both public and private four-year institutions in the division of student affairs. Their positions ranged from that of Director to Vice President. Family and personal influences, education, university environment and external influences were identified as factors leading these administrators to their positions. Both gender and ethnicity were intertwined in who they are and how they lead. Components of the leadership styles employed by the women studied included those of constructed knowledge for effective leadership. Additionally, these women?s Latinidad shaped their leadership styles, operating from a collectivist orientation as experienced in the typical Chicana/o family versus an individualistic orientation typically espoused in an Anglo family. As our campuses experience Latino students enrolling in greater numbers, particularly women, it is important to ensure suitable numbers of Latina administrators who are able to advocate for these students.Item Lectures of the 21st century: Hispanic students' perceptions of active learning(Texas A&M International University, 2015-12) Garcia, Cihtlalli Guadalupe; Muñoz, MonicaWith the current movement towards active engagement in higher education, research on student perception of teaching strategies can shed light into how teaching practices are received. While there is abundant research on student perception of active learning, little research has focused on how Hispanic students perceive this form of pedagogy. The primary purpose of this study is to examine how Hispanic students respond to active learning classrooms. This descriptive study will provide initial findings of students’ responses to active learning, enabling institutions and instructors to understand challenges and address barriers to improve the graduation rates of Hispanic students. A total of 417 participants at a Hispanic serving institution completed a self-report survey that assessed students’ response to activities in active learning classrooms and instructors’ effectiveness. Results from both quantitative and qualitative measures showed that the majority of this sample of Hispanic students responded favorably to active learning courses and to the instructor. Students perceived activities, such as collaborative learning and quizzes, as helpful in their learning. Furthermore, gender differences were found in this study; female students responded with more positive attitudes than male students towards their active learning instructor. Although there was a strong positive feedback towards the active learning course, results show that a portion of students’ struggled with activities in the classroom. Results indicated that unlike previous research, this sample of Hispanic students responded favorably towards active learning; consistent with previous studies, however, resistance can be observed as instructors transfer the responsibility of learning to the students. The main findings of this study provide ideas for future venues of research on Hispanic students in higher education to explore find best teaching practices and increase graduation rates among Hispanic students.Item Perceptions of State Legislators and Higher Education Administrators Regarding Governmental Relations Efforts By Land-Grant, Research-Extensive and Major University Systems(2012-07-16) Avery, Richard OwenPublic university systems and institutions actively engage in legislative relations efforts with elected representatives who comprise state legislative bodies. Historically, the primary impetus for fostering legislative relations was to leverage appropriations. Funding issues remain an important component of higher education's interactions with legislators, in addition to the higher education policy decisions emanating from state capitols. This dissertation examines perceptions of state legislators and higher education administrators regarding government relations efforts by land-grand, research-extensive and major university systems. By utilizing semi-structured interviews with select state legislators and university administrators, this study explores the current state of practices utilized in legislative relations and summarizes "best practices" administrators may use in their efforts to maximize their work in the legislative process as it relates to higher education. Interviewing state legislators and university administrators falls into a category referred to as elite interviews. Such interviews are considered specialized in that they involve influential or prominent individuals and require carefully thought out approaches to arranging, conducting and recording the interview meetings. Qualitative interviewing techniques were utilized to explore the realm of higher education?s government relations efforts. Three major implications emerged in this study. First, the practice of legislative relations by university systems is as much art as science. No approach guarantees success, and the measurement of success is relative to the cultural, historical, political, and economic environment of a particular state. Second, state legislators' strongly encourage higher education to take a holistic view and moving beyond the traditional approach of each system or institution working solely in its own best interest. A third implication is that the structural rigidity and level of coordination in a system's government relations operation are reflective of the extent a system's goals supersede those of individual member institutions.Item Seekers of sacred knowledge : Zaytuna College and the education of American Muslims(2014-05) Kashani, Maryam; Visweswaran, Kamala; Merabet, Sofian, 1972-; Campbell, Craig; Azam, Hina; Hirschkind, Charles; Siu, LokIn a time when “traditional” Islam and Islamic education are seen as incommensurable with American society and ideals, American Muslims are mobilizing traditions of Islamic scholarship within liberal arts institutional frameworks to articulate and establish the future possibilities of Islam and being Muslim in North America. This research shows how the Islamic discursive tradition is being critically engaged by the scholars and students of Zaytuna College to craft an “American Islam” based on a shared moral and ethical system that draws from and is relevant to the heterogeneous experiences of diverse Muslims and their material circumstances. Based on eighteen months of ethnographic research at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, and in the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area, this study’s methodological approach is grounded in participant-observation, interviews, and visual ethnography.Item Self-report and Direct Observer's Perceived Leadership Practices of Chief Student Affairs Officers in Selected Institutions of Higher Education in the United States(2009-05-15) Rozeboom, David JohnThe purpose of this study was to determine the perceived leadership practices of chief student affairs officers in the United States in order to establish an understanding of current leadership practices and to assist chief student affairs officers in empowering their organizations to higher levels of excellence and in achieving greater influence in their institutions. Additionally, the researcher examined the relationship between the leadership practices of chief student affairs officers and the leaders in Kouzes and Posner?s database in order to offer a comparison with a cross-section of this leadership population. Information on the chief student affairs officers? leadership practices was obtained from the self-assessments of 338 chief student affairs officers (using the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self) and from the assessments of 168 observers of the chief student affairs officers (using the Leadership Practices Inventory-Observer) in five key areas: (1) Challenging the Process; (2) Inspiring a Shared Vision; (3) Enabling Others to Act; (4) Modeling the Way; and (5) Encouraging the Heart. Participants rated each of the 30 statements on the Leadership Practices Inventory from one through ten to indicate how frequently the chief student affairs officers engaged in the described behavior. By using the Leadership Practices Inventory, the researcher provides empirical data concerning the perceived leadership behavior of chief student affairs officers in the United States. An analysis of the data revealed that chief student affairs officers perceive themselves as strong and effective leaders. The observers of the chief student affairs officers confirm this finding. A statistical analysis of the data demonstrated the existence of significant predictors related to level of education and type of institution for each of the five leadership practices as identified by Kouzes and Posner and confirmed in this study. However, the practical significance was found to be minimal. Additionally, the constructs for leadership practice differed somewhat from those of Kouzes and Posner. Also, the chief student affairs officers? self-described leadership ratings, when compared to those in the Leadership Practices Inventory database, tended to be in the high range (ranging from the 63rd percentile to the 77th percentile).Item Student Perceptions of Diversity in a Multicultural Education Course in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University(2012-10-19) Merten, KyleOver the past 30 years, the population of Texas has continued to grow and become diverse. Undergraduate students at Texas universities preparing to enter the workforce will be faced with working more in diverse environments than those of their parents and grandparents. The purpose of this study was to determine overall student perceptions of diversity in a Multicultural Education course within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The research design used in this study was a one-group pretest-posttest design, with a follow-up retrospective post evaluation at the conclusion of the study to ascertain differences between the pretest and posttest administrative types. The target population consisted of all junior and senior classified students enrolled in ALED 422: Cultural Pluralism in Agriculture for the 2011 fall semester. A purposive convenience sample was taken for the study. During the study 47 students completed the pretest portion while 45 completed posttest and retrospective posttest portion of the study. Two of the participants were lost to attrition. Descriptive statistics were used for reporting the demographics of respondents. Mean scores and frequencies were used to assess students' perceptions of contributions in agriculture and diversity. The sample consisted of 70.20% males and 29.80% females. The ethnic breakdown of the sample was 74.50% White (non-Hispanic), 10.60% Hispanic, 8.50% African American (non-Hispanic), 4.30% Other, and 2.10% Native American. Based on grand mean pretest (M = 3.82, SD = .56) and posttest (M=4.29, SD =.55) findings, results confirm the implementation of a multicultural education course were effective in changing students' perceptions about contributions in agriculture and diversity perceptions. Ten of the fourteen (71.43%) statements were found to have statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest measurements. Based on grand means for the pretest (M = 3.84, SD = 1.04) and posttest (M=4.29, SD =1.15), results confirm the implementation of a multicultural education course to discuss contributions in agriculture were effective in changing students' perceptions about contributions in agriculture. No statistically significant differences were found in age, permanent residence, and size of graduating class related to students' perceptions of diversity. Also, no statistical significant difference was found in the administration of a pretest and posttest versus a retrospective posttest.Item Taxes, user charges and the public finance of college education(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Kim, DokoanThis paper presents a theoretical analysis of the relative use of general state subsidies (tax finance) and tuition (user charge finance) in the state financing of higher education. State universities across U.S. states are very different among themselves especially in terms of user charges, public finances, and qualities. In this study, we consider only the State Regime in which the state government decides the user charge, head tax, and expenditure, taking the minimum ability of students as given and the state university simply is treated as a part of government. The households who have a child decide to enroll their children at the university, taking head tax, tuition, and quality of university as given. The two first-order conditions of the state government?s optimization show the redistribution condition and provision condition. For a given marginal household, we show that under certain conditions, we have an interior solution of both head tax and expenditure. In the household equilibrium, the marginal household is determined at the point where their perceived quality of university is equal to the actual quality of university. We solve the overall equilibrium, in which the given ability of a marginal household for the state government is the same as the ability of the marginal household from the households? equilibrium. Since it is impossible to derive explicit derivation of comparative statics, we compute the effects of income, wage differential between college graduates and high school graduates, distribution of student ability on head tax, expenditure, tuition, tuition/subsidy ratio, and quality of university.Item The career development of successful Hispanic administrators in higher education: a Delphi study(2009-06-02) Silva, Rito , Jr.The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify the successful experiences and strategies implemented by Hispanic administrators who have a successful career in higher education and (2) to take a futuristic look at the careers of Hispanic administrators in higher education by identifying recommendations and strategies proposed by a panel of successful Hispanic administrators to help Hispanics in the future. To focus on the career development of Hispanic administrators, a Delphi panel of 11 administrators who serve in the role of Vice-Presidents, Presidents and Chancellors from across the country was utilized. This research used a computer-based Delphi technique. A portion of the three-round study was sponsored by the Center for Distance Learning Research (CDLR) at Texas A&M University. The first round was open-ended. Panelists were asked to answer four research questions. Those items were then put into common themes and sent out for rankings on a 4 point Likert scale for Round 2. Panelists were also given another opportunity to add items to the list during Round 2. Round 3 asked panelists to review their rankings, group rankings and standard deviations. Then they were given an opportunity to change their rankings or keep them the same. Panelists also ranked items that were added during Round 2. A consensus was established on items that were rated either a 3 (agree) or a 4 (strongly agree) by all panelists. Through this study, a total of 48 items met consensus on the four research questions. Many of the items that met consensus addressed the need of inter- and intrapersonal skills as well as leadership abilities. Among the highest ranking items were obtaining a doctoral degree, personal motivation, ability to work with others, communication skills and people skills. Among the recommendations, based on the consensus items, are the creation of a University Minority Graduate Identification Program and the development of an Executive Leadership Program for Minorities.Item The experiences of select university presidential partners with traditional role expectations(2009-05-15) Vargas, Juanita GamezThis study focused on 24 female and male respondents. The literature on presidential partners was lacking. The literature available was over 20 years out of date, had been conducted by university presidential partners on behalf of national presidential associations, and assumed that the presidential partner was female, White, educated, and upper-class. Contemporary information was limited to trade magazines and newspaper articles. The methodology used was Lincoln and Guba?s (1985) naturalistic inquiry paradigm and the framework was role theory according to Biddle and Thomas (1966). The study explored the participant?s experience in responding to the university?s traditional role expectations and taking into account the intersecting factors of gender, ethnicity, social class, and/or sexual orientation and showed how these factors affected their personal and university work. African Americans, Latinas, Asian Americans, Whites, interracial partnerships, and a same sex partnership were part of the study. The study was significant because it was the first study on presidential partners in over 20 years, the first qualitative research study, and conducted by a non-presidential partner. In addition, the respondent pool was diverse in ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Significant findings included episodes of racism in the form of death threats and anonymous hate mail; and, discrimination based on the presidential partner?s gender, culture, religion, social class and/or sexual orientation. The university?s patriarchal role expectations continued to exploit and marginalize the female presidential partner and, to a smaller degree, the male presidential partner. Four primary role expectations were identified that impacted both female and male presidential partners. Findings showed that some of the presidential partners continued to work on their career and their partner?s career simultaneously. As a result of the university?s patriarchal expectations and the lack of organizational support and recognition of the presidential partner, the female presidential partner stated that their career was essential for financial security. Numerous recommendations for practice and further research were reported. These findings will contribute to the research fields in higher education administration, organizational structures, social constructivism, sociology, woman studies, male studies, GLBT issues, mental health, marriage and family, psychology and other fields of knowledge.