Browsing by Subject "Faculty"

Now showing 1 - 17 of 17

An analysis of the preparation, experience, and rating of the instructors of language in Texas junior colleges for the years 1946 and 1947
(1948) Davis, Madge; Colvert, Clyde C. (Clyde Cornelius)
The campus climate of a border HSI : redefining Latino student success
(2011-05) Cortez, Laura Jean; Sáenz, Victor B.; Vincent, Gregory J.; Reddick, Richard J.; Rodriguez, Victoria E.; Yamamura, Erica K.
The number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) is on the rise. Research suggests that institutions designated as HSIs graduate over fifty percent of Latinos enrolled in college (Santiago, 2006). However, few studies have examined the campus climate of HSIs and how such climate may influence the degree attainment of first-generation, Mexican American students. Considering the instrumental role HSIs have had in advancing the number of Latinos in postsecondary education, this study investigates the campus climate of an HSI along the U.S.-Mexico Border. By utilizing the theoretical frameworks of funds of knowledge (Moll, Amanti, Neff & Gonzalez, 1992) and organizational habitus (McDonough, 1997) this qualitative study involved first-generation, Mexican American students, faculty, and administrators from the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA). Data collection methods included: student focus groups, individual interviews, observations, reflective notes and a review of relevant documents. Instrumentation used for this study incorporated a student questionnaire as well as pre-established interview questions. Findings revealed students’ perceptions of a Border HSIs, the experiences they describe as helpful in allowing them to obtain a degree; and the institutional characteristics faculty and administrators found critical in allowing first-generation, Mexican American students to persist. This study builds upon a pilot conducted in 2009-2010, that assessed Latino students’ perceptions of HSIs. The goal of this study is 1) to contribute to the literature on first-generation, Mexican American student success and 2) to further enrich our knowledge about the campus climate of Border HSIs and their role in degree attainment of Latinos.
Catalogue of the University of Texas for 1884-5
(University of Texas at Austin, 1885) University of Texas at Austin
Defining the role and experiences of service-learning faculty : a qualitative study at The University of Texas at Austin
(2014-05) Ortego Pritchett, Katie Elizabeth; Reddick, Richard, 1972-
Over the past two decades researchers have analyzed motivating factors and institutional barriers that influenced a professor's initial decision to utilize a service-learning pedagogy. The majority of this research has been quantitative in nature, surveying faculty members' initial attitudes around service-learning. However, the extant literature fails to qualitatively examine the experiences of faculty members who successfully integrate service-learning, especially at a public research institution with civic-engaged mission. Because a public institution relies upon a critical mass of faculty members to support its civic engagement mission, this study focused on explaining the lived experience of exemplar professors in service-learning to understanding their motivations, barriers, and experiences. Faculty members are important to study because service-learning is a form of community engagement that cannot happen without sustainable efforts from professors. Moreover, students and communities cannot derive the benefits of service-learning, nor can civically minded institutions achieve their goal, if faculty members do not incorporate service-learning into their classrooms. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to understand the experiences of service-learning faculty members at a four-year public research institution where community engagement is a stated priority. Utilizing a recently developed faculty engagement model (Demb & Wade, 2012) as the guiding theoretical framework, this research study seeks to understand the lived experience of faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin by inquiring 1) how faculty members implement meaningful community engagement through their service-learning classes, 2) how service-learning may shape a faculty members' professional and personal identity at a research institution, and 3) how service-learning fits into faculty members' larger scholarship agenda.
Directory of the University, 1900-1901
(University of Texas at Austin, 1900) University of Texas at Austin
Engaging African American male students in predominately white community colleges : the impact of teaching excellence
(2011-12) Darville, Christopher John; Reddick, Richard, 1972-
Although community colleges offer opportunities for diverse students to achieve their educational goals, African American males continue to rank at the bottom of most academic success measures such as semester-to-semester retention and degree completion. Research shows that factors associated with teaching excellence (how well a faculty member exhibits enthusiasm, clarity, preparation/organization, stimulation, and love of knowledge) should encourage student engagement. The following research questions are proposed for this study: 1. How do faculty discuss teaching excellence relative to the academic engagement of African American males? 2. How do African American male students discuss the importance of faculty members’ race in relationship to their academic engagement? 3. How, if at all, does the age of an African American male student impact his academic engagement? 4. How do first-generation and second-generation collegiate African American male college students differ, if at all, in academic engagement? To conduct this research, a mixed method paradigm will be used. A quantitative instrument will be utilized to identify highly engaged African American male students and those who teach them. Qualitative analysis will lead to discovery of how teaching excellence affects the engagement of the target population of students. This research will add to current literature by examining the impact of the criteria of teaching excellence on African American male students in predominately white community colleges.
Faculty contributions to undergraduate STEMM student mental health : a qualitative case study approach
(2022-12-01) Ortega, Andrea, Ed. D.; González, Juan Carlos, 1952-; Somers, Patricia (Patricia A.); Bukoski, Beth; Woodruff, Thea
Mental health concerns on U.S. college campuses have garnered much attention in recent years (Lipson et al., 2019; Oswalt et al., 2018; Watkins et al., 2012). The prevalence of mental illness among college student populations contrasts with research reporting that many students do not seek treatment (Ebert et al., 2019; Nestor et al., 2016). The problem for this study is that current college mental health treatment leaves a large number of the population undertreated or not treated. In particular, there is limited research on faculty involvement in the mental health of the undergraduate STEMM (science, technology, engineering mathematics, and medicine) population. The purpose of this study was to explore how faculty view their role concerning undergraduate STEMM student mental health. In addition, it intended to understand how faculty members make sense of their roles as they pertain to student mental health. These methods included a document review, a demographic questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and field notes. Using Ray’s (2019) theory of racialized organizations and Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory, the study examined faculty contributions to the mental health of undergraduate STEMM students.
Faculty members' perceptions of undergraduate students with autism spectrum disorder at a four-year public university
(2023-08-11) Moran, Patricia, Ed. D.; Saenz, Victor B.; Reddick, Richard J; Ovando, Martha N; Patton, James R
This study explored faculty members’ perceptions of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at a public four-year institution of higher education. As previous researchers suggest, the number of children aged six to seventeen identified with autism spectrum disorder in public schools increased by approximately 90% between 1994 and 2006 (Zager et al., 2013). As a result, the number of students on the autism spectrum who are entering college has grown exponentially over the past few decades. Therefore, it is imperative to continue to expand our knowledge of how faculty members ensure that students with autism spectrum disorder engage in their learning, interact with the course material, and connect with fellow classmates. Although previous studies have addressed various aspects of the learning needs of students with invisible disabilities (Gunn & Delafield-Butt, 2016; Schindler & Kientz, 2013; Hewitt, 2011; Scott & Gregg, 2000; Rush, 2011; Morrison, Sansosti, & Hadley, 2009), there is a need for additional research with a specific focus on students on autism spectrum disorder. Key findings from this study examine how faculty members’ personal experiences with disability can influence their classroom environments, as well as how they overcome challenges brought about by a lack of specificity in student accommodation letters. This study lends itself to future research in understanding how disability is perceived locally (in the classroom) as well as globally (within society).
Faculty perceptions of online learning in engineering education
(2015-05) Kinney, Lance Stephen; Liu, Min, Ed. D.; Hughes, Joan E; Marshall, Jill; Veletsianos, George; Thornton, Mitch
Research indicates there is a gap in the implementation of online courses and programs in engineering education compared to other academic disciplines (Allen & Seaman, 2008, 2011, 2013). Using a mixed methods approach, this study collected both quantitative survey and qualitative interview data to identify which factors engineering faculty members perceived influence the implementation of online engineering courses. The survey items, based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model (UTAUT) (Davis, 1989; Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003), included important factors specific to engineering education as indicated the literature. The interview instrument was developed based on the significant results of the survey portion of the study. The initial survey was sent to every engineering faculty member at all 31 institutions and 125 ABET accredited engineering programs in the state of Texas, with a final response population of n=266. The findings identified three major factors that influenced the implementation of online engineering courses: online teaching experience, course development issues, and implementation of technical aspects particular to engineering in an online format. The results are discussed within the context of the literature and recommendations to address the identified factors and barriers to implementation of online engineering are provided.
Fifth Biennial Report of the Regents of the University of Texas
(University of Texas at Austin, 1892-12-23) University of Texas at Austin
Green building in the community college: a study to illuminate student and faculty perspectives
(2009-12) Kovac, Jason Robert; Roueche, John E.
Green building has become a popular topic of debate and discussion among stakeholders in higher education. Public expectations for colleges and universities to invest in green building are on the rise. These expectations are fueled in large part by the growing awareness of the detrimental impact of traditional building practices among students and other stakeholders. Community college leaders find themselves on the cusp of a serendipitous convergence—evidence suggests that green building is becoming increasingly cost effective, and supports positive growth of student learning outputs on standardized tests. This research was designed to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity to probe the experiences of faculty and students in these new green facilities, towards a more robust understanding of how educators can maximize the effect of new and emerging building projects across the country. Using reflexive photography, photo elicitation, and qualitative interviews, compelling stories from teachers and learners were collected and analyzed. Research synthesis includes recommendations for communication and organizational learning strategies, an argument for using green community colleges as a testing ground for innovation, and notes on the unique needs of faculty and students in a green community college.
Reframing the c onversation : faculty mentoring undergraduate women students in engineering
(2011-05) Ferguson, Sarah Kiersten; Vincent, Gregory J.; Ritter, Gretchen; Holme, Jennifer; Reddick, Richard; Sanders, Sherri
Women and members of underrepresented populations remain a relatively small proportion of the engineering faculty and students on university campuses. The lack of diversity potentially reduces the number of innovative and diverse perspectives contributing to these fields. One critical area missing in the research literature concerns faculty mentoring of engineering undergraduate women students. This qualitative study explores the narratives of six engineering faculty member mentors, two student affairs practitioners, and three undergraduate women student mentees and their mentoring experiences in a large public research university. Drawing on relevant frameworks from best practices in mentoring and pedagogy, this study will reframe the conversations surrounding faculty mentoring of undergraduate students by utilizing a feminist lens, which seeks to explicitly address the need to create and sustain an inclusive and engaging classroom environment and mentoring relationships. The following research questions guided the study: 1) how do mentors and mentees make meaning and conceptualize the act of mentoring, 2) how are these mentoring relationships situated within the context of the institution in which they are embedded, and 3) what implications emerge for retention and representation of underrepresented students for faculty mentors and student mentees? With this in mind, a feminist lens was useful for expanding the ways in which mentoring is conceptualized and explored because traditional approaches did not effectively explore or capture the benefits received by the participants. The engineering faculty mentor and undergraduate student mentee participants largely formed mentoring relationships informally, often through a connection established in a classroom. Faculty members were purposeful and thoughtful in their pedagogical choices, fostering an engaging and supportive classroom environment. Unlike the research literature, these faculty mentors perceived real benefits from mentoring undergraduate students. In addition, the faculty mentors participating in this study were particularly aware of the challenges and opportunities facing women and underrepresented undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty in engineering.
Relationship between library collections and the recruitment and retention of faculty at UT Austin
(2020-06-30) Chiochios, Maria; Pierce Meyer, Kathryn; Hedstrom, Janelle; Rader, Mary
The study at hand is an in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis of the relationship between institutional resources and faculty who are making career decisions to answer the question “(How) do the library’s collections play a role in attracting and retaining top researchers and faculty to the institution?” For this study, data was gathered through literature reviews, an online survey, and in-person interviews, as the relationship between libraries, their collections, and the specific and affective drivers of faculty career decisions had not previously been studied in depth. While the research was limited to one university, The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), the results could be used to nuance and articulate understandings about the impact of library collections on the recruitment and retention of faculty members at similar research-intensive universities. Furthermore, these understandings can help libraries attend to institutional, faculty, and researcher needs and to appropriately and responsibly allocate resources moving forward.
Stress in tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty : what we know and where we are going
(2016-05) Harbison, Brooks Robert; McCarthy, Christopher J.; Rude, Stephanie
A great deal of research has over the last fifty years has examined chronic stress in the workplace across numerous vocations. Relatively little has been studied in the context of university faculty, and even less still has been examined in non-tenure track faculty (NTTF), individuals who seek academic work contingently and fill teaching, supervising, researching, and mentoring roles. This report outlines the extant knowledge on chronic stress in university faculty, ultimately focusing on the experiences of NTTF. Research into professor stress in the following domains are outlined: workplace factors, multicultural and sexual minority concerns, gender, and disparities in treatment and payment. Additional stress factors may affect NTTF that are not experienced by all university professors, such as perceived social status (PSS), workplace isolation, and incivility from students. Exploratory research into and implications of NTTF stress are discussed, and future research directions and possible clinical interventions for NTTF stress are suggested.
A survey of certain aspects of teacher education in some church-related colleges and universities in Texas
(1948) Evans, Leslie Paul, 1911-; Pittenger, Benjamin Floyd, 1883-1969
A survey of the philosophical, administrative, and organizational practices and relationships of twenty-one publicly controlled Texas junior colleges to secondary education
(1943) Wetzler, Wilson Frederick, 1914-; Not available
Understanding the faculty experience in teaching social justice through service learning instruction
(2011-08) Baumgart, Glen E.; Schallert, Diane L.; Svinicki, Marilla D.; Emmer, Edmund T.; Reddick, Richard J.; Chen, Ge
This study explored the motivations of college faculty who teach social justice lessons through their service learning courses. In recent decades, universities have begun to respond to calls for a renewal in their civic missions, and educating students on civic responsibility and social justice issues (Boyer, 1994; Boyte & Hollander, 1999; Ehrlich, 2000). Faculty have been shown to be the critical facilitators in brining social justice topics to the curriculum through the use of service learning instruction (Buchanan, 1998; Ward, 2003). Given the emphasis in higher education today on social justice learning outcomes and the importance of the role of faculty, there is surprisingly no previous research on faculty motivation to teach social justice lessons through service learning. For this study, there were two guiding research questions: (1) what aspects of the faculty’s individual backgrounds influence their teaching of social justice topics? (2) What are faculty’s perceptions of the impact that service learning has on student learning? The setting of the study was a large research university in the southwest. Data were collected from 11 faculty through individual interviews and supplemented by course-related artifacts. Data were analyzed using coding procedures suggested by Strauss and Corbin (2008) from a grounded theory qualitative approach. Results indicated that faculty motivation to use service learning to teach social justice lessons was based on several core themes. These themes included: 1) the faculty’s personal background; 2) individual identity and role as faculty; 3) faculty’s perceived desired student outcomes; and 4) faculty reflection of observed student outcomes. In addition to the key themes, results showed that faculty did enjoy their teaching approach, an enjoyment that reinforced their motivation to continue to teach. Faculty in lecturer positions indicated that they believed they were adding special student experiences through social justice lessons that were void in other aspects of their education. Faculty with tenure indicated that although they were providing social experiences for students, they also tended to combine their social justice instruction with their research work. A model of faculty motivation for teaching social justice topics was presented. Implications for research and practice are discussed.