DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Bray, Nathaniel J."

Browsing by Author "Bray, Nathaniel J."

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Academic capitalism and the community college
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Kleinman, Ilene L.; Harris, Michael S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Profit generating entrepreneurial initiatives has become increasingly important as community colleges look for alternative revenue to support escalating costs in an environment characterized by funding constraints. Academic capitalism was used as the conceptual framework to determine whether community colleges have become increasingly market focused. Already externally driven as a consequence of their broad missions, many community colleges become involved in academic capitalism ranging from financial partnerships with local corporations to the lease and operation of conference center facilities. Although community colleges are not identical and may differ significantly from one another, revenue from external sources is both an opportunity as well as a challenge for all. This study sought to examine the types of revenue generating initiatives occurring on community college campuses and the factors that may facilitate or impede a community college's success. The study utilized quantitative methods. A survey was sent to a national sample of 537 rural, suburban and urban community college presidents yielding a response rate of 29.3%. Survey responses were categorized and a proxy variable was created based on the institutional characteristics of academic capitalism as described in the literature. Community colleges in this study identified contract training as the most frequently utilized revenue generating initiative. The revenue generated represents a very small contribution to a college's operating budget and college presidents are ambitious in terms of expectations for future revenue. Academic units are not perceived as being entrepreneurial. Revenue generating units report to the academic vice president who rises from academic unit rank. Expectations regarding future funding allocations do not seem to drive an entrepreneurial thrust. Based on responses to this survey, large rural, suburban and urban institutions behave the same. Given the decline in government support and the revenue potential of successful market focused initiatives, further studies are warranted to better understand how to ease the constraints on pursuing academic capitalism in the community college sector.
Academic integrity, academic sabotage, and moral disengagement in higher education
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Aurich, David Matthew; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Academic cheating has firmly established itself as a mainstream practice by students in higher education (Bertram Gallant, 2008; Callahan, 2004). Much of the current academic integrity research has focused on the methods employed by students to cheat (Davis, Drinan, & Bertram Gallant, 2009; Eberhardt, Rice, & Smith, 2003; Higbee & Thomas, 2002), institutional responses to cheating (Aurich 2010, 2011), and the connection between cheating and student moral development (Stephens, Young, & Calabrese, 2007; Whitley, 1998). While these efforts are laudable, there exists a gap in knowledge on lesser-known forms of academically deviant behavior, such as academic sabotage. This dissertation is unique in that it proposes to be the very first of its kind. Although well documented through anecdotal evidence, to date, academic sabotage has gone without any deliberate research efforts or empirical evidence that establishes the phenomenon in higher education. This dissertation establishes academic sabotage as a phenomenon in higher education through the lens of student moral disengagement. In this study, I first develop theoretical assumptions and frameworks while simultaneously exposing the lack of literature on the topic of academic sabotage. The results of these efforts combine to provide a better understanding of the previously under studied phenomenon of the academically deviant behaviors known as academic sabotage. I then provide explanations of the research methodology and design, survey instrument, and data analyses that are used in this study. The expectations for this dissertation are twofold. First, I expect the results produced by this study to confirm the existence of academic sabotage in higher education. Second, I posit that that the information produced by this dissertation will provide practical knowledge for students, faculty, and staff to combat forms of academically deviant behavior, such as cheating and sabotage. This study aims to contribute to the body of literature on academic integrity and student moral development in higher education. The information contained in this dissertation should be used to inform policy, practice, and future research on academic integrity, academic sabotage, and student civility in higher education. Key words: Academic Integrity, Academic Sabotage, Cheating, Student Civility, Higher Education, Student Moral Development
Academic performance differences among male and female African American students: an urban high school study
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Simmons, Livia Ann; Newton, Rose Mary; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this study was to examine differences between male and female African American high school students in an urban setting. The participants were from a senior academy located in a Southern state. Of the 270 participants in the study, 76 were seniors, 89 were juniors, 95 were sophomores, and 10 were freshmen. The gender composition consisted of 167 females and 103 males. The system database was used to identify the cumulative grade point average for each student. Also, the students completed the School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R), which measures academic self-perception, attitudes toward teaches, attitudes toward school, goal valuation, and motivation/self-regulation. A series of independent samples t tests were performed to assess differences in male and female academic achievement levels, academic self-perception, attitudes toward teachers, attitudes, toward school, goal valuation, and motivation/self-regulation. A multiple regression analysis was performed using gender and the five variables measured by the SAAS-R as independent variables and academic achievement as the dependent variable. The major findings were as follows. Moderate positive correlations existed between (a) attitudes toward school and attitudes toward teachers, (b) academic self-perception and motivation/self-regulation, and (c) goal valuation and motivation/self-regulation. The means scores for academic self-perception and goal valuation were significantly more positive for African American females than African American males. Regression analysis revealed that academic self-perception, attitudes toward teachers, attitudes toward school, goal valuation, motivation/self-regulation were not significant predictors of academic achievement. The findings have practical implications for educators and identify areas warranting additional research.
ACT, Compass, or prerequisite course: which is the better predictor of student success in a college-level credit
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Colvin, Cheri Richey; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Student success is a hot topic in higher education, especially around the issue of students placing into mathematics courses using different types of assessment tests. Currently, there are two nationally known assessment placement tests: the ACT and the COMPASS. Students are either placed into a college-level course or a remedial mathematics course based on their placement test score. The students placing into remedial mathematics courses are increasing at a large rate. Using Astin's IEO Model as a conceptual framework, this research study used quantitative methodology to consider the influence of the input variables including age, race, gender, instructor status, and placement as inputs on the outcome of success defined as a final course grade of C or higher for students at Snead State Community College in Boaz, Alabama from Fall 2008 through Spring 2013, excluding summer semesters. Logistic regressions were employed to investigate the likelihood of success of students placed into MTH 100 (Intermediate/College Algebra) or MTH 112 (Pre-Calculus Algebra) according to the input variables. This research study found that students placed into MTH 100 or MTH 112 based on the successful completion of the prerequisite course were not as likely to successfully complete MTH 100 or MTH 112 as compared to students placed based on their ACT or COMPASS mathematics score. Furthermore, this research study demonstrates that the COMPASS placement is the better indicator of student success at Snead State Community College, compared to the ACT placement, or successful completion of the prerequisite mathematics course.
Admission factors used to determine entry into a nursing program based on student success indicators at a public university
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Tofani, Peter; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This study compared application data for an undergraduate nursing program at a public health science center university in the southeast. The study covered five years of application cohorts from 2009 to 2014 from admission through graduation. The application data analyzed two dependent variables to predict students likely to achieve success in the nursing program. These two variables to measures success were: the ability of the admitted student to successfully achieve graduation requirements; and those graduates that were able to pass the national nursing certification exam on the first attempt. The application data was assessed to determine if a relationship existed between the data used to select students for admission and the success outcomes from an undergraduate nursing program. The application data was analyzed using a logistic regression and decision tree model to explore the relationship between the variables. The scores provided by the faculty members’ overall assessment of the entire application file was significant in three of the four logistic regression models and race was significant in the national certification logistic regression model. A similar finding resulted with scores provided by the faculty members’ overall assessment of the entire application file placed as the first node in three of the four decision tree models, and race placed as the first node in the national certification exam decision tree model. The study found that the data provided by faculty members in the admission process yielded results with the highest predictability related to student success in a nursing program.
An analysis of differences in faculty compensation by geographic region, state, and the existence of collective bargaining at AASCU institutions in the United States
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Ogun, Johnson Adebayo; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This study detailed full-time faculty salary and fringe benefits in U.S. AASCU institutions by geographic type. The modified version of the 2010 Carnegie Basic Classification of Master’s Colleges and Universities was used to reclassify the three classifications: larger, medium, and smaller programs into seven geographic types. The National Center for Education Statistic Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS) for the 2010-2011 academic year was the source of the data used. Also, analysis of salaries and fringe benefits grouped states by the presence and non-presence of collective bargaining. There is a revelation of significant differences in the compensation for full-time faculty based on geographic type of a public access university. The national salary average was $93,269 while the salary average of faculty at rural medium public access university was $77,844. Average salary earned by faculty at institutions with presence of collective bargaining is higher than in institutions without the presence of collective bargaining. Included in this study are recommendations for further research that include the following: 1) adoption of Katsinas’ 2015 Modified Carnegie Basic Classification for Master’s Colleges and Universities; 2) study the faculty contribution to fringe benefits and how they have changed over the years; and 3) study geographically based differences in faculty compensation based on the differences in cost of living. Strategies for recruitment and retain faculty was also recommended.
An approach to leadership and character development within military higher education
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Tate, Thomas L.; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This multiple case study provides an overview of current practices that advance leadership and character development programs and initiatives within military higher education. Selected scholars and practitioners from the United States Military Academy (West Point), the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Air Force Academy participated in semi-structured interviews. Information gleaned from questions pertaining to academic courses, classes, seminars and workshops, and honor education initiatives, in support of a comprehensive approach to leadership and character development, directed the research process. The findings and recommendations provide a conceptual framework for support of strategic and operational considerations in the development and implementation of leadership and character development initiatives at military, as well as traditional, colleges and universities. Strategic initiatives include the unification of effort among faculty, staff, and administration in the planning and implementation of learning outcomes and related competencies in support of the institute’s mission and core values. Operational initiatives include the integration, synchronization, and unity of effort among scholars and practitioners to reinforce all aspects of education and training surrounding leadership and character development.
Assessing the level and changes in bipartisanship in Federal higher education: a historical analysis of higher education appropriations, 1980-2017
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Adair, John Lucas; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Despite the continuous shifts in and long-term trend toward more partisanship in our national government, there is a need for consistent and accurate research to better prepare and inform policy leaders of trends in federal higher education appropriations. There is some literature regarding federal funding for higher education that assesses the changes in appropriations, but there is little, if any that reveals the impact of divided government and the use of reconciliation as budget tools. This study analyzed federal allocations to nine different higher education programs. The nine programs are: (1) Pell Grants, (2) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), (3) Work-Study, (4) Perkins Loans, (5) Direct Student Loan Program, (6) Family Education Loans, (7) Aid for Institutional Development, (8) TRIO programs, and (9) Scholarships and Fellowships. A comparison of appropriations over 37 years from the inception of the United States Department of Education in the final year of President Jimmy Carter’s administration, through the second administration of President Barack Obama was conducted. This period encompassed the tenures of 6 presidents, 19 Congresses, and 11 federal Secretaries of Education from 1980 to 2017. The importance and need for this analysis is underscored by the recent finding that, for the first time in 2010, the federal government surpassed all state funding as the main source of revenue to fund public higher education. This funding shift speaks to a growing federal role in higher education, and occurs even as most commentators document growing political polarization in the United States. In the three articles that follow, the level of partisanship of federal higher education appropriations is analyzed across the executive and legislative branches of government. The first article assesses how U.S. presidents treat federal investments in higher education. It specifically compares presidential budget requests to actual enacted appropriations. What presidents propose the greatest and the least in higher education appropriations? Do election years matter for higher education budget proposals? The second article analyzes the impact of party control on annual higher education appropriations among the presidency, U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate. Does higher education are better under one party or the other? In the 37 years under study, there have been 12 years of a divided Congress, 13 years of a Democratic Congress, and 13 years of a Republican Congress. Article three assesses the impact of budget reconciliation on higher education appropriations. This is important because Congress has passed all 12 appropriations bills only four times since 1977. Together, these articles provide a clear analysis of the level and changes in bipartisanship of federal higher education over the 1980-2017 period.
The assumed benefit: priority registration timing in higher education honors programs
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Bailey, James Thomas; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This dissertation addresses the impact of organizational policy on student success by examining registration timing issues in higher education, specifically related to the development and implementation of priority registration for honors students. Priority registration exists as a mechanism for institutions to provide an intended advantage to certain cohorts of students by allowing them to register for classes ahead of their peers. Institutional adoption of priority registration as a policy directly relates to the growth of honors programs, as colleges and universities leverage the assumed benefit to attract high-achieving students. However, institutions adopted the policy without a critical examination into the impact, either for the students receiving the advantage or those without the benefit. Consequently, evaluating the relationship between priority registration and student success, through various metrics including degree completion, time to degree, honors program completion, student credit hour production, and grade point average serves as a mechanism for institutions to accurately understand the implications of adopting priority registration as an operating procedure. Using quantitative analysis of longitudinal population data at The University of Alabama from 2008-2014, this research serves to provide insight into a singular implementation of priority registration by following an incoming first-time, full-time cohort over six years and twelve registration cycles. The study found significant relationships between priority registration and all five markers of student success, which were moderated to varying degrees by a student’s academic ability. The research suggests that institutions should evaluate the impact of their registration timing structures to determine if the current structure disadvantages given populations of students and adjust the registration framework in a way to bolster campus-wide student success.
Black Belt Manufacturing and Economic Prospects
Katsinas, Stephen G.; Bray, Nathaniel J.; Bowen, Jonathan; Corley, Emily Grace; Keeney, Noel E.; Whann, Hunter; Jacobs, Emily; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Black Men's Choice Process in Attending a Historically Black College and University Medical School
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2021) Powers, Brenton; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This qualitative study examines Black men's graduate school choice process enrolled in a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree program at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) medical school. While there is foundational literature regarding graduate school decision-making (Olson & King, 1985), the literature on graduate school choice is limited. Recent work of English and Umbach's (2016) four-layer graduate school choice conceptual model, adapted from Perna's (2006) college choice model, serves as a theoretical framework and a basis throughout the literature landscape of graduate school choice. Furthermore, when exploring the medical school choice, there is little current literature that examines the choice process for Black men in attending HBCU medical schools. The decreasing presence of Black men in medical school commands attention to graduate school choice for these students. Through this study, a critical gap in medical education scholarly work will be filled. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the school choice process for Black men enrolled in an MD program at an HBCU medical school, using in-depth individual interviews with these students. Extracting from English and Umbach's (2016) four-layer graduate school choice conceptual model and McDonough et al. (1997) Black college choice model, this study expects for Black men's medical school choice to be determined by habitus, the context of school and community, the context of higher education, and context of social, economic, and policy. This research provides an essential perspective into Black male students' medical school choice process by investigating these influences. This study advances the knowledge of a budding body of research associated with graduate school choice and assists HBCU medical schools in identifying the factors attributed to Black male enrollment in HBCU medical schools. Having this knowledge empowers HBCU medical schools to better prepare for Black male medical students' recruitment and retention.
Can federal intervention impact college affordability? An assessment of federal maintenance of effort legislation at American public regional universities
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Clark, Charles Anthony; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The finance of public higher education in America is, of course, a joint responsibility that falls between the state, federal government and individual students (Thelin, 2013). Sadly, at a time when the nation appears poised to commit itself to significantly expand the percentage of its adult population with degrees and certificates, state funding cuts challenge public access institutions as never before. Recent reports strongly suggest that AASCU institutions are encountering funding issues that are more severe than their larger public flagship university counterparts. This study used a modified version of the Carnegie Classification that provide additional information into the AASCU institutions that may prove more relevant to how they have been impacted by federal intervention since the recent recession. This study examined reported data from multiple sources relevant to the intended output. The primary data instruments were the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the National Center for Educational Statistics, the State Higher Education Finance Report and the Delta Cost Project. For geographic classification, the study utilized the 2010 Basic Classification of publicly controlled Master's Colleges and Universities published by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as initially modified by Kinkead (2009) and later by Katsinas. To assess economic periods before, during, and after recessions, the definitions of recession from the non-partisan National Bureau of Economic Research were used. In order to compare the current economic situation of higher education, the current economic situation of the country was taken into consideration. The analysis of state investment and tuition cost before, during, and after the recession could potentially reflect the relationship between these two key revenue sources and the possible impact, if any of Maintenance of Effort legislation.
A case study of undergraduate nontraditional adult learners' perceptions of hybrid classes
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Chance, Sherry Anne; Major, Claire Howell; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Nontraditional adult students in higher education must balance a multitude of responsibilities while completing their college education. This student population juggles work, family, and college coursework. To maximize options for this student population and meet their needs, institutions of higher education have developed alternative modes of instruction, such as hybrid classes, which use both face-to-face instruction and online instruction. Delivering alternative options for instruction provides the convenience and flexibility that adult students need. However, it requires educators to design courses and create a campus climate that promotes student engagement. Research supports the theory of student engagement as a predictor of student success and degree completion; thus, the hybrid format is intended to facilitate a greater degree of engagement. This case study explored undergraduate nontraditional adult learners’ perceptions of hybrid classes and student engagement in this alternative format. This study drew upon the research literature bases of adult learners, nontraditional students, student engagement, online and hybrid course design, and social presence.
A census of housing at United States community colleges
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Hofman, Ryan Patrick; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This research has multiple purposes. The first purpose is to strengthen an original argument offered by Dr. Pat Moeck in 2005 that community colleges do in fact provide housing at a significant level, and the benefits are produced through the administration of on-campus and institutionally controlled housing. Using an exhaustive search of both the Integrated Post-Secondary Educational Database (IPEDS) and a website search of all Public Associate's Colleges in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's 2010 Basic Classification of Institutions of Higher Education Two-Year Associates Institutions, an updated and expanded comprehensive listing on community colleges which provide housing was created. This is consistent with Moeck's recommendation that a complete, accurate census of housing at publicly controlled United States community colleges be conducted upon which to base future policy concerning financial support. This study includes an overview of how many institutions provide housing, geographic locations, year of establishment and data related to the corresponding survey that was sent to all 290 identified institutions. Data sets and tables are provided concerning the survey responses. The results of this research indicated that twenty-seven percent of all basic two-year public institutions provide housing. Over one-fourth of all public community colleges provide housing, over half of which are rural institutions, a significant number more than perhaps initially realized only five years ago. The study concludes with recommendations for both policy changes and further research concerning community colleges, calling for better reporting practices and research concerning community college student development, and best practices.
A century of change: two-year education in the state of Alabama, 1866-1963
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Smith, Dustin P.; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Much has been written about two-year education in Alabama during the governorships of George C. Wallace, but little about two-year education prior to his first inauguration in 1963. Yet nearly a third of the forty-three junior, technical, and community college institutions that eventually formed the Alabama Community College System had been established prior to 1963. This study reviews the major types of two-year colleges (historically black private junior college, public trade schools, and public junior colleges) established in Alabama from 1866 to 1963 by drawing upon case studies of institutional founding based upon primary document analysis. Alabama's first two-year institution was Selma University established in 1878 by the Alabama Colored Baptist Convention. Selma University operated as a private junior college for the newly freed slaves hungry for education. The first public two-year institution was the Alabama School of Trades, founded in Gadsden in 1925, which offered vocational education courses. A second trade school was established using federal vocational aid money in Decatur to produce trained workers to support the World War II war efforts. The first set of public trade schools created in Alabama followed the end of World War II with the passage of the Regional Trade and Vocational School Act of 1947, authored by freshman State Representative George C. Wallace, and endorsed by Governor James "Big Jim" Folsom. A third type of two-year college was established in 1961 when the Alabama Legislature passed a bill authorizing a public junior college in northwest Alabama. The 1901 Constitution was a powerful factor in hindering two-year college development in Alabama. With unstable funding and an inability to raise local funds imposed by the Constitution, school districts could not afford to operate public junior colleges. This led to two-year college development being controlled by politicians in Montgomery. The funding restrictions of the 1901 Constitution also meant that an institution legally authorized would be doomed without state funding, because the lack of local funding. It is therefore no accident that a broad two-year public educational system could not develop in Alabama prior to 1963 without a champion in the Governor's office.
Characteristics of persistence and retention among first-generation college students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Burnett, Lorie Lasseter; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Persistence and retention of college students is a great concern in American higher education. The dropout rate is even more apparent among first-generation college students, as well as those majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). More students earning STEM degrees are needed to fill the many jobs that require the skills obtained while in college. More importantly, those students who are associated with a low-socioeconomic background may use a degree to overcome poverty. Although many studies have been conducted to determine the characteristics associated with student attrition among first-generation students or STEM majors, very little information exists in terms of persistence and retention among the combined groups. The current qualitative study identified some of the characteristics associated with persistence and retention among first-generation college students who are also STEM majors. Participants were juniors or seniors enrolled at a regional 4-year institution. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to allow participants to share their personal experiences as first-generation STEM majors who continue to persist and be retained by their institution.Tinto’s Theory of Individual Departure (1987) was used as a framework for the investigation. This theory emphasizes personal and academic background, personal goals, disconnecting from one’s own culture, and institutional integration as predictors of persistence. The findings of the investigation revealed that persisting first-generation STEM majors are often connected to family, but have been able to separate that connection with that of the institution. They also are goal-driven and highly motivated and have had varied pre-college academic experiences. These students are academically integrated and socially integrated in some ways, but less than their non-first-generation counterparts. They are overcoming obstacles that students from other backgrounds may not experience. They receive support from their families and institution, but have diverse academic backgrounds. The findings show that a culmination of many characteristics have enabled the participants to persist and be retained by their institution.
The chief financial officer's perception of financial management response to eroding state appropriations
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Tate, James Adam; Hardy, David E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
State fiscal support for public higher education is declining, particularly during recessionary periods. Public colleges and universities have limited channels of revenue and depend on state appropriations for current operating needs. There is an imperative now for public institutions to do more with less, be more efficient and effective in order to meet national demand. Faced with a difficult financial outlook going forward, it is important to explore the fiscal response being developed and implemented at public four-year institutions. This study investigated, through a survey response instrument, the strategies and tactics put in place to aid public four-year colleges and universities in sustaining their financial well-being while maintaining pursuit of institutional missions. A study population that included public four-year institutions that experienced at least a 5% or more reduction in state appropriations from fiscal year 2008 to 2009 was examined to determine what financial management strategies and tactics were implemented, as well as the chief financial officers perception regarding fiscal stability. The survey collected data on the implementation of financial management tactics and the relative degree of fiscal impact of each tactic. In addition, survey questions recorded perceptions of the chief financial officers on the guiding principles of selecting a financial management response and the degree to which the implemented strategy achieved fiscal stability. The results of descriptive statistics and data analyses show that increasing tuition and fees was an integral component of the financial management response to offset the loss of state appropriations. Further, institutions, regardless of enrollment size, were found to implement a variety of tactics across all strategy types to achieve relative fiscal stability. Chief financial officers indicated that they were able to implement a wide-ranging response to eroding state appropriations that generally achieved their desired level of fiscal stability. The full findings, conclusions, and recommendations are discussed in detail at the end of the study.
Cognitive, learning and study strategy predictors of student-athlete academic success and academic progress rates
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Moore, Janet Cain; Bray, Nathaniel J.; King, Margaret I.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this research was to explore a range of predictor variables believed to influence the academic success of student-athletes as measured by cumulative grade point averages (CGPA) and academic progress rates (APR). This study included 210 scholarship student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limited-resource institution. Multiple regression analysis found standardized test scores (Test), high school core grade point averages (HSGPA), the Will composite scale of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, 2nd Edition (LASSI-II), gender, and generational status (i.e. first-generation or non-first-generation) to be most predictive of student-athlete cumulative grade point averages (CGPA). Independent t-tests were conducted on all predictor variables in the study and found significant differences between males and females on the variables of HSGPA, Test, and CGPA with female student-athletes scoring higher on all of these measures. Significant differences were also found between first-generation and non-first-generation student-athletes on variables of HSGPA, Test, Skill, Will, and CGPA with non-first-generation student-athletes scoring higher on all of these measures. Student-athletes participating in non-revenue sports had significantly higher scores on the HSGPA, Test, and CGPA variables. Logistic regression analyses using found standardized test scores to be the only predictor variable in this study to consistently contribute to the prediction of APR point loss.
A comprehensive analysis of community college funding mixes by state, size, and setting: 2003-2004 to 2013-2014
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Koh, Jonathan P.; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The ever-changing landscape of community college finance maintains the need for consistent and continuous research to develop best practices. Policy analysis can inform best practices. The need to constantly improve our knowledge base to inform policy and ensure efficient use of tax payer dollars always exists. Recent community college finance literature analyzes public two-year colleges in their entirety, but national averages mask stark differences in mission, function, and funding – especially local funding – that exist across the 50 states, leaving a large gap in this research. These differences – well known to community college policymakers and community college scholars, have been magnified due to steep declines in state funding over the recent years. Yet they are not well known by sociologists, economists and political scientists focusing on STEM, healthcare, workforce, or college completion issues. The purpose of this study is to build a reliable data base of revenue across all 50 state systems of community colleges that accurately illustrates state funding flows from 2003-04 to 2013-14. In addition to the need for a consistent categorical analysis of state funding mixtures for community colleges, the ability to analyze geographical differences in relation to the categorical funding mixes at these critically important institutions creates an opportunity for researchers and policy analysts alike to compare similar colleges on a case-by-case basis. Over the course of three articles, public community college revenue streams and enrollment are analyzed in a comprehensive manner that accounts for state funding differences, institutional size, and institutional setting. The first article uncovers the differences and similarities in the varying funding streams that exist for community colleges over time. The second article offers a student perspective of funding for unmet financial need to access community college education, taking into account the legislative funding differences across the 50 states and across the different institutions by size and geographic setting. Article three considers tax capacity and effort exerted by each state in 2013-14. Through all of these articles, this study takes a close look into the differences and inequalities experienced across the different states and is intended for reference by policy makers looking to investigate best practices.
A comprehensive analysis of small, independent, four-year institutions in the United States: an examination of 21st century invisible colleges
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Tarrant, Melissa P.; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
In 1972, Alexander Astin and Calvin Lee authored "The Invisible Colleges: A Profile of Small, Private Colleges of Limited Resources." Written as part of a series for the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, this work identified and examined the status of private colleges. They identified 494 colleges as "Invisible" based on low enrollment and low selectivity. (This number was amended to 491 in an unpublished appendix to the original work.) A contrasting group of institutions with high selectivity was also identified as "Elite Colleges." At the time, the Higher Education Act of 1965 was up for reauthorization, and part of the rationale for the study was to influence federal policy regarding finance of private higher education. Astin and Lee concluded that many of these institutions were having serious financial struggles, and were in "real danger of extinction." In the four decades since Astin and Lee's publication, there have been no empirically based, quantitative studies to determine the status of these institutions, even though a spate of reports consistently asserts their impending demise or extinction. The first article in this study undertakes an empirical examination of those 491 institutions initially identified by Astin and Lee as "Invisible" using a combination of student selectivity (based upon ACT and SAT scores) and enrollment size (under 2,500 students), and contrasting them with those 44 institutions initially identified as "Elite." As of 2012-13, a total of 354 of the original 491 Invisible Colleges and 43 of the original 44 Elite Colleges continued to operate as accredited private, four-year institutions. Only 80 of the original Invisible Colleges had closed; 35 had merged with other institutions, 10 remained open but were not accredited, 6 had converted to public status, 5 had become for-profit institutions, and 1 had become a 2-year private institution. Thus, among those 354 Persisting Invisible Colleges, 145 no longer met the criteria to be classified as "Invisible" in 2012-13. Changes in religious affiliation, geographic location, gender of students enrolled, enrollment of full-time and part-time students, and in Historically Black Colleges and Universities identified as invisible are examined in this article. Astin and Lee had recommended that institutions enrolling fewer than 1,000 students increase their enrollments. In 1967-68, 70% of the 491 Invisible Colleges had enrollments under 1,000; by 2012-13, 30% of the 354 Persisting Invisible Colleges did. The second article in this study examines the financial conditions of these 354 Persisting Invisible Colleges and 43 Persisting Elite Colleges in 2012-13, and compares them to the original 491 invisible and 44 Elite Colleges. Astin and Lee declared in 1972 that the lack of resources at the Invisible Colleges put them in danger of failure. In 2012-13, many of the 354 Persisting Invisible Colleges were still struggling financially. The 43 Persisting Elite Colleges, however, not only were financially stable, they enjoyed substantial other revenue streams, including federal research grants, and possessed sizeable endowments, with total assets almost 90% higher than the total assets at the Persisting Invisible Colleges. An examination of student financial aid revealed that the Persisting Invisible Colleges are functioning as access institutions, with an average of 41% of their students receiving Pell grants, compared to only 16% of students at Elite Colleges. That public institutions for the first time in 2012 generated more revenue from tuition than from state support represents an unprecedented shift in American higher education funding; perhaps these institutions can learn from strategies adopted by both the Persisting Invisible and Persisting Elite Colleges to maintain solvency in a growing tuition-dependent environment. The third article in this study presents an analysis of those institutions in 2012-13 which can be classified as Invisible or Elite Colleges, using the exact same methodology as Astin and Lee to identify them. A total of 547 institutions were identified as New Invisible Colleges and 61 as New Elite Colleges. These numbers were then compared to the 491 institutions identified by Astin and Lee in 1972 as issues of religious affiliation, curriculum, enrollment, revenues, expenses, and financial aid were examined. In addition, distance learning, retention and faculty information were considered. A majority of the New Invisible Colleges is located in the south, more have a religious affiliation in 2012-13 than in 1972, and over half offer distance education. The New Invisible Colleges have larger percentages of their students on Pell than do the New Elite Colleges--46% compared to 15%--and they are loan dependent as well (61% compared to 38%). It is quite possible that the substantial growth of the for-profit sector has had an effect on these institutions. These three articles present a comprehensive analysis of small, independent, four-year institutions in the United States. Invisible Colleges were deemed at great risk of failure in the early 1970s, particularly those with enrollments under 1,000. The methodology used to identify the nonprofit colleges at risk in 1972 was used to identify today's New Invisible Colleges and New Elite Colleges in 2012-13. Clear evidence is presented indicating the extreme differences in the financial status of the two groups. Recommendations include the suggestion that, as state funding for public higher education sadly continues to decrease, public institutions should look at the survival strategies employed by the Invisible Colleges to identify those which could be beneficial. In addition, the question is raised whether distributing federal financial aid to institutions with substantial endowments, such as the 61 New Elite Colleges, is in fact sound public policy. As the landscape of higher education in America continues to change, particularly with the sharp increase of for-profit institutions and the sharp decrease in state funding, this study provides a clear evaluation of the status of small, private, four-year institutions, highlighting the narrow financial margins at the New Invisible Colleges, compared to the substantial revenues of the New Elite Colleges.

Browsing by Author "Bray, Nathaniel J."

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