This study focused on the female perspective of authentic leadership and the careers of female faculty of rural community colleges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how female faculty of community colleges in rural communities perceive the influence of authentic leadership-self-awareness, moral perspective, balanced processing,…

Mid-level administrators occupy a complex position within higher education institutions, a role defined by "middleness" (Gleeson & Shain, 1999, p. 488), which characterizes their place in institutional hierarchies between superiors and subordinates. Mid-level administrators often feel isolated since they cannot be seen as having…

Financial aid plays a significant role for many students when deciding to pursue a postsecondary education. The California State University (CSU) prides itself on making education available and affordable, and about 80% of attending students are receiving financial aid (California State University, n.d.-e). With so many students relying on aid,…

Teacher retention is a challenge for schools across the country. For private and independent schools, teacher attrition is twice that of public and charter schools. The rate of teacher attrition has increased dramatically attributable to the global pandemic, making this a critical issue for K-12 education. Using an Improvement Science approach,…

The purpose of this action research study was to understand and strengthen staff and administrators' sense of workplace belonging in a small, private, family-founded college. In Cycle 1 the researcher aimed to understand factors that contributed to participants sense of belonging. Cycle 1 participants responded to a survey to provide insight on…

The phenomenological study explored perceptions of the principal's self-efficacy on teacher retention in hard-to-staff schools in southeast Texas. The participants in this study consisted of eight participants, who are principals with at least 3 years of experience and are Texas residents. Using a phenomenological approach, individual interviews…

Schools in the United States average an annual teacher turnover of 16%, with half of all teachers who change jobs also leaving the profession. This problem is important because high teacher turnover interrupts the development of pedagogical acumen among teachers, adversely affects student achievement, and diverts budget dollars that are needed…

This qualitative study examined the manifestation of work-related stressors that SAPros of Color who provide direct services and support to Students of Color working at a large, tier-one research institution experience. Additionally, this study explored participants' self-care behaviors and strategies used to cope and probed for potential…

The COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19), prompted changes in how businesses, schools, and governments around the world operate. One such change has been the widespread shift to virtual environments as a means through which individuals interact. COVID-19 has challenged the work standards of organizations, people, and teams. In doing so, it has also…

Introduction: This dissertation focuses on how informal educators learn through conversations during meetings, planning sessions, and other discussions with colleagues. These on-the-job learning experiences remain relatively understudied, and this dissertation aims to illuminate the dynamics of informal educator relationship-building within…

On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic status (WHO, 2020). There is no doubt that teachers endured higher stress levels because of new expectations and anxiety. In the face of myriad challenges, teachers did their best but needed acknowledgment of that fact from their principals. Did teachers trust…

Community cultural wealth has value in the workforce. The individual's cultural capital and financial literacy values are not a separate experience to the organization culture. The dominant culture within the organization has a role of understanding and accepting the whole of Black American workers. This study will explore organizational culture…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study is to examine if and to what extent performance expectancy, effort expectancy, attitude toward using technology, social influence, facilitating conditions, self-efficacy, and anxiety, individually and combined, predict the behavioral intention of U.S. higher education student services…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences of workplace belonging and esteem of 12 staff members with various minoritized identities working in higher education in the Midwestern United States. While much research focuses on student belonging, this study centered on the perspectives of non-faculty staff, addressing a notable…

Minorities working at predominantly white institutions (PWI's) of higher education face many challenges both professionally and personally. One critical challenge for minorities is feeling a sense of belonging (SoB) in their organization. Workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion have become crucial for many organizations as they look for ways to…