In Catholic high schools, the positions of campus minister and theology teacher have shifted from vowed religious and clergy to the laity. The job descriptions and expectations of these positions have not changed to reflect the realities of those who hold them. Based on my own experience and anecdotes of colleagues, I have noticed a consistent…

As an institution that aims to create more access to higher education by removing barriers to entry, the California Community College (CCC) system supports what is often described as "nontraditional" students (i.e., first-generation and systems-impacted students), but also of most importance to this study, Students of Color (Knoell,…

It is predicted that higher education institutions, based on the current landscape, will need to merge, be acquired, or close at increasing levels in the coming years. This level of organizational change is challenging for those who are a part of it. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of trust at an institution of higher…

This qualitative study examines how Black women mid-level leaders navigate the superwoman schema. The findings extend Woods-Giscombe's (2010) work by exploring the schema's impact on Black women working in mid-level leadership administrative positions at HWIs. A descriptive phenomenological study was employed to understand and describe the lived…

This dissertation explored the experiences of cisgender, gay male academic advisors in higher education. Using participant-generated photo elicitation and narrative interviews with 10 participants, the study revealed gay academic advisors were forced to negotiate their sexual identity in higher education. Through their negotiation, academic…

Burnout has become a prevalent issue in workplace environments, significantly affecting individuals' mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of burnout among community college counselors in Southern California, a group often overlooked in existing research. While…

Special education teachers are few in Georgia public schools, and the numbers are decreasing each year. Policy makers and administrators are busy making policies to assist special education teachers. Therefore, this research included the special education teachers' voice in advising policymakers and administrators about the challenges they…

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus--COVID-19--a worldwide pandemic in March 2020 (Baker, 2022). Situated at a unique crossroads in that they are both social service healthcare providers and student support personnel, collegiate case managers and counselors faced the same abysmal odds as healthcare providers: an…

The increasing number of teachers leaving the profession has put a serious strain on the education system, and principals have identified various strategies they implement which could impact teacher retention. Prior research indicated that school principals play a crucial role in the retention of teachers by developing a supportive school…

Teacher job satisfaction is important to retaining high-performing teachers. This study aims to investigate the effects of certain factors, such as age, gender, and years of experience, on overall job satisfaction. This study involved over 400 teachers from a West Tennessee school district, where the Job Satisfaction Survey was distributed. The…

Existing education research literature addresses problems and solutions concerning Black women teacher retention; however, few studies examine the issue of Black women administrator retention, specifically the retention of Black women principals. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, this phenomenological study of 22 current and former…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of gender and racial microaggressions and how those experiences impact work engagement from the perspective of the Black woman higher education administrator. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Black women with current professional mid- or senior-level administrative positions…

This study aimed to understand the sources of stress new school leaders identify and how that stress influences them and what coping strategies or stress management techniques school leaders employ to stay healthy within this profession. Semi-structured focus groups were utilized to elicit thick, rich descriptions of participants' experiences.…

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of employees regarding changes in their workplace experience following the implementation of an electronic performance monitoring (EPM) system. The study's conceptual framework utilized Burke and Litwin's (1992) model of organizational change and Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory to…

This dissertation seeks to understand the ways in which software developers and managers of software developers perceive workplace learning for software developers. Across three studies, researchers investigated: perceptions of software developers about workplace learning for software developers, perceptions of managers of software developers…