The evolution and bureaucratic nature of higher education has created organizational structures and practices that contribute to experiences of inequality for university staff, an employee group scarcely researched. The purpose of this study was to investigate and document the workplace experiences in university staff governance members in the…

Research has recognized the importance of libraries and librarians in supporting, managing, and sustaining open educational resources (OER) programs in postsecondary institutions. Open education initiatives generally align with social justice aspirations and should be open and inclusive to everyone. Yet, in practice, this has not always been the…

The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of organizational culture on teacher retention in Richland County School District 2 in Columbia, South Carolina. This qualitative phenomenological research explored the participants' experiences and perceptions of the phenomenon under study. This was done by interviewing 12 participants to…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of Muslim professionals in U.S. workplaces with varying levels of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The research, conducted through a basic qualitative approach with twenty participants, delved into the personal and professional narratives of these…

This qualitative study investigated staff retention in higher education by focusing on the retention of academic advisors. Academic advisors play an integral role in student success and advising is notably one of the fields in higher education with the greatest turnover. This turnover comes at great costs, financial and otherwise, for the…

This qualitative multiple case study aimed to understand how special education paraprofessionals, who work with students with low-incidence disabilities, experience stress and resilience through a compassion fatigue conceptual lens. I explored paraprofessional perspectives on stress factors relevant to workload and student challenges, along with…

Student affairs professionals in four-year universities are increasingly reporting feeling overwhelmed, stressed, job dissatisfaction, and potential burnout, resulting in decisions to leave their positions. High rates of turnover in these institutions may hinder the effective management of student affairs departments. The majority of studies on…

This dissertation was designed to provide current information on the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of those identifying as women of color working in offices of academic testing. Faced with systemic oppression due to race and gender, women of color have opted in to a profession that is viewed by some as a threat and barrier to the…

Researchers have discussed the significance of Black male educators in secondary and post-secondary education for decades. While there is extensive research on the impact of Black male teachers, education administrators, and those in the professoriate, there is a noticeable gap concerning the experiences of Black male student affairs staff in…

As higher education tries to reimagine its value in the post-pandemic world, professional live-in staff members are fleeing from their positions at a higher rate than new professionals are entering the field. These professionals are expected to work through challenging issues, with minimal training, experiencing secondary trauma, while working in…

Constructs like turnover intentions, burnout, perceived flexibility, and perceived organizational support (POS) have been studied for decades. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, turnover rates reached historic highs in 2021. Simultaneously, the shift to remote or hybrid work evidenced more widespread implementation than ever before to meet…

This study focused on Black women faculty experiences of inclusion at predominantly White institutions in the United States. Despite diversity and inclusion initiatives, there has been limited progress in recruiting and retaining Black women faculty. The study used Collins' (1986) Black feminist thought and Shore et al.'s (2011) inclusion…

Higher education staff are the fastest-growing population of workers within colleges and universities. However, higher education staff sentiments regarding their work and work environments are often discounted, impacting their level of engagement. This study was a targeted examination of the levels of engagement among higher education staff with…

The total annual separation rate for the accommodations and food services industry for 2021 was 86.3%. Food service leaders care about high turnover intentions as it leads to increased turnover, negatively impacting service, and profitability. Grounded in job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine…

Many people believe that U.S. higher education is at a crossroads as tuition costs soar, diversity of the student body grows, and the number of traditionally aged students enrolling in college continues to decline due to lower birth rates in the early 2000s. Today's societal, political, and cultural pressures are unique and thus put added pressure…