Prior studies have documented the pattern of decreased state funding for higher education in periods of economic contraction (i.e., the balance wheel phenomenon). This qualitative case study examines how policymakers in California and Texas made decisions about funding higher education at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when policymakers faced…

This dissertation includes three essays on the economics of higher education. In the first chapter, I study the effects of college transfer. Over one-third of college students in the United States transfer between institutions, yet little is known about how transferring affect students' educational and labor market outcomes. Using administrative…

Understanding economic sustainability is vital to the survivability of a community college. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore business strategies educational leaders use to satisfy diverse stakeholders' expectations to ensure economic sustainability in community colleges in North Texas. The data sources included…

This thesis examines the budget reductions of six high and six low poverty school districts in California and Texas during the Great Recession. While recent studies have supported the positive influence of spending on student outcomes, few have looked at what happens when financial shocks constrain budgets. The study blends the National Center for…

The Great Recession is an economic crisis which has had repercussions through different facets of U.S. society. Texas, despite overall economic health, enacted severe cuts to education as a result of the Great Recession. A potential consequence of these austerity measures is the identification of Black, Latinx, and Native American students for…

The intention of this paper is to add to existing knowledge of how building-level spending is prioritized toward horizontal and vertical equity during severe economic downturns. Using a sample of all public schools in Texas during the Great Recession, we examine how schools undergoing the greatest spending reductions reallocated their spending on…

Historically, tactful and calculated development efforts have been attempted through various avenues in American higher education institutions. Higher education institutions have been creative in their attempts to ensure financial solvency. However, the common fallback of tuition increases have proved insufficient to meet most institutions'…

The effect of the 2008 Recession has reverberated throughout public education in the United States. This paper examines how the gifted education funding in the state of Texas changed following the Great Recession. The framework of a generalized longitudinal mixed effect model was used to explore this topic. Data acquired from the Texas Education…

The decision-making processes used by superintendents in times of economic crises are well documented. Little is known about how they respond/plan in times of economic gains. The purpose of this study is to explore how superintendents respond and plan for the future amidst the changes brought about by oil and gas development of the Eagle Ford…

In Fall 2019 I taught the course "Race and Gender: The Politics of Intersection" and spent the semester to discussing how intersectionality functioned within the Asian Pacific American (APA) communities in the United States and in the larger global context. In the course, we discussed various aspects of intersectionality including how…

College plays a critical role in providing opportunities for economic mobility, yet degree attainment by race is inequitable. Currently, more than half of young white adults hold at least a two-year college degree, compared to 37 percent of Black young adults. Less than a third of Hispanic, American Indian, and Hawaiian or Pacific Islander young…

The Great Recession caused states around the country to make substantial budget cuts to public education. As a result, districts that rely more heavily on state funding -- those with greater concentrations of students in poverty -- may be disproportionately impacted by the Great Recession funding cuts; however, little prior research examines this…

In this study, 79 local school district leaders from the state of Texas were contacted and asked for their input relating to strategic practices used during an economic downturn. Findings describe how the recent funding cuts affected the varied districts; how the districts fared in comparison with similar districts in the area; steps the district…

The study examined the relationship between recession and alumni contributions to institutions of higher education for operational expenses and capital expenditures that include property, buildings, and equipment. Identifying variables that may decrease alumni contributions is important because decreased state funding for higher education…

The 2014 edition of "State of the South" features analysis of state and regional data and calls on the region to develop and implement purposeful policies and systemic practices--an "infrastructure of opportunity"--to bolster the prospects for its 15- to 24-year-olds to achieve economic resilience as adults and a fulfilling…