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Browsing by Author "Chesson, Craig, committee member"

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    A phenomenological study of the organizational commitment of new student affairs professionals
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Jacques, Tammy W., author; Kuk, Linda, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Chesson, Craig, committee member; Tungate, Susan, committee member
    In this phenomenological study, the author examined the experiences of how 13 new student affairs professionals made meaning of organizational commitment in the workplace. Using data collected from interviews, the findings offer insight into how student affairs supervisors can create an atmosphere conducive to employee commitment to their organization. The author used Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment as a framework. The thematic results were (a) personal connection, (b) supportive supervision, (c) workplace support among colleagues, (d) gratification from impacting students, (e) long hours, and (f) emotional toll from responding to mental-health and crisis-management issues. Cultivated Relationships was the essence that emerged from the study.
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    Engineering students' with financial need and their perceptions of success in their college experience: a phenomenological analysis
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Roberts, William R., author; Kuk, Linda, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Siller, Tom, committee member; Chesson, Craig, committee member
    The purpose of this study was to explore how engineering students at different educational levels, who have high financial need as determined by the FAFSA process, set goals and strategies to achieve what they believe to be success in their college curriculum at a medium sized mid-western polytechnic university. During this interpretive phenomenological analysis, interviews were conducted with 16 students which revealed four emergent themes and two super ordinate themes. The data from this study suggests participants focused on developing individual goals and strategies designed to learn coursework material positioning them to begin their engineering careers. The participants in the study relied upon personal support systems of family, faculty and staff member members at Superior Tech to guide them through their success journey. Although the participants were unhappy with their student loans, they indicated their career choice as an engineer would position them well for future financial stability. It appears participants considering engineering degrees will likely be inclined to make a significant investment in their educational experience if they have family encouragement, institutional support and the potential to begin a high paying career as an engineer. The study concluded with implications for practice for families of college students, financial aid practitioners, student success researchers, engineering faculty, student affairs professionals and future research possibilities.
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    Exploring the academic experience of college student survivors of sexual violence: a phenomenological inquiry
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Lorenzo, Lorisa, author; Anderson, Sharon K., advisor; Chesson, Craig, committee member; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Kuk, Linda, committee member
    Approximately 21% of female undergraduates and 7% of male undergraduates report being sexually assaulted while in college (Krebs et al., 2016). Student survivors of sexual violence experience negative impacts on their academic performance, which can result in a lower grade-point average (GPA) and a decision to leave the institution where the incident occurred (Baker et al., 2016). To gain a better understanding of the academic experience of college student survivors of sexual violence, the author conducted a qualitative phenomenological study using the descriptive phenomenological psychological method developed by Giorgi (Giorgi, 2009) to answer the following research question: "How do college student survivors of sexual violence describe their academic experiences following an incident of sexual violence?" Six currently enrolled undergraduate college students completed semistructured interviews to explore their lived academic experiences following an incident of sexual violence. In-depth analysis of the data revealed the following essential constituents of the academic experience of participants following the incident of sexual violence: negative emotional and mental health consequences, shame and self-blame, isolation from classmates and professors, impaired ability to focus on academic tasks, losing motivation and questioning academic goals, finding ways to cope, healing and reconnection, and academic identity as more than GPA. These essential constituents constitute the general structure of the academic experience of participants following an incident of sexual violence. Results of the study provide a deeper understanding the psychological mechanisms through which sexual violence negatively impacts the academic experience of college student survivors of sexual violence.
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    Student conduct programs' utilization of learning outcomes to measure educational sanctions: a phenomenological analysis
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Draper Davis, Julie A., author; Kuk, Linda, advisor; Chesson, Craig, committee member; Miller, Lisa, committee member; Sheafor, Brad, committee member
    This phenomenological study explored the experiences of student conduct administrators who measure student learning when educational sanctions are assigned. The lived experiences of the participants were explored through the following research questions: (1) What educational sanctions do student conduct administrators assign in the student conduct process? (2) What learning outcomes do student conduct administrators utilize for educational sanctions? (3) How do student conduct administrators measure learning for students who participate in educational sanctions? (4) What challenges do student conduct administrators face when measuring learning for students who participate in educational sanctions? (5) How do student conduct administrators communicate the results of student learning to their campus community? The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with eleven student conduct administrators representing large public research institutions in the United States. Using the interpretative phenomenological approach, four themes emerged during the analysis of the data. The lived-experience of the participants was characterized by: (1) culture of assessment, (2) measuring learning, (3) alcohol education, and (4) external factors. The data suggested that the essence of the lived experience for student conduct administrators is that measuring learning for students who participate in educational sanctions is challenging.
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    Words matter: how institutional disruption policies reinforce white power in higher education
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Zanotto, Anton, author; Barone, Ryan, advisor; McKelfresh, David, advisor; Chesson, Craig, committee member; Opsal, Tara, committee member
    Student conduct exists as the intersection of student development theory, legal compliance, and institutional policies. While literature in the K-12 and criminal legal system shows the way that policy has a disproportionately negative impact on Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, there are few studies that do similar work in higher education. Furthermore, research in student conduct largely focuses on student learning and conduct administrator practices and does not consider the policies at the root of our practice. This study explores the campus discourse about disruption at eight institutions of higher education and uses a theoretical framework that uniquely considers the various nuances of this work. By centering the policies and using a critical policy discourse analysis methodology, I enter the discussion about how to create liberatory policy that subsequently supports the practice of many student conduct administrators. The subsequent model offers a set of guiding principles for liberatory policy revision and development for the future.