Browsing by Author "Davies, Timothy G., advisor"
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Item Open Access African-American women college and university presidents: their role, experiences, challenges and barriers(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Woodard, Sophia J., author; Davies, Timothy G., advisorThe purpose of this study was to examine four phenomena: role, experiences, challenges, and barriers of African-American women college and university presidents with a particular focus on the role based on the social conscious concept of "race upliftment" as espoused by Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and other African American scholars of the early 20th century. The review of literature suggests that there is a tendency to advocate for race upliftment primarily when leading an African-American institution or an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). As a qualitative phenomenological study, in-depth personal and telephone one to two hour interviews were conducted with eight African-American women college and university presidents of two and four-year institutions. Each interview was tape-recorded with the full permission of the president. A demographic questionnaire was completed by each president prior to conducting the interview. All eight recorded tapes were transcribed and the data analysis process involved six major steps based on Creswell (1994). The qualitative software HyperRESEARCH was used to assist in analyzing and coding the data, and in compiling the qualitative report. Reading and memoing were used for code and theme development, and a reflexive journal, member checking, clarifying research bias and peer review were used for validity and trustworthiness. The findings of this study revealed that role plays a significant component for these women and is categorized into several areas that include: (1) nurturer and protector of students; (2) fiscal manager; (3) values and skills practitioner; (4) spiritual practitioner and servant; and (5) communications expert. Their work in role directly impacts and influences how they view and serve in their role as leaders. In fact, these African-American women college and university presidents developed many of their concepts of role based on the multi-faceted experiences they encountered both on their journey to the presidency and in this journey. Many of their experiences encompassed their formative years of education and training/rearing in their homes and communities, the educational journeys they traveled through college and graduate school, as well as the varied professional encounters in academia prior to becoming presidents. The collective energy of these experiences were an exciting and foundational part of their leadership development and journeys to the presidency which were also consumed with challenges and barriers. These challenges and barriers were centered around five specific areas that comprised the challenges of leadership: (1) addressing and resolving fiscal insolvency; (2) personal challenges such as parenting roles and living apart from family members(children and husbands); (3) managing health and wellness; (4) gender, race and age disparity; and (5) professional challenges such as status quo issues, college-wide communication issues, dealing with alumni concerns and problems with overbearing board-of-trustee members. In essence, the role, experiences, challenges and barriers that emerged from the data (voices) of these African-American women college and university presidents comprise the journey they traveled in becoming and being president.Item Open Access How do Latina patients experience integrated care?(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Rivera, Veronica, author; Davies, Timothy G., advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Aragon, Antonette, committee memberThe underutilization of mental health services by Latinos and Latinas in the US is often attributed to factors such as cultural beliefs and perceptions about mental health; lack of awareness of the available services; and socio-economic matters. In order to improve the access to mental health services for Latinos, it is necessary to learn about their experience of these services. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of patients from Latin-America making meaning of their experience as recipients of mental health services at two community health clinics that offer integrated care services. This is a phenomenological study that aims to understand the factors influencing Latina patients' decision about whether or not to follow up on subsequent mental health care appointments. Eighteen Latina women who had attended mental/ behavioral health services at the family health clinic were interviewed about their experiences. The first main theme to arise was patients' symptoms and the referral process. This included services requested by the patient or offered by the clinic, trust in the referring personnel, and familiarity with mental health services. The second theme was the behavioral health specialist's attitude and clinical approach, including personal qualities, clinical skills and knowledge. The third theme was the outcomes; these included improvement of symptoms and behavior, improved level of functioning, and better understanding of the situation. The essence of the findings was the overall feeling about their experience at the clinic, and the benefit to see the psychotherapist in the same health clinic in which they received medical services. Keywords: Primary care, integrated care, Latino mental health, behavioral health, cultural competency, behavioral health consultant.Item Open Access Influence of beginning college type on post secondary educational achievement: a matched pairs study(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Vance, Joanna, author; Davies, Timothy G., advisorThe purpose of this study was to gather more information about the influence of beginning higher education at a two-year college versus beginning at a four-year college on a student's educational achievement. The three outcomes of interest were: (1) whether a student remains continuously enrolled throughout college; (2) total number of college credits a student completes; and (3) highest degree, if any, a student obtains. In order to compare students who began at two-year colleges with their peers who began at four-year colleges, students were matched on the following six variables: (1) gender, (2) ethnicity, (3) mother's highest level of education, (4) father's highest level of education, (5) total family income during the student's eighth grade year, and (6) the student's own predictions of how far they will go in post secondary education, made while seniors in high school. The study used data collected by the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The study supported previous literature, finding that students who begin at two-year schools are 48% more likely to complete less than one year of full-time enrollment than are their four-year peers and are 42% less likely to stay continuously enrolled over their college experience than are their four-year peers. The study also found that students who begin at four-year schools are 46% more likely to obtain a bachelor's degree than their two-year peers. For all three outcome variables of interest those students who began at four-year colleges achieved more academically than their matched peers who began at two-year colleges. When two students who are very similar in terms of gender, ethnicity, parents' level of education, socioeconomic status and self perceived future achievement begin their education at different colleges-one a four-year school and the other a two-year school-the four-year attendee consistently will achieve more academically. This information is important and relevant to students, parents, researchers, and policymakers alike.Item Open Access Negation and affirmation: the lived experience of non-majority students in a community college dual enrollment program(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Snow, Ted G., author; Davies, Timothy G., advisorThis qualitative study explored the lived experience of non-majority high school students enrolled in a community college dual enrollment program. Through a systematic analysis of data collected from personal interviews with twelve non-majority students from a community college two groups of themes emerged: Themes of Negation and Themes of Affirmation. The Themes of Negation included Racism and Bias, and Mixed Messages. Racism and Bias describes pre-college experiences in which participants were devalued, discouraged or distracted from their studies because of their race or ethnicity. Mixed Messages describes contradictory messages participants received from family members which created an atmosphere of ambiguity about the value of college or which guided them away from college. The Themes of Affirmation included Positive Expectations, Respect and Equity, and Confirmation. Positive Expectations describes experiences in which influential others predicted successful academic outcomes for participants that encouraged college pursuits. Respect and Equity describes experiences of being valued, included, and welcomed in the college environment. Confirmation describes experiences which confirmed participants' motivations, acknowledged their academic successes, and sustained their participation in college. Through the contrasting experiences of negation and affirmation, participants experienced Identity Clarification because they were identified in the dual enrollment context as college students rather than as minorities. The findings are interpreted in the context of the literature.Item Open Access Predictive factors associated with ethnic minorities' selection of college academic major: emphasis on mathematics and science selection(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Mellion, Willie, author; Gloeckner, Gene W., advisor; Davies, Timothy G., advisor; Wilke, W. Lee, committee member; Morgan, George A., committee memberThe percentages of African American undergraduate students entering college continues to rise or remain consistent but, the number of African American students who choose to major in STEM related fields remains below that of Asian or White students. The review of literature reports that African American students displayed an initial interest in STEM fields but more often than not chooses college academic majors in non-STEM fields. This research study examined the factors that affect African American undergraduate students’ choice of college academic major (STEM versus Non-STEM). Multiple factors were examined to see if there were differences between students who choose to switch academic majors and those who do not. This study also examined if there are any predictive factors that lead students to choose STEM academic majors. The participants were Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College, undergraduate students (N = 238) classified as juniors or seniors, enrolled in the spring semester 2008. An independent sample f-test did not reveal any statistically significant differences between students who switched majors versus students who did not switch majors on 13 factors that might influence a student’s choice of major. Two by two factorial ANOVAs revealed statistically significant results between gender on the variables desire to help others through research or practice, desire to teach, mathematics grades, science grades, and advance placement/gifted talented classes took in high school. Statistically significant results were found between major on desire to attend graduate school, desire to attend professional school, desire for a high salary, desire to help others through research or practice, job stability, opportunity for more scholarships, science perception, mathematics grades, and advanced placement/gifted talented classes took in high school. The interaction between gender and major yielded statistically significant results for interest in discipline or field, father’s education, and science grades. Discriminate analysis revealed that high school preparation contributed most in predicting choosing a STEM college major. A t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between students who took calculus, physics, and trigonometry and participated in a STEM club in high school with selection of a STEM major.Item Open Access Social norms theory and exercise, nutrition, and sexual behaviors and their relationship to perception of health in female and male college students(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Buchanan, Christina, author; Davies, Timothy G., advisorThe purpose of this study was to examine Colorado State University students' exercise, nutrition, weight management, and sexual behaviors that may enhance disease prevention and those behaviors' relationship to students' perceived health. A secondary purpose of this research was to examine how students' perceptions of their peers' sexual behaviors influenced their own sexual behaviors based on social norms theory (SN). The instrument used was the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA). The subjects were female and male college students 18-25 years old, N = 2890. Data analysis: descriptive statistics, Pearson's r, Spearman rho, ANOVA, and Mann Whitney U tests were used. Results: 42.4% did not meet current exercise recommendations, 94.3% did not eat 5 fruits and vegetables (FV) per day, 61.4% of females and 23.1% of males were trying to lose weight, 77.1% of females and 65.1 of males were at the desired weight (BMI), 25.9% never used condoms, 35.0% always used condoms, 27.1% had 0 sexual partners (SP) in the past year, 1.3% thought the typical student had 0 SP, 10.7% had vaginal intercourse (VI) 1-2 times in the past month versus 27.6% that thought the typical student had VI 1-2 times. Correlations and ANOVAS: perceived health (PH); and exercise, FV, and BMI were significantly correlated (p < 0.01). Exercise, FV, weight management (WM), and BMI were significantly different between females and males. There were no significant correlations between PH and sexual behaviors (condom use (C), SP, VI). Typical student condom use (TC), typical student SP (TSP), VI, and typical student VI (TVI) were significantly different between females and males. SN and sexual behavior: SP and TSP; and VI and TVI were significantly correlated (p < 0.01), C and typical student condom use were not significant. Conclusions: this sample of students took exercise, nutrition, WM, and BMI into account when self-assessing their health (PH). Students did not take sexual behaviors into account when self-assessing their health. Students seemed to be influenced by their perception of their peers' behavior with regard to sexual behaviors, according to social norms theory. Females and males differ in health practices and perceptions.Item Open Access The effect of formal leadership education on leadership behavior of selected college leaders(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Yazdani, Ray, author; Davies, Timothy G., advisor; Hall, Bruce, committee member; Folkestad, James, committee member; Carlson, Laurie, committee memberThis study addresses the effect of formal leadership education on leadership behavior of nine college leaders. It also takes into consideration other factors which influenced these participants' leadership behavior. Three major structures emerged from the analysis: Leadership is a progressive, learned behavior; the effect of formal leadership education on leadership behavior; and the influence of mentorship and role modeling on leadership behavior. It discusses the importance of life experiences and personal challenges and their influence on these participants' leadership behavior. This study argues that these participants' formal leadership education affected their leadership behavior not only because of participating in some hands on projects, but also because of people with whom they came in contact during their formal leadership education. Early life experiences proved to have great influences on these participants' leadership behavior. Mentorship and role modeling also played key roles in influencing the participants' leadership behavior at different periods of their lives. This study cross analyzes the participants' formal leadership education training programs to discuss the extent to which their formal leadership education affected their leadership behavior. An argument is developed to exemplify their parents and teachers as role models and their importance in influencing the participants' leadership behavior both within and outside formal leadership education settings. Leadership is portrayed as a journey of self discovery and personal development, and an ongoing process of learning from mistakes, challenges and experiences.