Capstone Projects, Higher Education and Student Affairs

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  The Impact of Metaperception on College Men's Students Development

  Justin Wilhite

  Chickering and Reisser (1993) developed seven vectors to student development to explain a student’s progression from their first year in college to their final year. Studies show that women often enter college already having developed through all seven vectors of student development: developing competence, managing emotions, moving from autonomy toward interdependence, establishing mature interpersonal relationships, establishing identity, developing purpose and establishing integrity. Meanwhile men frequently do not develop through the first vector of student development in their final year of college. This study seeks to investigate why this problem with men exists in higher education by examining how much metaperception influences their development across the seven vectors. Metaperception is a person’s view of other people’s view of them. To investigate this phenomenon, five male undergraduate students from the University of Dayton were interviewed. The results pointed to common themes between the five men: they cannot open up to and/or be themselves around other men outside of their immediate circle, feel inadequate for not meeting the ideal masculine standards, and receive insults from others for not “correctly” performing masculinity. The participants also cited that familial influences contributed to the ways in which they perform masculinity. Results can give student affairs practitioners insight into how to mitigate the negative effects of metaperception on men.

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  The Resident Assistant Role and Future Employability

  Carrie Arnold

  Undergraduate students experience learning in a number of ways both in and outside of the classroom, but research has failed to explore the specific employability skills gained by resident assistants through their role and the impact that these skills have on future employment. In response, this project sought to address the following questions: (1) What are the transferrable skills gained from being a resident assistant that are used in the workplace, (2) How have these transferrable skills aided in the advancement of previous RA’s careers? The researcher conducted interviews with five former resident assistants who have been graduated for at least five years. Results demonstrate several common employability skills gained through the resident assistant experience as well as specific instances where these skills are used to both gain and sustain employment. This study has implications for helping resident assistants understand how to best leverage their experience in order to secure gainful employment in the future.

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  Understanding the Self-Authorship Capacities and Experiences of IACT Students

  Quincy Essinger

  The University of Dayton (UD) Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation (IACT) requires and promotes students’ capacity for self-authorship; however, the ways in which students progress through their holistic development toward self-authorship is not fully understood. This research aims to examine the experience of students through two questions: (1) To what extent do IACT students demonstrate the capacity for self-authorship? (2) What types of experiences do IACT students report as being significant within their overall UD development regarding self-authorship and capacities for growth? Utilizing a narrative inquiry method, seven IACT students were interviewed. Findings indicate that students are able to articulate experiences which lead to their developmental growth, increase their ability to engage in self-reflection, and examine their relationship with others. This research has implications for better understanding how developmental advising, self-authorship, and holistic student development intersect and for identifying key student experiences for IACT program development and other transdisciplinary programs.

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  A Different World: Examining Burnout in Live-On Residence Life Professionals

  Lexi Adams

  Higher education is faced with financial struggles, causing institutions to cut staff. In turn, the remaining staff take on additional work and projects. This research applies more to entry level professionals. For student affairs staff who live on campus and work and housing and residence life, they are in a different world than their colleagues who do not live in or live on campus. With additional work and a lack of work-life balance, housing and residence life professionals speak up about how they feel “burnt out.” This increases turnover rates at institutions and decreases the number of professionals in the field. Burnout can have an impact on mental, emotional, and physical health leading folks to experience emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased feelings of personal accomplishment in their work. The purpose of this study is to examine reported levels of burnout in live on residence life professionals. More specifically, it aims to see if there is a difference between reported levels of burnout for different gender identities. For this research project, I took a quantitative approach distributing the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators Survey which included 22 questions. I also asked three demographic questions including gender identity, geographical region, and institution type. Results suggest these professionals, particularly those that identify as a woman, experience high levels of burnout.

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  Analyzing the Correlation Between Financial Aid and Graduation Rates at a Small, Private, Liberal-Arts Institution

  Adam Lohrey

  This research investigates the connections between risk factors for persistence at a small, private, midwestern institution (Wilmington College). The primary objective was to identify students with a high financial risk of withdrawal based on known risk factors at the time of enrollment while tracking rates of graduation from each risk-identified cohort. While this study establishes one performance-based control group with regard to academic readiness, additional controls can be applied including behavioral characteristics to better understand the attitudinal impact on persistence as identified by unique institutional identity. Understanding all existing risk factors to attrition is a necessary reality for those charged with improving student retention at a college or university. The existence of a tool to specifically measure one primary risk factor can only help isolate specific risks prior to a student’s withdrawal from the institution. Financial need as indicated by the student’s EFC can significantly impact retention and graduation rates for students in similar incoming first-time full-time freshmen academic cohorts at a small, private, 4-year liberal arts college. The desired outcome of this study is to inform future enrollment and retention actions at similar peer institutions based on the known correlation between ability to afford and rate of graduation.

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  Examining the Critical Consciousness Heightening of Black Male Teachers: Imperatives for Social Justice Orientation Development

  Abdine Lewis

  Paramount to closing the student achievement gap is having a teaching force that reflects the racial and ethnic identities of the students. Black male representation in our nation’s schools may improve the success not only of Black boys but of all students because of the chance to engage with perspectives that may be different from one's own. Nevertheless, staffing Black male teachers has historically been a challenge for many school districts which is indicated by the dismal two percent of Black males who teach nationally (Whitfield, 2019). Despite this, some Black males are motivated to join the teaching force in order to address issues of social justice (Hudson, 2017). However, very little is known about how Black male teachers develop a critical consciousness, an important component to a social justice orientation. This study uses a phenomenological approach to understand the experiences that were essential for a sample of Black male teachers to develop a critical consciousness, and how critical consciousness influenced their decision to become a teacher. The results of this study may be used to inform the practices of teachers, faculty, and student affairs professionals who are involved with the preparation and recruitment of Black male teachers.

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  Identity and Leadership: The Conceptualization of Black Female Undergraduate Development

  Rheja Taylor

  As institutions continue to enroll and prepare Black female undergraduate students for professional success, intersectionality of identity is essential to understanding the foundation of leadership development and practice. This study explores the lived experiences of Black female Undergraduate students’ leadership development and identifies the impact intersectionality has on defining values, expectations and principles. This study aims to analyze major themes that arise from how Black female undergraduate students conceptualize their race and gender as it relates to defining their leadership philosophy with intent to inform mentors, advisors, and future theoretical practice on elevating and advocating spaces that are inclusive to intersectional difference. Using a qualitative approach, the common themes that arose from the research were evaluated and analyzed from an intensive one-hour interview exploring past leadership experiences, the impact of other leaders and personal challenges and anecdotes. The findings from this research answer two research questions (1) how students conceptualize the foundation of their leadership and (2) how intersectionality impacts leadership development. The results explore themes such as code switching, stereotypes and bias that have the power to both challenge and empower strength in Black female leadership.

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  Interrelationship of Alcohol Use and Masculinity Development for Nontraditionally Masculine College Students

  Justin Lyons

  This study sought nuanced, developed voices to demonstrate how individual experience of developing masculinity through a nondominant identity was interrelated with their alcohol use. Participants represent marginalized voices in the conversation of masculinity, specifically gay and bisexual, transman, trans femme, and non-binary participants. Participants grappled with masculinity from a nondominant lens, representing unique experiences not wholly captured by existing literature. Participants’ growth and change in gender identity largely correlated with changes in alcohol use. I found that alcohol served multiple purposes in guiding participants toward an individual sense of masculinity. Participants used alcohol as a means of suppressing emotions, conforming with masculine norms, and lowering inhibitions to break from masculine norms. Participants also made connections between traditionally masculine drinking spaces as contrasted with drinking spaces that decenter that experience, such as queer and women’s drinking spaces. While participants largely do not conform to traditional norms of masculinity, as college students, their experiences, at least externally, fit into the dominant experience. As practitioners, we must create space for students to move between identity groups and approach men from both a collective and individualistic perspective.

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  Male-Identified Students and Campus Mental Health Services

  Sean McCarthy

  Previous studies have examined mental health on college campuses (American College Health Association, 2019; Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2015). While there is an increased awareness of mental health concerns among male-identified students, there is a lack of research on male-identified students’ usage rates of campus mental health services as well as what services male-identified students deem as the most effective for their needs. To better understand male-identified students’ usage of campus mental health services and resources and what services and resources are most effective for their needs, male-identified students at the University of Dayton were surveyed. The survey concluded that male-identified students use campus mental health services and resources at a mixed rate and would like to see reduced waiting times and increased staffing at the University of Dayton Counseling Center. Based on the research conclusions, strategies for encouraging male-identified students to use mental health services and resources when they have a mental health concern and recommendations for what services and resources are most effective are provided.

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  Sense of Belonging of International Students in Living Learning Communities

  Paola Ortiz

  As higher education institutions increase international student recruitment and enrollment, one best practice for international student retention and connectedness is the creation of international living communities. This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the sense of belonging of international students in two living learning communities at a small private institution in the Midwest. Students shared their experiences in two different living learning communities on campus focused on intercultural development and the relation they had on their sense of belonging to the institution. This study provides suggestions for the current programs similar to these communities around the nation.

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  The Co-Authored Self: Viewing the Experience of Priestly Vocation Through the Framework of Self-Authorship

  Nicholas Jobe

  Current student development literature on self-authorship describes “the developmental shift from reliance on external to internal sources of knowing, identifying, and relating” (Bryant, 2011, p. 17). The author seeks to compare and contrast this definition with the Roman Catholic idea of vocation as a call that originates from the voice of God - that is, outside of oneself. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore emerging adult students’ experience of vocation, and discernment thereof, through the lens and language of the self-authorship framework. For ease of identifying a sample population, participants are selected from those with a clearly defined and articulated vocation: in this case, the Roman Catholic priesthood. The study seeks to understand, through narrative, how students pursue this particular discerned vocation with authenticity, especially through the negotiation of their internal voice and the perceived voice of God.

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  The Effects of Food Insecurity on the Student Experience

  Ben Breh

  As colleges and universities begin to see an increasingly more diverse student population, food insecurity is becoming more and more prevalent on campuses. Food insecurity is a condition in which persons do not have adequate resources to feed themselves, either nutritiously, or at all (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2013). The purpose of this study is explore the impact of food insecurity on the student curricular and co-curricular experiences. This study is intended to further the profession’s knowledge of the intersection between food insecurity and the collegiate experience. Through an intentional and in depth case study of an undergraduate student who identifies as experiencing food insecurity this study addresses the following research questions: How do college students conceptualize food insecurity through their personal lived experiences? How does food insecurity impact college students’ curricular experience? How does food insecurity impact college students’ co-curricular experience? The results of this study addresses common themes between student experiences through the students own words.

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  The Effects of Gender on the Supervisory Relationship of Resident Assistants and their Supervisors

  Adam Schwartz

  The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that gender plays in the supervisory relationship that exists between resident assistants and their supervisors in the department of Housing and Residence Life at the University of Dayton. The main goal of this study was to see what kinds of effects gender has in shaping the way resident assistants view, interact with, trust, and experience supervision with their direct supervisors. The focus being to find out if there is a difference between male and female supervisors when paired with the same or different gender resident assistants. While studies like this have been done in the past, my goal was to see if there were any changes that should be made to the supervision model in wake of the #MeToo Movement. This study contains the findings gained from looking interviews with resident assistants on the University of Dayton campus, and the themes that arose from those interviews, concluding with the implications for future practice in the field of housing and residence life supervision.

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  The Impact of First Generation Programs

  Emma L. Sule

  First-Generation students are often thrust into the world of academia without a firm foundation of what to expect. Students are left to navigate a world that their parents cannot even guide them through and must begin to navigate academia themselves while also tackling what it means to be an adult. The stress and lack of understanding associated with beginning this journey alone can cause students to lose a crucial part of sense of belonging developed in the early stages of being on campus. Some institutions have chosen to combat this issue by engaging first-generation college students in population specific programming meant to prepare them for college life and intentionally create that sense of belonging. Programming can vary in levels of intensity and learning outcomes may differ, yet often with the purpose to acclimate these students to the university. As more institutions begin to develop these programs while they grow in popularity, one cannot help but wonder the outcome that these programs play on the students involved. How does first-generation specific programming impact current first-generation students’ sense of belonging? Through a mixed methods approach, First-Generation students from Mount St. Joseph University’s First To Go and Graduate program provide data on their personal experiences related to the impact the program has played on their student life. Results demonstrate that First-Generation programs not only impact a student’s sense of belonging but their overall student experience. By providing such programs, institutions are able to better support this unique population of students.

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  The Relationship Between Catholic Men and How They View and Practice Masculinity

  Caleb Negron

  Men are entering college spaces with the assumption that they have to model their behavior in a specific way. Their gender identity is attached to a set of masculine norms and expectations that influences their interpersonal relationship as well as how they perceive themselves. Recognizing that masculinity is a nuanced phenomenon and intersects with many dimensions of identity, this qualitative study is focused on the role of the Catholic faith and its influence on masculine behavior. Current studies addressed other dimensions of masculinity, but religion specifically Catholicism was limited. This study’s purpose is to unveil male narratives from the Catholic community. Nine Catholic men were interviewed to share their narratives and perspectives on masculinity and how they navigated the gender expectations as well as their own faith in the context of a Catholic institution. They described their perspective on what masculinity means on the societal level, what masculinity personally looks like to them in their faith, and how the university context influences their understanding of masculine norms. The themes discovered from the men’s narrative were a deep understanding of self, reflection, prior experience practicing vulnerability, and a belief in loving others as Christ did. These men desired and were prepared for more in-depth conversations. Vulnerability was the norm in their community but found that men outside of their immediate group struggled to do so. Given the context of a Catholic institution, understanding that these men of faith have the capacity to engage in complex topics and look to engage other men in the conversations can prove useful in addressing masculinity. Utilizing other male peers to address the issue through both the lens of faith and beyond can create multiple safe spaces across campus.

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  Traumatic Experiences among Community College Students

  Taylor Roberts

  The impacts of trauma have far-reaching consequences for students’ abilities to learn. While the K-12 educational world is starting to work to counteract the negative effects of trauma, the higher education world is not responding at the same pace. While some research has been done to examine college students’ exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), this research has primarily been conducted on four-year university students, leaving community college students, a group often more likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds, out of the conversation. This mixed methods study uses anonymous survey data to examine the effects of PTEs on students at one local community college in order to understand how background factors (e.g. age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) correlate to likelihood of exposure to PTEs.

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  Alumni Perceptions of Collegiate Recreation

  Cody Gene Christianson

  Collegiate Recreation professionals at Fort Lewis College design learning for student employees based upon assumptions, undergraduate student feedback, and personal experience. The purpose of this study is to provide collegiate recreation professionals at Fort Lewis College a better understanding of how the student employee experience benefits the personal and professional lives of alumni after they leave the comforts of the campus. This study provides insight into the understanding and application of skills developed throughout a student’s time within collegiate recreation. By utilizing interviews with six student employee alumni of Fort Lewis College Recreational Services, this study uncovers the essence of the student employment experience while highlighting core components that create a transformational experience. The results of this study helps collegiate recreation professionals at Fort Lewis College intentionally design the student employment experience in order to enhance and accentuate the components that make the experience truly transformational.

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  College Selection Process: Does Faith of an Institution Influence the Decision-Making?

  Anna R Parks

  The University of Dayton is one of three Marianist universities in the country. This quantitative survey-based study explores whether or not there is a correlation between the religious affiliation of an institution and the college decision-making process. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to determine the common factors that go into the college search process and how important they are to students and (b) to evaluate the influence that the Marianist traditions at the University of Dayton had on students when determining a university to attend. The findings of this survey provide knowledge for how the institution can best recruit students and share what they find to be most important in the college search process with them about the University of Dayton.

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  Effects of Police Interaction on Student Perception of Police and Campus Safety

  Jerami Paul Johnson

  This research seeks to understand the effect of police interaction on student perception around campus police and safety. Data was collected from two Midwestern institutions, one being a traditional 4 year residential campus and the other a community college. The study was conducted using a standard survey. The survey includes Likert-scale questions asking students to rank their feelings regarding their campus police officers as well as how students engage with these police officers. Students also identified alternate safety measures or protocols they utilize in lieu of police officers, based on their perceptions.

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  Entering the Brotherhood: Men of Color’s Experience in Historically White Fraternities

  Joseph J Moore

  This study seeks to understand the experiences of undergraduate men of color after they gain membership with a historically white, North American Interfraternity Conference fraternity. The significance of this study is derived from the lack of prominent research involving men of color and membership with historically white fraternities. This research allows for the advancement of the Fraternity and Sorority Life field by shedding light on a population of students that is misunderstood and in turn impacting the way professionals interact with students. This research study speaks to the intersection of both the male and student of color identity within the context of historically white fraternities by highlighting the lived experiences of those members. This study collected data through individual interviews with alumni members allowing for a deeper look into the subjects’ experiences. This study speaks to the lived experiences of the subjects’ around the themes of motivations to seek membership, experiences gaining membership, living in community, racial impact on experience, sense of belonging, senses of community and feeling othered.

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  Exploring College Roommate Conflicts

  Brittany Ann Fishburn

  The conversation surrounding roommate conflicts has already begun, but a majority of past literature has focused on personal characteristics of individuals and their compatibility as roommates. Quantitative research studies have delved into how it impacts the lives of students, including stress, mental health and retention. Yet empirical research has not yet been conducted specifically on the actual dynamics of interpersonal conflict between college roommates. The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the experiences of college roommates in conflict at a private, Midwestern institution and how they respond to the phenomenon. With the desire to put student experience at the center of this research, students’ perceptions were shared through semi-structured, in-person one-on-one interviews with the individuals who self-selected to take part in this study. Expressly, this research provides a richer understanding of how roommates react to conflict based upon how nonverbal and verbal reactions within the conflict situation are expressed, what conflict resolution strategies roommates generally use in conflict and how roommates in conflict describe how it has shaped their capacity for coping with the inevitable conflicts of the future. With mental health and overall college satisfaction on the line, this research assists student affairs practitioners in better understanding the dynamics between roommates in conflict and how it shapes their college experience. It provides insight into how student affairs practitioners, especially those who work in university housing, can be better prepared to respond to situations where roommates are in conflict. Inevitably, this information can lead to the creation of better conflict management practices to teach to staff and students in university housing and across campus.

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  Extrinsic Factors of Academic Probation Attrition of Engineering Students

  Luke Austin Matulewicz

  Being on academic probation is a stressful time for students. Many programs have been designed to specifically help these students return good academic standing; however, there is mixed success. Academic probation can often lead students to taking an extra semester, delaying their graduate, and/or not finish their degree—all of these causing an issue with retention and graduation rates. There has been an increased focus on a workforce with a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education over the years, making it imperative to colleges and universities to effectively graduate their STEM students. This quantitative data analysis looks to examine extrinsic factors, factors out of the students’ control, of students on academic probation in the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton and the correlation to academic attrition. Using mined university data, this research uses statistical tests to find significate factors of attrition from academic probation.

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  Faculty Perceptions of Preparedness in Leading Short-Term Education Abroad Programs

  Kelly N Plazibat

  Faculty who lead education abroad programs are experts in their academic field, but may or may not feel as equipped to handle the additional responsibilities that come with leading a study abroad program apart from teaching their course content. This is a qualitative research study examining faculty perceptions of their own preparedness prior to leading college students on short-term education abroad programs. Through interviews with faculty members from various departments at the University of Dayton, they were asked to reflect on their experiences with the following: Managing student crisis, conflict and concerns; facilitating intercultural dialogue and reflection; and takeaways from pre-departure trainings facilitated by the Office of Education Abroad prior to leading students on programs abroad. My interpretation of the data suggests faculty overall felt prepared due to previous life experiences both inside and outside the experience of being a university faculty member, but that many education abroad programs seem to present unforeseen emergencies or situations that one could not possibly have anticipated or prepared for prior to departure.

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  How Representation During a College Visit can Influence a Student of Color’s Decision to Attend a Predominately White Institution

  Deidre Danielle Luckett

  Students attend campus visits hoping to gain an understanding of what universities can offer them as students. Universities have shifted their focus to creating visitation experiences where students feel a sense of belonging before they even apply. Due to the growing understanding of the positive influence of representation, many schools are beginning to showcase campus diversity through various multicultural visitation experiences and making stronger efforts to include diverse groups of students (Boyington, 2017). The purpose of this quantitative research study is to examine how students’ decision of college choice is influenced by the racial/ethnic representation present during their college visit at a predominately white institution. A survey was distributed to current undergraduate students of color at the University of Dayton to reflect upon their experiences during their college visit and how the presence of other students of color, faculty, and staff contributed to their decision to attend the University of Dayton and their overall sense of belonging. This study combines the frameworks of college choice with the students’ needs of positive representation and an environment where they feel they belong.

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  Impact of a Catholic and Marianist University Experience on Career and Education

  Anna Kathleen Wilhelm

  A number of students choose to attend religious universities based on their personal beliefs, or faith practices that they hope to further develop while in college. However, the particular values or skills established during college may or may not continue to manifest themselves as individuals advance in their careers or education. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of a Catholic and Marianist university experience on one’s career and/or further education. More specifically, we aim to learn more about how alumni of Marianist universities in the United States feel that their Catholic and Marianist education has influenced their career journey and/or experience in earning additional degrees. This qualitative study includes interviews with alumni of Catholic and Marianist universities in the United States and seeks to determine the impact of their Catholic and Marianist college education on their careers and further education. Insights from this study can be used to inform practice specifically at Catholic and Marianist universities, as students prepare for their careers and/or further education.