Theses and Dissertations
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Item Embargo (In)visibilities in the U.S. imperial academy: Central American knowledge production from outside of disciplinary borders(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Galvez, Eileen Michelle, author; Muñoz, Susana, advisor; Blanco, Yianella, committee member; Poon, OiYan, committee member; Sagas, Ernesto, committee memberIn the U.S. academy, Central American knowledge faces severe epistemic invisibility and a lack of disciplinary investment, with only two Central American Studies departments nationally. Within the discipline of higher education, there is a dearth of studies related to Central Americans that follow the pattern of erasure in the national landscape wherein U.S. Central Americans are excluded from the academy, knowledge production, and even the national imaginaries of minoritization in the U.S. (Padilla, 2022). This study aimed to better understand the systems that produce Central American invisibility by examining how U.S. Central American faculty experience three forms of (in)visibilities in the academy: invisibility, hypervisibility, and visibility. Designed as a project of epistemological disobedience (Mignolo, 2009), the study's framework, Colonialities of the U.S. Imperial Academy, is a tool for fugitive scholarship (Harney & Moten, 2013), which employs the framings of coloniality of power (Quijano, 2000), gender (Lugones, 2007), knowledge (Lander, 2000; Quijano, 2000), and being (Maldonado-Torres, 2007) to interrogate the academy as an arm of empire. Combined with Central American-informed methods that include research accompaniment (Tomlinson & Lipsitz, 2019; Abrego, 2022). Central American diasporic storytelling (Contreras, 2024), and Black and Indigenous Central American feminist practices of re/memory (Ramsey, 2024; Guzman, 2025; White, 2025), the study's findings are drawn from the storytelling of five U.S. Central American faculty. Co-constructed from a research relationality of Central American kinship, this study offers a larger story of the interconnectivity between coloniality, (in)visibilities, U.S. Empire, and its academy; articulates a Black Central American Caribbean consciousness; and weaves together testimonial narratives of Central American knowledge production as struggles for epistemic sovereignty.Item Open Access Beyond rhetoric: a case study of critical and inclusive pedagogical practices in a teaching and learning center(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Brown, Robert P., author; Muñoz, Susana, advisor; Doe, Sue, committee member; Jennings, Louise, committee member; Tuitt, Frank, committee memberThe purpose of this study was to examine how critical and inclusive pedagogical (CIP) practices are understood, promoted, and implemented in teaching and learning centers. As organizations dedicated to the advancement of faculty development within higher education, teaching and learning centers (TLCs) provide useful insight into strategies aimed at fostering critical and inclusive pedagogies. Using a critical qualitative approach, this study employed an instrumental, single case study methodology informed by critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017), critical consciousness (Freire, 1998), and the theory of racialized organizations (Ray, 2019). Four themes were identified that illuminate how TLCs operationalize CIP within their institutional and sociopolitical contexts: 1) interrogating tensions between critical and inclusive pedagogy, 2) teaching & learning centers as first responders: the limitations of pedagogical support, 3) performative commitments: the gap between institutional rhetoric and practice, and 4) navigating institutional power: the Faculty of Color experience. Overall, participants considered CIP to be a core part of teaching and learning praxis, and their collective efforts contributed to fostering a campus ecosystem where critical and inclusive pedagogy could be better understood, supported, and enacted. However, despite their shared articulation of values, various institutional and sociopolitical factors shaped differences in their understanding and application of CIP frameworks within teaching and learning center practice. The findings of this study offer insights to educational developers, informing their organizational missions and practice-based approaches to advancing equitable teaching practices.Item Open Access Economics and integrity: a critical quantitative approach to pandemic-era layoffs in higher education(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Monnin, Erica P., author; Dockendorff, Kari, advisor; Basile, Vincent, committee member; Conroy, Samantha, committee member; Lange, Alex C., committee memberState-funded public higher education institutions have missions of serving their state and local communities. Their nonprofit status reflects higher education's role as an important social institution and a source of public good. During the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities across the United States faced unprecedented financial challenges as revenue sources threatened to run dry and new expenses added new demands on their operational budgets. To rebalance their budgets, many institutions turned to faculty and staff layoffs as a means of cost-cutting. Layoffs, a common practice in the corporate sector, are incongruent with higher education's mission as a public good. During the pandemic, news sources and press releases cited layoffs in higher education as an inevitable outcome of dire financial challenges, asserting the need for budget cuts and emphasizing the limited options available for higher education to reduce expenses. My study tests implicit assumptions around the connection between the financial crisis and the necessity of layoffs. I take a critical quantitative approach to interrogating layoffs in higher education from 2020 to 2023 at 146 institutions across five large, centralized state higher education system. I test the relationship between institutional enrollment and financial characteristics and the occurrence of layoffs using quantitative methods. Of the 47 variables tested, I found three variables had statistically significant relationships with layoffs. Out-of-state student enrollment in the 2019-20 academic year, receiving more federal emergency funding per full-time equivalent (FTE) enrolled student, and having a higher percentage of students receiving Pell Grants in 2019-20 all had statistically significant relationships with layoffs during the timeframe of my study. My findings challenge assumptions about institutions' financial situations that conduct layoffs and complicate broad narratives around institutional financial health and faculty and staff layoffs during the pandemic.Item Open Access Faith and leadership: understanding the influence of faith on the leadership experiences of women leaders in higher education(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Patel, Dimple, author; Anderson, Sharon K., advisor; Kuk, Linda, committee member; Lange, Alex, committee member; Tungate, Susan, committee memberThe purpose of this study was to understand how faith influenced women leaders in higher education. The specific research question was: "How do women who are senior leaders in higher education describe the influence of faith on their leadership experiences?" This was a qualitative research study utilizing a phenomenological approach for data analysis and interpretation. The data were collected from nine women leaders in senior leadership roles in higher education. Each of the women leaders in this study are deeply connected to their faith. Though they defined faith in their own terms, they all agreed to the definition of faith for this study: a belief and trust in a transcendent being. In the current study, the term transcendent being can be called God, Allah, Vishnu, Shiva, or another name and does not require a religious affiliation. This study produced four important findings. First, the influence of faith on the participants' leadership experiences begins with each one of them exercising faith-driven leadership. They exercised faith-driven leadership through their co-creating relationship with a transcendent being, which they all referred to as God. The influence of faith also served as a foundation for their overall leadership ethos, comprising values and lessons, both a part of faith-driven leadership. The values or guiding principles they associated with their leadership were derived from their faith. Sometimes they also utilized lessons learned from their faith in how they led or what they did in their leadership roles. Second, the influence of faith on their leadership encouraged them to promote inclusion and equity. They practiced open-mindedness and fairness. Third, how and why the women leaders persevered was attributed to the influence of their faith. They demonstrated resilience in a variety of situations, including moments when the influence of faith was visible to others—an experience that sometimes left them feeling exposed, misunderstood or vulnerable. Finally, the influence of faith brought these nine women blessings and opportunities for connection.Item Open Access From industry to the classroom: career and technical education faculty experiences in the Colorado Community College System(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Jacobson, Anne Marie, author; Johnson, Jennifer, advisor; Bubar, Roe, committee member; Lange, Alex C., committee member; Lopes, Tobin, committee memberThis dissertation presents a constructivist grounded theory study that explored the workforce to teaching transition experiences of career and technical education (CTE) full-time faculty in the Colorado Community College System. The study examined how new CTE faculty in the system conceptualize the role of teacher, the hindering and supportive factors faculty experienced during their transition from industry to education, and the professional development experiences they had that impacted their transition. The research resulted in a theory titled becoming faculty that articulates actionable ways to support new CTE faculty in building supportive interpersonal networks, learning the culture of academia, and finding their voice as practitioners. The dissertation consists of five chapters. The first outlines the impact of CTE faculty on local economies and the training of future workforce members. Additionally, it describes the need for further scholarship on this population of higher education faculty, who come to teaching with a wealth of industry experience but potentially little to no educational expertise. The second chapter summarizes and synthesizes the current literature on CTE faculty development. The following themes from the literature are explored: (a) characteristics of those who transition to teaching from industry, (b) conceptualization of the teaching role, (c) socialization into the culture of higher education, (d) faculty professional development, and (e) teaching practices. The third chapter articulates the methodology, including the constructivist grounded theory design with a conceptual framework incorporating elements of constructionism and organizational sensemaking. The third chapter also provides details of the methods, including the recruiting approach, data collection and analysis processes, and participant profiles. Chapter four presents the findings organized by the research questions. The findings include an articulation of the following themes: experimentation with instructional strategies, personalization of inherited curriculum, faculty experiences as students, interpersonal connections, navigating bureaucracy, the culture of academia, faculty connections to workforce, and the importance of giving faculty time to develop and flexibility in professional development. Chapter five provides a discussion of the data interpretations, including a synthesis of the findings across all research questions. The conclusions presented include how CTE faculty transitioning to community college teaching from industry need: opportunities to build a network of supportive colleagues, respect for the expertise they bring from the workforce, clarity about the institutional systems and culture they are entering, and differentiated supports. The chapter also details implications and recommendations for practice, including a full articulation of the becoming faculty grounded theory that was constructed from this research. The becoming faculty theory identifies three key ways for new CTE faculty in the Colorado system to thrive in their transition to higher education, including (a) the space to build their village through connections with colleagues, (b) opportunities to learn the college, specifically in relation to culture and bureaucracy, and (c) supports to find their voice in the classroom as confident educators.Item Open Access Why teachers stay—a mixed methods inquiry into teacher retention for mid-career public school teachers(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Cawley, Sara, author; Cooner Gines, Donna, advisor; Barnes, Wendy, committee member; O'Donnell-Allen, Cindy, committee member; Seidel, Kent, committee memberTeacher retention is a critical issue for our public schools. Inquiring why mid-career teachers stay in the profession and at their school can provide crucial insight for school leaders and administrators. This study employed an explanatory mixed methods design to investigate factors important to mid-career teachers when deciding to remain in the profession and at a specific site. The first stage of this study included a secondary analysis of the 2024 Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado (TLCC) survey. The analysis centered on three questions regarding recommending a school as a good place to work, plans for the following school year, and what most impacted that decision. After the completion of the analysis, four research questions were identified to drive the qualitative stage of the study. The first two questions for the qualitative stage sought to identify reasons teachers stayed at a specific site and in the profession and to identify support for Mason and Matas's Four Capital Theory Model for teacher retention. The final two questions sought to understand the actions of school leaders and school staff, as these two factors were identified as the most important in the analysis of the TLCC data. One significant finding of the TLCC analysis was that recommending a school as a good place to work strongly indicated whether a teacher planned to return to the same school for the following year. Furthermore, school leadership and school staff were the most influential factors in teachers' decisions, regardless of whether they planned to return to the same school (stayers) or planned to continue teaching at a different school (movers). The thematic analysis of the qualitative data also led to some significant findings, which support those found in the first stage of the study. Evidence for 9 of the 13 themes within Mason and Matas's Four Capital Theoretical Model was found in support of the model. Evidence supporting the additional themes of love and altruism and their impacts on teacher retention was also present. Five actions of school leaders were identified as being important to mid-career teachers. They are: 1) being present and involved, 2) trusting teachers and earning trust in return, 3) aligning with teachers' values, 4) setting the tone for the school's climate and culture, and 5) providing support. Five actions of school staff were also identified as important when teachers consider recommending their schools as a good place to work. They are: 1) being friendly and welcoming, 2) sharing values, 3) providing support, 4) embracing a culture of exploration and collaboration, and 5) having strong teams. To increase teacher retention among mid-career teachers, we must rely on the leaders and staff within our schools. School leaders and school staff play vital roles in creating schools where teachers want to teach. Together, they hold the key to teacher satisfaction and career longevity. Positive work environments led by engaged leaders are essential for teachers when deciding to recommend their school as a good place to work and return to the same school for the following year.Item Embargo Exploring burnout among teachers: a comparative analysis across public, charter, and private elementary school environments(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Krause Koch, Carrie, author; Gloeckner, Gene W., advisor; Fothergill, Wendy, advisor; Enns, Kellie, committee member; Frederiksen, Heidi, committee memberThis quantitative study utilized secondary data from the nationally representative 2020-2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, to investigate the relationships between teacher burnout and work environment factors among 13,560 full-time K-5 elementary school teachers in U.S. public, charter, and private schools. To ensure generalizability to the U.S. teaching population, the NTPS's complex sampling design was accounted for by applying required data weights during all analyses. The study addressed three primary research questions. First, burnout levels significantly differed across school types (X2 (2) = 102.89, p < .001). Private school teachers reported the highest burnout, followed by public and charter school teachers. Second, significant differences were found across all work condition variables—workload, classroom control, teacher collective control, recognition, leadership, teaching community, parent support, student apathy, and school types. Pairwise comparisons indicated that public and charter school teachers shared similar perceptions regarding leadership, teaching community, recognition, student apathy, and parent support, while private school teachers differed significantly from both groups. Differences emerged between education management organization (EMO) and non-EMO charter school teachers and religious and non-religious private school teachers in several work condition variables; however, effect sizes were trivial. The final research question examined correlations between work conditions and burnout across school types. Strong positive correlations were observed between leadership and the teaching community, and between leadership and recognition. The relationship between student apathy and parent support remained consistently weak and negative across all school types (ρ = -0.25). Burnout exhibited strong negative correlations with leadership and the teaching community with moderate effect sizes across all school types. Charter school teachers showed the strongest negative correlation between burnout and leadership (ρ = -0.57). Similarly, charter school teachers reported the strongest positive correlation between leadership and the teaching community (ρ = 0.77). Findings highlight common patterns and variations in the associations between work conditions and burnout across public, charter, and private school teachers. This study compared teacher burnout and work environment factors across public, charter, and private schools, highlighting significant differences. The aim was to determine if different school types and working conditions impact teacher burnout and identify potential environmental factors to mitigate burnout.Item Open Access We will overcome: narratives of Black executive women overcoming experiences of implicit bias in corporate America(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Fofanah-Green, Isatha, author; Basile, Vincent, advisor; Lynham, Sue, advisor; Da Matta, Gylton, committee member; Childers, Michael, committee memberThe purpose of my research was to study the lived experiences of Black executive women and the barriers they faced relating to race and gender differences that influenced their leadership development and limitations in U.S. corporate businesses. My goal was to explore the lived experiences as they related to implicit bias in the workplace, how they navigated the challenges based on the intersection of gender and race in their leadership roles, and the coping mechanisms that Black women holding senior level positions in corporate America used to deal with biases resulting from the effects of intersectionality. As part of this dissertation, data collection was conducted using the qualitative phenomenology method. To ensure I collected the emotions and stories of my participants, I used semi-structured questions and journaled my thoughts after each interview to capture the responses from my participants. I explained the purpose of the study to each participant and asked open-ended questions to gain insights into their experiences, contributing to a better understanding of the study. The responses from my participants presented four themes and several subthemes involving their experience as leaders working in positions not dominated by individuals sharing their racial or gender identification. The dissertation will conclude with recommendations for future research that are presented along with implications for practice in the Human Resources industry to help underrepresented Black women in executive leadership roles in U.S corporations.Item Open Access Fashion thinking: 3D simulation software, cognition, and critical thinking(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Saadatian, Katelyn Campbell, author; Kaiser, Leann, advisor; Morris, Kristin, committee member; Jennings, Louise, committee member; Aragon, Antonette, committee memberThis dissertation comprises three articles that collectively explore the cognitive and critical thinking processes involved in fashion design within virtual environments, with a particular focus on 3D simulation software. The first article establishes the theoretical foundation by introducing the THREAD framework, which highlights the integration of critical thinking and design cognition, emphasizing the hybrid nature of digital and physical workflows. THREAD identifies seven key tenets of design cognition and critical thinking: problem-solving, reflexivity, individual agency, tacit knowledge, spatial visualization, haptic memory, and creativity. The second article presents an empirical study investigating how undergraduate fashion design students engage in critical thinking while using 3D simulation software utilizing think aloud protocol methodology. Findings reveal that students exhibit reflexivity, creativity, and independent decision-making but often struggle to balance digital autonomy with deeper design analysis. The flexibility of CLO 3D fosters risk-taking yet sometimes leads to reactive rather than strategic choices. The third article examines the cognitive processes of fashion designers working in virtual environments through semi-structured artifact interviews. Key insights include the role of tacit knowledge in developing design intuition, the enhancement of spatial visualization through real-time adjustments, the engagement of haptic memory despite the absence of physical touch, and the impact of digital tools on creativity and exploration. Notably, gamification within CLO 3D encourages experimentation and risk-taking but necessitates structured reflection to maintain design depth. Synthesizing these findings, the dissertation identifies three overarching insights. First, 3D fashion thinking is inherently hybrid, blending physical and digital processes. Second, designers must develop novel cognitive strategies to adapt to digital materiality. Third, gamification is reshaping creativity within virtual design environments. Through this research, the original THREAD framework has been revised to incorporate new dimensions of virtual fashion thinking. The concept of haptic memory has been expanded to include material perception, recognizing the cognitive strategies designers employ to assess digital representations of materials. Creativity is now understood as inherently linked to playful exploration, emphasizing the role of gamified experimentation in fostering design innovation. Emotional and motivational engagement has been introduced as a crucial factor, highlighting the psychological dimensions that sustain creative momentum in virtual design. Reflexivity has been refined into two distinct levels: reactive reflexivity, which involves immediate, real-time adjustments, and strategic reflexivity, which encompasses deeper, conceptual design analysis. Additionally, perceptual adaptation has been identified as a key cognitive shift required when transitioning from physical to virtual workflows, addressing the need for designers to interpret digital materials without tactile feedback. The research contributes to the evolving discourse on virtual fashion education and practice, offering insights into how designers navigate and innovate within emerging digital spaces.Item Open Access Is it worth it? - a phenomenological analysis of the willingness to take interpersonal risk(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Novak, A. Boyd, author; Chermack, Thomas, advisor; Lynham, Susan A., committee member; Maynard, Travis, committee member; Thomas, Cliff, committee memberDeveloping and implementing new technologies are essential parts of our economic system. Organizations aim to improve career information technology (IT) project success and reduce costs. Late-stage career professionals are valuable assets for organizations to leverage in delivering these projects and capabilities to consumers. Yet, how do organizations get the most from these employees? This study explored the lived experiences of late-stage career (IT) professionals as they navigated interpersonal risk in group settings. Grounded in psychological safety, psychological availability, and resources, the research employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to provide deeper insights into these experiences than prior quantitative studies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten participants. The experiences were analyzed to identify Personal Experiential Themes (PETs), consolidated into seven Group Experiential Themes (GETs): identity, reflections, norms, dilemma, control, boundaries, and resources. The findings indicate that participants approached risky situations with a strong sense of self-identity, shaped by their past experiences and the influence of established norms. When faced with dilemmas, participants aimed for control through organized processes but often encountered difficulties concerning personal boundaries, necessitating careful resource management and decisions about risk engagement. Additionally, the study highlighted two critical resources, reputation and net wealth, which impacted participants' willingness to engage in risky situations. Reputation emerged as a vital social asset related to career longevity, while net wealth indicated future economic security and life expectations. The findings introduce a resource framework to identify the most operative resources for the individuals involved in the study, which may aid future research and HRD practitioners in better understanding and prioritizing interventions and their development. This research enhances our understanding of how people navigate interpersonal risks, offering insights that can improve employee and leadership development programs, organizational structures, and workplace culture. It provides practical recommendations to create environments that support psychological safety and ensure resource availability, boosting performance, retention, and organizational success. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and reflections on the research journey.Item Open Access Shh... there's some racism in these policies: a phenomenological study of Black student experiences with on-campus housing policies(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Crosby, Domonique, author; Basile, Vincent, advisor; Black, Ray, committee member; Oldham, Kyle, committee member; Sturdivant, Alvin, committee memberBlack students are called to live on campus and promised a better college experience by doing so. However, when Black students move on campus, they continue to experience hostile environments and microaggressions from those around them. Black students not only experience these microaggressions, but they also experience difficulties when navigating on-campus housing policies and those who enforce them. Black students express concerns about interacting with their peers, staff, faculty, and campus police departments. This study used phenomenological methodology to examine the relationship between anti-Blackness and on campus housing policies. I center Black ways of knowing and being by using BlackCrit to analyze the data and situating the study in an Afro-pessimistic frame. I frame this study through a lens that recognizes the historical positioning of Black people as less than present in the afterlife of slavery. The study dives into the experiences of Black students who live on campus and how to best support them in navigating the negative impacts of on-campus housing policies. The study calls for housing and residence life professionals to interrogate whether their policies and practices create a welcoming environment for Black students to live authentically.Item Open Access The who, what, why, of first generation Latine university student networks(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Bañuelos, Carolina, author; Birmingham, Daniel, advisor; Muñoz, Susana, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member; Cross, Jeni, committee memberPrior research demonstrates First Generation (FG) students have less access to knowledge about university processes due to a lack of relationships with adults who are familiar with these processes before and during the FG student's time at the university. This study aimed to learn more about the First Generation Latine (FGL) university student experience through an analysis of their individual university support networks. A focus on the Latine student population was intentional because FGL students have lower graduation rates, are more likely to be FG students, and the United States is expected to be one-third Latine by 2050. This study sought to find out who FGL students reported in their network, what support they received from connections in their network, and why they chose to maintain a relationship with the connections in their network. Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Model and Rendón's (1994) Validation theory guided this study's understanding of how FGL students use their knowledge and resources to leverage a network for success. Social network analysis methods were used to gather network data and semi-structured interviews supplemented the network data. Findings demonstrate FGL student networks are diverse in size, composition and structure, with a high student and staff presence. Findings also show FGL students seek a variety of support types, including navigational support, personal support, and identity support. As previous literature shows, these findings also highlight the importance of using validating practices for maintaining relationships with FGL students and supporting them on their journey of student success.Item Embargo Design, development, outcomes, and impacts of faculty development for veterinary educators: a complex mixed methods program evaluation(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Gordon-Ross, Paul, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Kaiser, Leann, committee member; Hendrickson, Dean, committee memberThis three-article dissertation presents a comprehensive approach to enhancing veterinary education by advancing the training and development of veterinary educators, thereby providing a foundation for improved veterinary student training and, ultimately, better veterinary patient care. Through a three-pillar framework, this research lays the groundwork for establishing a Continuous Quality Improvement and Innovation (CQII) program for veterinary education. The first pillar identifies the professional development needs of veterinary educators through the development and validation of the Veterinary Educator Needs Assessment (VENA) survey. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, the VENA survey was refined to capture educators' knowledge and skills and their perceived professional development needs. Exploratory factor analysis and evaluation of internal measure reliability affirmed content, response process, and internal structure of the VENA survey. A 14-item, four-factor model for knowledge and skill and an 18-item, six-factor solution for development needs explains 57.47% and 67.41% of the variance. Thus, the VENA is a valid and reliable tool for identifying the professional development needs of veterinary educators. The top two areas of perceived strength in teaching are "control of teaching session" and "establishing a positive learning environment" and "establishing a positive learning environment" and "evaluation" are the top two areas veterinary educators identified as valuable for developing and enhancing their teaching. The second pillar addresses the assessment of clinical teaching. This was accomplished through the development of a veterinary-specific evaluation instrument, the SFDP-Vet22, adapted from the Stanford Faculty Development Program 26 (SFDP-26). This instrument allows veterinary students to evaluate clinical educators in workplace-based settings. Validation processes, including exploratory factor analysis, affirmed content, response process, and internal structure, support its use in identifying strengths and faculty developmental needs to improve the teaching of clinical educators. A 22-item, six-factor solution explains 75% of the variance, indicating a robust model. Findings highlight stability in factors such as communication of goals and control of session. The third pillar focuses on establishing a structured, multi-institutional faculty development program designed to provide targeted training to improve knowledge and skills in identified areas of need and, thus, empower veterinary educators to enhance their teaching practices. The Consortium of West Region Colleges of Veterinary Medicine's Regional Teaching Academy (RTA) launched the Faculty Development Initiative (FDI), piloting the Veterinary Educator Teaching and Scholarship (VETS) program. A case study evaluation of the pilot VETS program demonstrated positive impacts on educator attitudes, knowledge, and teaching practices. Key factors contributing to program success included institutional support, the establishment of a community of practice among faculty, and tailored program development aligned with participant needs. Together, these studies create a foundation for sustained improvement and innovation in veterinary education through a continuous cycle of identifying faculty development needs, developing and delivering targeted faculty development, and longitudinal monitoring of teaching practices and performance. This continuous faculty development and quality enhancement model provides a robust foundational CQII program for improvement and evolutionary change to meet the evolving demands of veterinary practice and education.Item Open Access Participant outcomes of restorative justice conferencing within a higher education student disciplinary context(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Wichmann, Brooke Elizabeth, author; Cavanagh, Tom, advisor; Chesson, Craig, committee member; Vigil, Patricia, committee member; Donovan, Jody, committee memberThe focus of this dissertation was to understand the experiences of participants who engaged in restorative justice conferencing as part of a university's student conduct process. Student misconduct has long been a challenge within higher education, and some see restorative justice as an effective means of addressing student violations of university rules and norms. While restorative justice has been associated with positive outcomes for participants in criminal justice and K-12 educational settings, little research has been done on restorative justice within higher education. With more colleges and universities interested in incorporating restorative justice into their student conduct process, it is important to understand the experiences of participants who engage in restorative justice processes in these settings. As part of this dissertation, a non-experimental quantitative study was conducted with victims, student offenders, and community members who participated in a restorative justice conference as part of Colorado State University's student conduct process. Participants were administered pre and post-conference surveys with quantitative questions designed to obtain information about their attitudes, perspectives, experiences, and motivations. Quantitative descriptive analysis was used to investigate the frequency and variation of their scores and connections were explored between participant responses and the restorative justice theoretical paradigm, empirical findings of restorative justice research, and contemporary student conduct standards. The findings of this study suggest that it is possible for campus restorative justice programs to foster positive experiences for participants, follow contemporary student conduct standards, and be aligned with restorative justice theory. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for future research that are presented along with implications for practice to help colleges and universities operate effective restorative justice programs.Item Embargo A mixed methods analysis of the impact of a positive psychology-based college readiness course on first-year college students in Vietnam(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Phan, Khuc, author; Jennings, Louise, advisor; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Aragón, Antonette, committee member; Williams, Elizabeth, committee memberThis multiple-article dissertation presents a mixed-method study investigating the impact of a positive psychology-based College Readiness course on academic success among first-year college students in Vietnam. The course was developed in response to low retention rates and challenges faced by Vietnamese college students, aiming to reinforce factors associated with academic success, including psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and skills for effective learning. This study examined the effectiveness of this course in enhancing these outcomes. Through a systematic review of 32 ProQuest-indexed studies, Article One identified five key factors associated with college students' academic success: motivation and engagement, personality traits, self-efficacy, psychological well-being, and skills for effective learning. The review also examined the effectiveness of first-year support courses in addressing these factors. The findings of this chapter guided the development of the College Readiness course. Article Two presented a validation study for the PERMA-Profiler questionnaire, one of the instruments used to examine the effectiveness of the College Readiness course to ensure its appropriateness for assessing the psychological well-being of college students in Vietnam. Articles Three and Four reported on a convergent mixed methods study with a quasi-experimental approach, investigating the impact of the College Readiness course on Vietnamese college students' psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and self-confidence in key skills for learning. The study included 58 participants, with 36 in the experimental group and 22 in the control group. Quantitative data were collected using self-reported measures at three time points, while qualitative data were gathered through open-ended survey items and focus group interviews. The findings demonstrated that the course had a positive impact on self-efficacy and overall psychological well-being, with effects sustained six weeks post-completion. Additionally, most individual factors related to psychological well-being and self-confidence in learning skills showed significant improvements that persisted through the six-week follow-up. The qualitative data provided richer insights into the specific areas of impact and influential course elements. Article Five examined the relationships between the experimental students' IELTS scores at admission and these academic success factors prior to the College Readiness course, immediately after, and six weeks after the course ended. Collectively, these five articles contributed to the understanding of how a positive psychology-based College Readiness course can benefit Vietnamese college students by enhancing factors associated with their academic success. The results provide practical implications that can inform the design of first-year support programs, helping educators make well-informed decisions regarding the integration of positive psychology strategies to enhance students' academic success and support their transition to college in both the Vietnamese context and globally.Item Embargo On trans becoming: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of trans higher education staff(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Vigil, Rye B., author; Muñoz, Susana, advisor; Lange, Alex, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member; Hentschell, Rose, committee memberThe study explores the fluid and nonlinear process of trans becoming among transgender staff in higher education, challenging traditional narratives of linear gender transition. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) and Queer Phenomenology, the study centers on the experiences of trans employees who begin a gender transition while working at the same institution they previously identified as a different gender, navigating environments shaped by cisnormativity and heterosexism. Key themes include the emotional and physical labor of workplace transitions, trans taxation, institutional negligence, and moments of trans joy. Participants describe the tension between visibility and (in)visibility and renegotiating gendered interactions with colleagues. The findings highlight the significant challenges trans employees face due to a lack of institutional support and a disconnect between purported values of growth and support for employees to embody such growth in personal identity. Filling a gap in the literature on transgender employees in higher education, the study offers insights into systemic barriers and institutional shortcomings. Recommendations include policy reform, improved workplace practices, and sustained support systems, especially in the context of rising anti-trans legislation and hostility in the U.S.Item Embargo Bridging family funds of knowledge and school mathematics learning using Photovoice(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Bigler, Michelle L., author; Sebald, Ann, advisor; Zarestky, Jill, advisor; Birmingham, Daniel, committee member; Soto, Hortensia, committee memberStudents frequently experience a disconnect between home and school mathematical learning. Therefore, this dissertation used appreciative Photovoice family engagement to bridge the formal and informal mathematics learning divide by documenting and valuing everyday activities that support mathematical learning. Seven Northern Colorado family members and educators engaged as co-researchers to photograph and analyze their funds of knowledge for mathematical connections using an adapted Learning to Notice framework. For each photo, the co-researchers used their knowledge and skills in addition to the Standards of Mathematical Practice from the Common Core State Standards to identify connections to school mathematics instruction. The data for this six-week qualitative study was collected through observations and audio recordings of three 2-hour discussion group sessions, pre- and post-study questionnaires, photos, and image interpretations. Open coding and thematic analysis revealed that in addition to documenting a wide variety of family funds of knowledge, the co-researchers recognized and honored diverse perspectives of mathematical contexts, relevance, and connections leading to an expanded awareness of mathematical depth and richness within funds of knowledge. A co- produced interactive dissemination website contains photos, mathematical connections, and image interpretations that can be used in professional development or the broader community to extend awareness of the mathematical learning opportunities within daily tasks. This study reframed traditional family-teacher power dynamics by recognizing both family members and educators as intellectual resources for mathematical learning as they collaborated in an equitable connecting space. The findings indicate that asset-based family engagement has the potential to facilitate learning-focused school-family partnerships that can foster trust building and humanize mathematics.Item Open Access A career workshop's effect on vocational identity, career indecision and self efficacy of 10th graders(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1996) Caligiuri, Judith A., author; Daly, Joseph, advisor; Kees, Natalie, committee member; Feller, Richard, committee member; Turner, Joseph G., committee memberThe purpose of this study was to determine a career workshop's effect on the vocational identity, career indecision, and career self efficacy of 10th grade high school students: Twelve research questions were tested to determine the workshop's effect on the three dependent variables: vocational identity, career indecision, and career self efficacy. The primary independent variable was the activities in the workshop. The study also examined whether gender, ethnicity, or academic ability interacted with the treatment workshop on students' vocational identity, career indecision, and career self efficacy. Three standardized instruments were used to measure the variables. The My Vocational Situation, vocational identity scale (Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980) was used to measure vocational identity. The Career Decision Scale, career indecision scale (Osipow, Carney, Winter, Yanico, & Koschier, 1976) was to used to measure career indecision. The Occupational Self Efficacy Scale, confidence rating scale, (Betz & Hackett, 1981) was used to measure career self efficacy. The 171 subjects in this study were from two rural high schools in Colorado. Eighty seven subjects formed the treatment group sample. Eighty four students formed the control group sample. Major findings in the study indicated the treatment group increased significantly in vocational identity on the MVS post test. Career indecision was significantly lower for the treatment group, as measured by the CDS post test. Career self efficacy did not show a significant degree of change. Boys and girls in the treatment group changed significantly on post test adjusted scores in vocational identity and career indecision. Hispanics in the treatment group did not show a significant degree of change from the Hispanics in the control group on any of the dependent variables. Students of high, middle, and low academic ability did show a significant increase in vocational identity, and a decrease in career indecision. Some limitations exist. Career workshops using other assessments, other blocks of time, or alternate activities with subjects in a different demographic area may find different results. Therefore, generalizability is limited. However, indications supported the use of a career workshop intervention with high school 10th graders to increase vocational identity, and decrease career indecision. More research on the construct of self efficacy is encouraged.Item Open Access Eia ka lei: a Kānaka College Choice Framework for our survivance and ea(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Chun, Nikki Lynne Mee Kāhealani, author; Poon, OiYan, advisor; Ginsberg, Ricki, committee member; Kahumoku, Walter, III, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee memberThis research study makes a significant contribution to understanding the experiences of Native Hawaiian students in higher education and their college choice process. Research and literature focused on or inclusive of Native Hawaiians in higher education is scarce and limited (Reyes, 2018), so there is very little known about how Native Hawaiian students navigate to and through higher education. The central research question focused on developing a college choice framework specifically tailored to Native Hawaiians: What might a college choice framework look like when developed by and for Native Hawaiians? Employing KanakaCrit (Reyes, 2018) as a theoretical framework, lei making as the research design framework (Alencastre, 2017; Vaughan, 2019), and talk story methodology (Kovach, 2010; Sing et al., 1999), the study successfully elicited stories on the college choice experiences of Native Hawaiian students. The findings led to the creation of a culturally responsive Kānaka College Choice Framework, which aims to uplift the needs and values of Native Hawaiians in college choice research and contribute to the continued survivance of the lāhui (Hawaiian nation). The framework is interdisciplinary, iterative, and integrative. Like a lei, it wraps aloha (care, love) and 'ohana (family) around the student as they navigate the college choice process.Item Open Access "The past colliding with the present": a grounded theory of foster care identity development(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Hoffman-Cooper, Angela E., author; Muñoz, Susana, advisor; Barone, Ryan, committee member; Jennings, Louise, committee member; Opsal, Tara, committee memberThrough their contributions to thought pieces, advocacy activities, and presentations, several individuals with experience in foster care have affirmed the presence of a foster care identity that persists into adulthood with continued significance after exiting foster care and after graduating college. Likewise, several studies have contributed findings related to a foster care identity in the context of foster care or college, while others have alluded to the continued presence of a foster care identity after college graduation. Yet, there is a paucity of research that has considered how college graduates with experience in foster care (CGEFC) make meaning of developing a foster care identity over time. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to understand the meaning making process of developing a foster care identity for college graduates who were formerly in foster care and to identify the critical influences on the meaning making process. Data were collected through a series of three semi-structured interviews with nine participants who all experienced foster care on or after their 13th birthday, had graduated with a bachelor's degree, and identified as having a foster care identity. The extant literature and a conceptual framework guided the initial directions of the study and provided the sensitizing concepts that I drew on and departed from as I co-construct the interviews with the participants, analyzed the data, and engaged in theoretical sampling. The result of this study was an emerging theoretical perspective on the meaning making process of developing a foster care identity grounded in the experiences of the participants. The emerging theory includes five components that can be understood as sub-processes of the meaning making process of developing a foster care identity including: (a) experiencing disrupted developmental environments, (b) seeking a sense of self, (c) becoming aware of a foster care identity, (d) doing the healing work, and (e) finding meaning in experiences. Each component is explained by three dimensions that describe and characterize how the component comprises part of the meaning making process of developing a foster care identity. The components and dimensions are critically influenced by three contextual factors: (a) micro-macro level perceptions of others, (b) variations in family privilege, and (c) time. The emerging theory is intended to be dynamic in that it is not a stage-based ordinal model of identity development, rather it represents how participants uniquely made meaning of developing a foster care identity with increasing complexity over time. The emerging theory is nuanced as participants' meaning making process of developing a foster care identity differed as some individuals experienced some but not all the components or dimensions of the theory, participants experienced the components or dimensions in various orders, many participants experienced some of the components and dimensions repeatedly, and frequently the experiences in one component and dimension had impact on the other components and dimensions. The findings of this study inform recommendations for how the child welfare system and higher education institutions can support youth and students with experience in foster care through the process of developing a positive sense of self, and more specifically support their development of a foster care identity in a positive and affirming manner. Further, this study affirms a foster care identity is a construct worthy of exploring in future studies with further consideration of a foster care identity at the intersection of other personal and social identities and with attention to additional contexts.