Browsing by Author "Duane Akroyd, Committee Member"

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African American Female High School Principals: Their Pathways and Perceptions of the Position.
(2010-11-05) Bridges, Valerie; Lance Fusarelli, Committee Chair; Robert Serow, Committee Member; Paul Bitting, Committee Member; Kenneth Brinson, Committee Member; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member
Department Chair Roles in the Community College
(2006-05-08) Edwards, John W., II; Donald L. Reichard, Committee Member; J. Conrad Glass, Jr., Committee Member; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member; John S. Levin, Committee Chair
The community college mission has been revised as it has redefined the populations it serves and how the work is accomplished in response to global influences (Levin, 2000). However, the department chair has received little attention by those who study globalization and the community college (Levin, 2001). As community colleges revise their responsibilities according to local, state, and national mandates, department chairs find themselves in a maelstrom of change. The changing environment adds complexity to the chair position and influences chair behaviors. Chairs find themselves at critical junctures to influence key stakeholders within the college. This qualitative investigation examines two community colleges in the state of North Carolina as a specific context of institutional change. The data indicate that community college department chairs focus most of their attention on formal supervisory roles, followed by formal teaching roles, and then informal group maintenance roles. Perceptions of role importance were affected by constraints throughout the institution. Constraints on community college department chairs include the unequal dissemination of institutional resources among departments at the college and by college administrators, technology availability and training, as well as local variables that influence the community college. Department chairs are also limited in their actions by role ambiguity and by institutional bureaucracy. This situation uniquely positions chairs as both 'managed professionals' and 'managerial professionals,' indicating a new category of professional in higher education. Department chairs' understanding of their roles may help practitioners wield influence more competently in their institutions and may help theorists more accurately conceptualize how community college leaders manage the department as the institution meets the challenges associated with globalization. This study adds to the body of knowledge by giving theorists and practitioners a clearer understanding of the complex nature of the department chair within the current global climate.
The Effects of Parental Involvement on Students' Eighth and Tenth Grade College Aspirations: A Comparative Analysis
(2008-02-08) Brasier, Terry Gale; Carol Kasworm, Committee Co-Chair; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member; Bruce Mallette, Committee Member; Marvin Titus, Committee Co-Chair
Predicting faculty involvement in service-learning pedagogy at research institutions
(2008-04-25) Parkins, Leslie Carol; Audrey Jaeger, Committee Chair; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member; Patti Clayton, Committee Member; Rachel Willis, Committee Member
Risk Modeling for Root Caries and Mortality in Older Adults
(2004-09-27) Mauriello, Sally Murr; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member; Paula Berardinelli, Committee Member; Joseph Conrad Glass, Committee Chair; James D. Beck, Committee Member
The purpose of this study was to explore the possible association between root caries incidence and mortality in a random sample of North Carolina black and white community-dwelling older adults. Data were collected from two databases: Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) and the Piedmont 65+ Dental Study (PDS). The EPESE study provided mortality data and information pertaining to medical, social, and sociodemographic data. The PDS assessed root caries incidence and other conditions pertaining to oral health. Inclusion criteria for the present study required that each subject had to be examined at least two times during an 84-month period, retain at least one natural tooth, and not have any contraindications for periodontal probing. A total of 646 subjects met the study criteria and were included in the data analysis. Dental exams were conducted in each of the participants' homes. The dental exams were scheduled at baseline, 18-months, 36 months, 60 months, and 84 months. The exposure variable was root caries incidence. The outcome variable was death due to all causes and cardiovascular disease. Other variables used in the study included educational level, geographic community, age, sex, race, functional indices, cognitive state, tobacco use, and medical conditions. Final multivariable risk models were composed of those variables that were significant or confounded the association of root caries and mortality. Odds ratios and hazards ratios with 95% confidence intervals were derived from logistic regression and Cox's partial likelihood regression models respectively. Results showed that root caries incidence was predictive of mortality due to all causes with both the continuous (OR 1.16, CI. 1.02, 1.31 and dichotomized (OR 1.94, CI. 1.22, 3.08) exposure variable. Similar findings were seen with the survival models. This association was independent of other explanatory variables in the risk models. In conclusion, root caries is most likely a marker for a decline in systemic health.
Selected Community Leaders' Perceptions of the Role of the Community College and the Community College President in the Community.
(2010-12-01) Parker, George; Edgar Boone, Committee Chair; Ronald Shearon, Committee Member; Donald Reichard, Committee Member; Philip Mitchell, Committee Member; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member
Sisters of Diversity: A Case Study on the Roles of a Multicultural Sorority.
(2010-05-26) Johnson, Shannon; Susan Bracken, Committee Chair; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member; Audrey Jaeger, Committee Member; Monica Leach, Committee Member
Understanding Teaching Experiences: Faculty Transitions from Traditional to Online Classrooms
(2008-07-22) Lari, Pooneh; Julia Storberg-Walker, Committee Member; Diane Chapman, Committee Member; Colleen Aalsburg Wiessner, Committee Chair; Duane Akroyd, Committee Member
The purpose of this study was to describe the transition of faculty members from traditional to online environments and to examine their assumptions about their teaching and learning in face-to-face and online environments. In that it describes the transition experiences of faculty members from traditional to online environments, their teaching and learning assumptions and possible changes and transformations, this study may assist those faculty members who have been resistant to transitioning from traditional to online classrooms. The questions guiding this research were (a) How do faculty members describe their transition from teaching face-to-face to teaching in an online environment? (b) What personal, professional, pedagogical or other assumptions do faculty members hold about the teaching and learning in traditional and online environments before starting their transition and how do those assumptions change after their transition? And (c) How are the changes the faculty members experience as they transition from traditional to online environments defined along a continuum in relation to change theories? This qualitative study research was conducted as multiple case studies, meaning participants at various locations were interviewed. The results of this study contribute to creating a body of knowledge useful to institutions, faculty members, and others transitioning from traditional to online classrooms. It expands the online teaching literature regarding what teaching and learning means to the faculty members and allows them to bridge technology with pedagogy. It also contributes to the literature that discusses the role of emotional intelligence as faculty members transition from traditional to online environment and how emotions affect the decision-making process in this transition. This research also adds to the different types of presence the faculty members can have online that enable the faculty members to be more effective in the way the faculty members teach, learn, and interact within their community of practice.