Browsing by Author "Messa, Emily A."
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Item Academic Performance Differences of First-Year Undergraduate Asian And Pacific Islander Students in a Large Urban Four-Year AANAPISI in Texas(2021-12) Soeharto, Sacharania Indajati; Hawkins, Jacqueline; Hassett, Kristen S.; Cobb, Jennifer M.; Messa, Emily A.Background: Model minority myths have suggested that Asian Americans are high achievers who are without barriers to success. Due to this myth, the problems and needs of the underrepresented and underachieving Asian and Pacific Islander (API) students often can be overlooked in higher education. This study compared the differences in academic performance within API populations based on the residency status (U.S.-born, foreign-born, and international), geographic origin (five regions of Asia and the Pacific Islands), and ancestral countries of origin. The study occurred at one of two 4-year AANAPISI (Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution) in Texas. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze five factors: (1) the academic outcomes (grade point averages, credit hours earned, and academic standing status) of the overall sample of students who classify as API at a large urban four-year AANAPISI in Texas; (2) the differences in the academic outcomes of the residency status, regions, and ancestral countries of origins; (3) whether the retention and graduation rates of students differ by residency status, regions, and ancestral countries of origins; (4) whether there was a relationship between parents’ level of education and the academic outcomes of first-generation API students, and how different the academic outcomes by residency status, regions, and ancestral countries of origin, and (5) whether the parents’ level of income related to credit hours earned for first-generation API students. Method: The archival sample comprised a cohort of 1,445 first year first-time-in-college (FTIC) undergraduate students in Fall 2016 who self-identified as Asian or Pacific Islanders. This cohort was followed every Fall until the beginning of Fall 2020 and/or Fall 2021 (fourth and fifth-year graduation rate marks). The study used a quantitative approach that combined descriptive, causal-comparative, and correlational designs. SPSS was used to present the descriptive statistics that described the sample characteristics and analyze group differences (MANOVA) and correlations (Spearman rho). Results: For the 1,445 overall samples, the APIs had average GPAs of more than 3.0 and were 90% in good academic standing. However, the credit hours earned were short of the targets of 120 credit hours in the Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. There were significant differences for academic outcomes, as well as retention and graduation rates, based on regions and ancestral countries of origin, but not for residency status. The 4-year graduation rate for the API students in the urban public AANAPISI in Southeast Texas was 44.2% compared with 33.3% (the national average). The 5-year graduation rate was 64.8%. For the 531 first-generation API students, only their mother’s (not their father’s) education correlated with academic standing status, although it was very weak. Interestingly, the less educated the mother had been, the higher the child’s academic standing was. Similar to the overall sample, there were also significant differences for the first-generation API students’ academic outcomes based on regions and ancestral countries of origin, but not for residency status. There was no correlation between parents’ level of income and credit hours earned by the first-generation API students.Item Measuring Up: A Case Study Approach to Assessing the Value of University Staff Performance Measurement(2015-05) Messa, Emily A.; Horn, Catherine L.; Elkins Longacre, Teri; Olenchak, F. Richard; Penney, Lisa M.In 2011, non-instructional employees comprised approximately 60% of the workforce at four-year, post-secondary institutions in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education (2011). While the performance of instructional staff at post-secondary institutions has been the subject of much empirical study, little is known about performance measures used with non-instructional staff. This quantitative case study of one public higher education institution’s performance management process fills a critical void by describing the staff workplace culture of that institution through its performance management practices. This study evaluated the management tool of the staff performance appraisal, which is typically a corporate process that has been adapted for higher education. These management tools and corporate terminology, such as customer service, have increasingly been incorporated into the higher education culture, and little is understood about their effects on this environment (Birnbaum, 2000; Szekeres, 2006). This study utilized employee performance appraisal and demographic data for non-instructional university staff from 2,401 university employees at a large, urban research institution located in the Southwestern United States. This staff performance appraisal was divided into four components: (a) job goals; (b) job responsibilities; (c) customer focus; and (c) competencies (Human Resources, n.d.a). There were three research questions of interest in this study, including: (1) Within a university setting, how are employee competencies valued by job title within colleges and divisions? (2) How are competencies of individual university staff valued in comparison with job responsibilities, manager responsibilities, job goals and customer service? (3) How is university staff customer service valued in higher education, and are there individual and college/division differences in customer service? Multiple correspondence analysis was used to answer research question 1. Findings included that, among non-manager employees (N=1,836), the first dimension accounted for 65.11% of adjusted inertia, or explained variance, while the second dimension accounted for 23.89% of adjusted inertia. For manager employees (N=565), the first dimension accounted for 86.57% of adjusted inertia, or explained variance, and the second dimension accounted for 8.26% of adjusted inertia. Visual data in symmetric plots illustrated similarities and differences across departments for competencies valued at this institution, and identified competencies that were outliers, or could be considered for elimination. Principal components analysis was used to answer research question 2. For non-manager employees, one factor had eigenvalues greater than 1.00, cumulatively accounting for 75.74% of the total variance, and all loadings were greater than .800. For managerial employees, one factor had eigenvalues greater than 1.00, cumulatively accounting for 74.17% of the total variance, and all loadings were greater than .731. To answer research question 3, a multiple linear regression was conducted to understand variables that predicted an employee’s customer focus score. The prediction model was statistically significant for non-supervisory employees (N=1,836), F(16, 1826) =24.27, p<.001, accounting for approximately 17% of the total variance of an employee’s score on the customer focus section of ePerformance (R2 = 0.18, adjusted R2=0.17). An employee’s score on the customer focus section of ePerformance was primarily predicted by whether the employee worked in a college or department that performed the primary functions of instruction, research, academic support, institutional support, student services or auxiliaries. It was also predicted by years of service to the institution and, to a lesser extent, ethnicity. Several themes emerged from the quantitative case study including: (a) that there were too many competencies in use by this institution to rate performance; (b) the four sections used to rate employees appeared redundant; and (c) there were potential rater biases and unclear definitions of customer service. In addition to thematic findings, policy alternatives to improve performance management at this institution were included, and these were guided by institutional policy goals, current institutional practices, study findings and the research literature.Item Persistence to a STEM Degree: Analyzing the Perceptions, Academic Experiences, and Study Behaviors of Freshmen Students to Guide Future Retention Strategies(2021-05) Martens, Monica L.; Hawkins, Jacqueline; Pattison, Donna; Hassett, Kristen S.; Messa, Emily A.Background: In higher education it has been difficult not only to attract students to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors but also to address the challenges that prevent degree completion. Broadly, these challenges concern course experiences, support systems, and the self-regulation of learning. Feeling confident and engaged is important. This research brings into focus the experiences of freshmen in foundational STEM courses at the University of Houston who were taught by faculty involved in a multiyear project to improve retention. Purpose: The goals of this study were to analyze data from end-of-semester student surveys in order to (a) summarize how respondents described their experiences; (b) understand if students moved out of or into a STEM major in later semesters; (c) determine any differences between first-generation (FG) and continuing-generation (CG) respondents; (d) determine any differences between respondents who were participants in Recitation sessions and respondents who were not; and (e) investigate the relationship between course outcomes, study behaviors, and course experiences. Methods: The sample comprised first-time-in-college freshmen who completed either a foundational biology or physics course during spring or fall in 2016 or 2017. The research design was quasi-experimental and explored associations and relationships among variables using Pearson’s chi-square test of independence, independent samples t tests, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: On average, respondents were more positive than negative about their course experiences and future career plans, as well as their capacity to engage in a variety of learning strategies. Regarding procrastination, they indicated meeting deadlines, but were less positive about avoiding procrastination habits. Next, while there was attrition out of STEM majors, some non-STEM majors switched into STEM. Concerning group differences, FG respondents had more responsibilities outside of college, for care of family and work. Recitation respondents had more responsibility for care of family. FG respondents reported less confidence and more procrastination tendencies. Recitation respondents reported less confidence, a greater tendency to study with others or ask for help, and a greater impact on the semester from procrastination. For all respondents, a better grade outcome—earning a grade of A or B instead of a C—was linked to positive study habits and lower procrastination tendencies. The same outcome was associated with greater confidence, passion for the course subject, and a sense of belonging in the class. These three aspects were also related to all positive study habits, in particular those that related to making connections among content and with one’s prior knowledge. Conclusion: Higher confidence levels and a sense of belonging in a learning community, which were shown to be different for some respondents, likely have important positive effects on students’ success and persistence in college. Study strategies may play a role. Study strategies encompass a broad range of actions—from time management and rote memorization to self-appraisal of learning and connecting content within a single course to one’s prior experiences. This latter aspect had the strongest associations with feelings of confidence, belonging, and passion for a subject. Therefore, it is this aspect of learning that seems the most strategic target of future program improvements.Item The State of Texas Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Quantitative Look at Differences in State Funding, Institutional Expenditures, and Capital Space(2020-05) Molina, Mauricio; Horn, Catherine L.; Gonzalez, Elsa; Messa, Emily A.; Carales, Vincent D.Background: Capital space is a critical element for institutions of higher education that historically has been responsive to institutional growth (Chapman, 2006) and significantly costly (Kaiser, 2018; Ness & Tandberg, 2013). While typically an overlooked facet in higher education (Strange & Banning, 2015), growth in capital space is instrumental in meeting both institutional needs and strategic enrollment state goals in Texas (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2016, 2018b). Also important to the state is increasing the collegiate success of its large and growing Latinx population, of which the majority are enrolled at institutions federally designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, 2019). However, despite HSIs being vulnerable to state funding influence (Núñez, Crisp, & Elizondo, 2016) and accounting for more than half of the state’s public four-year institutions (THECB, 2018a), Texas does not mention HSIs within their strategies nor funding model. Purpose/Research: The guiding questions for this study are whether Texas is providing equitable state financial support to its public four-year HSIs when compared to its public four-year non-HSIs and if state financial support reflects state-legitimized institutional expenditures and measures differently because of HSI designation. Guided by institutional isomorphism and resource dependence frames, the study also investigates the possibility of HSI designation influencing the relationship of state funding to institutional expenditures and metrics within the state-legitimized higher education context. Methods: The analysis used publicly-available institutional data for Texas public four-year institutions (n=36) for fiscal year 2017. It explored the effect of HSI designation on mean differences across legitimized institutional expenditures and measures, capital expenditures, and capital measures using one-way multivariate analyses of variance. The study also considered the effect of accountability groups alongside HSI designation on variances across the same outcome variable categories using two-way multivariate analyses of variance. Analyses using moderated hierarchical multiple regression examined the influence of HSI designation on the associations between specific state appropriations and institutional expenditures, legitimized measures, and capital growth-related outcomes. Findings: Findings revealed that appropriations, expenditures, and measures were not statistically dissimilar between Texas HSIs and non-HSIs. Instead, state-sanctioned accountability groups were indicative of institutional differences, specifically on tenured/tenure-track faculty numbers and predicted total square footage needs. HSI designation was also found to have a nonsignificant effect on any differences in the predictive relationships of state appropriation on institutional expenditures or measures. Nonetheless, state appropriations were found to be positively correlated with institutional operating and capital expenditures. Conclusion: This research highlights the significant role that institutional capital space can have on institutional funding, growth, and capability. It also studies the place of HSIs within state strategies and funding systems that do not explicitly recognize them. As a leading state in HSI representation that is focused on capital space, Texas is fertile grounds for gaining a better understanding of the interaction between these under-resourced institutions and state appropriations. Finally, it reinforces the important call for state governments to begin playing a bigger role in supporting public institutions of higher education designated as Hispanic-serving.Item UNDERSTANDING AND MEASURING CARING(2012-05) Messa, Emily A.; Horn, Catherine L.; Gaa, John P.; Munson, William F.This study sought to understand whether prolonged involvement in activities that potentially elicit generative behaviors had an impact on the overall generativity of university staff. To date, the research on an ethic of care at universities has been largely qualitative, and a review of the literature on the psychosocial construct of care in adults notes the need for study of adults before and after exposure to activities that may potentially elicit generative, or caring, behaviors. New instruments in psychology that measure caring concern and behaviors provided potential for the empirical study of care in university supervisory staff. Using two instruments from the psychological study of adulthood generativity, the Loyola Generativity Scale (McAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992) and the Generative Behavior Checklist (McAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992), this study sought to provide important contributions to the study of adulthood generativity and higher education theory about how communities of caring staff can be developed. The sample (n=15), randomly drawn from professional, supervisory staff at a large, urban research university, were divided into treatment and control groups. Treatment group participants were directed to participate in campus activities that benefitted students during the fall semester 2011. Control group participants were not provided directed activities. Additionally, individual interviews were conducted with the participants in the treatment and control group to understand underlying themes and potential future directions for research that blends the psychological construct of care and the development of a community of caring university staff. These individual interviews became an important component of the study as the unexpectedly low number of participants limited the analyses that could be done with the survey data. Observed themes from the individual interviews were compared to the literature on adult generativity in order to provide additional insight for the importance of the creation of caring staff communities to institutions of higher education. In the study, the overall LGS mean score for the treatment group increased .57 points (on a scale from 0 to 60 points) between administrations and the overall mean score for the control group increased .13 points during the same timeframe. For the GBC, the overall treatment group mean increased .30 points (on a scale from 0-80 points) while the overall control group mean decreased .40 points between administrations of the pre- and post-tests. These findings were consistent with the individual interviews as those who participated in activities communicated their desire to continue to teach and mentor university students, became aware of student fears and stress by interacting with students, believed they were connected to the future, derived a sense of well-being through their participation, and deeply believed in the continued successful future of the university as a place where caring and transformation occur.Item Understanding the Leadership Experiences and Competencies Necessary to Advance Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education(2019-05) Frierson, Rickey Deroy; McKinney, Lyle; Horn, Catherine L.; Messa, Emily A.; Lee, Mimi MiyoungBackground: Research on leadership in higher education is extensive, but notably scarce within this scholarship is the role that executive administrators can play in leading diversity and inclusion on campus. The ability of executive leaders to create a diverse and inclusive campus climate is particularly critical at predominately White institutions (PWIs) of higher education, given many of the recent high-profile cases of discrimination, exclusion, and unequal treatment of historically marginalized students. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the experiences, skillsets, and core competencies needed by executive higher education leaders, more specifically chief diversity officers (CDO), in order to meaningfully advance diversity and inclusion efforts at PWI’s. Three research questions guided this study: 1) In what ways do the personal and professional lived experiences of these executive leaders influence their efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive campus? 2) What do executive leaders describe as the core competencies and preparation experiences necessary to thrive in the role of lead diversity officer at a university? 3) What institutional factors do executive leaders view as the key facilitators and challenges increasing diversity and inclusion on campus? Methods: This study used a multi-case study analytic approach to provide a more robust and compelling design to exam multiple cases and allow for replication in reaching conclusions. A total of n=13 executive-level administrators (e.g., executive director, vice provost, vice president, or president) from public, four-year PWIs were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The themes that emerged within and across each case became the basis for the key findings of this study. Findings: One’s personal identity and lived experiences played a central role in shaping the path to a CDO position. To develop the competencies needed to thrive as a CDO, interviewees underscored the importance of personal growth and reflection, as well continual professional development through association memberships and attending workshops and conferences. The number of years at the institution was an important factor shaping the CDO’s effectiveness, as longevity helped establish rapport with faculty and staff, build credibility, and strengthen the relationship with the administration. CDO’s placement within the organizational chart, budget allocation (or lack thereof), and ability to have honest conversations with administration about sensitive topics all affected the ability to meaningfully advance diversity and inclusion. Conclusion: Although college campuses are becoming more diverse, the demographic profile of college leadership has been slow to change. If college administrators lack the cultural competency necessary to understand the needs of diverse ethnic groups, then student success, faculty instruction, and campus culture are in jeopardy. Findings from this study can help institutions recruit effective CDOs and identify the campus resources and support that CDO’s need in order to do their job effectively. Recommendations for institutional practice include well-crafted onboarding practices for new CDO’s, diversity and inclusion trainings for all college executives, and routine assessment of diversity and inclusion initiatives across campus.