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Barriers To Online Education: A Qualitative Study of First-Generation Online Community College Students and the Barriers They Face
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the barriers that first-generation community college students face when enrolling in online courses. The theory guiding this study is Bourdieu’s capital theory, which details possible barriers students may face when enrolling in online courses. The barriers associated with Bourdieu’s capital theory include economic, cultural, social, and technical. The method employed in this research is a qualitative phenomenological approach, focusing on the lived experiences of first-generation community college students enrolled in online courses. Using a hermeneutical approach, the research was focused on the stories and lived experiences of each participant. The study took place at a local community college in central Pennsylvania, focusing on 10 participants who are first-generation students who are enrolled in online courses. The study used three forms of data collection, including a questionnaire, semi-structured individual interviews, and focus groups. Data was analyzed using the horizontal method. The findings of this study indicate that barriers still exist in online education, especially for first-generation community college students. These barriers could be categorized as economic, social, cultural, and technical barriers
Job Burnout and Executive Leader Turnover
No full textExecutive leadership roles are characterized by increasing organizational demands that necessitate substantial cognitive and physical effort, thereby elevating the risk of emotional exhaustion, diminished work engagement, decreased job satisfaction, and increased turnover intention. This study investigates the impact of organizational and occupational stressors on executive clergy leader burnout and turnover intentions. A qualitative single case study was undertaken to delve into the challenges faced by executive clergy leaders (senior, executive, or associate pastors) in the religious sector, where demanding workloads are exacerbating role ambiguity, creating work-life balance conflicts, fostering unhealthy work practices, and influencing job burnout. Three organizational theories (e.g., job demands-resource, organizational support, and social exchange) are used to evaluate the employee-employer dynamic and its influence on organizational stressors and behaviors, This qualitative study utilized purposive sampling to recruit 42 executive clergy leaders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants, while a secondary group of 16 completed the CBI to facilitate data triangulation. Employing a flexible thematic analysis approach, the study identified nine overarching themes, supported by secondary and tertiary themes, that addressed the three primary research questions. Key findings highlight the prevalence of moderate emotional exhaustion among executive clergy, primarily driven by excessive workloads, role ambiguity, inadequate management support, and a growing emphasis on addressing the multifaceted aspects of clergy well-being. NVivo 15.2 supported data collection, analysis, organization, and visual representation of the results
Timeless: A Sanctuary in Libraries
Get PDFThis Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing thesis focuses on the literary element: character development. It includes a vision and background for the thesis project as a whole. An analysis of characters involved in wartime conflict will focus on William Shakespeare’s tragedies Macbeth and Hamlet and various characters in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. The creative manuscript that concludes the thesis incorporates fantasy and war genres and character development research. The manuscript aims to shed light on traumatic events in our modern world rather than use escapism in fantasy to ignore them
Critical (G)Race Theory: A Biblical Response to the Growing Secular Social Justice Movement
Get PDFCritical Race Theory is a worldview that has taken the social justice world by storm in recent years and has even begun to present itself within the teachings of much of the Church. Oftentimes, secular social justice looks to scripture due to the commands for justice found therein to justify their goal of racial justice and equity. However, while the causes of secular social justice movements and CRT are noble, the ideologies and methods they employ are unbiblical and immoral in many instances. CRT itself is a worldview that promotes further injustices that are just as immoral, if not more so, than the evils it and secular social justice wish to eradicate. This ideology and the methods of secular social justice must be addressed inside and outside the church and replaced with more biblical principles of justice
The Virginia General Assembly Needs to Spe(LLC) It Out: What Are the VLLCA’s Fiduciary Duties and the Standards That Parties Must Abide By?
Get PDFThe limited liability company (LLC) has quickly become the most popular business entity in the United States thanks to its favorable pass-through tax treatment, limited liability, and customizability. A catalyst to this success is the parties’ ability to customize their business’s leadership structure and members’ relations through an operating agreement. In the world of business law, the fiduciary relationship and the duties that accompany it—loyalty, care, and good faith—are essential due to the need in a complex society for parties to bargain for and share or acquire different knowledge, skills, or expertise to accomplish particular goals. The flexibility of the LLC allows business owners to modify the fiduciary duties, either through strengthening, reducing, or eliminating them, in ways they feel favor the needs of their LLC. Most states are clear in their approaches to fiduciary duties and how parties may alter them, if at all. Virginia aims to further promote the favorable feature of customization by stating in the Virginia LLC Act (the VLLCA) that the Act is to be construed in a way that gives maximum effect to the principle of freedom of contracting and the enforcement of the parties’ operating agreements. However, the VLLCA and the case law that interprets it, especially concerning fiduciary duties, are ambiguous and inconsistent. Such ambiguity is antithetical to this goal, and risks increased transaction costs amongst parties and unexpected outcomes when enforcing their agreements. The VLLCA’s approach to fiduciary duties is skeletal and does not detail what the duties entail and if they may be modified or eliminated. Therefore, Virginia’s case law surrounding this provision is the primary resource practitioners and contracting parties must rely upon when determining how to approach fiduciary duties. Two Supreme Court of Virginia precedents, Remora Investment, LLC v. Orr and Simmons v. Miller, both expressly state that parties are free to shape the VLLCA’s fiduciary duties requirement as they see fit and seem to indicate that they may do so in a significant way. Still, both cases mainly discuss the parties’ ability to strengthen the role of the fiduciary duties.
Concerning another provision of the VLLCA, another Virginia Supreme Court precedent, Ott v. Monroe, sets forth the canon of construction of the VLLCA that unless the phrase “unless provided in the articles of organization or an operating agreement” precedes the statutory dictates then that provision is mandatory and may not be altered by contract. This approach was further affirmed by an amendment from the Virginia General Assembly, solving the issue in that case. The Virginia fiduciary duties provision does not have the phrase, thus leading to the conclusion, based upon the holding in Ott, that its already ambiguous dictates are mandatory and may not be eliminated or reduced. Reading Ott consistently with Simmons and Remora would indicate that parties can strengthen their fiduciary duties through contract but not reduce or eliminate them. To solve the ambiguities surrounding the VLLCA’s fiduciary duties and further the goal of freedom of contracting, the Virginia General Assembly should first amend the VLLCA’s fiduciary duty provision to make it more detailed and precise through clear labeling and well-defined standards. Second, Virginia should look to the approach adopted by the majority of states and add a provision within the VLLCA outlining if any provisions are mandatory and, if so, to what extent they may still be modified. This provision should make the fiduciary duties modifiable. These critical changes will facilitate freedom of contracting and lead to parties being more informed about what they can draft into their operating agreements, leading to lower transaction costs and avoiding unexpected outcomes
Workplace Conflict: Its Nature, Peculiarities, and Prevention
Get PDFWorkplace conflict can arise from negative attitudes, lazy coworkers, and stress. In most cases, conflict can be instigated by managers, supervisors, colleagues, or the employer\u27s inability to meet specific demands or provide necessary resources. The aftermath of workplace conflict can be detrimental, destructive, and expensive when it escalates. Conflict can be a significant source of stress at work. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of participants in regard to the nature of conflict, motivational tools, and strategies for conflict prevention. This study was directed by theoretical frameworks, including post-positivism, dual concern theory, social cognitive theory, conflict management theory, and servant leadership theory. Thirty-three diverse participants participated in a semi-structured interview process during which they shared their lived experiences. The responses were analyzed for recurring themes within the phenomenon. The study identified eighteen themes related to workforce conflict in the public sector, all of which have previously been observed in the private sector but had not been studied in the public sector. However, some themes were notably absent, such as bullying. Seven themes pertained to the nature of conflict: supervisor\u27s negative attitude, job-related stress, hostile work environment, lazy coworkers, communication culture, unethical behavior, and inadequate resources. Additionally, three themes emerged regarding the impact of employer motivation on employees: trust-building, reward systems/recognition, and performance reviews. Eight themes were found for best strategies for preventing conflict: forgiveness and apology, acknowledgement of misunderstanding, professionalism, mediation, collaboration, negotiation, effective communication, and training
Data Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study
Get PDFThe purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study is to explore the essential data and digital literacies for instructors in community colleges, trade schools, and vocational training programs located in the South to work with artificial intelligence (AI) effectively. The theory guiding this study is based on Max van Manen\u27s framework on lived experiences and Paul Ricoeur\u27s narrative theory, which is designed to enhance understanding of the perception and implementation of these literacies within an AI-augmented educational domain. As society\u27s reliance on data continues to grow, it becomes essential to equip all citizens with the skills required for data literacy (Wolff et al., 2016). The central research question is: How do instructors perceive the role of digital literacy in preparing students for an AI-driven society? Employing a qualitative methodology, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 11 individual participants and eight participants in a focus group. A document analysis of the participants\u27 responses provided a comprehensive view of the educational practices supporting digital and data literacy development. Through interviews and focus groups with instructors, the findings highlight a shift in digital literacy that encompasses technical proficiency, critical thinking, and ethical discernment. Participants expressed concerns about AI\u27s potential to introduce and perpetuate biases in decision-making processes, especially in high-stakes fields such as finance, real estate, and education, where algorithmic outcomes can impact equity and opportunity. The findings show the importance of human oversight and suggest that AI should augment rather than replace human judgment, advocating for adaptive learning approaches that personalize education without sacrificing ethical integrity
Clinton’s March: A Strategic and Logistical Study of the Crown Forces’ March Through New Jersey in 1778
Get PDFThis paper reexamines the British army\u27s march through New Jersey in the summer of 1778, led by Sir Henry Clinton, challenging the traditional narrative that portrays Clinton’s movements as a mere retreat following the loss at the Battle of Monmouth. Instead, it argues that Clinton’s actions were part of a calculated strategy to provoke General George Washington’s Continental Army into a decisive engagement that could potentially end the Revolutionary War. By analyzing Clinton’s leadership decisions, logistical considerations, and the army’s experience during the march, this work reveals a more nuanced intention behind the British movements. The paper contends that Clinton’s use of deception, manipulation of terrain, and psychological warfare were designed to force Washington into a position where he would be tempted to offer battle. When these elements are considered within the larger context of the Monmouth Campaign, they suggest that Clinton was not merely retreating but was actively seeking a confrontation that could secure a conclusive victory. Through this lens, the paper reevaluates the significance of the march and its place in the broader strategic goals of the British campaign during the summer of 1778
Exploring the Influence of Police Officers Lived Experiences on Implementing Community Oriented Policing of Marginalized Populations
Get PDFThe oppositional relationship between the police and communities characterized as marginalized populations aptly describes an adversarial dynamic that hinders the effective implementation of guardian-focused, community-oriented policing. Fears of crime, claims of police bias, dehumanization, and perceptions of social disorder frequently breed socioeconomic decline in these communities. These conditions often contribute to citizens of marginalized communities viewing police officers as traditional policing warriors versus the roles of police as guardians who assist and protect the public. The problem is that the lack of cooperation and mutual distrust in interactions between the police and communities leads to external friction and internal organizational and bureaucratic stressors, resulting in heightened officer turnover, mental and physical wellness problems, absenteeism, and maladaptive behaviors in police agencies. It helps policing leaders to understand the adult developmental impacts of lived experiences as social phenomena that shape officers’ attitudes, resiliency, and willingness to embrace and conduct effective community-oriented policing. This qualitative study, through interviews with policing leaders, phenomenologically examines the gap in research examining the impacts of adult developmental experiences to provide insights into practices that show promise in improving officers’ support of community-oriented policing. It uses interviews with supervisory police officers and qualitative analysis to reveal experiential factors affecting their embrace and effective implementation of community-oriented policing practices in marginalized populations. This awareness can assist policing leaders with establishing adult developmental conditions that improve police performance, police officer retention, development, and wellness while serving socially challenging communities
Defending the Doctrine of Hell
Get PDFThe doctrine of hell, or the final state of the wicked, has become one of the most objectionable Christian doctrines because it depicts God as vengeful and wrathful, which is offensive to human sensibilities. As an extension of the problem of evil, where God is put on trial for allowing what may appear to be gratuitous pain and suffering in the world, many Christians and non-Christians alike wonder how a loving God could consign people to suffering in hell forever. After all, why didn’t God make a world where all would be saved if He is truly loving? Belief in the doctrine of hell becomes a dealbreaker for many outside of the faith, while inside the faith, the doctrine of hell causes doubts about God’s character and God’s justice. The following study will provide a biblical overview of the doctrine of hell by examining key words and ideas from both the Old and New Testaments and then will address theological misconceptions and common questions about the doctrine of hell. The goal is to comprehend the doctrine of hell as best as possible given the biblical teachings on the subject and given the other doctrines of Scripture that relate to hell with the working assumption is that hell is a place of eternal, conscious torment, which is the traditional, Christian understanding of hell and arguably the most difficult view of hell to defend. When rightly understood, the doctrine of hell is biblically attested, theologically coherent, and philosophically defensible. Without the doctrine of hell, there is no final justice in the world