FaithBased Research Among CAHEA Schools

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Faith-Based Research Among CAHEA Schools

• Richard Ellis, Ph.D.
• Dean of Graduate Professional Studies
• John Brown University

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Introductions
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John Brown University

• Main Campus in Siloam Springs, Arkansas
• Office and Classroom facilities in Springdale,
  Fort Smith, and North Little Rock
• Teaching sites in Bentonville, Harrison, Hot
  Springs, El Dorado
• 1150 traditional undergraduates, 525 DCP
  students, 425 graduate students
• DCP majors in Organizational Management, Business
  Information Systems, Early Childhood Education
• Began degree completion programming 1993

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Dick Ellis

• 25 years in Christian college administration 18
  years in adult/non-traditional higher education
• HLC Consultant-Evaluator and member of the
  Accreditation Review Committee
• Participated in 5 accreditation self-studies (2
  HLC, 3 SACS)
• With CAHEA since 1995, 4 years on Leadership
  Council, 2 years as president
• Ph.D. from the University of Michigan Center for
  the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education,
  Masters from Biola University, Bachelors from
  William Tyndale College.

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Faith-Based Research?

• Not research based on faith, but research
  based on empirical data for faith-based colleges
  and universities in the area of adult higher
  education and accelerated degree completion
  programs.

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Reasons for research

• Assessment of Learning
• Resource allocation
• Planning for student support services
• Accreditation
• Personal interest or academic pursuits

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Areas of Academic Research

• Student Satisfaction
• Learning Outcomes
• Student demographics
• Graduation/Completion rates
• Faculty perspectives

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Areas of Management Research

• Cost of recruitment per student
• Faculty compensation
• Faculty teaching loads
• Student-advisor ratios
• Costs of instruction per student

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Other areas???
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Sources of Data

• Federal (e.g, IPEDS, Census)
• State
• Inter-Institutional
• Subscribed or purchased (e.g., I.D.E.A., Adult
  Student Learner Inventory)
• Internal Institutional data
• Internal departmental data
• Doctoral dissertations

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Selected Research Dissertations on Adult Degree
Completion Programs, 1996-2005

• Richard Ellis, Ph.D.
• Dean of Graduate Professional Studies
• John Brown University
• Siloam Springs, Arkansas

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Administration Organization
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Anunike, Emmanuel Osita (2001) A case study of a
degree completion program at a midwest
university. Dissertation (Ph.D.), University of
Dayton.
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Balzer, Wendy J. (1996) The utilization of the
principles of good practice in adult degree
completion programs. Dissertation (Ed.D.)
Northern Arizona University.
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Christman, Philip D. (2004) Students' perceptions
of various opinions thought to contribute to the
successful completion of a bachelor's degree
from a private, Christian college a
Q-Methodological study. Dissertation (Ph.D.),
Kent State University.
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Feldman, Patricia Anne (2004) Bachelor's degree
completion programs factors influencing success
for adult students. Dissertation (Ed.D.), Arizona
State University.
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Student Learning
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Alden, Patrick Tecumseh (2001) Adult learning
experiences in a cohort-based, accelerated
undergraduate degree completion program.
Dissertation (Ed.D.), Northern Illinois
University.
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Freiberg-Svoboda, Gwen (2003) A study of informal
learning in an adult degree-completion cohort
program. Dissertation (Ed.D.), Northern Illinois
University.
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Herd, Tracie R. (1998) A survey of alumni
perceptions regarding effectiveness of selected
experiential learning activities in accomplishing
module goals of adult baccalaureate degree
completion programs at selected Christian
colleges. Dissertation (Ed.D.), University of La
Verne.
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Manbeck, Natalie K. (1996) Teaching/learning
experiences meanings constructed by participants
in a degree completion program for adult
students. Dissertation (Ed.D.), National-Louis
University
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Pelon, Bruce E. (2000) Cohesiveness and
self-directed learning in nontraditional cohort
degree completion programs is one compatible
with the other? Dissertation
(Ph.D.), University of Wyoming.
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Sherlock, Jeffrey F. (1997) The assessment of
student learning outcomes in management and
business-related adult accelerated degree
completion programs in the Council for Christian
Colleges and Universities. Dissertation
(Ed.D.), Ball State University.
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Tanya Renee Tillett (2003) A matter of degrees
an evaluation of instructor concept of writing
effectiveness in an adult accelerated degree
completion program. Thesis (M.A.), North Carolina
State University
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Spiritual Personal Formation
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Hutchings, Catherine A. (1996) Perspective
transformation among adult students in a
nontraditional degree completion program.
Dissertation (Ed.D.), Oklahoma State University.
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Joiner, Delilah Gale (2003) Educational
experiences and the Christian college mission
perceptions of learners in adult
degree-completion programs. Dissertation (Ed.D.),
Oklahoma State University.
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Kennedy, Michael H. (2001) Spirituality in the
workplace an empirical study of this phenomenon
among adult graduates of a college degree
completion program. Dissertation (D.B.A.), Nova
Southeastern University.
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Root, Thomas L. (1999) Getting there a study of
adult undergraduate persistence to graduation in
an adult-centered degree program.  Dissertation
(Ph.D.), University of New Mexico.
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Vos, Matthew S. (2003) Bridging thought
communities implications of membership in
degree-completion program groups for the
self-concepts of adult students. Dissertation
(Ph.D.), University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
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Faculty
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Carlson, Marjorie F. (2005) Agency theory is
there a relationship between rewards and
organizational commitment for adjunct faculty
teaching in adult degree completion programs at
Christian colleges? Dissertation (Ph.D), Nova
Southeastern University.
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Pendleton, Martha Hall (2005) A study of the
perceptions of John Brown University advance
degree completion program adjunct faculty
regarding their faculty development needs.
Dissertation (Ed.D.), University of Arkansas.
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Dissertation value and short-comings

• Value Developed under strict academic
  attention, include literature review, evaluations
  of secondary research and the introduction of new
  primary research
• Short-comings not always practical, not focused
  on areas of need, and topic selection is
  serendipitous.

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Remaining NeedComparable Data Sets

• Data specifically on
• degree completion programs
• at faith-based institution.

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Creating the database

• CAHEA is uniquely positioned to create this
  database and establish normative data and
  industry standards for inter-institutional
  comparisons.

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Proposed First Steps

• Create a common course evaluation form
• Aggregate the data from multiple institutions
  (3-5 universities)
• Share the results of the research
• Expand the research to incorporate additional
  institutions and create other data sets.

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A Call for Partners

• If you are interested in participating in a
  pilot project to establish a comparative
  inter-institutional database on Christian adult
  higher education, contact me at
• REllis_at_jbu.edu

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A word to motivate

• Research takes time and resources
• Either you take from your staffs time or you
  invest in this area
• Boldly approach your administration with the
  admonition that if they want a quality,
  efficient, effective program you need for
  resources for research.
• Encourage your staff and faculty to study
  accelerated adult education as part of their
  advanced degrees.

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Questions . . . and Attempted Answers

• Dr. Richard Ellis
• John Brown University
• REllis_at_jbu.edu
• 479-524-7259