Collaboration Beyond the School

The authors of this chapter posit that collaboration with related and instructional personnel, as well as regional and state education agencies, can serve to combat teacher retention issues while improving student services. Acknowledging common barriers to effective collaboration, practical tools for overcoming these challenges are suggested. Further, key stakeholders in the collaborative process and their roles are identified. The chapter concludes by organizing collaborative efforts to engage in throughout a student's educational career.

Reimagining the Delivery of International Student Services During a Global Pandemic: A Case Study in the United States

The COVID-19 global pandemic caught the United States and the rest of the world ill-prepared, and many institutions of higher education continue to wrestle with unprecedented challenges to provide effective support services to their students. This paper examines how a mid-sized university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States reimagined the delivery of services to its international student population at the onset of the health crisis. The study employed a qualitative method and a case study research design to describe, from an institutional perspective, the shift from a traditional in-person service model to a virtual mode of support for international students as a result of campus closures and a switch to remote learning. Based on the findings, the authors offer five key considerations that can be crucial in effectively delivering International Student Services in an online environment. Implications for international educators and support staff are discussed.

Challenges in Gender Mainstreaming in the Department of Education: Basis for Proposed Intervention Program for Secondary Teachers in the Division of Zambales

The study aimed to determine the challenges in gender mainstreaming in the Department of Education. The study made use of descriptive research design with the aid of questionnaires the main instrument in gathering the data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The study revealed that a typical respondent was in their middle adulthood aged thirty-one to forty, majority were female, most have rendered zero to four years in service, more than half of the public secondary teachers are Teacher I, and most of the public secondary teachers attended three to five numbers of relevant training on gender mainstreaming. The public secondary teachers identified that the security, health and other student services was moderately serious problem while facilities, administration, instruction and curriculum was not a problem. There was a statistically significant difference on the problems encountered by the public secondary teachers on the gender mainstreaming implementation in terms of administration and curriculum when grouped according to age and number of relevant training attended on gender mainstreaming. There was a statistically significant difference on the problems encountered by the public secondary teachers on the gender mainstreaming implementation in terms of instruction when grouped according to number of relevant training attended on gender mainstreaming. There was a significant difference on the problems encountered by the public secondary teachers on the gender mainstreaming implementation in terms of facilities when grouped according to sex, length of service and number of relevant training attended on gender mainstreaming. There was a significant difference on the problems encountered by the public secondary teachers on the gender mainstreaming implementation in terms of security, health and other student services when grouped according to sex and number of relevant training attended on gender mainstreaming. The proposed intervention program addresses the gender mainstreaming implementation for public secondary teachers in the Division of Zambales

The Mediating Effects of Student Services on Engagement Among First-Generation and Transfer Students Who Use Disability Services at Community Colleges

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this research is to explore the way use of student services can mediate engagement among first-generation and transfer students who use disability services at community colleges. The following research questions guided the current study: (1) At community colleges, how does frequency of use of student support services significantly relate to engagement among students who use disability services? (2) For first-generation and transfer students with disabilities, in what way does frequency of use of these services mediate engagement among this population? Method: Using Community College Survey of Student Engagement data, the relationship between frequency of use of student services and engagement behaviors was measured for 7,441 students using disability services. Through structural equation modeling, mediation effects of use of services on engagement for first-generation and transfer students with disabilities at community colleges were measured for academic challenge, support for learners, and student-faculty interaction. Results: Accounting for other student background characteristics, academic advising and career counseling were directly related to these measures and additive effects of this second service held for first-generation students with disabilities, but not transfers. Conclusion: These findings contribute to understanding which student services are successful pathways to increased engagement among students who use disability services. This research complements previous scholarship on increasing access of these services for this group, while suggesting further research may be conducted to understand quality of experience among student services.

Sustaining Healthy Staying Communities in University Residential Halls amid Unprecedented Pandemic

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most teaching and learning or student services in the higher education setting have moved to the digital world. However, university residential halls have continued to provide services as there are students who are unable to go back to their homes/countries because of travel bans or family reasons. This study investigates the perceptions of residents who stayed at university residential halls during the pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted with 77 staying residents from four public universities in Hong Kong. Through the sharing of their residential experience, it was found that these stayers were impacted greatly by the changes in the residential hall environment, particularly in terms of reduced interaction and emerging disciplinary concerns. Results reveal that stayers had undergone different negative mental states, namely stress, paranoia, loneliness and boredom. After identifying their conditions, some sustainable residential practices were proposed, such as maintaining minimum face-to-face contact for stayers, practicing transparent communication and arranging bulk purchases of living supplies. It is hoped that the results of this study can help to inform readers regarding the possible impacts on the stayers during a partial lockdown environment in university residential halls and how they can be better supported by universities.