SNHU Academic Archive
Welcome to Southern New Hampshire University's online collection of student achievement, faculty research, and university archival material. Each community below contains a number of collections you may browse or search.
Communities
Select a community to browse its collections.
- School of Business
- Faculty Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »
Recent Submissions
Educator Perspectives on Inclusivity and Belonging in the Classroom
(Southern New Hampshire University, 2024-04-12) Luby, Shannon; Bergen, Abigail
In 1993, Carol Goodenow and Kathleen Grady “defined school belonging as ‘the extent to which children feel individually welcomed, respected, included, and supported by others within the school social environment’” (Allen, 2022, para. 4). This definition still applies today, but has evolved to include children feeling as though they can be their authentic self in the classroom, even if that is the only place they can be their true self. The intent of this research is to use a survey to examine educator perspectives on inclusive practices, with a focus on two elements of a classroom with a sense of belonging. First, what does an inclusive classroom environment feel like for students, and second, what strategies and practices do teachers implement that create an inclusive classroom? The results of the survey will be analyzed and presented to showcase how educators can ensure all students are celebrated, and to compare the research to what is currently happening in the classroom.
From Dark Days To Musical Ends: A Case Study on the Effects of a Musical Social Event on the Wellbeing of Geriatric Populations with Dementia
(Southern New Hampshire University, 2024-04-12) Gage, Olivia; Hendery, Michael
Dementia is one of the leading diagnoses of senior citizens. While scientists have started to discover the causes of dementia, there is no cure. Therapists and families turn to compassionate care for their loved ones with a dementia diagnosis during their final years. Music therapy is an upcoming field of therapy established in the 1970s. In recent years, therapists have started to use music therapy as a form of compassionate care. There have been minimal studies conducted to examine the effects of music therapy on the well-being of geriatrics with dementia. Through this study, caretakers of geriatrics with dementia will observe residents over 10 days surrounding a music therapy session. Via self-reported notes or interviews, the observations will be collected and analyzed to determine if there is a significant effect on the well-being of geriatrics with dementia due to music therapy. Through tagging of positive and negative well-being traits, it was concluded that there was not a significant increase in positive well-being. However, there does appear to be a skew in the data due to an increase in residents being observed after music therapy that had negative well-being traits. Comments from a second participant indicate that there may be a correlation between sleep and mental reset canceling out the positive effects of music therapy overnight. This study did not explore this correlation but foresees a possible correlation that could aid in the interpretation of this study in the future.
SNHU's Red-tailed Hawks
(Southern New Hampshire University, 2024-04-03) Naska, Makenzie; Morse, Jonathan; Salyards, Emily; York, Katharine
During our first year at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), in fall 2021, we noticed two Red-tailed hawks on campus that we named Hank and Katy. Throughout the school year, we observed frequent changes to the school environment, like trees that were cut down. The loss of forested areas caused us to worry about the safety of the hawks. We questioned the hawks’ roles on campus and wanted to learn more. Our curiosity led us to initiate this research to educate other students and conserve the hawks’ presence on campus. After about a year, the hawk pair bred and hatched a chick we named Finn. The introduction of a juvenile to the hawk family carried our data along into the 2nd year of research. The guiding questions of our research were (1) How does the family of Red-tailed hawks interact with the SNHU campus and community? and (2) In what area of the campus are the hawks nesting? We used a campus survey, social media, observations, and drone deployment to collect data. We found there was a mutualistic relationship between the campus and the hawks. The campus provided a habitat for the hawks while the hawks controlled animal populations through hunting. We also found that the SNHU community was knowledgeable about the hawks' presence, as shown by their involvement in the survey and social media. We did not locate an exact nesting site. However, we believe that the southern forested area of campus is the most likely location due to the protective habitat provided by the trees. We aim to continue our research through next year by engaging with the community and creating an informative plaque to display our research.
How Can New Hampshire be Available for Youth with Mental Health Needs?
(Southern New Hampshire University, 2024-04-04) Kelly, McKayla; Gilbert, Adam
Three-Year Degree Programs and Factors for Success
(Southern New Hampshire University, 2023-04-17) Viator, Kyle; Randolph, Gregory; Blais, Christine; Aybar, Bulent; Lynch, Andrew
The time it takes a student to complete a bachelor's degree in college is ever-changing. The four-year timeframe to finish a degree in the United States has become a dream many will not accomplish for various reasons. Looking to the past, we have seen bachelor’s degrees go from a three-year timeframe to a four-year timeframe, college costs have increased drastically, and students are paying for the impact that time and cost have had on them for years after graduation.
This research resulted in a case study that showcases the work of a sample U.S. universities efforts in developing and delivering three-year undergraduate business degrees, student performance, and alumni perceptions after graduation. It presents the results of a survey that was conducted, proving that the reduction in cost is the main driver for students to enroll and persist to graduation. Experiential learning opportunities woven throughout the curriculum was also a unique programmatic attribute that alumni found to be appealing while being a student and after graduation. The research also looks at a dataset of this same population and analyzes trends found based on their performance and attributes of their college experience. The main finding was that the high school GPA was the most correlated with success in a three-year undergraduate degree. These results lead to propositions that can be used in future program design for universities looking to develop three-year undergraduate degrees.
The qualitative aspect of this research lies in the European interviews around three-year undergraduate degrees. A series of interviews were conducted with higher education professionals in Europe to understand their perceptions of the degrees, their effectiveness, and how students manage to complete them. The interviews resulted in a discussion around the increased need for master’s degrees, the length of time individual majors should take a student to complete, and the mental length concerns over students graduating in three years. The findings again will be developed into propositions that will allow for an international perspective when developing three-year degrees in the future. Further research will be recommended based on the limitations of this study and other areas that presented themselves during the course of the investigation.