- Kansas State University
1100 Mid-Campus Drive
316 Bluemont Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506 - 785-532-5940
- I teach in the MS in College Student Development, MS in Academic Advising, and PhD in Student Affairs programs in the... moreI teach in the MS in College Student Development, MS in Academic Advising, and PhD in Student Affairs programs in the College of Education at Kansas State University. My research focuses on issues related to spirituality and religion in higher education. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChristyMCraft.edit
The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of classroom climate held by 3,900 undergraduate non-Christian and Christian students at 1 large Midwestern university and to determine whether those perceptions influenced their... more
The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of classroom climate held by 3,900 undergraduate non-Christian and Christian students at 1 large Midwestern university and to determine whether those perceptions influenced their academic success and intent to persist. The results suggested that Christian students held more positive perceptions of classroom climate than non-Christian students. Moreover, regardless of their perception of classroom climate, Christian students were more academically successful and had higher intentions to persist than non-Christian students. For all of the students in the study, positive perceptions of classroom climate advantageously impacted academic success and intent to persist.
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Because almost one half of students enrolled in American doctoral programs do not complete their degrees, the factors that lead to doctoral student attrition need to be identified. Research suggests that the nature of the advisor-advisee... more
Because almost one half of students enrolled in American doctoral programs do not complete their degrees, the factors that lead to doctoral student attrition need to be identified. Research suggests that the nature of the advisor-advisee relationship contributes to the persistence levels of doctoral students. In this study, we conducted a content analysis of institutional documents related to advising in two types of doctoral programs in education. Using data collected from a purposeful sample from universities, we analyzed policies, procedures, and expectations related to doctoral student advising. The findings lead to important implications for clarifying roles of advisors and expectations for graduate student advising.
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The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate howChristian faculty members integrate their religious identity with their professional identity within public colleges and universities.Semi-structured interviews with 12... more
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate howChristian faculty members integrate their religious identity with their professional identity within public colleges and universities.Semi-structured interviews with 12 Christian faculty members shed light on their perceived religious ‘‘calling’’ to public higher education, as well as revealed insights as to how they overtly and covertly attempt to express their religious identity within the workplace.
Although some scholars have highlighted the challenges faced by academic mothers in secular higher education and others have investigated those of Christian academic mothers in Christian higher education, none have looked at the... more
Although some scholars have highlighted the challenges faced by academic mothers in secular higher education and others have investigated those of Christian academic mothers in Christian higher education, none have looked at the experiences of Christian academic mothers in secular higher education. This autoethnographic study was conducted to analyze and to interpret 1 evangelical Christian’s experiences as a new academic mother at a secular university. The results of this study suggest that religious academic mothers working in secular higher education might benefit from drawing on religious-based strategies for dealing with the unique challenges that they face in their pursuit of fulfilling their dual calling to both career and motherhood.
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While many scholars have written about the experience of academic motherhood in higher education, with their research revealing a number of challenges faced by academic mothers, none have presented an in-depth view of the transition of... more
While many scholars have written about the experience of academic motherhood in higher education, with their research revealing a number of challenges faced by academic mothers, none have presented an in-depth view of the transition of returning to work after maternity leave. For this reason, the authors used a narrative inquiry approach to analyze and interpret the first author’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences as she transitioned from maternity leave to full-time academic work as a tenured, associate professor of education at a research university. During that transition, she faced challenges related to the prioritization and fulfillment of her academic work as well as those associated with childcare and household responsibilities. The authors provide suggestions for new, or soon-to-be-new, academic mothers and recommendations for higher education personnel to support new academic mothers who are transitioning to the full-time workforce.
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The purpose of this article is to equip housing professionals at public colleges and universities to adequately handle the challenges related to the religious expression of residents and resident assistants living in the residence halls.... more
The purpose of this article is to equip housing professionals at public colleges and universities to adequately handle the challenges related to the religious expression of residents and resident assistants living in the residence halls. To that end, case law and other legal principles are discussed to provide guidance related to the freedom of religious expression within residential environments at public institutions. Furthermore, the fear of offending students is addressed in an effort to encourage productive dialogue about religious differences.
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As part of a larger investigation into the experiences of 25 evangelical Christian student leaders at two public universities, students were interviewed to determine how they conceptualized their religious identity as well as how that... more
As part of a larger investigation into the experiences of 25 evangelical Christian student leaders at two public universities, students were interviewed to determine how they conceptualized their religious identity as well as how that dimension of their identity impacted their roles and responsibilities as students. Results suggest that the public identity work of these students may involve two interrelated, yet distinct, processes: identity revelation and “identity authentication.”
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This phenomenological investigation highlights the experiences of evangelical Christian student leaders at two Midwestern public universities. These students perceived their public university environments not only as incongruent with, but... more
This phenomenological investigation highlights the experiences of evangelical Christian student leaders at two Midwestern public universities. These students perceived their public university environments not only as incongruent with, but also as antagonistic and oppressive toward, their values, beliefs, and behaviors. Besides detailing how these students navigated their culturally incongruent environments, the authors introduce the concept of “social status ambiguity” to describe how differing perceptions of the religious identity of these students may result in the concurrent existence of the privileged and oppressed social statuses in that identity domain.
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Student affairs administrators representing four types of institutions were interviewed to determine the role that religio-spirituality plays in their professional lives. Results reveal that most desire more freedom to express this aspect... more
Student affairs administrators representing four types of institutions were interviewed to determine the role that religio-spirituality plays in their professional lives. Results reveal that most desire more freedom to express this aspect of their identity in that it has a salient impact in how they work with students. However, several reasons are given for the reluctance of many to freely express their religio-spirituality with their colleagues.
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The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate possible gender differences in the nature and role of the contextual influences (events, experiences, and relationships) that shape multiple dimensions of identity during college.... more
The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate possible gender differences in the nature and role of the contextual influences (events, experiences, and relationships) that shape multiple dimensions of identity during college. Fifteen college alumni used lifelines to document their identity-shaping experiences during college; two interviews were conducted with each of these alumni. Findings suggest the existence of gender differences in the following areas: types of contextual influences that shape identity during college, reactions to those contextual influences, and attributions of salience to various identity dimensions.
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The purpose of this qualitative research was to analyze the dimensions and manifestations of identity development embedded within commonly used instruments measuring student identity development. To this end, a content analysis of ten... more
The purpose of this qualitative research was to analyze the dimensions and manifestations of identity development embedded within commonly used instruments measuring student identity development. To this end, a content analysis of ten identity assessment tools was conducted to determine the assumptions about identity development contained therein. Findings suggest the importance of determining and assessing all dimensions and manifestations of identity development.