Congratulations to Krista Quinn who on Friday, April 12, 2024, confidently and successfully defended her dissertation. The title of Krista’s dissertation is: YOU MATTER: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF HOW WRITING FACULTY SIGNAL TO STUDENTS THEY MATTER.
“Mattering” is a key component of success for students (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). For community college students, the classroom plays a critical role in their college experience (Lundberg, 2014). Among college courses, first-year writing classes hold particular importance for advancing student learning (Tedrow, 2020). Using Schlossberg's (1989) theory of marginality and mattering, this qualitative study sought to understand how faculty cultivate environments conducive to students feeling valued, supported, and like they matter. Interviews were conducted with 13 full-time faculty members teaching in community colleges and the findings illuminated the ways in which faculty signal to students that their voices, experiences, and perspectives matter. Findings revealed the importance of cultivating inclusive and supportive pedagogical practices, affirming students’ abilities, intentionally making space for students in the classroom. This study also revealed the reflective nature of full-time writing faculty and explained how they use reflection to guide their pedagogical practices that signal mattering. The findings underscore the pivotal role of faculty-student interactions in fostering a sense of mattering among students, particularly within the community college setting. Furthermore, implications for pedagogical approaches and faculty development initiatives are discussed, highlighting the importance of intentional efforts to prioritize student mattering in educational practice.
Dissertation Committee Chair:
Dr. Susan V. Iverson
Dissertation Committee Members: 
Take Your Career to the Next Level
Elevate your leadership skills, deepen your understanding of critical and contemporary education issues, and learn to help solve the current challenges in P-20 education.
Learn to Inspire Change
The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville, offered in partnership with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, utilizes a forward-thinking approach to educational leadership that is ideal for practicing and aspiring leaders in any educational context. It is designed to support the goals of educational professionals who seek to develop their leadership skills for career advancement or current job enhancement.
