Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Barron’s Profiles ranks the competitiveness of undergraduate (UG) institutions; however, community colleges (CC) are not included. Previously, we found that UG-GPA and PCAT were associated with PharmD GPA (COP-GPA) in each didactic year (P1-P3); however, only UG-GPA and UG ranking were associated for P4. Since some applicants complete pre-pharmacy requirements at CC, we evaluated UG ranking and CC attendance as a predictor of performance in a PharmD program.
METHODS: We evaluated relationships between UG ranking and GPAs of 2003-06 PharmD graduates. UG institutions at which these graduates completed pre-pharmacy courses were categorized and ranked as follows: most competitive (MC=5), highly competitive (HC=4), very competitive (VC=3), competitive (C=2), less competitive (LC=1) and community college (CC=0). Relationships between UG-GPA, PCAT, UG ranking and PharmD GPA were assessed by univariate and multivariate regression. RESULTS: Records were available for 191 students (MC=2, HC=79, VC=33, C=43, LC=10, CC=24) from 67 institutions. Mean P4 GPAs were: MC=3.6, HC=3.4, VC=3.2, C=3.3, LC=2.7, CC=3.1). By univariate analysis, UG-GPA(p<0.0001), PCAT (p<0.0001) and UG ranking (p=0.0003-0.0069) were associated with GPA in each year (P1-P4). R2 values for P1-P3 were consistent for UG-GPA (0.328-0.355), PCAT (0.248-0.285) and UG ranking (0.038-0,047), but lower for UG-GPA (0.016) and PCAT (0.126) and higher for UG ranking (0.069) for P4. Multivariate analysis found only UG-GPA and PCAT significant for P1-P3 GPA. In P4, UG ranking and CC attendance were also significant.
CONCLUSIONS: When UG-GPA and PCAT are used, UG ranking and CC attendance was associated with PharmD GPA only in the P4 year.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Immediacy studies have been very busy investigating total, verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors with learning. But little effort has been paid to the link of immediacy with grade point average (GPA). This study investigated the total, verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors and GPA ranking (A, B, C, & D/F). Total and nonverbal immediacy behaviors were significant when compared with GPA ranks. Significance between the A group and the D/F group in all three areas (total, verbal, & nonverbal) was also discovered.

Publication Type: Symposium Paper
Abstract: Historically, researchers seem to consistently leave out the role that spirituality and the Black Church have had on the success of black education and schooling. The Black church has been the most enduring institution within the African American community and is a prime locale through which service delivery is provided to African Americans to support their educational, social, and economic development. (Billingsely, 1993; Sanchez & Carter 2005). The organizers of Black societies and churches, as part of their religious ministry and the establishment of an independent Black church movement, founded Black schools and also engaged the social capital of the community (Murtadha & Watts, 2005). Many of the successes that African Americans have accomplished can find their roots in spirituality. For example, we can specifically pinpoint the impact that many leaders who were confident in their spiritual selves have had on the Black community and the broader society. Black leaders such as WEB Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, Mary Bethune McLeod, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X are just a few.
Even the role of desegregation has had its toll on black education and the spiritual identity of black Americans. When schools were desegregated, black administrators, and black teachers lost their jobs and the success that African American students once had seemed to diminish. Some historians blame the lack of spirituality among blacks is due to the beliefs that Christianity is a white man’s religion. However, on average, the baseline rate of religious involvement for African Americans is higher than that of the general U.S. population with African American women demonstrating higher rates of religious participation, commitment, and spirituality than African American men (Sanchez & Carter 2005; Chatters, Taylor, & Lincoln, 1999; El-Khoury, Dutton, Goodman, Balamaric, & Murphy, 2004; Jagers & Smith, 1996; Taylor et al., 1996) Furthermore, African Americans have been found to report higher levels of attendance at religious services than Whites (Sanchez & Carter, 2005; Johnson & Matre, 1991), read more religious broadcasts, and seek spiritual comfort through religion more often than Whites across their lifespan (Sanchez & Carter, 2005; Constantine, Lewis, Conner, & Sanchez, 2000; Johnson & Matre). However, many blacks are not exposed or taught about their spiritual past. Therefore, spirituality is a missing piece in the identity of the African American male educational experience. What this paper intends to demonstrate is the poignant place spirituality has in the educational process of African American students and how it can be inculcated in the pedagogy and curriculum used to service African American children.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper reports on findings from the Academic Self-Regulation Scale which was found to significantly predict five-year GPA for women but not men college students. While women have lower SAT scores they have higher grades and graduation rate. Should self-regulation be considered in college admissions?

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper quantitatively analysizes the LSAT, law school GPA, and the bar exam in the new legal education system in Japan.