My Research.
My research focuses on three broad areas: diversity, equity, and inclusion, international and comparative higher education, and higher education leadership.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Since beginning my doctoral program, I have developed a keen interest in diversity, equity, and access in higher education. I was involved in several projects examining issues of diversity and access through different lenses in the community college context and in the context of higher education leadership. My work in these contexts considers diversity as an inclusive concept, specifically taking into account the potential marginalization throughout transitions.
Select Scholarly Work:
Schiffecker, S., McNaughtan, J., Castiello, S., Garcia, H., & Li, X. (2022). Leading the many, considering the few - University presidents’ perspectives on international students during COVID-19. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 14 (3B), 13-28. https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v14i3(Part 2).3822
García, H. A., Herridge, A. S., & Schiffecker, S. (2022). Beacons of hope: How two-year minority serving institutions serve the needs of the local and international students. In B. Lindsay (ed.). Higher Education Policy in Developing and Western Nations: Contemporary and Emerging Trends in Local and Global Contexts (pp. 82-97). Routledge.
Paton, V.O., Yi, S., Schiffecker, S., Arellano, L., Ryan Pal, P. Students’ Perceived Importance- Satisfaction Gaps in Vertical Transfer Experiences. (Submitted to Educational Researcher)
International and Comparative Higher Education
My interest in and passion specifically for the internationalization of higher education is partially autobiographically motivated as I want to use the privilege of having been able to pursue a doctoral degree at a U.S. university to spread awareness of the importance of including international perspectives and increasing global access and equity. This interest also finds itself reflected in my dissertation that explores women international students’ transitions from U.S. doctoral programs to the U.S. academic work force.
International and comparative higher education represents a core piece of my research and professional as well as personal identity. I am committed to uncover existing organizational flaws and discover solutions that not only benefit a single institution but improve quality and sustainability in the field of Higher Education and beyond on a global level. I am currently working on several projects on the exploration of international students’ feeling of inclusion, exclusion and mattering. My goal is to expand my interest in analyzing and ultimately improving the situation for the international student community on U.S. campuses. Afterall, I want to contribute to an enriched learning experience for both national and international students. Given my background in both European and U.S. higher education, much of my work is comparative in nature and incorporates non-U.S.-centric lenses through which I examine phenomena of interest.
Select Scholarly Work:
Queen, C., Schiffecker, S., & Paton, V. O. (2022). Critical pedagogy for health professions and international learning experiences. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v14i2.3927
Schiffecker, S. (2022). Experience makes you wiser. In L.A. Arasaratnam-Smith & D. K. Deardorff (eds.). Developing Intercultural Competence in Higher Education: International Students’ Stories and Self-Reflection. Taylor & Francis.
Higher Education Leadership
My third main area of study is higher education leadership. I was involved in a large, international project on presidential leadership in higher education during COVID-19 that drew on qualitative data collected in interviews with university presidents around the globe. The project resulted in multiple forthcoming publications such as an accepted book chapter on presidential crisis leadership, a journal article on women’s leadership during crisis, and an analysis of institutional websites. Besides my focus on leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, I also coauthored a book chapter on the importance of civic discourse in community college leadership as well as leadership of Mid-level Business and Finance Staff.
Select Scholarly Work:
McNaughtan, J., Garcia, H., Schiffecker, S., Norris, K., Jackson, G., Eicke, D., Herridge, A., & Li, X. (2022). Surfing for an answer: Understanding how institutions of higher education in the United States utilized websites in response to COVID-19. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 14 (3B), 111-129. https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v14i3(Part 2).4213
Schiffecker, S., McNaughtan, J. Leading the Way - Understanding Female University Leadership during Crisis Through a Feminist Educational Leadership Lens. (Accepted at Frontiers Research Topic "Women in Educational Leadership")
Dorantes, A., Schiffecker, S., & García, H. A., (2022). “Power does not exist, what exists is influence”: How Mid-level Business and Finance Staff in Private Colleges Navigate the Higher Education Landscape. New Directions in Higher Education. Jossey-Bass. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20443
Bodine Al-Sharif, M., García, H., Schiffecker, S. Beacons of Democratic Ideals: How Critical Community College Leaders Can Promote Civic Discourse and Engage for the Public Good. (Accepted as book chapter to New Directions for Community Colleges (NDCC) issue No. 201).
