Abstract

This study addresses a critical gap in higher education by examining the unique facilitator position at Iron Range Engineering (IRE), a work-based program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Facilitators are full-time teaching staff in support roles that focus on helping students achieve positive outcomes, such as students successfully transitioning into working professionals. No formal research has been conducted to explore the comprehensive support and overall implications of this role. This qualitative study focused on phenomenography to capture the different experiences of 12 facilitator participants. Data collection was guided by role theory to explore the expectations and perceptions of facilitators, and this included the use of qualitative surveys and follow-up, semi-structured interviews. A codebook was collaboratively developed to guide the thematic coding process when analyzing the responses. Themes were identified across the six pre-defined facilitator roles and the pre-defined job functions within each role. The six facilitator roles include: career development, instruction, formal mentorship (learning coach), recruitment, student life, and other duties. Three overarching themes emerged in the findings that helped to define the contributions of facilitators: direct formalized student support and mentorship, community building and support, and program development and maintenance. The findings suggested that all institutions considering implementing the facilitator position should carefully plan work and set expectations within these three distinct components to ensure student needs are being met, a strong culture and community are being developed, and the program continuously improves. A time allocation analysis was also conducted, and the results indicated that there were discrepancies between reported and expected responsibilities. This included higher engagement in student recruitment efforts and underreported instructional work. Recommendations include creating clearer role definitions, recalibrating time budgets, and adopting the facilitator model across other programs in higher education to improve student retention and increase student success. Future work includes exploring the perspectives of students, faculty, and other stakeholders to identify best practices and the effectiveness of each role.

Advisor

Joel Leer

Committee Member

Lauren Singelmann

Committee Member

Darcie Christensen

Committee Member

Ron Ulseth

Date of Degree

2025

Language

english

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Program of Study

Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Leadership

College

Education

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Rights Statement

In Copyright