Audrey J. Jaeger, Ph.D.

W. Dallas Herring Professor of Community College Education & Executive Director, NC State University Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research

Research & Publications

As a higher education scholar, my work focuses on strengthening community college leadership, improving teaching and learning, and advancing student success. I’m particularly interested in how institutional policies and cultures shape the experiences of faculty and students. Below is a collection of my published research, reports and contributions to the field.

  1. Research Reports & Briefs
  2. Refereed Journal Articles
  3. Book Chapters
  4. Invited Articles, Proceedings, Book Reviews, Podcasts & Other Publications

Research Reports & Briefs

Dr. Jaeger speaking to an audience at the Belk Center.

Research published through the Belk Center can be viewed by clicking here.

Refereed Journal Articles

Jaeger, A. J., Stout, K., Deal, S., Colclough, M., & Iuzzini, J. (2025). Creating a statewide culture of teaching and learning excellence: Lessons from North Carolina’s teaching and learning hub model. Change Magazine.

McMillan, A., Jaeger, A. J., & Collins, M.L. (2025). Native student organizations: Creating culturally relevant campus environments for Native American students. Journal of Student Affairs Research & Practice, 62(3), 283-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2024.2431806

Jaeger, A. J., Maldonado, L. G., Burleson, S., & Wolfe, C. (2024). Applying what we know about student success to creating a model for faculty success. Community College Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521241259022

VanZoest, E., Harry, D., Lewis-Sessoms, M. & Jaeger, A. J. (2024). The five Ps of the adult learner journey through the community college: A conceptual framework. Innovative Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09716-6

Polson, A.K., Jaeger, A. J., & Norcross, G. (2022). “I Didn’t Realize I Could Be President”: The gendered experiences of women student body presidents. Journal of College Student Development, 63(5), 508-521. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2022.0044

Worsham, R.E., DeSantis, A.L., Whatley, M., Johnson, K.R., and Jaeger, A. J. (2021). Early effects of North Carolina’s comprehensive articulation agreement on credit accumulation among community college transfer students. Research in Higher Education, 62(7), 942-975. DOI: 10.1007/s11162-021-09626-y

Culpepper, D.K., O’Meara, K., Misra, J., Jaeger, A. J. (2021). Addressing workload equity: Seven strategies for department chairs. The Department Chair, 32(3), 8-9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/dch.30423

Dunstan, S.B., Henderson, M., Griffith, E., Jaeger, A. J., & Zelna, C. (2021). Defining rural: The impact of rural definitions on college student success outcomes. Theory and Practice in Rural Education, 11(1), 60-75. 

Medlin, A., & Jaeger, A. J. (2021). Foster kid’s capital. Journal of College Student Development, 62(2), 154-168

Davis, J.S., Jaeger, A. J., & Pharr, M. (2021). Modeling mutuality through critical service learning for graduate students studying higher education. About Campus, 26(2), 4-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086482220971267

Misra, J., O’Meara, K., Kuvaeva, A., Culpepper, D. & Jaeger, A. J. (2021). Gendered and racialized perceptions of faculty workload. Gender & Society, 1-37. DOI: 10.1177/08912432211001387

Maldonado, L.G., & Jaeger, A. J. (2020). Exploring participation in SkillsUSA among postsecondary students. Career and Technical Education Research Journal, 45(3), 21-44. https://doi.org/10.5328/cter45.3.21

O’Meara, K., Beise, E., Culpepper, D., Misra, J., & Jaeger, A. J. (2020). Faculty work activity dashboards: A strategy to increase transparency. Change Magazine, 52(3) 34-42.

O’Meara, K., Lennartz, C., Kuvaeva, A., Jaeger, A. J., & Misra, J. (2020). Department conditions and practices associated with faculty workload satisfaction, perceptions of equity, and intent to leave. Journal of Higher Education 90(5), 744-772. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2019.1584025

Davis, J.S., Colclough, M.N., DeSantis, A.L., Maldonado, L.G., Morris, N., & Jaeger, A. J. (2020). Improving campus climate for employees as a strategy for promoting student success. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 27(1), 1-16.

Culpepper, D., Kilmer, S., O’Meara, K., Misra, J., & Jaeger, A. J. (2020). The Terrapin Time Initiative: A workshop to enhance alignment between faculty work. Innovative Higher Education, 45(2), 165-179.

Jaeger, A. J., Haley, K. J., & Hudson, T. D. (2019). The LEARN Model of Career Trajectories: Application to the postdoctoral scholar. Journal of Global Education and Research, (3)2, 124-140. doi:10.5038/2577-509X.3.2.1012

Smith, K., Jaeger, A. J., & Thomas, D. (2019). Science Olympiad is why I’m here”: The influence of an early STEM program on college and major choice. Research in Science Education, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-019-09897-7

Bartlett, J. E., Bartlett, M. E., Dolfi, J. J., Jaeger, A. J., & Chapman, D. D. (2018). Redesigning the education doctorate for community college leaders: Generation, transformation, and use of professional knowledge and practice. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, (3)2, 59-67. 

O’Meara, K., Lennartz, C., Misra, J., & Jaeger, A. J. (2018). Undoing disparities in faculty workloads: A randomized trial experiment. PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0207316

Mitchall, A. M., & Jaeger, A. J. (2018). Parental influences on low-income, first-generation students’ motivation on the path to college. Journal of Higher Education, 89(4), 582-609.

Hudson, T. D., Haley, K. J., & Jaeger, A. J., Mitchall, A., Dinin, A., & Dunstan, S. B. (2018). Becoming a Legitimate Scientist: Identity and Experiences of Postdocs in Science. Review of Higher Education, 41(4), 607-639.

Dunstan, S. B., Eads, A., Jaeger, A. J., Wolfram, W. (2018). The importance of graduate student engagement in a campus language diversity initiative. Journal of English Linguistics, 46(3), 215-228.

Book Chapters

Graves, D.L., Singleton, D., Ramirez, N. and Jaeger, A.J. (2025), Qualitative Inquiry of Black Presidents’ Perception of Leadership at Rural Community Colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.70003

Jaeger, A. J., Newhouse, K., Yilmaz, E., & VanZoest, E.R. (2023). Inclusion at the Center: Teaching and learning in the community college context. In: Perna, L.W. (eds) H. Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, vol 39. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32186-3_10-1

Davis, J.S., DeSantis, A.L, & Jaeger, A. J. (2022). The strategic role of community college presidents in activating student success outcomes. In C. Cutler White & A.B. Clayton (Eds.), Expanding community college opportunities: Access, transfer, and completion. New Directions for Community Colleges. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Dunstan, S.B. & Jaeger, A.J. (2020). Appalachian English goes to college. In K. Hazen (Ed.) Appalachian Englishes and the College Campus. (pp. 160-175). Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press.

Haley, K. J., Hudson, T. D., & Jaeger, A. J. (2018). Career coherence, agency, and the postdoctoral scholar. In A. J. Jaeger, & A. J. Dinin, (Eds.). The postdoc landscape: The invisible scholars. (pp. 121-142). London, UK: Academic Press (Elsevier).

Invited Articles, Proceedings, Book Reviews, Podcasts & Other Publications

Jaeger, A. J. (August 18, 2025). Applied associate of science degrees: Pathways for workforce and transfer. EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-applied-associate-of-science-degrees-pathways-for-workforce-and-transfer/

Jaeger, A. J. (July 23, 2025). Applied associate of science degrees: Pathways for workforce and transfer. Community College Daily. Retrieved from https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/applied-associate-of-science-degrees-pathways-for-workforce-and-transfer

Jaeger, A. J. (January 7, 2025). Developing future community college presidents in North Carolina. EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-developing-future-community-college-presidents-in-north-carolina/

Jaeger, A. J. (2024). Endorsement. In L. Schudde & A. Jabbar, Discredited: Power, privilege, and community college transfer. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Jaeger, A. J. (November 28, 2023). Community college leaders dared to ‘be extraordinary’ at 2023 Dallas Herring Lecture. EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/community-college-leaders-dallas-herring-lecture/

Jaeger, A. J. (October 31, 2023). Strengthening transfer together: Who do we need at the table? EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-strengthening-transfer-together-who-do-we-need-at-the-table/

Jaeger, A. J. (October 23, 2023). A case for community college transfer: How do we transform transfer? EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-a-case-for-community-college-transfer-how-do-we-transform-transfer/

Jaeger, A. J. (October 3, 2023). A case for community college transfer: Who isn’t making the jump? EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-a-case-for-community-college-transfer-who-isnt-making-the-jump/

Jaeger, A. J. (September 27, 2023). A case for community college transfer: A strategy to remain first in the nation in talent and opportunity. EducationNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-a-case-for-community-college-transfer-a-strategy-to-remain-first-in-the-nation-in-talent-and-opportunity/

Stout, K., & Jaeger, A. J. (February 15, 2023). Faculty development to improve student outcomes at community colleges. Inside HigherEd. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2023/02/16/faculty-development-improve-student-outcomes-community-colleges-opinion

Misra, J., Kuvaeva, A., Jaeger, A. J., Culpepper, D. & O’Meara, K. (2021, December 2). Female faculty of color do extra diversity work for no extra reward – here’s how to fix that. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/female-faculty-of-color-do-extra-diversity-work-for-no-extra-reward-heres-how-to-fix-that-169992 

Here’s how the Belk Center helped community college faculty shift to online teaching during COVID-19. (May 21, 2020). EdNC Hope Starts Here Podcast. Retrieved from   https://www.ednc.org/ncstate-belk-center-help-community-colleges-online-courses-covid19/

O’Meara, K., Misra, J., Jaeger, A. J., & Culpepper, D. (July 24, 2019). Needed: Allies for equitable faculty workloads. Inside HigherEd. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/07/24/five-things-faculty-members-should-do-now-help-create-more-equitable-workplace

Jaeger, A. J., & Knight, C. R. (October 12, 2018). Join us for the W. Dallas Herring Lecture at NC State. EdNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/?p=67670&preview=1&_ppp=ece9c03819

Jaeger, A. J. (August 30, 2018). Building the next generation of community college leaders at NC State. EdNC. Retrieved from https://www.ednc.org/?p=62034&preview=1&_ppp=fc4f5d5911

Jaeger, A. J. (2018). Foreword. In S. Ardoin, College aspirations and access in working-class, rural communities: The mixed signals, challenges, and new language first-generation students encounter (ix-xi). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Means, D. R., Jaeger, A. J., & Rebollar, C. (January 10, 2018). Opinion: Educators must help undocumented students feel safe, supported. The Atlantic Journal-Constitution.