Understanding The Role Of Academic Advising And Student Resilience In Male College Students' First-Year Retention: Differences By Race/Ethnicity, Brittany K. Gogates

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Institutions of higher education continue to struggle with retaining and graduating students within 6 years, and gender and racial/ethnic disparities are apparent. Only 60% of male and 67% of female students who entered a 4-year institution in 2014 graduated within 6 years (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). In 2022, only 27.6% of Black and 20.9% of Hispanic/Latino Americans between ages 25 and 29 have completed a baccalaureate degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). For those students who entered college in fall 2017, Black students had the lowest first-year retention of 52.1%, and Hispanic/Latino students were not far ahead, with a 59.5% …

Pathways To Success: Unleashing Experiential Learning In Higher Education For Aspiring Law Enforcement Professionals, Leonard A. Averhoff

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This generic qualitative inquiry (GQI) explores experiential learning in higher education for students interested in law enforcement careers. Through interviews and focus group discussions, the study aimed to uncover insights into the perceptions and experiences of students engaging in a university student security program (USSP). The USSP allows full-time students to work as uniformed, unarmed paid employees of the university’s police department providing various law enforcement type functions. The research identified five themes that emerged from the data analysis: exposure, career development, training, leadership, and personal growth.

The theme of exposure highlighted the importance of hands-on learning, allowing students to …

College Completion: The Experiences Of Low-Income College Students In A Student Support Services Program, Navin A. Saiboo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Despite a college degree being a prerequisite for economic and social mobility, many low-income students graduate at far lower rates than students from wealthier families. Existing research suggests that low-income students are more likely to attend college less prepared to succeed once they get there, experience financial challenges, have difficult navigating the complex higher education system, and have multiple obligations outside of their academic responsibilities, resulting in low completion rates. Much of the previous literature is rooted in in a deficit framework suggesting that low-income students are lacking or deficient if they are not academically successful. This study departs from …

Understanding Community College Transfer Student Experiences: Academic And Social Engagement At A Private Four-Year Institution, Hezal Patel

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to understand the academic and social engagement experiences of community college transfer students at a private four-year institution. Approached through the lens of a conceptual critical framework for transfer student research advanced by Laanan and Jain (2017), and using a qualitative narrative methodology, this study collected the stories of 12 community college transfer students attending a private four-year institution to understand their engagement experiences. Restorying participants’ narratives and multiple rounds of coding including: deductive coding, open and in vivo coding and process coding revealed the findings for this study. The findings indicate that individuals’ …

First-Year Engagement And Intention To Return In Higher Education: A National Study Of Undecided Major Students, Jacqueline Galler

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Research suggests that a student’s persistence in higher education is influenced by their academic preparation, commitments, and involvement, (Tinto 2005). Predictors including student demographics, academic preparation and commitments have shown in previously studies to affect the rate at which students persist in higher education, (Pascarella & Terenzini 2005, Astin & Oseguera 2005, Terenzini & Reason 2005). Involvement at an institution contributes to a students’ engagement and intent to persist in higher education or at a specific institution. Researchers have found that students engage in the university, academically and socially, based on how their values align with the institution, feedback they …

Recruitment Barriers For Minoritized Females That Limit Access To Higher Education, Tya Miles

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Minoritized Black students who are average academic performers have often been overlooked as a targeted group in empirical studies that look at barriers and other limitations for minority students (Rodriguez, 2015; Stewart, 2013). This study seeks to identify the practices that higher education institutions are currently utilizing to recruit underprivileged minoritized girls who are not high performers or athletes, the effectiveness of those practices, and what changes could potentially be made to improve overall access to college for these students. The qualitative ethnographical study was comprised of semi structured interviews of seven high school personnel, which included high school counselors, …

The Stained Glass Ceiling: Women College Presidents In A Catholic Higher Education Context, Nicole Giglia

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Women are underrepresented in executive leadership positions across different industries, including higher education. The literature suggests that there are many gender-based barriers making it difficult for women to achieve executive-level leadership within higher education. Further, gendered organizations that promote the authority of one gender over another present additional barriers for women to access leadership roles. Catholic organizations are inherently gendered organizations given the Church’s exclusive male leadership. This creates a “stained glass ceiling” making it difficult and, in some cases, impossible for women to rise to the top of Catholic higher education leadership. This interpretive phenomenological study explores the experiences …

The 2016 Presidential Election Of Donald Trump And Its Impact On The College-Going Experience For Then-Undergraduate Lgbtq+ Students, Nicholas Russo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

On November 8, 2016, businessman and mogul Donald J. Trump won the U.S. presidential election, sending shockwaves across the country given that polls indicated that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would win the election. On U.S. college campuses, students reacted to the election win, and for LGBTQ+ undergraduate students, their marginalized identity was negatively impacted by Trump’s win because of his rhetoric towards this population. Colleges and universities responded to the 2016 election results by sending out communications to affirm their mission and values for all their constituents, but this response was perceived as not supporting by LGBTQ+ undergraduate …

Understanding The Effects Of Test-Optional Policies On Structural Diversity In U.S. Selective Institutions: A Difference-In-Differences Approach, Li Kang

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Postsecondary institutions, especially selective ones, use standardized tests such as SAT and ACT as important indicators to measure applicants' academic abilities. However, many studies have found that the test scores correlate to applicants' racial/ethnic backgrounds. Selective institutions work hard to secure their diverse classes. Hence, more selective institutions expect to improve diversity by implementing the test-optional policy. Can this policy meet their expectations in terms of diversity? The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the effects of the test-optional policy on the structural diversity of selective postsecondary institutions. This dissertation uses quasi-experimental techniques to assess the relationship between test-optional …

Are We Prepared? Analyzing Active Shooter Policy Accessibility In New Jersey Institutions Of Higher Education, William G. Petrovey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The research in this dissertation was conducted to measure the accessibility, presentation, and format of active shooter protocol for college faculty and staff at institutions of higher education in the state of New Jersey. The study further explores the need for availability of active shooter policy given the unfortunate growing problem of active shooters taking place at institutions of higher education across the country. Since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, the New Jersey Ccampus Ssecurity Ttask Fforce [AS1] made recommendations to then Governor Corzine’s administration. Institutions of higher education have since embraced active shooter protocol from various source materials …

Toward A Critical Career Development For African American Men Undergraduate Students At Predominantly White Institutions: Perceptions Of The Influence Of Race In The College-To-Career Transition, Kyle Younger

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This paper studied the college-to-career transitions of African American undergraduate students who are studying in predominantly White institutions (PWIs). African American men have had to fight for their inherent rights because historically, they had been denied the chance to pursue their own personal choices because of their skin color. Their social marginalization has resulted in economic disadvantages. Access to education has also been less than the dominant race. Gaps continue to exist between African Americans and Whites in terms of graduation rates and other post-graduate outcomes and labor market outcomes. The college-to-career transition of African American men has also been …

Understanding Which College Academic And Social Integration Factors Are Important In Predicting First-Generation College Students’ Retention In The First Year, Nicole Battaglia

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Retention concerns remain high for postsecondary institutions and even more so when focusing on populations such as those who are the first in the family to attend college, first-generation college students. First-generation students account for 34% of the collegiate population, yet 40% of first-generation students do not return for their sophomore year. While prior theoretical frameworks and research points to academic and social integration as key indicators of retention, first-generation students are less likely to integrate into their institution. First-generation students are about 30% less likely compared to their continuing generation peers to be integrated at all on campus.

Utilizing …

Persistence Without Resistance: An Exploration Of First-Generation College Students In A Structured Support Program, Naima K. Ricks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

First-generation college students make up one-third of the undergraduate population of college students in the United States. It is essential to understand all aspects of a first-generation student, their desire to persist in college, and their experiences while in college. Once they are enrolled in college, first-generation students will need additional help and support to guide them throughout this life-changing experience. This study explored the experiences of 13 students enrolled in a program that is specifically designed for supporting first-generation college students academically and socially.

The study used a narrative qualitative research approach. The participants were interviewed to explore their …

Career Outcomes Of International Master's Recipients From Chinese Institutions: A Study Of Students From Three Asean States, Yanhao Wang

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As the third largest destination country for international postsecondary students, China has received nearly 500,000 international students, and more than 20% of them are from ASEAN member states (Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, 2019). Compared to students from Western society, most ASEAN students are from developing countries and may have stronger needs to generate career benefits via studying abroad. ASEAN students in China and their career outcomes, however, have been always overlooked in existing research.

In this qualitative study, I applied Human Capital Theory (HCT) and Neo Racism Theory (NRT) to investigate the career outcomes of graduated ASEAN students …

Academic Advising, Academic Integration And First Year African American College Student Intention To Persist, Cassandra Graham

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The U.S. college persistence rate for African American students, remains lowest in comparison to other race/ethnicities. Academic advising and other forms of academic integration are emphasized in prior research as associated with positively influencing persistence outcomes. However, a gap exists in the literature regarding their impact for four-year African American students and success factors for persistence of these students. Existing academic advisement studies are primarily institutional with a small sample size, as opposed to a national sample, and very few are focused on quantitative data analysis.

Therefore, through the analysis of national data from the 2018 National Survey of Student …

The Experiences Of Lgbtq Faculty And Staff At A Diocesan Catholic University, Mark Fabbi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As the world continues to become more accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people, is this experience similar on a diocesan Catholic campus in the United States? A diocesan Catholic institution is often referred to as an arm of the Catholic Church, often holding a view against same sex marriage and the LGBTQ community. However, the tide may be changing, with a more accepting Catholic church on the horizon. Dillon’s theory (2011) explains how sexual identity manifests itself and identifies it as a global process. In Dillon’s theory, there are two factors to individual identity development: social …

The Perceived Competencies Of Faculty In Online Classes From The Perspective Of The Students Of The Saudi Electronic University, Atekah Alshuaibi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Since the 1990s, online programs have expanded across Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi universities have encountered a variety of challenges in implementing E-learning. A significant challenge is the lack of instructor training in online teaching skills. Consequently, instructors have been unable to adjust to the rapidly growing nature of learning technology. Thus, a few instructors have remained unenthusiastic about distance learning, and online learning has yielded unsatisfactory outcomes. While there are numerous studies related to online faculty in Saudi Arabia, only one of these studies considers students' perspectives for online faculty competencies in Saudi universities. Hence, this study contributes to the …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Undergraduate Debt And Graduate School Enrollment For Stem And Business-Related Fields, Stephanie Mayer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There is a major limitation in this field of literature with limited studies conducted on the factors influencing graduate school enrollment for STEM and business fields after the 2008 Great Recession. During the Great Recession of 2008, approximately 2.8 million students decided to go back to school and pursue a master’s degree. Since then, the cost of a four-year college degree increased by 25 percent and student debt increased by 107 percent (NCES, 2019). STEM and business fields increased by 15 percent during the Great Recession of 2008 in graduate degree programs, graduates, and workforce demand (Anderson, 2013; Okahana & …

A Study Examining The High School Counselor Experiences In College Choice Decision-Making, Beverley Gaines

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Low-income, minority, and/or first-generation students are more likely to undermatch. The consequences of this decision can negatively impact degree attainment, as well as individual and societal gains. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of high school counselors in order to gain a deeper understanding of how high these counselors serve as institutional agents within the college decision-making process. The sample consisted of 12 New Jersey public high school counselors employed at Title I funded high schools. Results from the study concluded that high school counselors do not perceive undermatching as a negative decision. In …

The Growth Of The Test-Optional Movement: Analysis Of Test-Optional Admissions Policies In American Higher Education, Angela C. Lofaro

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The landscape of American higher education is becoming more competitive each year. Discussions about equity and increasing access to underrepresented student groups grows each year, particularly regarding the role of standardized testing. Some research has shown the SAT and ACT exams, the two primary college entrance exams used in the United States, to be discriminatory towards students of some racial and ethnic minority and low-socioeconomic backgrounds. The number of institutions in the U.S. choosing to forego standardized test scores as part of their admission process for freshman applicants is growing annually, particularly in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic …

Grit As A Predictor Of Retention For First-Year Latino Students At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Jodi Bailey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

In 2016, Hispanic students comprised 19 percent of all college students in the US, an increase of 11 percent over the last twenty years, representing the fastest-growing demographic in higher education. Latino students are half as likely as white students to gain a bachelor’s degree, a gap that has been continuously widening since the 2000s. There has become an increased need for schools to create student success pathways for Latino students on college campuses.

This study’s purpose was to contribute to the existing literature on Latino college students' first-year retention by researching the relationship between grit and first-year retention …

A Barrier Or Conduit? Analyzing The Perception Of Support Services In Higher Education On The Academic Persistence Of Black Male Students, Laquan Dyce

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study aimed to illuminate the perceptions of whether higher education support services function as a barrier or conduit to Black male undergraduate students’ academic persistence. The relationship between 13 Black male undergraduate students and their higher education institutions were examined. The researcher proposed a model of qualitative exploratory methodology. This study was motivated by three research questions: (1) What resources are instrumental in helping Black males persist academically? (2) How do Black male students navigate and make sense of institutional support for their academic persistence? and (3) In what ways do Black male students perceive the quality of the …

Supports Used By Black Women Faculty For Career Advancement At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Andrea Delpriore

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study investigated the supports utilized by Black women in their career advancement as faculty members at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Although there is an abundance of scholarship about the challenges presented to Black women faculty at Predominantly White Institutions, the career advancement of Black women faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities has gone largely unstudied. Considering Historically Black Colleges and Universities are where Black women faculty achieve tenure in the highest percentages, this study took a non-deficit perspective and investigated what supports are used by Black women faculty internal to the institution, external to the institution, as …

Exploring Quality Of Life Perceptions Among Pre-Clinical And Clinical Phases Saudi Medical Students, Olfat Gushgari

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: Medical students are widely recognized as a high-risk population for poor quality of life (QOL). Various studies have highlighted that medical students have a lower QOL than, compared to other students from different specialties tend to exhibit; specifically, the QOL of Saudi medical students is of growing concern, and it is imperative that Saudi medical schools recognize and address the QOL of these students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the QOL of Saudi medical students during the pre-clinical and clinical phases of their studies. In addition, this study explored the QOL perceptions according …

A Study Of Social And Cultural Capital In Graduation For African American Students In Four-Year Colleges, Andrew Oni

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The prevalence of the persistent low graduation rate among African American students in four-year colleges gave rise to the examination of the role of social and cultural capital in improving graduation for African American students. This study examines the role played by the relationship between social and cultural capital and other factors for African American students’ graduation. Guided by social and cultural capital as the theoretical framework which presents social and cultural capital as acquired by parents’ and students' social networks and cultural endowment and tenets. These two levels of social and cultural capital are available for students to utilize …

See No Evil: Are Community Colleges Underreporting Or Nonreporting Sexual Assaults?, Songa Y. Thomas-Montford

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Clery Act is a consumer protection law intended to protect students by forcing institutions of higher education to be transparent about campus crime, as the concern is that many colleges and universities are underreporting or nonreporting campus crime statistics. This study included two research questions. The first question, “What are the common themes determined in the audits concerning Clery Act violations for two-year schools?,” was addressed by conducting a deductive content analysis by reviewing each U.S. Department of Education (USDOEd) Clery Act compliance audit in the research sample. The USDOEd, Federal Aid Data Center’s public database, was the source …

Examining The Relationship Between Cognitive Selection Criteria For Admission And Noncognitive Performance Outcomes In A Professional Graduate Degree Program, Rosalie Maiorella

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The admission processes in higher education have been the topic of considerable discussion and study at all levels of the institution from undergraduate to graduate and professional education. This study focused on graduate students who completed their master’s degree in Counseling and School Counseling from 2010 to 2018. Students completed their degree fully online and from a distance. The goal was to determine if admission criteria were predictive of end of program clinical fieldwork evaluations. Independent variables looked at were Undergraduate GPA (UGPA); GRE: (V)erbal, (Q)uantitative, and (W)riting; First Semester Graduate GPA (GPA1), and Cumulative Graduate GPA (GPAEP). End of …

Understanding The Relationship Between Economic And Institutional Trends And Public University Presidential Turnover, Jeffrey P. Levine

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Presidents are leaving public colleges and universities at higher rates than they previously were over the last several decades. Previous studies on college and university presidential departure primarily have focused on internal institutional factors to offer explanations of understanding of why they leave office. Public university presidents earn less than private ones, and have to add successful (or unsuccessful) navigation of state politics to their skill sets. This study focused on both internal institutional factors and external environmental factors specifically within each state the public college or university is located. These include both external economic and political factors.

These external …

The Institutionalization Of An Innovative Curricular Component In A Federally Funded Program To Increase Minorities In Stem Fields. A Case Study Of A Small And Large University, Janine Kelly-Hardy

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The study focused on the Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance Minority Participation Program. Its mission is to increase the number of under-represented students in STEM majors. The National Science Foundation has been funding this program for the past 20 years. Studies were conducted about its success, however, little has been said about HOW the program was formed and prospects for its future amid changes in leadership due to retirement and turnover of staff members. This study looked at the sustainability of LSAMP, specifically how one central academic program component—the academic excellence workshops were institutionalized/integrated by funding it into the organizational life of …

Faculty Role In Student Career Development: A Qualitative Study, Marianne Jacullo Brosnan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As chief architects of curriculum, faculty are largely responsible for student learning outcomes. Given the cost of higher education and the amount of debt students incur, higher education stakeholders want to know if higher education is worth the investment.

Student career preparedness is an important goal of higher education. While research has been dedicated to college student development, career decision-making, and student-faculty interaction from a student perspective, little is known about the faculty perspective and their role in student career preparedness in a specific articulated way.

In this study, the phenomenological perspective provided a framework for data collection and analysis. …