Education Commons^™

Student–Faculty Engagement Solutions For Retention Of Racially Minoritized Students, Rayza Rolon Nieves, Kevin M. Wathen, Jordan M. Watson, Shanee E. Haynes

Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the importance of student–faculty interactions for racially minoritized students. Persistent challenges in low retention rates for racially minoritized students have been a focal point of scholarly investigation for decades (Carey, 2004; Kinzie et al., 2008). Despite research indicating that engagement between students and faculty is crucial for improving student retention, these interactions are constrained (Cox et al., 2010). The presence of effective student–faculty engagement can foster students’ persistence, while the absence of engagement can create a negative academic experience, especially for racially minoritized students.

Tinto’s theory of student departure (1975, 1987, 1993) is one of the …

Presidents And Student Success: Repositioning To A Student-Centered Institution, Charles P. Ruch, Kenneth M. Coll, Cathleen B. Ruch

Journal of Research on the College President

Now reopened following the pandemic, each institution is in the process of assessing its impact and adjusting its institutional model to assure sustainability in the future. Returning totally to the ‘status quo ante’ is not a viable option as some repositioning is required. This study highlights three critical elements that inform this process from the perspective of the presidency. First, significant environmental trends and their impact are presented. Upon analysis, improved student success emerges as a critical driving force in repositioning. Second, an overview of successful institutional programs and initiatives that foster a student-centered institution are examined concluding with a …

Review Of Student Engagement, Assessment, And High-Impact Practice Implementation By Common Book Programs In U.S. Institutions Of Higher Education, Raymond (Wes) Hillyard, Carrie Newcomb, Richard M. Pantele, Andrea M. Perseghin, Leslie Winston

Doctor of Education Capstones

Common book programs are widely used by U.S. institutions of higher education to positively impact student engagement and student retention. This capstone project sought to determine the best practices in common book program assessment and high-impact practice implementation. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design was employed to answer the research questions. Data was collected utilizing an online survey and interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data was analyzed using chi-square, in vivo and thematic coding. This project aims to inform common book program administrators and other student engagement stakeholders in improving program assessment, high-impact practice implementation, and first- to second-year student retention …

A Study Of Student Experiences Of Racial Microaggressions At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Alexandra E. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine college students’ experiences of racial microaggressions at a Hispanic serving institution. The participants were undergraduate and graduate students from a large higher education research institution in South Texas. The study had a qualitative approach with a two-step process of Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 of the study consisted of a participant selection survey sent to students via e-mail to obtain their experiences of racial microaggressions. In Phase 2, three focus groups were the means used to collect data. The findings suggested that there were experiences of racial microaggressions at the …

Aggie First Scholars: A Quality Workforce Initiative For Promoting First-Generation Student Success, Amanda M. Hagman, John Louviere, Heidi Kesler, Mykel Beorchia, Lisa Simmons, Mitchell Colver

Publications

Introduction: First-generation students lag behind continuing-generation peers in terms of graduation rates and average time to graduation. This phenomenon has been extensively studied in higher education with the intent of closing the gap seen between generational statuses. Utah State University provides services to support first-generation students. In the 2018/2019 academic year, USU initiative a full-kit initiative to help first-generation student participate in several proven first-year student milestones. This report explores the impact of full-kit use of services and the individual impact of each service on first-generation student persistence. METHODS: Students who self-identified as first-generation on their USU application were invited …

Exploratory Advising Impact Report: Spring 2016 To Spring 2019, Amanda M. Hagman, Mykel Beorchia, Stephanie Hamblin, Mitchell Colver

Publications

Academic advising performs a pivotal contribution to student success by providing information about univeristy expectations and avenues towards graduation. Exploratory student advising has the additional task of supporting students in major selection. This analysis investigated the relationship between academic advising and student persistence for exploratory students to better understand the impact of current advising practices. METHODS: Exploratory academic advisors met with an average 53% of exporatory students each semester. Students with a record of meeting with an academic advisor were compared to similar exploratory students who did not. Students were compared using prediction-based propensity score matching. Students who met with …

Science Expectancy, Value, And Cost Profiles And Their Proximal And Distal Relations To Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Persistence, Tony Perez, Stephanie V. Wormington, Michael M. Barger, Rochelle D. Schwartz-Bloom, You-Kyung Lee, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Despite efforts to attract and maintain diverse students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline, issues with attrition from undergraduate STEM majors persist. The aim of this study was to examine how undergraduate science students’ competence beliefs, task values, and perceived costs in science combine into motivational profiles and to consider how such profiles relate to short-term and long-term persistence outcomes in STEM. We also examined the relations between underrepresented group membership and profile membership. Using latent profile analysis, we identified three profiles that characterized 600 participants’ motivation during their first semester in college: Moderate All, Very …

Using Data Science And Predictive Analytics To Understand 4-Year University Student Churn, Joshua Lee Whitlock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover factors about first-time freshmen that began at one of the six 4-year universities in the former Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system, transferred to any other institution after their first year, and graduated with a degree or certificate. These factors would be used with predictive models to identify these students prior to their initial departure. Thirty-four variables about students and the institutions that they attended and graduated from were used to perform principal component analysis to examine the factors involved in their decisions. A subset of 18 variables about these students in …

Relationships Between Institutional Characteristics And Student Retention And Graduation Rates At Sacscoc Level Iii Institutions, Kala Perkins-Holtsclaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the United States struggles to be globally competitive with the number of students completing a college degree higher education leaders continue seeking answers to improving student retention and graduation rates. Decades of research has been conducted on investigating factors that impact student retention and graduation with the majority of that research being centered on student attributes and students’ precollege characteristics. Research has been limited on institutional characteristics and their associations with student retention and graduation rates. Therefore the purpose of this study was to examine the extent that specific institutional characteristics predict first-year, full-time, fall-to-fall retention rates and 6-year …

The Effect Of Academic Advisor Type On Undergraduate Student Retention, Brian Patrick French

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study was designed to examine the effect of academic advisor type on retention of first-year, full-time, four-year degree-seeking students at a mid-size research university in the western U.S., while controlling for several predictor variables identified in contemporary and seminal literature as having a potential impact on student retention. Predictor variables are: socioeconomic status, first generation in family to attend college, high school grade point average, first semester grade point average, and enrollment in developmental coursework.

In the study, a binary logistic regression model was employed to determine whether academic advisor type had a statistically significant effect on the probability …

Increasing Success: Strategies To Address Factors Affecting Student Retention From First To Second Year At A Canadian, Undergraduate, Liberal Arts University, Tracy L.A. Cunningham

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

As demographics shift, student retention and attrition rates are increasingly becoming of greater concern to the overall viability and longevity of post-secondary institutions. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines some of the challenges faced by a small, liberal arts, faith-based university in southern Ontario which, in recent years, have impacted its enrolment and retention from first to second year. With some of the probable challenges identified, the study provides a strategy for guiding institutional change and possible solutions which may aid in the encouragement and support of continued enrolment from those students who would normally be at risk for withdrawing. …

Transition And Integration Experiences Of First-Year College Students: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lives Of Participants In Outdoor Orientation Programs, Lynn Nester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to understand the transition and integration experiences of first-year freshmen who participated in an outdoor orientation program at 2 higher education institutions in the Southeastern United States. Student attrition from the first year to the second year and increased time to degree completion are challenges for a number of higher education institutions in the United States (Hamilton & Hamilton, 2006; Pascarella, Terenzini, & Wolfle, 1986; Tinto, 2006). First-year to second-year attrition and lack of persistence to degree completion may be due to an unsuccessful transition to college, the inability to integrate into the campus …

Socialization And Retention Of Part-Time Doctoral Students: A Review Of Ten Years Of Literature, Mildred Cunningham, Christy L. Spurlock

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The growing population of part-time doctoral students has created a need for research into the determining factors for part-time doctoral student success, especially related to retention and program completion. In order to gain a better understanding of the current literature and its importance, the researchers used purposive sampling and thematic analysis to compile emerging factors from over 20 recent articles. Three themes materialized: the growing part-time student population; the differing needs of part-time versus full-time students; and the need for specialized student support resources for part-timers. This article explains the analysis and present findings that indicate that the socialization process …

The Student Experience: The Effects Of Three College Retention Strategies On First-Generation Student Success Outcomes, Erica Woods-Warrior

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the growing importance of post-secondary degree attainment, existing research indicates that first-generation students (FGS) at 4-year colleges and universities are twice as likely as their peers to drop-out of school before their second year of study, and a great proportion of these students never return to complete their undergraduate degree. The present study collected and analyzed institutional data to determine the impact of three programmatic strategies on student retention and academic outcomes for FGS. The strategies are: lower/upper-level student integration, faculty mentorship, peer mentorship, and Communities of Learning (CoL). Each was investigated in the context of a student retention …

Grade Retention Rates: Impact Of Standards-Based Grading As Compared To A Traditional Grading System In 3rd And 5th Grades, Mishea Dean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student retention is a contentious issue that has spawned considerable debate among school leaders and policymakers. NCLB's accountability requirement has led to the development of a standards-based grading system to ensure students master content and so schools can meet AYP goals. This causal comparative study examined whether a change from a traditional grading system to a standards-based system affected the student retention frequency rate. Convenience sampling was used to collect retention data on third and fifth grade students who attended four Title 1 schools in northeast Georgia during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years when the grading system changed. A …

Solving The Problem: Improving Retention In Higher Education, Marcia Heiman

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

As our nation looks ahead in this new century, an educated workforce is more important than ever. Yet college retention is a major problem. Last year, for the first time in 20 years, retention to the sophomore year dropped in the nation’s four-year colleges (Bushong, 2009). For minority students on predominantly white campuses – that is, most four-year colleges and universities – the graduation rate is unacceptably low. For example, less than half of black males graduate from four-year college programs within six years – 20 percentage points less than their white peers (Carey, 2008). And student persistence in community …

A National Study Of Community College Retention Rates Segmented By Institutional Degree Of Urbanization, Lee Waller, Tara Tietjen-Smith

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

According to the Center for the Study of College Student Retention (2008), nearly 50% of students entering higher education will not earn a degree. Higher education institutions continually define and refine strategic initiatives to increase retention rates, often devoting countless hours and resources with minimal results. A recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics (Chen & Carroll, 2007) found that students enrolled part-time lagged significantly behind full-time peers in persistence in postsecondary degree completion. Stratton, O’Toole, and Wetzel (2007) stated that enrollment status alone does not account for lower retention rates among part-time students. These researchers found that …