Education Commons^™

Relationship Between First-Generation College Students' Expectations For Experiences With Faculty Members And Students' Success After The First Year, Christina D. Nelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the landscape of higher education changes to allow increased access for first-generation college students (FGS), emerging research should take into account the unique nature of this at-risk population of students (Aspelmeier, Love, McGill, Elliott, & Pierce, 2012). These students tend to be less prepared for the rigors of college coursework (Horn & Bobbitt, 2000; Strayhorn, 2006; Thayer, 2000) and may lack appropriate expectations (Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004). In particular, FGS may struggle with understanding the importance of creating and maintaining relationships with faculty (Cotten & Wilson, 2006; Davis, 2010).

In order to discover any correlation between expectations …

Retention Of Community College Students In Online Courses, Sarah Krajewski

Dissertations

The issue of attrition in online courses at higher learning institutions remains a high priority in the United States. A recent rapid growth of online courses at community colleges has been instigated by student demand, as they meet the time constraints many nontraditional community college students have as a result of the need to work and care for dependents. Failure in an online course can cause students to become frustrated with the college experience, financially burdened, or to even give up and leave college. Attrition could be avoided by proper guidance of who is best suited for online courses. This …

They Just Named Me Head Of Retention: Now What Do I Do?, Anne Marie Casey, Richard Nicols

Publications

Retention specialists come from many areas of higher education. Some, such as a First Year Programs Director, seem like a very natural fit. Others come from departments not traditionally associated with retention. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which offers degree programs primarily in STEM fields, the Director of First Year Programs (FYP) had been considered the informal retention specialist of record until late 2013 when the Library Director was recruited to take on the newly created position of Dean of Retention and Student Success. This paper chronicles the ways in which the two colleagues learned about the state of retention at …

Creating A Comprehensive Early Warning System To Further Student Success And Retention, Shane P. Hammond

Shane P Hammond

Student retention is critical to successful outcomes in higher education today. This completed project is about how to better track a student's performance and work with those struggling academically so that they are given the tools to better academic performance. This project reviewed the Academic Deficiency Report System at Greenfield Community College and identified flaws in the process that did not serve the students well. Based on the author's research of early warning models in the literature and best practices across the state of Massachusetts, an Early Progress Report and notification process was developed. This new version of the early …

Identifying Characteristics That Influence First-Time, Full-Time Freshmen Persistence And Exploring Effective And Strategic Retention Initiatives For An At-Risk Student Population, Erin Lambert Dornan

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to understand background and behavioral characteristics that influenced student persistence of first-time, full-time, freshmen at a four-year public institution, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). This study provided an outline for institutions of higher learning to create a profile assessment on their campus and identify students that were more likely to need additional support in order to be successful. Research has shown that understanding students’ needs can increase student retention on campus (Gerdes & Mallinckrodt, 1994; Briceño-Perriott & Mianzo, 2006; O’Keefe, 2013). Coll and Stewart (2008), explained that research in this field was more …

A Comparative Study On The Stress Levels Of Black, White, Asian, And Latino Undergraduate Students, Franklin Dickerson Turner, Jeffrey K. Smith

Journal of Research Initiatives

Research found that undergraduates who had poor academic performance and experienced depression and anxiety were reported to have encountered higher levels of stress than those students who persisted (Andrews & Wilding, 2004; Bennett, 2003). It also was found that minority students had a higher tendency to experience stress than their counterparts. Although, universities allocate resources to recruit minority undergraduates and provide various types of support, many universities tend to be limited in the resources for handling and detecting stressors among college students. The purpose of this research was to investigate the different levels of stress faced by minority college students …

Practical Applications For Student Affairs: A Phenomenological Exploration Of How Black Male Undergraduate Persisters Describe Retention And Social Integration At A Midwestern Pwi, André L. Fortune

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For decades higher education has incurred challenges with increasing undergraduate retention and degree attainment. Lately these challenges, including focus on increasing Black male undergraduate degree attainment, have become a national concern. Scholars like Vincent Tinto (1987, 1993, 2012) have dedicated research to explain why students leave or stay in college. His findings identified the majority of students voluntarily leave institutions for nonacademic reasons that occur outside of class. On many campuses outside of class experiences, which Tinto labeled social integration, are primarily facilitated by student affairs practitioners.

The concept of social integration as a factor in student retention provided …

Educational Opportunity Fund Program And Community College Student Retention, Aretha Watson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The EOF program is a state funded student support services program designed to provide access and financial support to disadvantaged students, and to improve student success as measured by student retention and graduation rates. This research examined the effects of EOF program and other factors on first semester retention in a community college. . Three models were developed: baseline model (whole group), and two sub group models (EOF and comparable non-EOF). Logistic regression analysis revealed that participation in EOF was positively related to student retention at the end of the first semester. Gender, race/ethnicity, college placement test (reading and math), …

“Warming Up” In The Developmental Sequence? Upward Transfer Conditional On Dependency Status, Cody Davidson, Kristin B. Wilson

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

The purpose of this study was to determine predictor factors of upward transfer for Kentucky community college students enrolled in a developmental algebra course. For independent students, a mother with a college degree, a declared major, a federal work-study position, greater adjusted gross income, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer. For dependent students, a father with a college degree, a declared major, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer.

Exploring Anomalies In Indigenous Student Engagement : Findings From A National Australian Survey Of Undergraduates., Ali Radloff

Ali Radloff

Increases in participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education across Australia continue to be promising. However, it is also known that Indigenous students' attrition, retention and completion rates remain areas of concern. In this paper, the author authors report findings from an analysis of Indigenous student responses to the 2009 Australasian Survey of Student Engagement. Overall, Indigenous Australian students express positive responses in relation to engagement, but are more likely than non-Indigenous students to be planning to depart. The authors explore this somewhat unexpected anomaly, whilst also suggesting that much more needs to be known about …

The Apprentice Retention Program: Evaluation And Implications For Ontario, Catharine Dishke Hondzel, Ronald Hansen

Catharine Dishke Hondzel

Apprentice retention and completion focus of new study

The completion rates of Ontario’s apprentices remain a point of concern, prompting growing interest in programs to improve retention and completion. A new study from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario examines the development, implementation and efficacy of the Apprentice Retention Program (ARP).

Project description

ARP was developed in a partnership with Western University, Fanshawe College, the local Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities’ (MTCU) Employment Ontario office, the Apprenticeship Network and the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workplace Planning and Development Board. The program consisted of nine hands-on and two online workshops …

Does Kees Help Retain High-Performing Students In-State For Higher Education?, Rachael Clark

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky’s merit-based program, the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), started in 1998 providing financial assistance to students attending higher education in-state based on high school academic achievements. The intended goal of KEES is elusive, however two key objectives are often mentioned with KEES. These are incentivizing and rewarding high school academic achievement and keeping high-performing students in Kentucky for their college education. This study aims to investigate whether Kentucky’s merit-based program keeps high-performing students in Kentucky for higher education.

The dataset available for this research was provided by the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics from their high school …

Toward A New Predictive Model Of Student Retention In Higher Education: An Application Of Classical Sociological Theory, Molly Kerby

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Theoretical models designed to predict whether students will persist or not have been valuable tools for retention efforts relative to the creation of services in academic and student affairs. Some of the early models attempted to explain and measure factors in the college dropout process. For example, in his seminal work, Tinto defined retention as a longitudinal process incorporating both the academic potential of the student and institutional social systems, thus creating a directional model based on continual variance in social commitments that influence academic performance. Others expanded the earlier theoretical models to test the predictive capabilities of these models …

Undergraduate Research: An Essential Piece For Underrepresented Students' College Success, Yuleinys A. Castillo, Antonio Estudillo

Faculty Publications

Undergraduate research represents a high impact practice for higher education institutions to improve the college experience of underrepresented students. The integrative and mentoring aspects of undergraduate research can help to enhance the academic and social participation of underrepresented students. Undergraduate students provide opportunities for students to develop valuable skills for personal and professional growth. Specifically, participation in undergraduate research can foster work-related skills for underrepresented students for future career and interpersonal relationships. In this literature review, the benefits and perceived challenges for underrepresented students as well as institutional investment in undergraduate research are explored to potentially offer valuable information to …

The Effect Of Web-Based Learning On Retention Of Non-Traditional Students In A Rural Comprehensive University, Treva Gail Macy

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects web-based courses effect retention of nontraditional students. Gender, student classification, first generation, and ACT composite scores were used as predictor variables for the purpose of this study. Data were collected from the university's BANNER system. The analysis of the results revealed that the retention rates of students who participated in online courses were higher than their in-person counterparts. Recommendations for policy and implications for future research are provided.

A Predictive Modeling System: Early Identification Of Students At-Risk Enrolled In Online Learning Programs, Mary L. Fonti

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Predictive statistical modeling shows promise in accurately predicting academic performance for students enrolled in online programs. This approach has proven effective in accurately identifying students who are at-risk enabling instructors to provide instructional intervention. While the potential benefits of statistical modeling is significant, implementations have proven to be complex, costly, and difficult to maintain. To address these issues, the purpose of this study is to develop a fully integrated, automated predictive modeling system (PMS) that is flexible, easy to use, and portable to identify students who are potentially at-risk for not succeeding in a course they are currently enrolled in. …

Human Kaleidoscopes: Cultivating Success In Non-Traditional Students, Carolyn Coles Benton

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Non-traditional students are a growing population in higher education, yet our understandings of the unique factors that predict their success have not increased. This narrative inquiry examines the lived experiences of high school dropouts entering the college arena as non-traditional students, attempting to improve their personal and academic lifestyles by acquiring a General Education Diploma (GED) in addition to obtaining an associate’s degree from a for-profit postsecondary educational institution. The purpose of this study is to better understand the lives and circumstances of students, leading up to their dropping out of high school. Participants’ reflections of their own college experiences, …

Good Leavers And Bad Stayers: Exploring The Influence Of Defining Student Success Outcomes With A Composite Measure Of Performance And Persistence, Curtis T. Sandberg

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Not all college “stayers” and “leavers” stay or leave for the same reason or with the same experience. However, traditional measures and studies of academic success have limited their scope to either performance or persistence as individual variables. This study explored whether a more nuanced definition of success as a composite of both performance and persistence (GPA and retention) produced different results than when using the variables separately. The influence of academic self-efficacy on student success served as the context for this exploration. The study used an existing incoming student survey dataset from a small private liberal arts college. Subjects …