Education Commons^™

Black Male Student Success In Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Cherise A. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When compared to their peer counterparts, Black male students have a lower college attrition rate. Universities and higher education institutions explore ways to increase the retention and graduation rates for Black male students persisting toward college graduation, and all Black male students need to be included in the dialogue. This qualitative instrumental collective case study explored first-generation Black male college students’ lived experiences that contributed to their persistence toward graduation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) framed within Tinto’s retention theory (1993). Snowball sampling was used to identify eight first-generation Black male students that were in good academic standing …

First-Year Computer Science Students: Pathways And Perceptions In Introductory Computer Science Courses, Christina A. Leblanc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined student perceptions and experiences of an introductory Computer Science course at the University of Maine; COS 125: Introduction to Problem Solving Using Computer Programs. It also explored the pathways that students pursue after taking COS 125, depending on their success in the course, and their motivation to persist. Through characterizing student populations and their performance in their first semester in the Computer Science program, they can be placed into one of three categories that explain their path; a “continuer” (passed COS 125 and decided to stay in the major), a “persister” (did not pass COS 125 and …

Social Support Among Undergraduate Students: Measure Development And Validation, Heather M. Blizzard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Being born into circumstances of low-income, having a racial minority status, and/or non-college educated families dwindle the opportunities for many students to obtain a college degree (Cox, 2016; Engle & Tinto, 2008; Jenkins et al., 2013). While many institutions of higher education have diligently worked to develop programs geared towards attending the educational inequalities among diverse student populations, there is still a great need for programs centered on the inequalities surrounding social support (Cox, 2016; Ward et al., 2012; Soria & Stebleton, 2012).

The purpose of this study was to develop and assess a measure to examine perceived social support …

College, At What Cost? African American/Black Women Undergraduate Students’ Perception Of Institutional Policy Levers, Tamara D. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is exploring how institutional policy levers impact retention for African American/Black women undergraduate students at a private four-year predominantly white institution in a mid-western state of the United States. Retention of African American/Black women undergraduate students is not a widely researched area. In this exploratory case study, eight African American/Black undergraduate junior and senior women, ten administrators and one focus group of six African American/Black women were interviewed. Artifacts were collected from the administrators. The data collected was analyzed using the culturally engaging campus environment model. The experiences of the African American/Black undergraduate women were examined in academic …

A Phenomenological Study On The Influence Of A Leadership Living-Learning Community On First-Generation College Student Social Integration, Jeremy Todd Sheffield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students are a growing and unique population in the United States. First-generation college students face far more barriers to success when compared to their continuing-generation peers. Student retention and success is a primary concern for institutions of higher education in the United States as economic challenges and pressures grow. Therefore, retention and success for the growing number of first-generation college students is a priority for higher education leaders. A vital component of student retention and success is effective social integration. A proven high-impact practice for increasing student social integration is participation in a living-learning community. A descriptive phenomenological …