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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Education
Notes
- Abstract:
- Purpose : As the undergraduate student population increases and becomes more diverse, low first-to-second year persistence rates continue to plague the nation‘s colleges and universities. Due to the role faculty play in students‘ learning and engagement, the purpose of this study was to examine faculty members‘ perceptions of the factors that influence undergraduate first year experiences and to better understand the impact of these factors on undergraduate persistence beyond the first year. It is hoped that information and knowledge obtained from this study might help administrators develop, design, and implement more effective intervention policies and programs specifically designed to recruit, retain, and promote persistence beyond the first year. Method : This phenomenological study examined the experiences and perceptions of twelve full-time faculty members, purposively selected, who teach undergraduate classes at major metropolitan public, private and not-for-profit degree-granting residential and commuter colleges and universities in the southeastern United States, in order, to determine the impact of freshman year experiences on persistence beyond the first year. A six question, on-line open-ended questionnaire on the SurveyMonkey™ website was utilized. Major Findings : The twelve full-time faculty members who participated in this study demonstrated an understanding of: (1) the personal, institutional, and environmental factors that influence freshman experiences, (2) the nature and impact of these experiences on students‘ success, and (3) their subsequent decisions to re-enroll at their initial institution, transfer, or dropout prior to the beginning of the sophomore year. The participants ‘experiences, perceptions, and opinions coalesced under four major themes: academic preparation; socioeconomic status; academic integration; and social integration. The results of this study support the use of first year intervention programs intentionally designed and implemented to recruit and retain freshmen and increase persistence beyond the first year.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Barry University, 2011.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-181).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Charmaine A. Beckford. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- LC148.15.B43 2001_BeckfordCharmaine ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- LC148.15.B43 2001 ( lcc )
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