Identifier

etd-04102014-161432

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Human Resource Education and Workforce Development

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This study investigated the impact a freshman-year seminar course, UNIV 101, had on students’ second-year retention. Retention was determined based on a student’s subsequent enrollment at the university, one year after their initial semester. In addition, this study explored the relationship between selected independent variables found in literature and second-year retention. Finally, the study sought to determine if selected variables, completion of UNIV 101, and final letter grade earned by students in UNIV 101 was able to predict the probability of retention. The target population for this study was all first-time freshmen enrolled in a small, public, regional institution in Southeastern United States. The accessible population of this study was first-time freshmen in their initial enrollment in UNIV 101 during the Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, and Spring 2012 semesters (N=2,464). Data was analyzed using correlation and direct logistic regression. It was determined that a very large and very strong relationship exists between completers of an extended-orientation, freshmen-year seminar course with a common theme and attendance policy taught by professional academic advisors with students’ second-year retention. More specifically, completers of the freshmen-year seminar course were more than 11 times more likely to be retained than non-completers. It was further determined that the final letter grade that students’ earn in an extended-orientation, freshmen-year seminar course with a common theme and attendance policy taught by professional academic advisors can predict the probability of students’ second-year retention. More specifically, students who earned an A or B in the extended-orientation, freshmen-year seminar course with a common theme and attendance policy taught by professional academic advisors were more than 14 times and 8 times (respectively) more likely to be retained for a second year. Finally, other student attributes were also found to have a statistically significant relationship with second-year retention. Selected student attribute variables found in literature-included age, gender, ethnicity, high school grade point average, and highest composite ACT score.

Date

2014

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Kotrlik, Joe

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1691

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