Higher Education Ph.D. Dissertations

A Ten-Year Study of the Conditional Effects on Student Success in the First Year of College

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Higher Education Administration

First Advisor

William Knight (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Alberto Gonzalez (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Dafina-Lazarus Stewart (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Carolyn Palmer (Committee Member)

Abstract

In light of enrollment and retention pressures and challenges, educators strive to deliver an experience that will meet the myriad outcomes expected from present day colleges and universities. This study sought to inform one campus about the impact of its educational environments on first-year student retention and grade point average after the first year. First-year student cohorts from 1997 to 2006 were studied. Key variables included retention, grade point average, involvement in a first-year program, and the type of first-year program, along with myriad student inputs and pre-college characteristics.

Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted for retention; while hierarchical linear regression was conducted for grade point average after the first-year. Over 400 interactions or main effects were statistically significant for retention. Students tended to be better retained if they had higher high school grade point averages, had total aid amount above the mean, were in-state residents, lived on-campus, and were involved in at least one first-year program. Over 350 interactions or main effects were statistically significant for student GPA after the first-year. Students tended to have higher GPAs if they had higher high school grade point averages, were involved in the Honors program, were a non-first-generation student, lived on-campus, had an expected family contribution above the mean, or had a gross need below the mean.

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