As the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is often used as a determiner for university admissions, this study observes the effect on the international student population at a large private university through the examination of the international student admissions data including TOEFL and first-year GPA from 2005-2015. With the anonymous data of 9,837 students, researchers analyzed the result of a cut-score change at the university. Results indicated that the number of international students decreased at the university. As expected, the TOEFL data revealed a normal distribution for the overall (combined) score and subsection scores, while the GPA data did not. The ANOVA for the TOEFL revealed that the change in cut-scores was not completely implemented in 2010. The GPA results from the ANOVA did not appear to be increasing. Correlation analysis reflected a decrease in the correlation coefficient when comparing results from before and after the cut-score change. Correlations of the subsection TOEFL score presented interesting findings. Multiple regression analysis indicated similar conclusions.

With the increased use of performance funding in Tennessee and many other states, it is imperative that administrators strategically budget to meet performance outcome goals. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between the budget function allocations of Instruction, Academic Support, and Student Services and performance outcome measures involving student success factors defined as completion of credit hours, awards of technical certificates, and awards of undergraduate degrees through the academic years of 2006-07 and 2013-14. The population included the 13 public community colleges and 9 public universities in Tennessee within the Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee systems. Statistical procedures included bivariate correlations and multiple regressions of the predictor variables of budget function allocations and the criterion variables of performance outcomes. Descriptive data indicated an increase in the majority of the budget function area means and decreases in the majority of performance outcomes over the timeframe of the study. Correlation analysis of community college predictor and criterion variables revealed significant positive relationships existed between the following: (a) salary allocations for Student Services and awards of technical certificates; and (b) allocations for salaries for Instruction and completion of credit hours and number of associate degrees awarded. Multiple regression analysis of community college variables indicated salaries of Instruction were the most useful predictor of performance outcomes. Correlation analysis of university predictor and criterion variables revealed significant negative relationships existed between the following: (a) operations for Student Services and completion of 24, 48, and 72 credit hours; (b) salaries for Student Services and completion of 24, 48, and 72 credit hours and number of bachelor degrees awarded; (c) salaries of Academic Support and completion of 24 and 48 credit hours; (d) operations budgets for Instruction and completion of 24, 48, and 72 credit hours; (e) budget allocations for salaries for Instruction and completion of 24 credit hours; and (f) combined budget allocations and completion of 24 and 48 credit hours. Correlation analysis of university predictor and criterion variables revealed significant positive relationships existed between operations budgets for Academic Support and completion of 72 credit hours and number of bachelor degrees awarded

“First-generation college student” is a category ubiquitous in higher education literature due to the social mobility this group has the potential of deriving from educational attainment. However, the first category is comprised of a diverse group of students who do not share any other common research construct, such as race/ethnicity, culture, immigrant status, or socioeconomic status. In addition, the literature often conceives of firsts from a deficit standpoint, blaming the students for lack of success attaching low expectations to students’ identity. In addition, although the literature implies that an intersectional approach would be appropriate for understanding this population, no work to date has attempted to apply an explicitly intersectional framework or considered probing the boundaries of the category itself. The goals of this study, therefore, were to understand the narratives of successful firsts at a highly selective institution in order to understand how students’ intersectional identities shaped their educational trajectories, and to understand the impact of utilizing a socially constructed and deficit-oriented category in research and practice. To achieve these aims, this study utilized a visual narrative analytic method. Seventeen successful participants self-identified as firsts and participated in two one-on-one interviews and took or found pictures relating to their pre-college and college experiences. I found that firsts made meaning of their multiple, intersecting identities in diverse ways. Although students had internalized conceptions of first status as a detriment to their educational opportunities, they were able to reframe this deficit as success through the American dream storyline. In addition, students’ multiple identities intersected and informed their educational trajectories in unique and individualized ways. These identities flowed through the constructs of personal characteristics, familial characteristics, and characteristics that were negotiated in personal and familial contexts. Students conceptualized success being intrinsically linked to learning, contributing to future generational success, and saw themselves as making contributions to the academy via the ideas of service and diversity. Students were able to reframe negative societal expectations, focus on learning as a goal in and of itself, and associate success with self in way that suggests that examining firsts through any single identity frame limiting in understand the ways they navigate and make meaning of their experiences. In addition, students saw themselves as making unique contributions to the academy via service and diversity. The present study offers conceptual maps to explain how students talked about their identities as well as the notion of success. I also offer suggestions for research, theory, policy, and practice. / text

For generations American community colleges, governed by boards of trustees, have successfully provided open access to higher education. Today, all colleges are under intense pressure to improve student success rates. Using qualitative methodology, this grounded theory case study analyzed the expanding role of community college trustees in a college that has transformed to embrace student success. This study examined the expanding role of trustees through their eyes and the eyes of senior administrators. Their perceptions culminated into eight major themes: Achieving the Dream, Board of Trustees Institute, student success, data, leadership, partnership, trust, and vision. Two other themes of note developed: outcomes-based funding and the influence of Dr. Byron McClenney. Time expenditure on trustee duties and professional development concluded the findings. Conclusions drawn reveal that a transformational culture change from an emphasis solely on student access, to one of access plus student success began with the Board. Trustees developed an expanded skill set of awareness and acuity regarding student success data in order to interpret and use data effectively, resulting in an increased amount of time spent on Board duties and training. The Board now makes data driven decisions that have transformed fiscal policy to reflect the student success agenda. The primary focus of the Board is on how their actions affect student success rather than only on enrollment numbers and budgets. Through this process, the Trustees and Chancellor have developed a genuine and open partnership that extends to senior administrators. The Trustees continue to observe the boundaries of their policy-making roles as they ask the right questions without getting into day-to-day operations of the college. Because of limited research on community college trustees and student success, this study adds to available literature and may provide value to trustees, presidents, and chancellors who are changing their institutional culture to one focusing on student success. Conclusions drawn from the study may be used to enhance the education of trustees on their expanded role. The findings may also serve as a guide in helping trustees understand how to prioritize student success without stepping over the line into daily college operations. / text

Despite efforts to increase female participation in STEM majors, women continue to be an underrepresented population in this domain, impacting the U.S. workforce. Researchers have identified a variety of factors that benefit engineering students without regard to gender (mentoring; student-faculty interactions; co-curricular involvement) but research is limited on how female engineering students foster a sense of belonging to the engineering major helping them persist through to graduation. Negative factors like gender bias or stereotyping are detailed in extant literature. Research needs to identify ways that contribute to female engineering connection and sense of belonging in engineering, not solely focus on the factors that negatively impact female engineering student trajectories. In an effort to address this gap in the literature, interviews with alumnae who graduated from engineering colleges across the U.S. were conducted. Data from this study provides a glimpse into what helped foster successful navigation through engineering majors for alumnae. Expanding current female and STEM literature, participants provide insights on pre-college, college, and on career influences. / text

Although nearly forty years of research has revealed and confirmed practices related to developmental student success, many developmental programs have failed to provide effective intervention. In an effort to organize for developmental student success, Tyler Junior College restructured its developmental program to reflect the needs of their underprepared students and research proven best practices. In one year, they were able to document dramatic results in improved student success. The purpose of this research was to understand the experiences of those involved in changing this developmental program and to generate a theory which explained how they improved the program’s effectiveness. Three basic research questions guided this information gathering process: 1. What were the experiences of the administrators, faculty and support staff in improving a developmental education program? 2. What were the relationships among the experiences of the administrators, faculty and support staff in improving a developmental education program? 3. How did the perceptions of the administration, faculty and support services staff compare? By using the protocol of Interactive Quantitative Analysis, this case study provided an opportunity for those involved in making these changes to tell their stories. These rich descriptions of experiences and perceptions were synthesized into a theory that described how they improved the program’s effectiveness. When compared to related contexts, the results could be useful for making similar transitions elsewhere. / text

The promises of the open door community college system have helped people from all walks of life access and achieve higher education credentials. Numerous community college graduates transferred to other universities to continue their academic pursuits or entered the emerging career areas with skills that afford those wages and lifestyles that allow them to support their families, contribute as tax payers and full participants in the American Dream. For many African American and Latino men, the hope of achieving a college degree was realized through their involvement in a special student success program that offered mentoring, academic support, life skills necessary for managing personal and professional relationships, financial literacy and friendships with peers built on honesty, integrity, and accountability agreements. Many of these programs, though life changing for participants, were small in scale, are not supported across institutions, lacked broad involvement from faculty members, and were limited in their scope. Long term sustainable program plans must include issues related to scalability, replication; financial and strategic plans; common measures of effectiveness that eliminate current achievement and attainment gaps President Obama along with other policy groups has challenged 2-year colleges to help America lead all other nations in producing the largest percentage of adults with a college credential. This research used a qualitative case study approach to collect, review, and analyze 82 community college minority male student success programs. To broaden the research study pertinent to what measures of evidence are used to determine effectiveness, program directors and participants were interviewed with a semi-structured approach. Data were analyzed and greater clarity of the problems many men of color face and the programs designed to increase their academic, career and workforce success. To close the gender and racial gaps identified demands holistic solutions between and among private, public, governmental, social, cultural, academic, and financial organizations. Our global knowledge economy demands college presidents, governing board members, faculty, staff, community, faith-based institutions, and men of color to collaborate and create, and improve and strengthen the chances for more minority men to attain college credentials. / text

In an effort to improve instruction and better accommodate the needs of students, community colleges are offering courses delivered in a variety of delivery formats that require students to have some level of technology fluency to be successful in the course. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between student socioeconomic status (SES), course delivery method, and course type on enrollment, final course grades, course completion status, and course passing status at a state college. A dataset for 20,456 students of low and not low SES enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) course types delivered using traditional, online, blended, and web enhanced course delivery formats at Miami Dade College, a large open access 4-year state college located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, was analyzed. A factorial ANOVA using course type, course delivery method, and student SES found no significant differences in final course grades when used to determine if course delivery methods were equally effective for students of low and not low SES taking STEM course types. Additionally, three chi-square goodness-of-fit tests were used to investigate for differences in enrollment, course completion and course passing status by SES, course type, and course delivery method. The findings of the chi-square tests indicated that: (a) there were significant differences in enrollment by SES and course delivery methods for the Engineering/Technology, Math, and overall course types but not for the Natural Science course type and (b) there were no significant differences in course completion status and course passing status by SES and course types overall and SES and course delivery methods overall. However, there were statistically significant but weak relationships between course passing status, SES and the math course type as well as between course passing status, SES, and online and traditional course delivery methods. The mixed findings in the study indicate that strides have been made in closing the theoretical gap in education and technology skills that may exist for students of different SES levels. MDC’s course delivery and student support models may assist other institutions address student success in courses that necessitate students having some level of technology fluency.

For the past several years, U.S. colleges and universities have faced increased pressure to improve retention and graduation rates. At the same time, educational institutions have placed a greater emphasis on the importance of enrolling more students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs and producing more STEM graduates. The resulting problem faced by educators involves finding new ways to support the success of STEM majors, regardless of their pre-college academic preparation. The purpose of my research study involved utilizing first-year STEM majors’ math SAT scores, unweighted high school GPA, math placement test scores, and the highest level of math taken in high school to develop models for predicting those who were likely to pass their first math and science courses. In doing so, the study aimed to provide a strategy to address the challenge of improving the passing rates of those first-year students attempting STEM-related courses. The study sample included 1018 first-year STEM majors who had entered the same large, public, urban, Hispanic-serving, research university in the Southeastern U.S. between 2010 and 2012. The research design involved the use of hierarchical logistic regression to determine the significance of utilizing the four independent variables to develop models for predicting success in math and science. The resulting data indicated that the overall model of predictors (which included all four predictor variables) was statistically significant for predicting those students who passed their first math course and for predicting those students who passed their first science course. Individually, all four predictor variables were found to be statistically significant for predicting those who had passed math, with the unweighted high school GPA and the highest math taken in high school accounting for the largest amount of unique variance. Those two variables also improved the regression model’s percentage of correctly predicting that dependent variable. The only variable that was found to be statistically significant for predicting those who had passed science was the students’ unweighted high school GPA. Overall, the results of my study have been offered as my contribution to the literature on predicting first-year student success, especially within the STEM disciplines.

Mental health is one of the biggest issues facing governments around the globe (Keyes, 2013). Mental health is a state of well-being wherein individuals realize their potential, cope with normal life stressors, work productively, and contribute to society (World Health Organization, 2014). Findings from the American College Health Assessment survey reveal the vast majority of postsecondary students in Canada and the United States report (a) feeling inundated and exhausted by their academic work, and (b) experiencing levels of stress and anxiety compromising physical and mental health, academic learning, and personal success (ACHA, 2019). Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a key component of student success at university, however despite the large body of research establishing the role of SRL in student success at university, there is a paucity of research on mental health and SRL at university. To date mental health and SRL have been underexamined as dynamic processes that develop over time as highly situated, metacognitive processes. The purpose of this multi-paper dissertation was twofold: (a) to examine the interplay between self-regulated learning and mental health in student success at university, and (b) to explore a variety of methods and analyses examining this interplay. Davis and Hadwin (2019) examined psychological well-being (PWB) and SRL and how they differ between groups of students with different levels of within-person PWB during an academic semester of a learning-to-learn course. Davis, Milford, and MacDonald (2019) used multi-level modelling to further examine the associations over time between students’ PWB and academic engagement, goal attainment, goal satisfaction, and rating of mental health and well-being challenge. Finally, Davis, Rostampour, Hadwin, and Rush (2020) built on the findings of Papers 1 and 2 by using a case study approach to examine mental health and adaptive regulation exhibited by two contrasting groups of students (i.e., the high mental health group and the low mental health group) in a university learning-to-learn course. There were five main findings from the studies in this dissertation. First, there is a positive relation between PWB and SRL. Second, mental health is a condition and product affecting learning. Third, students’ mental health affects metacognitive standards and is a target of learning goals. Fourth, students’ mental health affects their engagement in adaptive regulation of learning. Fifth, including mental health in online SRL diary tools may benefit all students. Finally, the main findings from this dissertation provide two directions for future research: (a) considering the interplay of mental health SRL as a heuristic process fueled by metacognition where students take an active role, experiment, and consider feedback in their learning, and (b) situating mental health within metacognitive SRL interventions. / Graduate