Tinto’s (1993) Theory of Individual Departure from Institutions of Higher Education conceptualized the decision making process students navigate when committing to institutions of higher education and persisting to graduation. Transfer students are gaining the attention of administrators and policy-makers because of the high level of transfer activity in higher education. Many of these students face a uniquely difficult transition when moving from one institutional environment to another. The phenomenon, known as transfer shock, is the overall integration and adaptation difficultly that transfer students face (Hills, 1965). Since previous institution cumulative grade point average (GPA) is a criterion used in transfer admissions decisions, it was studied. Six-year graduation totals were also observed in the study because they indicates student commitment to their institution and goals toward graduation. The purpose of this study was to examine Ball State University entering transfer students and how to predict post-transfer GPA and six-year graduation based on previous institution cumulative grade point average, age, sex, previous institution type, and BSU college. Regression analysis was used to make predictive models for post-transfer GPA and six-year graduation using the observed variables (i.e., previous institution cumulative GPA, age, sex, previous institution type, and BSU college). The sample consisted of 1,857 entering transfer students at Ball State University, a state-assisted, residential university with high research activity in Muncie, Indiana. Previous institution cumulative GPA averaged 2.994 while the average post-transfer GPA was 1.681. Nearly 60% of the sample achieved six-year graduation. The results of the revised model for predicting post-transfer GPA found only previous institution cumulative GPA, age, previous institution type, and whether or not the student was in CAST to be statistically significant predictors. The model used to predict six-year graduation found previous institution type, age, sex, previous institution type, and three of the BSU colleges (CAST, CCIM, and TC) to be statistically significant predictors. When applied to the data, the six-year graduation prediction model correctly predicted six-year graduation at a rate of 79.6% and had an overall correct prediction percentage of 63.6% of the time. Suggestions for practice and recommendations for future research were included. / Department of Educational Studies

Currently, the prevention and control of the spread of AIDS is one of the foremost international health concerns and one of the biggest social expectations in the United States as well. Until a medical solution to AIDS is found, the only viable means of AIDS prevention is to educate the public about AIDS and persuade those who are sexually active to avoid high-risk sexual behaviors.Because many studies have showed that college students are considered to possess the highest risk toward AIDS, in this study, possible factors that can change college students' behavior were examined.One hundred and ninety seven students who enrolled in two undergraduate general classes (biology and anthropology) at Ball State University were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning their sensation-seeking type and level, frequency of their interpersonal communication with their sexual partners, and quality of their AIDS/HIV education in middle and high schools. One student from this population refused to complete the questionnaire.This study showed that public relations practitioners would need to stimulate the target audience to interpersonal communication with their sexual partners, know each type of risk takers need different information from each other, and educate the target audience how to talk about this issue with their sexual partners, rather than educate them knowledge of AIDS or social norm of safe sex. / Department of Journalism

The purpose of this project was to compare the financial management habits of Ball State University first-year students and seniors living on campus.A stratified, systematic sample of 100 first-year students and 100 seniors were surveyed during December 2000. Data were collected on 25 variables, 4 describing personal characteristics, and 21 describing personal financial management habits.It was determined that Ball State University first-year students and seniors have similar financial management habits. Statistically significant differences between first-year students and seniors existed on the following variables: having a student loan, knowing when the loan must be repaid, having one or more credit cards, carrying a balance on one or more credit cards, having a savings account, and recording expenditures in a check register.Financial management is an area that Student Affairs practitioners may want to consider investing more time educating students. Current financial management programs may need to be evaluated for their effectiveness. Using current research, new programs may be developed and implemented. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study investigated the repertoire selection experiences that undergraduate choral music education majors are given at two different universities in Indiana. The lives of the instructors who teach undergraduate choral music majors how to select repertoire were examined with the goal of getting a better understanding of what life experiences may have influenced their decisions about the types of repertoire selection activities they would require of their students. Both instructors give their students repertoire selection experiences; however, their life experiences and current teaching situations have influenced the types of repertoire selection experiences they choose to offer to their students. The type of education the professors had influences the types of repertoire selection assignments they give. The size and design of the music curriculum affects the amount of time professors can devote to teaching repertoire selection. / Introduction to the study -- Literature review -- Method -- Dr. Green and Jefferson University -- Dr. Asher and Kerr University -- Comparison of Dr. Asher and Dr. Green -- Discussion. / School of Music

There is no abstract available for this thesis. / Department of Journalism

The purpose of this investigation was to identify college students' attitudes toward wellness and to identify the differences in these attitudes among various groups of university students. The subjects who participated in this study were students randomly chosen from the six wellness residence halls and six traditional residence halls at Ball State University. One hundred and twenty-one of the 200 subjects selected, completed and returned a modification of the Archer Wellness survey on college students' attitudes toward wellness. A two-way analysis of variance on the data between groups of students living in wellness residence halls and students living in traditional residence halls found significant differences in the following categories: 1) need for information and assistance, 2) current level of wellness, 3) health and longevity concerns, and 4) environment. Differences between male and female respondents were found on the need for information and assistance score and the environment score. The chi-square statistic was computed for the data where subjects selected activities and behaviors they believed were beneficial and detrimental to their wellness. From the activities/behaviors selected to be detrimental to wellness, lack of leisure time was found to be significant between the two groups. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

Three-hundred eight students from the Introductory Psychology participant pool at Ball State University took part in a preliminary investigation of heterosexuals' attitudes toward bisexuality. The study found that heterosexual men and women expressed more positive responses toward heterosexuals than toward lesbian, gay male, and bisexual individuals, but did not distinguish between homosexual and bisexual persons. Sex differences were found for acceptance of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual men and women but not for affective responses to these individuals. More specifically, male and female participants' affective responses to homosexual and bisexual target individuals were similar; however, on questions pertaining to acceptance, female participants rated all persons similarly whereas male participants rated heterosexual men more favorably than homosexual or bisexual men. It was also found that beliefs about bisexuality as a real orientation or as homosexual denial were in fact related to participants' responses to the bisexual target individual, whereas beliefs that bisexuality is a transitional or transitory orientation were not. / Department of Psychological Science

Minority students are overrepresented in special education in many urban school districts across the United States. The purpose of this study was to analyze the results of the implementation of policies and training related to the use of a problem solving general education intervention model in an urban school system. Disproportionate representation is problematic if the programming is stigmatizing or ineffective, or if the process of identification is not applied equally to different groups of students (NRC, 1982). The Metropolitan School District of Pike Township administrators elected to begin a general education intervention initiative to address overrepresentation of minority students in special education within the school district. The initiative included all nine of the elementary schools in the district. It included training teams in each school in the use of a problem solving process as a key component to the general education intervention team. The results of this study will be used to make further recommendations regarding the school district's general education intervention initiative. / Department of Special Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate and report on college classroom leadership practices and gender, race, age, and gender role orientation using the Student-Leadership Practice Inventory and the Bern Sex-Role Inventory. This study also collected data from five reflective statements. The study used three survey instruments. The respondents were college students attending a two year postsecondary institution in Indiana.The primary research question related to college students' leadership practices in the college classroom. A random sample of 13 courses were identified from the 800 courses offered for the Spring 1995 term. The total number of respondents was 187, 78 were female, 109 were male, 141 were European American, and 37 were African American. The age demographics were 30 under 20 years, 70 between 21-29, 50 between 30-39, 28 between 40-49, and 9 were over 50.The major findings of the study were as follows:1. Both male and female students most often used theleadership practice of Enabling Others to Act.2. The leadership practice of Enabling Others to Act wasdominant in all age groups.3. Both African American and European American respondents used the leadership practice of Enabling Others to Act. 4. Respondents who identified either masculine, feminine, androgynous, or undifferentiated gender role orientation used the leadership practice of Enabling Others to Act.5. Approximately half(52 percent) of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed they did not see themselves as a leader in the classroom, 78 percent agreed or strongly agreed that completing the Student-Leadership Practice Inventory helped them to think of themselves as a leader, and 77 percent strongly agreed or agreed that they will be more aware of their leader behavior having completed the S-LPI.Results of this study indicate that the leadership practice of Enabling Others to Act was the most developed leadership behavior for these college students in these classrooms and that completing the S-LPI caused students to reflect on their leadership. / Department of Educational Leadership

Sixty-six African American seniors at Martin University, graduating in 2002, described the activities, programs and procedures experienced at Martin University that they judged contributed to their persistence to graduation. Often the reported experiences of the graduates were similar to those of students who dropped out of college, yet these66 persisted to completion of their degree. Also, the graduating seniors suggested policies and procedures to support persistence of current and future students.As a commuter university, many important learning experiences that supported students to graduation occurred in Martin University classrooms. Well-prepared, empathetic, and competent instructors were very important in causing graduating students to realize that the university respected them as serious and worthy students and valued them as competent and determined individuals. Graduating students valued prompt, just communications with administrators concerning instructors and computer equipment.Students stated that the faculty members, other students, administrators, and Martin University as an organization had provided them with life changing experiences, differing from their off campus lives, yet shaping and adding opportunities to their off-campus lives.Responses indicated that Martin University should follow classroom and administrative procedures that cause students to earn a sense of ownership in the university. Also, the university should provide a constant flow of communications about university convocations, policies, procedures, and about changes to academic programs.Martin University must maintain and build on the policies and practices graduating seniors have found valuable. / Department of Educational Leadership