The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relevance of two forms of orientation courses for adult students (aged 25 and older) and to determine a means of predicting the relevance for future adult students. The two forms of orientation were information-giving/ skill-building courses which emphasized school related information and student related skills and personal growth courses which emphasized self-confidence and self-determination building and emotional/ psychological adjustment to the role of student. The experimental group included adults in five orientation courses. Three were information-giving/skill-building (Self-Instructional Orientation, College Survival, and Information and Planning Workshop for Interior Design Students) and two were personal growth (Women Returning to School and Second Career Adults). Students were able to select whichever orientation option they preferred. The control group included adults in four orientation courses taught at another campus of the same community college. Students in the control group did not have a choice of orientation content or structure. All students completed a questionnaire on the relevance of their orientation at the end of the course. Students in the experimental group also completed the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (SPPS). A comparison of the mean relevance scores of the experimental and control groups indicated that those students who had an option in their orientation course found the course more relevant than those who had no option. A comparison of the retention rates (subsequent enrollment in the community college) for the high and low relevance reporters in the experimental group and within each of the two groups of the experimental group (information-giving/skill-building and personal growth) indicated that high relevance reporters did not have a higher retention rate than low relevance reporters within the subgroups or for the group as a whole. In a comparison between the subgroups, however, the personal growth subgroup had both a higher mean relevance score and a higher retention rate than the information-giving/skill-building subgroup. Using relevance as the dependent variable, regression equations for each of the subgroups were developed on the basis of selected ZPPS variables. Adult students who are high on deference and achievement and low on autonomy and succorance are more likely to find an information-giving/skill-building course relevant. Adult students who are high on deference and low on change, nurturance, order, and autonomy are more likely to find a personal growth course relevant. On the basis of the study, it was concluded that adults will be more apt to find their orientation course relevant if they have several options from which to choose, that personal growth elements should receive more emphasis in orientation courses for adult students, that the relevance of an orientation course will not affect the student's likelihood of re-enrolling, and that orientation relevance can be predicted given the appropriate EPPS scores. / Ed. D.

Tattooing is an ancient art. Tattoos have been used to worship gods, to show tribal membership, and to display wealth. However, in modern Western culture tattooing has been a devalued practice reserved for the those on the fringe of society. In the last twenty-five years, however, more mainstream people, including college students, have begun to get tattoos. Despite the increased acceptance of tattoos, a person aspiring to become a professional who gets a tattoo is putting her/his personal life and career at risk. This study examines the process by which college students become tattooed. Two models put forth by Sanders will be used to facilitate this examination. The findings reveal that college students come to be tattooed in a different manner than do others. College students are more risk averse. They choose small, easily concealed, non-violent tattoos. Their designs have themes such of nature, fraternity/sorority membership, and animal appreciation. These differences have led the author to term this form of tattoos, "College Tattoos." In future research, the first objective should be to gain an estimate of the population of tattooed college students. Next, research should examine the psychological profiles of tattooed college students to see how they might vary from those in the mainstream of college. This will allow researchers to see if College Tattoos are a form of psychopathology or if they are simply an alternate mode of self-expression. / Master of Science

The students were most willing to change the expectancies associated with such factors as the carrying over of the parental family patterns into their marital home, social situations, the spouse being good looking and having the habit of smoking. They were least willing to change their expectancies relative to the mate's honest, desire for children, and interest in sex factors. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to assess male college students’ use of condoms, reasons for using condoms, their attitudes toward sexuality, and their attitudes toward condoms. The sample consisted of 305 male students who completed a questionnaire consisting of informational items (assessing class standing, marital status, reasons for using condoms, number of recent sexual partners, and intention to use condoms), the Sexual Opinion Survey, and the Attitude Toward Condoms Scale. The scores on the Attitude Toward Condoms Scale ranged from extremely negative to extremely positive, but the mean was close to the middle of the scale. The item correlation between the Attitude Toward Condoms Scale and the Sexual Opinion Survey was calculated to be .07 or no correlation, this implies there is no relationship between attitude toward sexuality and attitude toward condoms. A mild negative correlation (-.42) was noted between the Attitude Toward Condoms Scale and the item that stated "If you have intercourse in the next month, do you intend to use condoms?" The implications of these findings for increasing condom usage and recommendations for future research were discussed. / Master of Science

This study examined the effectiveness of group rational-emotive counseling upon the test anxiety and irrational thinking of college students. Six one-hour counseling sessions were conducted for fifteen volunteer experimental subjects. Fifteen control subjects were obtained by direct request. Test anxiety was measured by the Suinn Test Anxiety Behavioral Scale and irrational thought by the Personal Beliefs Inventory. Experimental subjects exhibited a significantly greater reduction in test anxiety and irrational thinking than the control group. A significant positive relationship was found between the level of irrational thinking and the level of test anxiety. / M. S.

This study is an investigation of certain background and attitude factors of junior and senior students in the College of Business at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. lts purpose is to identify the nature of the image which students have of the various areas of study and the departments associated with such araas. Particular emphasis is placed upon the accounting department and the field of accountancy. Information was obtained by the use of a questionnaire. Responses were received from 89% of the junior and senior business students. The responses show that students have formulated images of each area of study in the College of Business. The students imagine a dissimilar starting salary for graduating seniors, based on their field of endeavor. They imagine that the area that receives the greatest compensation requires the most work for degree completion. Further, they feel that accounting is such a field. Most students select an itinerary between one which requires the most work with concomitant compensation and one which requires the least; work with concomitant compensation. At least 29% of the respondents, at one time or another, considered accounting as their preferred major. Yet, almost one-third of these students left accounting for other areas of study. These findings suggest that the accounting department loses students because of two problem areas: (1) the image of accounting, and (2) the method of teaching accounting. Recommendations for improving the accounting image and accounting teaching methods are made in the final chapter of the thesis. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students enrolled in small community colleges to determine if there was a difference in the degree to which students were engaged based upon their primary enrollment in day or in evening courses. Specifically, the study investigated the amount of time and effort students dedicated to their academic pursuits and the degree to which institutional policies and practices supported them in their efforts to determine whether time of enrollment was a significant factor in predicting engagement. The primary goals of the study were to contribute to the understanding of students' experiences and to provide empirical evidence that might serve as the foundation for program development and reform. The findings from the quantitative analysis revealed a significant predictive relationship between time of enrollment and five of the fourteen engagement variables considered in the study. Enrollment in evening courses was linked to lower levels of engagement in each of these five areas: student effort, academic challenge, support for learners, academic preparation, and school opinions. The results of the study supported the development of a theoretical model that depicts student engagement based upon primary enrollment in evening courses. The model places support for learners at the forefront. Students' opinions are the end result, with each of the other engagement variables being affected by the levels of support perceived by evening students.

Factors that affect perceived social support in gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) college students, including expectations concerning disclosure of sexual minority orientation, perceived family support, and perceived supportiveness of school environment are discussed. GLB identity formation and stigmatization are reviewed. Perceived social support, counselor support/working alliance, and sexual orientation were assessed with the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), the Working Alliance Inventory — Short Form (WAI-S) and a modified Kinsey Scale respectively. The implications that variation in each of these factors may have in relation to perceived social support and mental health counseling of GLB college students were considered after data were collected and analyzed. Findings indicate that little difference in perceived social support exist between GLB and heterosexual college students, in perceived social support in counseling relationships, or between genders in the GLB student population. Findings indicate that a significant difference in perceived social support exists between those GLB students who have disclosed their sexual orientation status one year or longer ago and those GLB students who had not disclosed their sexual orientation at all or less than one year ago. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The current study investigated role model selection and racial identity for 104 African American male college students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)and predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, a role model measure, and a racial identity measure. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively and findings revealed that 82% of participants identified role models with 92% identifying racially-similar role models. Qualitative analysis using open and axial coding methods yielded 11 themes that allowed for a closer look into the characteristics African American male college students identified as important in role models: Personality Attributes, Community, Success, Spirituality, Providing Inspiration or Challenge, Mentorship, Education, Family, Emotional Support, Shared Career Interest, and Proximity. A discussion of the results with research and applied implications are included. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

An interpretative philosophical framework was applied to a case study to document the particular experiences and perspectives of ten women engineering transfer students who once attended a community college and are currently enrolled in one of two university professional engineering programs. This study is important because women still do not earn as many engineering baccalaureate degrees as men and are underrepresented in the engineering labor market. There is also a shortfall of domestic engineers entering the workforce. Community colleges are an essential part of the engineering baccalaureate degree pipeline and well-positioned to fill this void as feeder institutions. Data was collected from one-on-one and follow-up focus group interviews and addressed three research questions: (a) What were their community college experiences, (b) what should community colleges continue to do to support women engineering transfer students, and (c) what can be done to improve community college engineering transfer programs, especially for women? This study has limited broad generalization, but adds another dimension to existing research pertaining to community college transfer and women engineering students (Stake, 1995). Two main themes emerged from the study participants: the affect of curriculum and instruction, and student survival strategies and support. Common thematic experiences supporting the affect of curriculum and instruction main theme are: (a) Accessible and approachable staff, (b) prepared with foundational knowledge, (c) different grading methods, (d) loved math and science courses, and (e) subtle forms of biases. The student survival and support strategies main theme was supported by four common thematic experiences: (a) Engineering student study groups, (b) community college engineering faculty advising, (c) self-advising, and (d) tutoring. Study participants suggested that community colleges continue to support women engineering transfer students with the following strategies: (a) Provide a caring and available staff, (b) keep small classes, (c) align and synchronize curriculum, and (d) provide tutoring services. They suggested the following improvements: (a) Connections with other engineering students, (b) increase student outreach and career awareness activities, (c) expand academic advising, (d)provide additional financial aid, and (e) offer additional engineering courses at the community college. / Graduation date: 2012