Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Robert Hampel, School of Education. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of changes in nonresident tuition on nonresident enrollment and tuition revenue in American public four-year colleges and universities. The economic framework used to examine this relationship was the human capital investment model, which assumed a two-stage model of student choice. The analysis calculated a price elasticity coefficient and a student price response coefficient for nonresident first-time freshmen in three institutional classifications (i.e., doctoral-granting universities, comprehensive universities, and baccalaureate institutions) and for all institutions combined. Nine institutional, economic, and demographic variables were regressed on the dependent variable--a ratio of probabilities of nonresident enrollment to resident enrollment. The regression equations were estimated in double-log functional form utilizing ordinary least squares procedures. The student data used in the study were Fall 1986 first-time freshmen enrolled in 435 public four-year institutions. The major findings of the study include: (1) The price elasticity of demand with respect to nonresident tuition for all institutions in the study was estimated to be -0.60. The student price response coefficient (SPRC) for a $100 change in tuition was calculated to be -1.69 percent. (2) The price elasticity of demand for baccalaureate institutions was estimated to be negative unitary elastic (i.e., -1.00). The baccalaureate SPRC was calculated to be -3.2 percent. (3) Nonresident enrollment demand was positively associated with migration patterns of the nonstudent population, employment rate in the destination state, and home state per capita income. In summary, nonresident students in the average public four-year college or university are only moderately sensitive to changes in price. Nonresident tuition increases in the public sector will cause relatively small declines in enrollment and will be accompanied by increased tuition revenue. Students at baccalaureate institutions are more sensitive to changes in price; tuition increases in these institutions will result in larger declines in enrollment and will have no impact on tuition revenue. Institutional officials and state policy makers should be aware of these results when considering the impact of changes in tuition on nonresident enrollment and institutional revenues.

abstract: College completion has become a national priority in the United States. Before students can graduate from a college or university, however, they must survive their first year in higher education. The retention of out-of-state freshmen is a major piece of the larger college student retention puzzle due to recent national enrollment trends and the financial implications of out-of-state student enrollment. With public universities nationwide receiving less financial support from state governments, many of these institutions have used a strategy of aggressively recruiting and increasingly enrolling out-of-state students because the higher tuition these students pay can help offset the loss of state funding. Despite the importance of out-of-state students to the national higher education landscape, little research has been conducted on out-of-state student retention. This study examined the relation between a resource website and the engagement, sense of belonging, homesickness, and retention of out-of-state freshmen at Arizona State University (ASU). Mixed methods of inquiry were utilized; data sources included a pre- and post-intervention student survey, student interviews, student essay artifacts, website utilization records, and university retention reports. This study demonstrated that freshmen coming to ASU from another state experienced four main challenges related to being an out-of-state student. Those challenges were homesickness, adjusting to living in Arizona, managing finances, and making friends at ASU. Out-of-state students therefore needed extra support for their transition. The study found that an out-of-state student resource website had a positive association with co-curricular engagement and homesickness frequency reduction. Moreover, the site provided useful information on the challenges experienced by out-of-state freshmen. Discussion includes possible explanations for the findings and implications for practice and research. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2017

abstract: This action research study focused on the beginning teacher attrition issues plaguing schools today. Specifically, this project explored a way to support out-of-state beginning teachers, who are traditionally difficult to retain. While there is literature on teacher retention, the retention of out-of-state teachers has not been well examined. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theories provided a foundational understanding of this group's needs. This study utilized interactive support sessions for six out-of-state beginning teachers that had five face-to-face sessions and required the teachers to submit weekly reflections between sessions using an iPad and app that allowed teachers to design their reflections using digital images, words, and/or narration. These weekly digital reflections, mapping activities collected during the support sessions, a pre- and post-innovation questionnaire, and interviews provided insights on the impact of these supports, as well as changes that occurred in self-perceptions. The results of this study indicate the challenge and complexities of being an out-of-state beginning teacher. The data showed that the teachers must first have had their basic needs met before they could fully explore and settle into their new identities and role as the classroom teacher. The data also indicated that intentionally teaching these teachers strategies around resiliency, stress management, and self-advocacy was useful for navigating their first semester. The supportive community that developed within the group emerged as a significant finding, and showed the importance of support structures for new teachers, especially for those who are struggling with both a new job and new community. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2015