The college marching band provides students with opportunities that foster student development, defined as the personal growth and identity development of students due to environmental factors in higher education. However, previous research has not focused on the role of college marching band participation in student development. The goal of this study was to broaden the understanding of its student development role, enhance development experiences, and improve culture. A self-administered survey was electronically distributed to band directors through the College Band Directors National Association email list with a request to forward it to current college marching band students. The survey contained two sections: (1) Demographic information, (2) Rating college marching band’s influence on 29 student development goals, using a four-point Likert scale with the choices: strong influence, moderate influence, some influence, and no influence. Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) Seven Vectors of college student development served as a theoretical framework for the creation of goals related to college marching band situations that build and reinforce a student’s identity. Responses were analyzed by comparing groups based on demographic characteristics relevant to the research questions. Results were similar to those of previous research. Women rated college marching band participation’s importance higher than men, older students rated it higher than younger, and more-involved students rated it higher than less-involved students. Participants’ perceptions most resonated with Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) vectors Developing Competence and Developing Purpose, and resonated least with the vector Developing Integrity.

This dissertation study investigated if students, both native and transfer to the institution, showed growth in the Team URec transferrable skills model through competency trainings preparing students for career readiness. The study utilized a convenience sampling method, while assessment measures were quantitative. A statistical analysis was performed through a paired samples t-test to measure differences in students’ pre-evaluation and post-evaluation results within the Team URec model. Additionally, a MANOVA analysis examined the differences between native and transfer students’ pre-evaluation and post-evaluation scores. Lastly, a MANOVA examined the difference in student post-evaluation scores and supervisor post-evaluation scores. The participants were 78 students within a university recreation center in the southeastern United States. The independent variables included student status of native or transfer as well as rater status of supervisor or student. The dependent variables were students’ and supervisors’ ratings on the Team URec evaluation rubric, which consisted of eight competencies (i.e., teamwork, self-efficacy, adaptability, mentoring, unity, respect, excellence, and communication). The research indicated significant differences between students’ pre-evaluation and post-evaluation scores, indicating growth based on the Team URec competencies. There was no significant difference in growth when comparing native and transfer students on the Team URec competency ratings and no significant difference between students’ and supervisors’ scores on the post-evaluation. While results were not significant when comparing native to transfer student’s pre-evaluation and post-evaluation scores or student post-evaluation to supervisor post-evaluation scores, data reveal that students reported significant perceived growth in all eight competencies in their growth between pre-evaluations and post-evaluations. These results indicate a positive relation to being confident and well-prepared for their respective career paths.

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It has been established that prior academic achievement influences persistence in college and that poorly prepared students are less likely to persist. The effect of counseling on underprepared students was investigated because this form of active involvement was considered a key element in the retention of developmental studies students in open-access community colleges. Since standard instructional efforts to remedy basic skill deficiencies have yielded inconsistent results, an integrated teaching model was introduced. It was believed that the academic challenges experienced by basic writing students could be moderated by structured counseling support available in the classroom throughout the transition to college composition. This research investigated the relationship between successful completion of a developmental writing course and student GPA in college composition. Since students in both treatments were considered to be lacking prerequisite skills for college composition, a median computed from placement test scores was used to categorize levels of underpreparedness. The subjects were 118 students enrolled in developmental English courses. The typical student was a young, white, male, enrolled for the first time at his local community college. After placement testing he was considered moderately underprepared for college composition. The relationship between basic writing treatment sections and grades, and between levels of underpreparedness and grades were analyzed using three Chi-Square tests of independence. These data revealed no significant relationship between grades in English 001 and teaching models, or levels of underpreparedness. It was noteworthy that 75% of the basic writing students from either treatment were successful in English 001 reflecting the overall quality of developmental instruction. Of the students categorized extremely underprepared, 69% succeeded, compared to 79% of the moderately underprepared students. This non-significant finding might suggest a need to reconsider placement test categories. Of 118 students, 89 were prepared to enter English 111 but only 71 registered for the course. A Chi-Square test of independence comparing English 001 teaching models and future enrollment in English 111 showed that there was not enough evidence to suggest that students were more likely to register because of the counselor’s influence in the classroom. A t-test comparing teaching models and future grades in English 111 revealed that the integrated teaching model did not significantly influence student GPA. In summary, 66% of the with counselor (WC) students versus 46% of the teacher-only (TO) students succeeded in developmental studies and persisted through registration for college composition. Despite the absence of a statistically significant finding, community college counselors might consider more classroom-based roles if these activities can help strengthen the visibility and image of student development services. / Ed. D.

Developmental challenges in the transition to adulthood call for a process of empowerment that supports young people in guiding themselves and building capacities toward adult commitments and roles. The purpose of this study is to investigate empowerment in emerging adulthood, aiming to develop interventions to promote college student developmental outcomes, particularly in career exploration processes. A process of theory construction generated an innovative model of developmental empowerment in the transition to adulthood. Empowerment is conceptualized as a systemic process that emerges through the ongoing interaction between individual and relational environment. Empowerment constructs include personal agency and sense of purpose (as internal experiences), and mentoring and engagement in community (as external experiences). In the first study, a survey investigated empowering experiences in college among Virginia Tech students (N= 255). The findings support the theoretical model, confirming the salience and interdependence of the four main empowerment constructs. Preliminary evidence suggests relevant connections among the empowerment constructs and outcomes such as definition of life goals and career identity. Additionally, qualitative findings offered insights about the role of mentors and community in relation to empowerment. In its second phase, the research project narrowed the focus to study how the empowerment framework may be used to support the process of career exploration in college. The final study integrates the conceptual model and findings from the first study in a participatory design-based intervention for Virginia Tech first-year students exploring career options (N=126). A series of workshops generated an extensive data collection, yielding further investigation about empowerment, definition of life goals and career identity. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis demonstrate that the intervention improved scores for agency and purpose, besides improving student career adapting responses, major decidedness, and progress in career choice. Participants also advanced self-knowledge and purpose-driven orientation, and developed personal criteria for choice of major and career. / Doctor of Philosophy / In the transition to adulthood, young people need to learn how to make autonomous decisions, guide themselves, and build capacities to commit to adult roles and responsibilities. Deciding a career and pursuing education are good examples of tasks requiring self-knowledge and empowerment in this period. In this dissertation, we present studies about empowering settings to support development in this period of life, in particular for college students. Besides presenting a model of empowerment which includes internal processes and experiences in community, we propose a series of workshops using design techniques to empower and guide students exploring career options.

The purpose of this study was to develop an Institution Administration program to be taught at the undergraduate level at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Institution administration programs in other land-grant colleges and universities were studied and recommendations for such programs were obtained from directors of approved dietetic internships. An institution administration program comprised of a course in institution management and organization and a course in institution administration experience was developed. The program developed was in agreement with institution administration programs offered in other colleges and universities end recommended by directors of internships. The two courses making up the institution administration program were taught at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute fall quarter, 1960 end winter quarter, 1961. At the termination of winter quarter, 1961, the program was evaluated for effectiveness and recommendations for further development of the program were made. / Master of Science