Date of Award

2023

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Ken Engebretson

Abstract

This study involved examination of the impact of Freshman Academy, a targeted support program for students at a predominantly White regional institution, on the academic success of 1st-year underrepresented minority students, as measured by 1st-year grade point average and retention. Vincent Tinto’s interactionalist theory and student departure models, Alexander Astin’s theory of student involvement, and critical race theory formed the foundational theoretical framework for the study. Preexisting archival institutional data were employed in this quantitative study that used demographic analysis, linear regression, and multinomial logistic regression. The analyses included preentry characteristics and collegiate characteristics based on students’ institutional experiences. Preentry covariates included race and ethnicity, gender, residency, Pell Grant eligibility, first-generation student status, parental education level, high school grade point average, and ACT composite score. Collegiate covariates included Rodney Gross scholar program participation, NOVA program participation, student athlete status, housing, and participation in living learning communities. Freshman Academy participation was significantly correlated with the success of 1st-year underrepresented minority students, as measured by grade point average and retention.

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