Micalyn C. Demaris, Historical Black Colleges and University, Presentation in PhD class taught by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis

8/14/2019 Micalyn C. Demaris, Historical Black Colleges and University, Presentation in PhD class taught by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis

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Institutional Factors That Affect Student

Satisfaction and Its Implications on Persistence At aHistorically Black College and University

By:Michalyn C. Demaris

EDUL 7613 Qualitative Research Design

William Allan Kritsonis, PhD



Introduction

Success for minority students in higher education has become acritical issue in higher education academia. College anduniversity administrators continue to seek the denotativedefinition of creating a positive atmosphere that’s supportive inmeeting student needs. There are a number of organizationaltheories that can be utilized to ensure minority studentpersistence in higher education. In particular, Tinto’s attritionmodel is among those theories that have been used in an attemptto describe and categorize the student attrition process. Byutilizing Tinto’s attrition model administrators will have the abilityto identify the institutional factors that affect student satisfaction

and implement strategies to ensure student satisfaction andpromote student persistence and graduation.



Background of Problem

• The annual college enrollment rates have generally increased among highschool graduates between the ages of 18 and 24 for Blacks, Hispanics, andCaucasian students since the late 1990s. However, only 46% of AfricanAmericans and 47% of Hispanics who first enrolled in a four-year institutionwith the goal of completing a bachelor’s degree, actually completed abachelor’s degree within six years, compared to the 67% of Caucasians and72% of Asians.

• Six-year bachelor’s degree completion rates are also lower for AfricanAmericans and Hispanics than for Caucasians and Asians. As a result of lowretention rates among African American and Hispanic students’ on historicallyblack college and university campuses administrators are seeking strategies forminority student retention.

Statement of the Problem

Students on a historically black college and university campus will exemplifysatisfaction when institutional factors are supportive in meeting their needs

and promote persistence and graduation.



Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study will be to identify theinstitutional variables that may have positivelycontributed to student satisfaction with the college, andif theses variables influenced their decisions to remain or

not to remain in college. By utilizing Tinto’s theory of departure, the study will identify the key intuitionalfactors associated with integration or lack thereof, intothe college environment, and how it affects studentoutcomes. The study will also identify the five major

sources of student departure and determine strategiesthat can be affectively used to increase studentsatisfaction.



Assumptions of the Study

The following assumptions were made in planning anddesigning the research study:

• The influence of institutional factors and reported levels of student satisfaction with those factors, as reported by thestudents, will be representative of the historically blackcollege and university campus.

• The identification and examination of institutional factors willcontribute to an increased understanding of the influencesthat student satisfaction may have in student persistence.



Research Questions

1. Is there a relationship between a students’ satisfaction with their social integration and theirdeparture decision?

2. Is there a relationship between a students’ satisfaction with their institutional experiences andtheir departure decision?

3. Is there a relationship between a students’ satisfaction with their academic integration andtheir departure decision?

4. In comparing the level of student satisfaction with institutional experiences that affectacademic integration, is there a difference between:

a. Black and non-black studentsb. Men and Women students, andc. The combination of ethnicity and gender?

5. In comparing the level of student satisfaction with their institutional experiences that affecttheir social integration, is there a difference between:a. Black and non-black studentsb. Men and Women students, andc. The combination of ethnicity and gender?



Literature Review

• According to Swail, W.S., Redd, K.E., & Perna, L.W. (2003), education has a profound impact on both theindividual and society. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn, on average, earn twice that of highschool graduates and those with a professional degree earn twice what individuals with a bachelor’s.

• The authors Feldman, Smart, and Ethington (2004), define Holland’s Theory of Human Behavior as astudy that focuses on an assessment of individuals, their environment and the interactions or connectionbetween individuals and their environment. Holland’s Theory of Human Behavior intends to explainvocational behavior, based on the assumptions of the three essential components of the theory thatpeople tend to choose environments compatible with their personality types, environments tend toreinforce and reward different patterns of abilities and interests, and people tend to flourish inenvironments that are congruent with their dominant personality types.

• According to Feldman, Smart, and Ethington (2004), the sociological component or socializationassumption of Holland’s Theory of Human Behavior explains the change and stability of college students’educational abilities and interests. Irrespective to their dominant personality type a first year freshmanstudent is equally influenced by the prevailing norms and values of the academic environment theyselect.

• Academic environments within the institution are successful in socializing students to their distinctive set

of preferred abilities and interests for students with either similar or dissimilar dominant personalitytypes. Seemingly, it is important for a student to select an institution and a major that is congruent withtheir dominant personality type in order to ensure their success in college and completion of a four yeardegree.



Importance of the Study

Campus administrators must ensure that students on a historically black collegeand university campus exemplify satisfaction. Campus administrators must alsoensure that the institutional factors are supportive in meeting student needsand promote persistence and graduation. To implement these strategies, seniorcampus leadership must play two important roles:

– Monitoring institutional progress toward clearly stated campus retention goals.

– Coordinating and leading all stakeholders—students, parents, other campusadministrators, faculty, and staff—toward stated goals.

– Possess the willingness to evoke change on campus, and a careful planning effort.

– Involve the entire campus in shaping program operations, and institute thepractice of keeping the ideology focused on the student.



Theoretical Framework

Tinto’s Theoretical Model of Student Attrition and Persistence

Tinto’s theoretical model of student attrition and persistence“Departure Theory” consists of the following components:

– Pre-entry attributes (prior schooling and family background)– Goals/ Commitment (student aspirations and institutional goals)– Institutional Experiences (academics, faculty interaction, co-

curricular involvement, and peer group interaction)– Integration (academic and social)– Goals/ Commitment (intentions and external commitments)

– Outcome (departure decision-graduate, transfer, drop out)



Theoretical Framework

Tinto’s Theoretical Model of Student Attrition and Persistence

Tinto’s (1988) theory suggests that students arrive at college withcertain expectations and aspirations. The integration or lack thereof,

into the college environment, affects student outcomes. The influenceof institutional variables, such as faculty-student interaction, peer-group interaction, and extracurricular involvement, helped shape thestudent’s progression through college. Tinto (1993) also describesthree major sources of student departure, academic difficulties, theinability of individuals to resolve their educational and occupational

goals, and their failure to become or remain incorporated in theintellectual and social life of the institution (p.176).



Research Methodology

Sampling Method

The sampling method will be a maximum variation case. Consisting of a focus group of 20students. The study will examine a cross section of students on various academic levels.

Method of Selection

The participants in the study will be selected utilizing a stratified random selection method basedon their enrollment at the university during the fall 2007 and spring 2008 semesters.

Data Collection Format

Data will be collected from the case study by utilizing three data collection methods:1. Interviews

2. Questionnaires3. Surveys

Data Analysis The information gathered from the interviews, questionnaires, and surveys will be translated into a

student satisfaction inventory which will be utilized to make recommendations on ways to improveinstitutional factors related to student satisfaction and its influence on student persistence. Thestudy will investigate the relationship between the level of student satisfaction with theirinstitutional experiences and their social integration.



References• Feldman, Kenneth A., Smart, John C. & Ethington, Corinna A. (2004). What Do College Students Have To Lose? Exploring the Outcomes of Differences in

Person-Environment Fits. Journal of Higher Education, 75, 528-555.

• Gabelnick, F., J. Macgregor, R. Matthews, and B. Smith (1990). Learning Communities: Creating Connections Among Students, Faculty, and Disciplines. NewDirections for Teaching and Learning. Jossey-Bass, (41) 61-75.

• Johnson, J. & Romanoff S. (1999). Higher Education Residential Learning Communities: What are the Implications for Student Success? College Student Journal, 33,3.

• Leving, J., D. Tompkins (1996). Making Learning Communities Work: Seven Lessons from Temple University. American Association of Higher EducationBulletin, June, 3-6.

• McLeod, W.B. & Young, J.M. (2005). A Chancellor’s Vision: Establishing an institutional Culture of Student Success. Minority Retention: What Works? NewDirections for Institutional Research, 125, 73-85.

• Meiklejohn, A. (1932). The Experimental College. New York: Harper & Row.

• Morest, V.S. & Karp, M.M. (2005). Transition Patterns Can Reveal Student Success Levels. Community College Week, 18, 4-5.

• Sissoko, M. & Shiau, L. (2005). Minority Enrollment Demand for Higher Education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities from 1976 to 1998: AnEmpirical Analysis. Journal of Higher Education, 76, 2.

• Tinto, V. (1975). Dropouts from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent literature. A Review of Educational Research, 45, 89-125.

• Tinto, V. (1988). Leaving College: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago: The University of Chicago.

• Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college rethinking the causes and curses of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

• Tinto, V., A. Goodsell-Love, and P. Russo (1993). Building Learning Communities for New College Students, Liberal Education, 79.

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Micalyn C. Demaris, Historical Black Colleges and University, Presentation in PhD class taught by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis