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Description
It is common for graduate programs to be plagued by delays in on-time student completion or to experience student attrition. Students have experienced such delays in a local program at the University where I am employed as a lecturer. Therefore, this dissertation was undertaken with the aim of supporting university students at the graduate level toward successful on-time completion of their programs. This action research study was multi-phased in its approach; with data collection, and reflection driving the process for intervention delivery and subsequent evaluation. A dynamic approach which included some components of greater structure than was previously seen in the program, was designed for implementation. It was envisaged that this approach would serve as a model of support for students. The following chapters written in article format details the cycles of action research undertaken as part of this dissertation. The first article tells a story written for a wider audience. While the second article presents a more direct look at the implementation of the dynamic structured approach, and lessons learned through the experiential stories of the students. The dynamic structured approach is a framework which was created from a synergetic review of studies on the issues of attrition and delayed completion in graduate programs. The approach was therefore discussed in hopes that it can be used as a model in other graduate programs to ensure that students are supported in a holistic manner. Further, recommendations were made to bolster the approach based on the lessons learned from its initial implementation as well as through the reflections of the researcher-practitioner. The approach has built-in flexibility and is open to refinement and modification to suit the needs of varying institutions for future use.
ContributorsLord, Kara Tamara (Author) / Basile, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Buss, Ray (Committee member) / Smith, Stephanie (Committee member) / Bissessar, Charmaine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
With increasing costs of higher education, community college pathways to baccalaureate transfer degrees are attractive student alternatives to starting at a traditional four-year institution. However, disparate student outcomes, particularly for underserved student populations, continue to be a concern when considering equitable four-year degree completion rates. Previous literature demonstrates that student satisfaction and student informational capital play key roles in the success of community college transfer students to persist to four-year institutions and attain their educational and career goals. The role of academic advising in the transfer context provides a uniquely collaborative opportunity to address factors of success and student outcomes. Via this mixed methods action research study, I utilized archival student enrollment data, a student survey, and student and advisor interviews to examine an academic advising model that I created in partnership between Cochise Community College and the University of Arizona (i.e., the Colaborativo Advising for Transfer Success Model, or CATS Advising Model), whereby I assigned a singular academic advisor (i.e., a CATS advisor) a student caseload across the two institutions in a deliberate effort to facilitate successful transfer. I used a combined framework of the Model of Student Departure, Transfer Student Capital, and Appreciative Inquiry to inform the advising intervention. I found that students who received the advising intervention were significantly more likely to a) be satisfied with their transfer advising experience, b) perceive increased transfer knowledge (capital), and c) retain through transfer and university enrollment, in comparison to their peers who received advising via a more traditional transfer advising model. Importantly, the students experiencing the advising intervention were also able to articulate their appreciation and recognition of the impact of their relationship with the CATS advisors on their transfer success.
ContributorsWieland, Sarah (Author) / Beardsley, Audrey (Thesis advisor) / Smith, Stephanie (Committee member) / Urquídez, Kasandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022