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ERIC Number: ED653260
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 123
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3827-3480-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Evaluating an Honors College at a Large Public University: Factors for Honors Retention
Elizabeth Farmosa
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Massachusetts Lowell
The retention of high-achieving students in a university honors program is a significant challenge for academic institutions. This dissertation evaluates how well an honors college at a large, urban, public university retains students in the Honors College. The evaluation is a mixed-methods utilization-focused evaluation conducted by an internal evaluator. The quantitative analysis focused on students from Fall 2018 to Spring 2023 and when students left the Honors College focusing on the factors that contributed to a student completing honors versus those who did not. The quantitative analysis found that the retention rate was 17.5% with 50% leaving by the sixth semester. Half of the students who continue to senior year end up not completing all the honors requirements. The last school GPA, gender, resident type, and college were significant predictors when looking at whether a student graduated or not from the Honors College. The qualitative data were collected via a survey and focus groups. The survey included open-ended questions about the experience of students who had left the Honors College before finishing the requirements. The five focus groups conducted focused on why students either completed the requirements or did not complete them and what their experience in honors was like. The qualitative data analysis had five themes emerge: benefits, connection, honors project, honors courses, and recommendations. The perceived benefits students had during their time as an honors student included: study abroad, courses, early registration, financial, research, recognition, and housing. What fostered a connection to honors included peers, website, advisors, honors space, and enrichment requirement. The honors project theme focused on students' experience with starting and completing the project. Students also spoke in detail about their favorite courses and the course load. The recommendations grouped together what students would have changed to improve their experience. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A