Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Major Professor
Thomas Miller, Ed.D.
Committee Member
Amber Dumford, Ph.D.
Committee Member
John Ferron, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Jennifer Schneider, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Paul Atchley, Ph.D.
Keywords
Funding, First time in college, First-year persistence, Undeclared
Abstract
This research aligned with protocols established by the Florida Board of Governors in 2016 to form a new funding model tied to the institution's performance. The literature review highlighted a disparity between students' expectations and the reality of college which could negatively impact persistence, and therefore funding to the institution. This quantitative study utilized the Beginning of College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) to explore the correlation between incoming, undeclared FTIC students' expectations of co-curricular involvement, faculty interaction, and learning support services utilization and their persistence to the end of the second fall semester. The sample consisted of 1,042 respondents and was collected during orientation for the cohorts of 2017 and 2018. Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the relationships. The results showed no significant relationship between co-curricular involvement, faculty interaction, learning support services utilization, and first-year persistence. This study emphasized the substantial gap in understanding the current undeclared student population in a state with a competitive funding model that rewards metrics like first-year persistence and timely graduation rates.
Scholar Commons Citation
Combs, Shane, "The Relationship between First-Year Expectations and Persistence for Students who Self-Identify as Having Not Declared a Major" (2023). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10110
