This study examined the factors that predict the likelihood of a first-time freshman (FTF) student retaining and graduating in a timely manner at the University of Kansas (KU) based on their perceptions of the frequency and quality of student-faculty engagement, with an emphasis on exploring differences between underrepresented minority students…

This dissertation's two primary purposes were to construct an alternative socioeconomic status model and estimate how it predicts student success in higher education. This research filled a gap in knowledge about the widely acknowledged disparities in higher education based on socioeconomic status. Prior research has often relied on parental…

This study investigated the correlates of two measures that capture students' perception of the religious and spiritual campus climate. It focuses on how the factors, religious identity and attending a religiously affiliated institution, influence students' perception of the respect for their beliefs and comfort in expressing their views on…

Much research on student engagement has recommended a variety of activities and instructor attitudes and behaviors that effectively engage online students such that they are more likely to persist in achieving their educational goals. This study asked online students how often they engaged in research-based effective activities in their courses…

A student's college experience includes relationships that they establish at the two-year or four-year university that they attend (Strayhorn, 2012). The purpose of this study is to identify personal and institutional characteristics of transfer student-athletes that have significant associations with sense of belonging. In addition, the study…

Student engagement is a recognized factor within higher education when understanding student satisfaction, retention, and persistence. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been used across the nation since 2000 to measure the engagement behaviors of first year and fourth-year students at four-year institutions. The results of the…

Data from the 2013 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were analyzed to determine the relationship between the 10 NSSE engagement indicators and student satisfaction for seniors (n = 1200) attending a mid-south land grant university. Seniors reported engaging in 7 of 10 indicators often or quite a bit and rated an…

When implementing innovative teaching techniques, instructors often seek to gauge the success of their methods. Proposing one approach to assessing classroom innovation, this study examines the ability of students' ratings of engagement and instructional practices to predict their learning in a cooperative (team-based) framework. After identifying…

A national sample of 647 Native American students who took the National Survey of Student Engagement was used to test a path model to predict learning for Native American students. Institutional support for students' success and a positive interpersonal environment contributed both to engagement and learning. Support for student success was the…

With a national sample of 700 Native American students who took the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), this study tested the ways faculty interaction and inclusion of diverse perspectives in the classroom contributed to learning for Native American students. Significant predictors of learning were quality academic advising, faculty…

This study examines the relationship between student engagement, student satisfaction, and the academic success of international and American students using 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data. It was found that international students scored slightly higher than American students on enriching educational experiences and…

Using a sample of 812 students who were enrolled exclusively in online courses, this study investigated the extent to which engagement in various elements of the college experience contributed to their learning. A supportive learning environment was the strongest predictor of learning in all three domains measured in the study. Faculty feedback…

Many colleges and universities have a desire to become more student-centered, yet some struggle with establishing what student-centered means to them. Without a clear definition, it is difficult to determine which areas to strengthen in order to become more student-centered. The purpose of this study was to examine results from the National Survey…

This study examines whether feelings of relatedness constitute a substantial means by which learning communities (cohorts) improve learning outcomes in higher education. It applies Ryan and Deci's Self-Determination Theory to an analysis of the National Survey of Student Engagement. The SDT hypothesizes that environments that support perceptions…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between sense of place and student engagement among undergraduate students, in order to influence how higher education institutions view the role of the physical environment in fostering student engagement, learning, and personal development. Student engagement, a very important predictor…