The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented global event that disrupted higher education learning environments in unique ways. This study explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate students' academic progress in higher education at Saint Louis University. The outcomes of interest were four-year cumulative grade point average…

At many universities, more than half of students change majors at least once and a large fraction of these students change majors multiple times. The potential causes and effects of these very common behaviors are relatively understudied. This dissertation explores the college major decision-making process, both for initial and subsequent major…

This research identified and described the strengths and limitations that are influencing non-traditional, senior learner degree completion in four-year higher education institutions. It filled a gap in the research base, predominately occupied by traditional-age learner adult education research, by offering a glimpse into a better understanding…

We investigate whether student participation in undergraduate research--a high impact practice at TBR community colleges--has an effect on (1) academic performance; (2) probability of graduation, university transfer, and student departure; and (3) time to completion, transfer, and departure. Using enrollment, graduation, and course-taking data on…

Financing college expenses through an income share agreement (ISA) is an arrangement where the student agrees to pay a fixed percentage of future earned income for a designated period of time in exchange for college funding. Using administrative and survey data for all eligible applicants to a university ISA program, I estimate the adverse…

The report looks at the various education pathways first-time students traversed toward a degree or certificate completion, as well as the completion outcomes for the different groups of students who followed each pathway from the fall of 2011 or the fall of 2013 through spring (June) 2019, that is, within eight years or six years of enrolling.…

This study examines the effects of an incentivized summer enrollment initiative on student persistence. In particular, we analyze how participation in summer classes (at least 3 credit hours) affect students' likelihood to reenroll in the fall semester at a two-year, private, technical college in Boston. The novel initiative, which provides…

This study sought to understand the Community College Career and Technical Educational (CTE) deans' perceptions of the internal and external forces they perceive as influencing their decision making; what evidence exists to demonstrate the influence of the completion agenda on CTE deans' decision making; and if there is a perception that there is…

Student-athletes are a unique and understudied population at institutions of higher education. They are expected to not only perform in their academics, but also excel on the sports field. The rationale for this research was to investigate student-athletes' motivation at institutions of higher education. This study brought to light where…

Many colleges and universities have implement programs to support undergraduate student's academic success. One type of program is described as a four year graduation guarantee program. The use of this type of program has been growing over the last several decades. This study was designed to determine how participants in a particular program…

The Octavius V. Catto Scholarship launched in spring 2021 at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to help Philadelphians achieve college success. Inspired by 19th-century civil rights leader Octavius Catto's belief in education for all, the scholarship goes beyond tuition assistance, providing wraparound supports including academic coaching,…

Edgenuity is a one of a multitude of digital support tools for instruction and intervention. In 2019,a School District in the South began using Edgenuity -- a digital intervention platform focused on grade and credit recovery. This current study evaluated Edgenuity to determine its effects on students learning and the associated cost. For the…

Clinical and counseling psychology doctoral programs are popular avenues for graduate education. However, little is known about the mental health and financial stress of students across the differing types of programs. We conducted as online survey of current doctoral students in APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs (n = 114 Clinical PhD, n…

Although prior studies have examined the influence of career and technical education (CTE) on high school completion in the United States, few studies provided direct empirical evidence on how it worked. Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009), this study examined public high school students' CTE experience from three integral…

Employability is an increasing concern for university students. Our survey set out to examine university students' perceptions of their employability and the ways in which these perceptions relate to positions that subsequently connect students to working life: students' self-representational position or "ability self", and students'…