Upload
brandie-vanorder
View
21
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
THE PROCESS
• Phase 1: quantitative analysis of Quality of Life Survey data– Administered annually to all undergraduate
students in November
– 33% response rate on average
• Phase 2: Focus groups conducted– 2 in late September, 2 in early November
– 12 student participants in first groups, 7 in second set
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
• 6,851 Undergraduate & 5,874 Graduate
Students
• 47% Men & 53% women
• 96% of undergraduates live on campus
• 97% Retention Rate
• Holistic First-Year Commons Experience
THE TRANSFER STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
• No office/structured services
• Orientation is 2 days with no ongoing
programming
• Acceptance rate for transfer students is 44%,
compared to 13% for first-year students
• 8.5% of the 2014-15 Student Body are Transfers
BACKGROUND• Language: “transfer” and “native”
students
• Horizontal & vertical transfers
• Minimal research about how transfer
students get involved
social integration
intellectual growth
retention
GET INVOLVED!
Sources: Kuh et al. (2005), Pascarella & Terenzini (2005)
”“Source: Astin (1999)
the quantity and quality of the
physical and psychological
energy that students invest in
the college experience
- Absorption in academic work
- Participation in extracurricular
activities
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To what extent do transfer students
DIFFER from native students in their
student involvement?
RESEARCH QUESTIONSWhat is the process for transfer
student involvement? When do
transfer students get involved on
campus, and in what ways? What
campus opportunities do they seek
out?
RECOMMENDATION:ASK THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS! FIND OUT IF TRANSFER STUDENTS ARE HAVING A DIFFERENT INVOLVEMENT EXPERIENCE.
- Year
- Residential
Area
- Ethnicity
- College
- International
- Income
- Academic
hours
CONTROL VARIABLES
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT VARIABLES
- Student
organization
involvement
- Volunteering
- Residence Life
- Work
- Religious
involvement
- Other social
experiences
DATA OUTPUT Coefficent P-Value
Hours a Week Participating in a Campus Organization -0.285 0.00
Attendance at Programs Offered by Student Orgs. -0.291 0.00
I am Satisfied with my Social Experience at Vanderbilt -0.378 0.00
It Has Been Difficult Making Friends with Other Students 0.593 0.00
Number of Hours/Week Spent Working at a Job -0.285 0.01
Number of Hours Spend Volunteering -0.125 0.04
Have Found a Religious Organization/Community -0.155 0.07
Consumption of Alcohol -0.152 0.09
Residence Hall Program Attendance -0.135 0.28Note: Results are at the 95% Confidence Level
Hours participating in
campus student
organizations (29%)
Attend fewer programs
sponsored by student
organizations (29%)
Less satisfied with
their social
experience (38%)
More difficult to make
friends with other
students (59%)
School is really hard here […] that
has really limited my involvement
It comes down to school work
versus enjoying yourself
I literally have no free time. It’s the
hardest thing I have ever done.
RECOMMENDATION:PROVIDE TARGETED ACADEMIC SUPPORT TO TRANSFER STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR FIRST SEMESTER
“ ”“ ”The university has not engaged
me since transfer orientation.
I’m not really trying to make new
friends anymore because I’m just
trying to pass this semester.
RECOMMENDATION:TRANSFER ORIENTATION LEADERS SHOULD HAVE STRUCTURED WAYS TO CONTINUE CONNECTING WITH TRANSFER STUDENTS
“ ”“ ”There weren’t that many
opportunities to learn about
organizations.
The decision to transfer wasn’t to
make me happy in the moment,
but to make me happy in 10
years.
““Themes from the focus groups:
HOUSING
”Grouping us by residence hall would have been great because those are the people you get to know
”I love everyone in my Res Hall (a living-learning community), they are all very open to me.
Vanderbilt context
Data only goes back to 2010
The first-year Commons experience could have
unknown effects
Other variables that we should have controlled for in
the study, but limited by QLS data
Because we eliminated first year data, Greek Life
information is different
Small focus groups
LIMITATIONS