Abstract

This quantitative study explored questions developed to (a) help improve the quality of retention and satisfaction services at a comprehensive public university in the Midwest as well as to (b) contribute to the knowledge base by providing a broader application to similar institutions seeking to improve these services. Three theories served as a lens for this dissertation: Astin's Involvement Theory (Astin, 1975, 1984, 1985), Kuh's Engagement Theory (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, & Whitt, 2005; Kuh, Schuh, & Whitt, 1991; Kuh, Whitt, & Strage, 1989), and Tinto's Theory of Student Departure (Tinto, 1975, 1987, 1993). A logistic regression analysis determined that students' overall satisfaction and GPA were statistically significant in predicting student retention, but course-related and out-of-class student-faculty interactions were not significant in predicting retention. A multiple regression analysis indicated that GPA as well as course-related and out-of-class student-faculty interactions were not significant in predicting students' overall satisfaction. While there are some important limitations, this study does contribute to the growing body of research about ways to improve the retention and overall satisfaction of freshmen students, particularly students at this institution and similar institutions. In addition, recommendations for further research and practice are discussed.

Advisor

Karin Lindstrom Bremer

Committee Member

Jaqueline Lewis

Committee Member

Diane Coursol

Committee Member

Richard Auger

Date of Degree

2011

Language

english

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Counseling and Student Personnel

College

Education

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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