A Mixed Methods Approach to Examine Factors Affecting College Students' Time to Degree

Presenters: Pat Estes, Assessment Analyst, PEstes@edgewood.edu Liang Hou, Research Intern, LHou@edgewood.edu Edgewood College Office of Institutional Assessment and Research

This research was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Yang Zhang, previous Director of Institutional Research at Edgewood College.

She can be contacted at: Dr. Yang Zhang Director of Institutional Research Manoa Institutional Research Office Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs University of Hawaii at Manoa yz6@hawaii.edu 2

Overview 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Background Literature review Purpose of study Methodology Data analysis and results Recommendations and conclusions Discussion

3

Background – Edgewood College  Founded in 1881 by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa  Located in Madison, WI

 Total enrollment is around 2,700, with 2,000

undergraduates and 700 master and Ed.D. students  Majors: Liberal Arts and Professional degree programs (i.e., Education, business, nursing)  Edgewood College is accredited by Higher Learning Commission since 1958

4

10 Year Average Edgewood College (EC) Graduation Rates  4-year graduation rate – 29%  2012: 36%  5-year graduation rate – 48%  2012: 53%  6-year graduation rate – 51%  2012: 53%

5

100.0%

EC vs. HLC Peers = 4 Yr Grad

90.0% 80.0%

2010 4-year Graduation rate

70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0%

Retrieved from College Results Online

6

Recommended Goals  4-year graduation rate – 50% (+21%)

 5-year graduation rate – 62% (+14%)  6-year graduation rate – 66% (+15%)

7

Problem Statement  College tuition  Federal and state funding

 Accountability  Pressure to improve graduation rates/time to

degree

8

Importance of Graduation Rates and Time to Degree  Living out our mission & our promise  Graduation rate – common measure of success

 Less time = less debt + more income  Happy alumni!

9

Literature Review Student Characteristics

Institutional Characteristics

Academic factors (e.g., academic performance, Choice of major/field of study, changing majors, taking remedial courses, study abroad)

Institutional effectiveness (i.e., supportive academic and social environments)

Pre-college factors (e.g., student scores on college-admission tests SAT and ACT, HSGPA, AP credits)

Institutional type (e.g., 4-year, nonprofit, religious)

Family background (e.g., low SES, first generation)

Percentage of low-income students on campus

Personal life (e.g., working, living offcampus, marriage)

Institutional size and college selectivity

Demographics (e.g., gender and race)

Financial aid and cost of tuition

For an extensive literature review, refer to Desjardins, Kim, & Rzonca (2003); Knight (1994, 2002, 2004); Burns (2010), & Kuh, Kinzie, & Buckley (2006)

10

So What Is the Solution?

11

Purpose of Current Research  Studies that examine factors impacting college

students’ time to degree from the students’ perspective are limited  Typically relied on quantitative methodology  Our study deploys quantitative AND qualitative

methodologies

12

Research Questions 1.

Do students graduate within a timeframe they are satisfied with?

2. What factors help or hinder timely graduation?

3. What steps can be taken to decrease time to degree?

13

Methodology  Data collected Spring 2012

 Small mid-west liberal arts college  Online survey distributed via Qualtrics  All senior students expecting to graduate in Spring or

Summer 2012  62% response rate (162 / 263 students) 14

When you began at Edgewood, within what timeframe did you expect to graduate?

“Within 1 year” through “More than 6 years” How long did it actually take you to graduate from Edgewood College since you began here?

“Within 1 year” through “More than 6 years” How satisfied are you with the length of time it took you to complete your degree?

“Very Satisfied” through “Very Dissatisfied” (5-point Likert scale) Please comment on those factors that helped you to graduate on time and/or the barriers you experienced to a timely graduation.

Open-ended 15

Quantitative Analysis - Gap Analysis  8% graduated one or two years earlier than expected

 72% graduated within expected time frame  15% took one year longer than expected  4% took two years longer than expected  Only 1% graduated in three years or longer than expected 16

Quantitative Analysis -Satisfaction  All Respondents  83% combined satisfaction rate 

46% “very satisfied” and 37% “satisfied”

 Mean = 4.22 (on 5-point scale)

 Started at Edgewood  M = 4.26  Transfer  M = 4.18

 Compared to 80% of students who graduated in their expected

time frame, a higher satisfaction rate of 83% was found in students’ responses.

17

Gap * Satisfaction Crosstabulation Satisfaction Very Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Dissatisfied

Total

-2

% of Total

0%

1%

0%

0%

0%

1%

-1

% of Total

6%

1%

0%

0%

0%

7%

0

% of Total

41%

26%

5%

1%

0%

72%

1

% of Total

0%

9%

5%

2%

0%

15%

2

% of Total

0%

1%

1%

2%

1%

4%

3

% of Total

0%

0%

0%

1%

1%

1%

% of Total

46%

37%

10%

5%

1%

18 100%

Gap

Total

Qualitative Analysis Procedure  Grounded theory  Generate or discover a theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967)

 Grounded theory defined as:  The discovery of theory from data systematically obtained from social research’ (Glaser and Strauss 1967: 2)

19

Data Coding Procedures Preview all responses and record emerging indicators.

Continued to add new indicators, until eventually the indicators become saturated and no new ones could be formed.

2. Compared indicators. Consistent and similar ones were combined into themes. Similar themes were used to form factors. Themes that could not be combined with other themes were considered independent factors.

3. Built a coding book that includes indicators, themes, and factors. Assigned a code to each indicator.

1.

20

Data Coding and Factor Generating Cont’ 4. Used the coding book to code short narrative responses

into the SPSS data file.

Note: A response may include multiple indicators. In this way, qualitative data of students’ short narrative responses are converted into quantitative data and are ready for quantitative analysis.

5. Re-read and recoded responses to make sure no new

indicators emerged.

6. Used SPSS to generate frequencies of the indicators, themes, and factors mentioned by survey respondents.

21

Qualitative Results  Using this grounded theory approach, seven factors

that influence students’ time to degree were generated from respondents’ narrative responses.

22

Factors Influencing Time to Degree 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Curriculum Length Academic Planning and Choice Student Accountability Personal Experience and Preference Finance Facilitators Procedures and Scheduling

23

Factors Defined 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Curriculum Length: Student choices that extended program length, such as adding a second major, or the actual requirements of certain programs.

Academic Planning and Choice: Changing or deciding on programs and majors, as well as planning out courses and requirements towards graduation.

Student Accountability: Course load, student motivation, student accountability, choosing to take courses elsewhere.

Personal Experience and Preference: Individual or situational differences of students, such as depression or health-related issues.

Finance: Aspects relating to funding education, such as having to work during school to pay for their education.

Facilitators: Advisors, staff, and faculty.

Procedures and Scheduling: Class scheduling and availability, graduation and program requirements, other administrative-type issues.

24

#1 Curriculum Length Definition: Student choices that extended program length, such as adding a second major, or the actual requirements of certain programs.

Verbatim Quote: “Though I graduated a year later than I originally expected, I was able to spend a semester in the Czech Republic, a semester in Italy, a month in China, AND add a second major before graduating. Even though student debt is going to suck, I'd say the extra year was worth it!”

Coding Procedures:  Study abroad  Curriculum Length  Add second major  Curriculum Length 25

#2 Academic Planning & Choice Changing or deciding on programs and majors, as well as planning out courses and requirements towards graduation.

“Changed my major from art education to just an art major”  Deciding major  Academic Planning & Choice

26

#3 Student Accountability Course load, student motivation, student accountability, choosing to take courses elsewhere.

“I worked hard in order to graduate early from my program.”  Student accountability  Student Accountability

27

#4 Personal Experience & Preference Individual or situational differences of students, such as depression or health-related issues.

“I was forced to take a semester off due to a medical illness, and was poorly advised on classes I should take pretty much the entire time I've been here.”  Health issues  Personal Experience & Preference  Advisor  Facilitator

28

#5 Finance Aspects relating to funding education, such as having to work during school to pay for their education.

“Working full time allowed me to only go to school part time, otherwise I would have finished sooner.”  Work  Finance

29

#6 Facilitators Advisors, staff, and faculty.

“The liberal arts and sciences advisors told me the wrong classes to take my first semester for my major, but the math department helped me to figure out a solution so I could graduate on time.”  Advisor  Facilitator  Faculty  Facilitator

30

#7 Procedures & Scheduling Class scheduling and availability, graduation and program requirements, other administrative-type issues.

“Being willing to take on challenging course loads was helpful in completing my degree in 4 years. It was difficult at times because certain classes were only offered at one time and not every semester.”

Course load  Student Accountability Class schedules  Procedures & Scheduling Student accountability  Student Accountability 31

Frequency Analysis of Factors Factor Name Facilitators Academic Planning and Choice Student Accountability Registration Processes & Course Scheduling Curriculum Length Finance Personal Experience and Preference

Percent 47.3% 43.0% 25.8% 24.7% 23.7% 7.5% 7.5% 32

Recommendation #1  Importance of Advising  Communicate and reiterate to all stakeholders

 Positive AND negative effects

 Advisor Training and Resources  Additional or more extensive resources  Professional development  Share best practices

33

Recommendation #2  Empowering Student Decision-Making  Provide options and accurate information

 Allow students to make their own decision

34

Recommendation #3  Student Accountability and Attitudes  Student motivation and accountability

 It’s an educational process

35

Recommendation #4  Process Improvements  Procedures and scheduling

 Focus on institutional (directly controllable)

factors

36

Recommendation #5  Review, Explore, and Reflect on Existing

Data  Review open ended results from Senior Exit

Survey  Mine other data sources  Continue research using quantitative and qualitative methodologies

37

Limitations ď‚— In general, the limitations of this study are not any

different than other similar studies ď‚— Question wording made qualitative analysis difficult

ď‚— Sample from one institution at one point in time

38

Future Considerations/Directions  Online programs/classes that are flexible  Summer/winter sessions  Examine enrollment numbers and courses offered  Seek institutional buy-in on proposed graduation rate goals  Future research at Edgewood on time to degree  Look at that subgroup who graduated early  Replicate on next years Senior Exit Survey

39

Discussion 1.

What research have you done related to this topic at your own institution?

2.

Are the findings similar? Different?

3.

What has your institution done to decrease time to degree?

4. What has worked for you in terms of gaining institutional

buy-in with time to degree and graduation rate initiatives/goals?

40

Thank you for your time!  Questions?  Comments?  Suggestions?

41

References Astin, A.W. & Oseguera, L. (2005). Degree Attainment Rates at American Colleges and Universities. Revised Edition. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA. Burns, K. (2010). At issue: community college student success variables: a review of the literature. The Community College Enterprise, 16(2), 33-61.

Center for Business and Economic Research, Miller College of Business, Ball State University (2011). An exploratory analysis: Educational attainment in Indiana. Retrieved from http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/bitstream/123456789/194831/1/EdAttain\ment1.pdf.

Desjardins, S.L., Kim, D., & Rzonca, C.S. (2003). A nested analysis of factors affecting bachelor’s degree completion. Journal of College Student Retention, 4 (4), 407-435.

Knight, W. E. (1994, May). Why the five-year (or longer) bachelors degree? An exploratory study of time to degree attainment. In 34th Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, New Orleans, LA. Knight, W. E. (2002). Toward a comprehensive model of influences upon time to bachelor’s degree attainment. AIR Professional File, 85, 1-15.

42

References Cont’ Knight, W. E. (2004). Time to bachelor’s degree attainment: An application of descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression techniques. IR Applications: Using Advanced Tools, Techniques, and Methodologies, 2, 115.

Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2006, July).

What matters to student success: A review of the literature. In Commissioned Report for the National Symposium on Postsecondary Student Success: Spearheading a Dialog on Student Success.

Office of Institutional Assessment and Research. (2011). Edgewood College Retention and Graduation Report. Madison, WI: Edgewood College.

Owens, D., Lacey, K., Glinda, R. & Holbert-Quince, J. (2010). First-generation African American male college students: Implications for career counselors. The Career Development Quarterly, 58, 291-300.

Perkins, G., Pitter, G.W., Howat, C., & Whitfield, D. (1999). Relationship of financial aid, work and college performance. In 39th Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Seattle, WA. Taylor, A.L. & Doane, D.J. (2012). Motivations to graduate in less than four years and summer session attendance. Summer Academe, 4, 7-30.

43