Date of Award

2020

Degree Name

Leadership Studies

College

College of Education

Type of Degree

Ed.D.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Dr. Barbara Nicholson, Committee Chairperson

Second Advisor

Dr. Charles Bethel

Third Advisor

Dr. Robert Rubenstein

Abstract

First-year seminars (FYS) have been identified as one of the most effective high impact practices in supporting student success as measured in this study by GPA, semester-to-semester persistence, and second semester student course load. However, those students who would most need this support, students at public open-enrollment institutions in the Appalachian region, have often either not been required to participate or have not been given the chance to do so due to limits on academic program length or a perceived lack of resources at such institutions. This research measured the effectiveness of an FYS program in the above defined environment where the institution studied gave programs the option of a standalone FYS course, or a pre-professional, discipline linked (PPDL) course where FYS content was delivered within preexisting 100-level content specific introductory courses. The course was mandated for all first-time freshmen or transfers with 30 or fewer transferable credit hours. The data demonstrated that the less resource intense PPDL method was just as effective as the standalone course.

Subject(s)

College freshmen.

College students -- Success.

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