SUPPORTING THE INVISIBLE STUDENT: A CASE STUDY OF ONE INSTITUTION’S INTERVENTIONS SUPPORTING DEGREE ATTAINMENT FOR STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDSWiafe, Ron (2018) SUPPORTING THE INVISIBLE STUDENT: A CASE STUDY OF ONE INSTITUTION’S INTERVENTIONS SUPPORTING DEGREE ATTAINMENT FOR STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)
AbstractThis study was a case study to explore the interventions being offered at one institution to support students from low-income backgrounds. The institution experienced higher than average graduation rates compared to low-income serving institutions with similar characteristics. The purpose of this study was to discover the institutional interventions that were helpful for the persistence to degree completion for students from low-income backgrounds. The study employed three data collection methods to learn about the interventions. The methods used were individual interviews with professionals who supported students from low-income backgrounds, group interviews with students from low-income backgrounds who earned at least 60 credits, and the review of the relevant documents that pertained to supporting low-income students. The data gathered from this study found that the institution had institutional initiated, professional initiated, and impeding interventions on the persistence to completion for students from low-income backgrounds. The institutional initiated interventions were supported with funding, human resources, or by the documents of the institution. These interventions were directly or indirectly helpful for students from low-income backgrounds and included bridge programs and external alliances, the deconstruction of access and success barriers, emerging persistence and attainment initiatives, a financial aid office oriented for student success, and the targeting of intersecting populations with lower than average graduation rates. The professional initiated interventions were provided by the professionals of the institution, or advocated for by the professionals and obtained some assistance from the institution. These interventions were also helpful for supporting students from low-income backgrounds and included the informal network, optimism for support and success, and the survival initiatives. The impeding interventions were institutional strategies that had the unintentional consequence of causing additional challenges for students. These interventions had an adverse impact on the persistence to completion for students from low-income backgrounds and included a conflict of support for the current and espoused population, the counter initiatives, fiscal and human resources limitations, and an unclear coordination of interventions. Share
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