Dougherty, Mark
(2019)
A Needs Assessment of Student Support Programs for Adult Students at Tri-County Technical College.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Situated in a national landscape of looming decreasing enrollment trends for traditional-aged students, institutions of higher education would do well to consider how to support the persistence of non-traditional students. The definition of non-traditional students can include a wide spectrum of descriptors. This study narrowed that definition to consider adult students, who are 25 years of age or older. The decision to persist is different for adult students at commuter colleges than for traditional-aged students at residential four-year institutions (Braxton, Doyle, Hartley, Hirschy, Jones, & McLendon, 2014). Adult students have a different approach to decision making influenced by their life experiences and related cognitive scheme (Donaldson & Graham, 1999). Tri-County Technical College has identified the adult student population as an important population to focus on in the coming years as the number of available traditional-aged students decreases (Grawe, 2014). With this in mind, it is important to consider how Tri-County can best support its adult students to persist to their education goal.
This needs assessment study identified several existing gaps between needs of adult students at Tri-County and the student support programs and structures at Tri-County Technical College. Through a series of focused conversations, the experiences of adult students were examined to identify those factors that support and those factors that complicate their ability remain enrolled. Comparing these factors to the focus of non-academic student support programs and structures at Tri-County led to the identification of several existing gaps. These gaps comprised the identified needs. Ultimately, a series of six recommendations were provided as opportunities for how Tri-County can adjust its efforts support adult student persistence.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
25 September 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
26 July 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
25 September 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
3 September 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
133 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Education > Administrative and Policy Studies |
| Degree: |
EdD - Doctor of Education |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Adult Student
Community College
Nontraditional Student
Persistence
Student Success
Student Support Programs |
| Date Deposited: |
25 Sep 2019 14:38 |
| Last Modified: |
25 Sep 2019 14:38 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/37451 |
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