Term of Award

Spring 1999

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Committee Chair

Michael Richardson

Committee Member 1

T. C. Chan

Committee Member 2

Arnie Cooper

Committee Member 3

Fred Page

Abstract

The need for a clearer understanding of student retention issues at two-year colleges and the role that two-year college faculty play in student retention determined the following research question: What are the University System of Georgia's two-year college full-time teaching faculty perceptions concerning their roles and responsibilities in retention strategies? All full-time teaching faculty in the fourteen two-year colleges in the state system were surveyed. Responses were received from 593 faculty. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and ANOVA were performed to analyze the results.

Faculty perceived that they were presently moderately to substantially involved in the retention strategies and activities on their campuses which were listed on the survey. The strategies and activities were divided into three constructs: academic support services, advisement/onentation services, and student support services. Faculty also perceived they should be moderately to substantially involved in the retention strategies and activities. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the level of involvement. Faculty perceived they should be more involved than they presently were.

The results indicated there was a statistically significant difference between the perceptions of the faculty based on their area of teaching. Faculty identified themselves on the survey as teaching either general studies, learning support, or vocational-technical. Faculty teaching general studies perceived they were less involved presently and should be less involved in retention activities and strategies than those faculty teaching learning support and vocational-technical perceived their involvement.

The study demonstrated that two-year college faculty perceive that retention activities and strategies are valuable enough for them to be involved in but also perceive they should be more involved than they presently are. The results provide information not found before concerning these faculty perceptions which can be utilized to further strengthen and enhance student retention activities and strategies on college campuses.

Copyright

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