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The purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to examine the effectiveness of a comprehensive, integrated curricular and co-curricular program designed to build community, provide academic and social support, and promote engagement in academically purposeful activities resulting in more equitable environments for historically underrepresented, low-income science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) information technology (IT) students. The study also focused on the role that the sense of belonging and academic hope play in enhancing persistence to degree completion. Program participants had significantly higher persistence rates compared to a matched comparison group. Additionally, STEM-specific belonging and academic hope significantly predicted students’ intentions to persist to degree completion in IT. A major finding was that STEM domain–specific belonging was a stronger predictor of persistence than general belonging. Our investigation has implications for the role that cohort-based programs, industry engagement, peer mentoring, proactive advising, undergraduate research opportunities, career preparation, and leveraging need-based financial aid play in ensuring equity in STEM.

This study examines the use of individual development plans (IDPs) in a structured mentoring program as an effective mechanism for reducing identity-related anxiety for underrepresented trainees and increasing their learner agency. Social cognitive theory served to provide the theoretical framework for our implementation of IDPs and our investigation of the effects of completing IDPs on trainees attaining academic goals and subsequent success in enrolling in competitive PhD programs. Results suggest that IDPs are also an effective tool that can allow faculty mentors to provide the social support necessary for trainees to persist in accomplishing their short- and long-term learning goals. Additionally, trainee self-agency, in the use of the IDP and mentoring, seemed to provide an alternative narrative to ability as a sole predictor of STEM achievement. We also found that IDPs helped foster social support networks, providing stability, predictability, and a sense of belonging. Specifically, IDPs helped foster the emotional and informational support necessary for trainees to persist, despite obstacles, as they strived to attain their learning goals.

This conceptual model emerged from the need to balance multiple purposes and perspectives associated with developing an ePortfolio designed to promote student development and success. A comprehensive review of literature from various disciplines, theoretical frameworks, and scholarship, including self-authorship, reflection, ePortfolio pedagogy, and the psychology of hope and goal setting, set the groundwork for the model. The Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis ePortfolio includes 4 domains: (a) increasing understanding of self and others, (b) setting self-concordant goals, (c) developing hope, and (d) shaping education and career plans with a focus on facilitating students’ ability to integrate learning to promote meaning making and the development of purpose.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the underlying non-cognitive processes and institutional factors that allowed first-year students to enact effective strategies for attaining academic success and persisting despite obstacles. The varying levels of academic preparation and unique obstacles faced by the student participants allowed for us to employ a constant comparative approach in analyzing the results. A core story of hopeful thinking emerged which interacted with four major themes including: a) generating alternative pathways when encountering obstacles to social and academic integration, b) goal setting and planning, c) active use of peer and academic supports, and d) experiencing a positive institutional context. While this study confirms research about what factors predict the success of students coping with difficult transitions, it also provides new insights. Results suggest that academic hope is an important theoretical framework to guide future research and practice in the area of student retention.

The present research examined the extent to which pre-college characteristics, high school experiences, college expectations, and initial enrollment characteristics were related to graduation from college. Data from admission applications, the ACT Compass survey, and initial enrollment measures for Fall 2004 and Fall 2005 first-time students were analyzed. Because almost one-third of the students had missing data, multiple imputation procedures were utilized. Results revealed that several measures of student characteristics, high school experiences, college expectations, and initial enrollment characteristics were consistently related to degree attainment. Other variables were related to a single degree-attainment measure. These results demonstrated that pre-matriculation data can be used to identify at-risk students, identify risk factors, and provide institution-specific benchmarks for evaluating efforts to improve degree attainment.

The widespread popularity of programs for first-year students is due, in large part, to studies showing that participation in first-year programs is significantly related to students’ academic success. Because students choose to participate in first-year programs, self-selection effects prevent researchers from making causal claims about the outcomes of those programs. The present research examined the effects on first-semester grades of students participating in themed learning communities at a research university in the Midwest. Results indicated that membership in themed learning communities was positively associated with higher grade point averages, even after controlling for entering ability, application date, gender, and first-generation/low-income status. However, when instrumental variables were introduced to account for self-selection, the effects of themed learning communities on grades were not statistically significant. The results have implications for campus leaders and assessment practitioners who are working to develop methods for understanding the effects of programs designed to enhance the undergraduate educational experiences on their campuses.

A suite of assessment tools, including measures of student engagement, powers a cycle of activities that create an institutional culture of planning and decision making based on evidence.

This chapter describes how an action research framework facilitates using evaluation and assessment results to improve programs and demonstrate institutional effectiveness.

Assessing advising is critical to its improvement and to demonstrating that advising contributes to student success. Through assessment, advisors can ensure that departmental goals are continuously evaluated, that instruments are updated as needed to meet the goals of assessment, that communication is facilitated among stakeholders, and that action is taken as necessary to improve programs that affect student learning. We offer specific guidance for planning, implementing, and improving advising assessment initiatives.