A Comparative Study of the Factors of Student Retention Among Close Friends at the Same Institution Mondrail Myrick & Amyn Abduk-Khaliq Fayetteville State University SAIR Destin, FL Oct 6, 2014 Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. Founded in 1867 as the Howard School for the education of African Americans, today FSU serves a growing student body of over 6,300 and ranks among the nation’s most diverse campus communities. Our Carnegie Classification is Masters Level I Comprehensive Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, North Carolina Level4-year or above Control Public Student Population 6,283 Classification Category Undergraduate Instructional Program: Bal/SGC: Balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence Graduate Instructional Program: S-Doc/Ed: Single doctoral (education) Enrollment Profile: VHU: Very high undergraduate Undergraduate Profile: MFT4/I: Medium full-time four-year, inclusive Size and Setting: M4/R: Medium four-year, primarily residential Basic Master's M: Master's Colleges and Universities (medium programs)

INTRODUCTION “Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.“ Marcus Tillius Cicero- Roman philosopher/poet (106 BC - 43 BC) Purpose: To identify and compare retention factors of students with close friends that will attend a institution to those who do not have close friends that will attend the same institution Research Questions: Do students with close friends attending an institution have a higher retention rate than those without close friends? Are the significant factors different for students that have close friends that will attend the same institution?

INTRODUCTION Purpose Research Questions The Model The Methods Data Analyses Findings Conclusion Limitations Comments Purpose: To identify and compare retention factors of students with close friends that will attend a institution to those who do not have close friends that will attend the same institution Research Questions: Do students with close friends attending an institution have a higher retention rate than those without close friends? Are the significant factors different for students that have close friends that will attend the same institution?

THE HYPOTHESIZED MODEL Applies a cross-sectional longitudinal approach based on Tinto’s student integration model (Tinto, 1975) and Allen’s engagement Model (Allen & Bir, 2012). Focuses on Background variables, confidence, expectations, and performance. Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45, 89-125 Academic Confidence and Summer Bridge Learning Communities: Path Analytic Linkages to Student Persistence Academic Confidence and the Impact of a Living-Learning Community on Persistence Allen, D.F., Bir, B., (2012). Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice. Vol. 13, Number 4, pp. 519-548.

FIGURE 1. HYPOTHESIZED MODEL The model hypothesized in this study presupposes that pre-college academic ability, other background factors, confidence, expectation and performance are factors that inform persistence decisions. Figure 1 displays a structural model focused on external factors impacting persistence and the hypothesized interactions in the process. The diagram shows a left-to-right unidirectional causal flow where every structural variable is related to every other structural variable.

METHODS BCSSE collects data about entering college students' high school academic and co-curricular experiences, as well as their expectations for participating in educationally purposeful activities during the first college year. BCSSE administration usually takes place prior to the start of fall classes and is designed to be paired with a NSSE administration at the end of the first college year, providing an in-depth understanding of first-year student engagement on your campus. The Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE, pronounced “bessie”) measures entering first-year students’ high school academic and co-curricular experiences as well as their expectations for participating in educationally purposeful activities during the first year of college. BCSSE administration takes place prior to the start of fall classes and is designed to be paired with the administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced “Nessie”) in the spring. BCSSE results can aid the design of orientation programs, student service initiatives, and other programmatic efforts aimed at improving the learning experiences of first-year students. Since its launch in 2007, more than 430,000 first-year students at 373 higher education institutions across the US and Canada have completed the BCSSE survey. Explain W/o Friends (SATVM: 857) and W/ friends (SATVM: 834.4) Cohorts (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) from a Historical Black University in the Southeast Sampled (First-time, full-time freshmen) 70% of the sampled FFR took the BCSSE BCSSE results may be used in many ways, including: Recruitment Assessment and improvement Curricular reform Academic advising Retention Faculty development Accreditation and self-studies First year program evaluation Notice students with out friends have better academic backgrounds and higher First term GPA but a lower Persistence rate. Students with close friends that attend the same college/university are more likely to be retained.

METHODS Question 27: How many of your close friends will attend this college during the coming year? Principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation was conducted to assess the underlying structure for the 42 items of the BCSSE questionnaire. No factors were requested and six constructed were indexed: Academic Expectation, Academic Confidence, Social Confidence, Social Support, Financial support, and Social Expectation. After rotation the first factor accounted for 14.01% of the variance, the second factor accounted for 5.48% of the variance, the third factor accounted for 4.08% of the variance, the fourth factor accounted for 3.30% of the variance, the fifth factor accounted for 2.71% of the variance, and the sixth factor accounted for 2.46% of the variance, for a total variance explained of 32.04%.

DATA ANALYSES Structural Equation Modeling SPSS generated exploratory factor analysis used to estimate the model Binary Logistic Regressions were used to determine significant factors Hypothesized casual model will be estimated

Table 2. Parameter Estimates for Students without close Friends Measures ACAD CONF. SOCIAL CONF. SOCIAL EXPECT. ACADEMIC EXPEC. ACADEMIC PERFOR.   PERSISTENCE GENDER *0.143 0.132 0.113 0.077 0.067 0.157 HSGPA 0.083 0.061 0.156 -0.055 **0.72 HS ATTENDANCE -0.019 -0.005 0.119 -0.010 -0.117 **-0.444 SAT COMBINED 0.000 0.001 -0.002 FINANCIAL SUPPORT -0.021 0.051 0.018 **0.093 *0.094 -0.065 PARENTS EDUCATION 0.043 0.062 *-0.100 0.008 0.019 -0.044 ACADEMIC CONFIDENCE **-0.239 **0.205 0.006 0.028 SOCIAL CONFIDENCE *-0.148 **0.077 -0.013 *-0.281 ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS -0.053 SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS -0.001 *-0.212 SOCIAL SUPPORT 0.016 0.041 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE **0.717 p<.01** p<.05*

Table 3. Parameter Estimates for Students with close Friends Measures ACADEMIC CONF. SOCIAL CONF. SOCIAL EXPECT. ACADEMIC EXPECT. ACADEMIC PERFORM.   PERSISTENCE GENDER **0.282 **0.277 0.100 0.048 0.095 -0.169 HSGPA -0.032 **-0.155 0.132 -0.013 **0.796 -0.292 HS ATTENDANCE *-0.105 -0.028 -0.104 -0.010 *-0.124 *-0.291 SAT COMBINED *0.001 0.001 -0.001 0.000 FINANCIAL SUPPORT 0.005 *0.077 0.051 *0.040 0.011 *0.192 PARENTS EDUCATION 0.037 *0.055 -0.017 0.008 0.028 -0.018 ACADEMIC CONFIDENCE **-0.233 **0.231 0.018 0.115 SOCIAL CONFIDENCE -0.051 -0.006 0.006 -0.020 ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS 0.044 -0.060 SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS *0.058 -0.027 SOCIAL SUPPORT -0.022 0.054 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE **0.980 p<.01** p<.05*

FINDINGS

FINDINGS Impacts on Persistence Impacts on Academic Performance High School attendance, academic performance was significant for both groups. Social Confidence and Social Expectation has a negative influence on persistence for students without close Friends that will attend Impacts on Academic Performance High School GPA significantly influence Academic Performance for both groups Social Expectation has a significant positive influence on Academic Performance for students with Friends Financial Support has a positive influence on Academic Performance for students without Friends Impacts on Academic Expectations Financial Support and Academic Confidence are both significant in both groups Impacts of Social Expectations Students with close friends, Parents Education, Academic Confidence, and Social Confidence were significant Students without close friends, Academic Confidence was significant

FIGURE 2.SIGNIFICANT FACTORS

CONCLUSION Students with close friends that will attend the university came less academically prepared but had higher retention rates High School Attendance and Academic Performance were significant for both groups Social Expectations has a positive influence on Academic performance for students with friends but has a negative influence on persistence for students without friends

LIMITATIONS Limited in scope by single institution focus in spite of it’s multi-year cohort representation Quasi-Experimental Design Secondary Analysis

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ? ? ? ? ?

References Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45, 89-125 Tinto, V. (1986). Theories of student departure revisited. In J.C. Smart (Ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (Vol. 2, pp. 359-384). New York: Agatha Press. Allen, D. (1999). Desire to finish college: An empirical link between motivation and persistence. Research in Higher Education, 40, 461-485. Allen, D., & Nora, A. (1995), An empirical examination of the construct validity of goal commitment in the persistence. Research in Higher Education, 36, 506-533.

THANKS!!!!! Mondrail Myrick mmyrick01@uncfsu.edu Amyn Abduk-Khaliq Aabduk-khaliq@uncfsu.edu