Date

8-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)

Chair

Alex Oldham

Keywords

Higher Education, Informed College Placement, Academic Confidence, Education Functioning Level, College Admission

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the experience of students, specifically due to the integration of informed college placement and support in the admissions process, and their perceptions of their experiences of academic confidence from identifying and responding to education functioning levels for newly admitted students at a community college. The theory guiding this study was Piaget's theory on constructivist learning theories. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of academic confidence through informed college placement and admissions support for newly admitted students? The methodology used for this qualitative study was a collective case study of associate degree students at a community college, in which interviews, focus groups, and surveys was utilized to collect data. Data was analyzed using a general analytic strategy to look for promising patterns, insights, and concepts to identify themes. Through an analyses of survey, interview, and focus group data, the study found that academic confidence is not innate, rather it is actively constructed through institutional processes, specifically through the themes of personalization, placement rationale transparency, educational functioning level framing, and early support services and orientation.

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