Date

5-22-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Richard Green

Keywords

freshmen, college, undecided, advising, retention, persistence, motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy, strengths, pre-major coaching, sense of purpose, sense of belonging

Disciplines

Counseling | Educational Psychology

Abstract

Student retention is a persistent dilemma in higher education because it is how student success is measured. Universities invest resources in retaining vulnerable populations and provide additional support measures because they are most at risk of dropping out. The premise of this study is that students who enter college without a major are considered vulnerable, as they are highly prone to drop out. Numerous studies have found that entering college with an “unknown/undecided” status negatively impacts retention, well-being, and motivation due to a lack of clearly defined educational goals. However, students and families often lack adequate information about the importance of declaring before entering college, as well as the costs, difficulties, and benefits of each major. A university education will likely be one of the student's largest financial endeavors. Families put much effort into where to send their child and how to pay for it without giving as much attention to why they are going to college in the first place. Starting college without a plan has grave financial and motivational consequences. Finding the right fit major is a proactive and intentional process; therefore, early intervention for undecided students is critical. This study will use a quantitative design to analyze archival data to determine the impact of pre-major coaching on retention. The aim is to compare students who have received pre-major coaching with those who have not on the following variables: time to declaration of a major, number of major changes, and progress toward graduation.

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