An Examination of Areas of Involvement That Foster Student Retention

Campus involvement has been proven to improve the persistence of students through college. This qualitative study was designed to learn if there are certain areas of involvement that are more influential to creating a perceived sense of belonging for students and in tum influencing their persistence. Using a qualitative approach the researcher gathered narratives from four undergraduate students who were involved in varying out-of-class activities and analyzed the resulting data for important themes. Three major themes emerged which were importance of involvement, connectedness to the university, and employment. The results indicated that being involved in extracurricular activities is influential in students' college experiences. Participants confirmed that their personal experiences were enhanced by the opportunities they had taken advantage of and the activities in which they had participated. AN EXAMINATION OF AREAS OF INVOLVEMENT iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS When tackling a graduate thesis there are many paths a student can take. There are seemingly endless topics to address, the decision of taking a qualitative or quantitative approach, selecting a committee, and finally executing the actual writing of the thesis. For myself, many of these decisions were made based on personal connection and past experiences. The topic of this thesis is near and dear to my heart due to my many involvements as an undergraduate student. While the thesis undertaking was a labor oflove there have been many people who have guided and supported me from the time the research was a mere idea and have continued to do so through its completion. From the moment I stepped foot onto my undergraduate campus I was encouraged to get involved in different campus activities. As I moved through my college years I was consistently involved in the National Residence Hall Honorary. This organization and more specifically its two advisors at the time, was one of the most influential aspects of my college career. In a time when I considered leaving the University it was my involvement in that organization and my relationship with the advisors that changed my mind. Those advisors have continued to support and encourage me even through my graduate career. A heartfelt thank you to both of these advisors. I am grateful for my committee members, Dr. Dena Kniess and Dr. Michael Gillespie, and my thesis chair Dr. Mona Davenport. These individuals have provided me with direction and support when the road seemed rough. It is due to the patience and shared knowledge of these three that I was able to reach the finish line. AN EXAMINATION OF AREAS OF INVOLVEMENT lV Without the four students that agreed to participate in this study there would be no data. I would like to thank these students for sharing their stories for this study. They are all strong students on this campus and have shown what being involved has done for their experience and can do for others. I wish all of them the best of luck in their future endeavors. Finally, to my closest friends and family, I must thank each of you for your continued support and encouragement. You have inspired me daily and pushed me to keep moving forward. Each have you have provided welcome breaks from research filled with laughter, a shoulder to lean on, and most importantly confidence that I could do it. The most sincere thank you to all who have stuck by me through this entire process. AN EXAMINATION OF AREAS OF INVOLVEMENT v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT . ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION . 1 Purpose of the Study . 2 Research Questions . 2 Significance of the Study . 3 Limitations of the Study . 4 Definitions . 4 Summary . 5 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW . 6 Campus Involvement . 6 Sense of Belonging . 8 Fraternity and Sorority Life . 9 Living on Campus . 11 Employment . 12 Summary . 13 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY . 15 Design of Study . 15 Participants . 15 Research Site . 16 Data Collection . 1 7 Data Analysis . 18 Researcher/Interviewer as Instrument. 18 Summary . 19 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS . 20 Importance of Involvement . 20 Importance of Experience . 21 Reason for Involvement . 22 Self-realization/Growth . 23 Enjoyment Out of Class . 24 Connectedness to the University . 24 Relationships . , . 26 Connectedness . 27 Employment . 28 Importance of Employment . 29 Connectedness . 30 AN EXAMINATION OF AREAS OF INVOLVEMENT Vl Summary . 31 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION . 32 Significance of Findings . 32 Importance of Involvement. 32 Connectedness . 34 Employnient . 35 Recommendations . 39 Suggestions for Future Research . 40 Summary . 41 Appendix A-Email Template for Advisors/Supervisors of Potential Participants . 43 Appendix B-Email for Potential Participants . 45 Appendix C-Interview Protocol . 4 7 Appendix D-Info