Roger D. Wessel

Academic Disqualification and Persistence to Graduation by Financial Aid Category and Academic Ability.

In this longitudinal study of 21,243 students, the academic disqualification and persistence to graduation by financial aid category and academic ability were studied. Students who had greater financial need disqualified at higher rates and persisted to graduation at lower rates. However, when financial aid categories were stratified by academic ability, academic ability was a better indicator of disqualification and persistence to graduation than was financial aid category. These data may provide clues to determine where financial intervention with institutional need-based aid may be most beneficial and how programmatic interventions may be appropriate.

Enhancing Career Development Through the Career Success Club

The career development of students, demonstrated by students performing appropriate career developmental tasks, is important to institutions of higher education because career developed students are more likely to have career objectives, persist in their academic goals, gain career-related work experience, find employment in their chosen fields, and graduate. The purpose of this study was to determine if the career development of students by class level had been enhanced by participation in a career management plan specifically prepared for undergraduates. The intervention of a career management plan (i.e., the Career Success Club) was successful, especially for seniors and middles, in enhancing the career development of undergraduates. Career management plans may help students that are academically undecided to become more connected to their majors by focusing more on academic and career matters.

Career Centers and Career Development Professionals of the 1990s

of teacher producing institutions because of the increased demand of teacher education programs (Endicott, 1937). The origination of placement organizations in the United States began in 1924 with the establishment of the National Association of Appointments Secretaries (Shingleton & Fitzpatrick, 1985). Since those early dates, career development and career centers have been the subject of much research (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). Several professional organizations have addressed the needs, concerns, and practices of college placement and career centers.

Exploring the Influence of Select Demographic, Academic, and Athletic Variables on the Retention of Student-Athletes.

The population of 674 first-year student-athletes culled from 5 successive freshman classes (2004–2008) at a mid-size midwestern university was examined to determine what combination of demographic, academic, and athletic variables best predicted retention into the 2nd academic year. The dependent variable of retention was chosen because it is a primary component of the Academic Progress Rate, a semester by semester evaluation of team academic performance used by the NCAA. Pearson correlations revealed student-athletes were less likely to drop out if they were Caucasian, attended college close to their hometown, scored well on standardized tests, had a respectable high school GPA, were ranked high in their graduating high school class, were not a member of a revenue sport, and earned a considerable amount of playing time. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that predicting retention is possible with information about race, distance from hometown, type of sport, and amount of playing time.

The Intersection of Gay and Christian Identities on Christian College Campuses

Because some Christian colleges prohibit same-sex sexual behaviors, the development of authentic sexual identities on these campuses may be difficult for gay and lesbian students. This article introduces the idea of an identity conflict that may occur between sexual and spiritual identities for gay and lesbian students at Christian colleges and briefly identifies the major factors that contribute to this conflict. Following this discussion, specific implications for student affairs practice are identified that exist as a result of this identity conflict. Specifically, enrollment communications and decisions, institutional values and culture, and student codes of conduct in relation to the intersection of gay and Christian identities on the college campus are discussed.

Job Opportunity Evaluation Matrix: Ability to Perform and Job Attractiveness:

and potentially negative outcomes. This paper demonstrates how an adaptation of an opportunity evaluation scheme used in business (Aaker, 1998) can be used by the job seeker. The evaluation scheme utilizes a two-dimensional matrix that simultaneously represents job attractiveness (JA) from the perspective of the job seeker and the job seeker’s ability to perform the job (ATP). This matrix simplifies the opportunity assessment process by combining multiple variables that determine job attractiveness and that determine ability to perform into one summary variable for each and then generates a recommended course of action for the job seeker based on the coordinates of

Persistence to Graduation for Students With Disabilities: Implications for Performance-Based Outcomes:

The study sought to determine whether students with disabilities are disadvantaged because of state and institutional performance-based policies providing incentives for 4-year graduation. In a longitudinal study of 32,187 students at a Midwestern Research University, the retention and graduation rates, and mean years to graduation, of students with disabilities were compared with students without disabilities. This study demonstrated that the presence of a disability does not negatively influence eventual graduation, but that it does influence the amount of time to degree completion. However, as the transition to college for students with disabilities can be more difficult, it is important that the institution has interventions in place to assist students with disabilities to assimilate into college. The discussion focuses on policy and practice implications linked to performance-based outcomes related to students with disabilities.

KEY Careers: Increasing Retention and Graduation Rates With Career Interventions

The purpose of the study was to investigate how promoting participation in KEY Careers, a career intervention program available to all incoming matriculates, influenced 1-year retention and 4-year graduation rates compared to nonparticipants at a singular institution. Archival data of 14,099 matriculates from the 2011–2014 freshman fall cohorts were utilized to examine the significance of a career intervention program on 1-year retention and 4-year graduation rates for various student demographics through an analysis of covariance. The results of this study suggest student participation in a career intervention program causes a statistically significant increase in 1-year retention and 4-year graduation rates regardless of gender or race. The discussion of this study is focused on why vocational identity development is significant at the beginning of the college experience and includes suggestions for how university administration can proactively infuse career development into their practices to benefit students of all backgrounds.