Investing in student persistence: a regression analysis of institutional expenditure patterns and retention and graduation rates at private baccalaureate colleges and universities

Abstract

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Effect of organizational environments on the status attainment of students of color and majority students: a general linear model analysis

“…This question was divided into ten specific research questions. These research questions would provide a cohort study analysis for two consecutive six-year periods -1996-2002 and 1997-2003. Further the research questions were categorized into two subcategories -amount of money disbursed per student (assessing the internal environment over which institutional policy-makers had some degree of control) and the influence of the region and the degree of urbanization (assessing the external environment, over which institutions had little or no control) (Gansemer-Topf, 2004;Hamrick, Schuh, & Shelley, 2004).…”

“…This study was intended to develop a more thorough understanding of the dynamics involved in the interaction of organizational behavior such as resource allocation and situationally relevant factors such as geographical region and the degree of urbanization on the six-year graduation rates of both majority students and students of color. Prior research also had been conducted in similar areas (Gansemer-Topf, 2004;Hamrick, Schuh, & Shelley, 2004). While a substantial amount of the study of retention had focused on characteristics (such as academic ability or financial need) of students (Astin, 1984;Cabrera, Nora, & Castañeda, 1992;Tinto, 1987Tinto, , 1993, less work had examined how institutional behavior, was related to graduation (Berger, 2001(Berger, -2002Gansemer-Topf, 2004;Hamrick, Schuh, & Shelley, 2004) and in particular the effect of institutional behavior on the graduation rates of students of color and majority students.…”

“…instructional, physical plant, institutional support, academic support, library expenditures) predicted graduation rates. The study by Gansemer-Topf (2004) also included longitudinal data on institutional expenditures and how expenditures predicted the graduation rates of students at private, baccalaureate general and liberal arts colleges.…”

“…The internal environment was more within the control of a university, and therefore institutional leaders exhibited certain behaviors, for example, by how they expended financial resources, by the students they recruited and admitted and by the size of the institution. Thus, using this terminology, Gansemer-Topf's (2004) research had focused on the internal environment of private, baccalaureate general and liberal arts.…”

“…In this context, Berger and Braxton (1998) proposed studying how universities function as organizations. Organizational behavior has been used to study how universities allocate resources in private, baccalaureate general and liberal arts colleges and universities (Gansemer-Topf, 2004) and in public, four-year institutions of higher education (Hamrick, Schuh, & Shelley, 2004). Reported studies, however, have yet to provide an integrated understanding of how organizational behavior helps predict graduation rates of students of color and majority students.…”