Tailoring Retention Theories to Meet the Needs of Rural Appalachian Community College Students

Abstract

Objective: Traditional-age students attending a rural community college in Kentucky’s Appalachian region were interviewed, along with faculty members and administrators, to identify phenomena serving as sources of encouragement or as barriers to retention from the point of entry to the point of transfer. Method: Students’ perspectives were collected in a qualitative study and were analyzed using a theoretical foundation of Tinto’s integration theory, enhanced with Kegan’s cognitive development theory and Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, habitus, and field. Results: Findings revealed three major factors affecting decision-making processes about persistence: (a) community’s and family’s values of education provide the essential push to attend and complete college, (b) students are challenged with overcoming the pull of family obligations, and (c) students struggle to make the cognitive leap necessary to master college-level coursework. Contributions: The results emphasize the importance of each college investing resources to understand the specific needs of that institution’s students, students shaped by their region’s culture and other defining traits, and customizing retention practices and programs to meet those unique needs. This study also adds to the limited research on persistence in Appalachian community colleges.

Student retention and engagement in higher education

“…low socioeconomic group, non-campus, part-time and mature students: e.g Davidson and Wilson 2013, Roberts 2011, Sadowski, Stewart and Pediaditis 2018, Thomas 2011, Yorke and Thomas 2003,. rural students(Hlinka 2017), distance/open/e students (e.g Boyle et al 2010, Simpson 2013Pearson 2012…”

The Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program: Preparing Appalachian Kentucky High School and Undergraduate Students for Cancer Careers

“…However, regardless of first-generation status or low-income status, Appalachian students on average have been shown to struggle with the transition into college (Bryan & Simmons, 2009), are likely to select local two-year institutions over four-year institutions (Wright, 2012), and are more likely than their peers to exit college for a range of reasons (Bryan & Simmons, 2009;Hlinka, 2017;Howley et al, 1996;Wilson & Gore, 2009). These challenges can be particularly pervasive and detrimental to recruiting of participants for programs like ACTION: even when offered financial incentives like hourly pay or stipends, students from rural Appalachian areas have been shown to have strong community networks that rely on these students in a variety of ways-physical labor, emotional support, transportation, childcare-that require extensive time commitments that compete with both school commitments and programs like ACTION (Bryan et al, 2009;Hlinka, 2017;Wright, 2012). When the ACTION Program is placed within the context of these Appalachian educational attainment challenges, the result of the program suggests the model may be having some positive effect on educational attainment and success.…”

Physical Therapist Assistant Student Success in Traditional 15- versus Seven-Week Courses at a Community College: A Single Institution Case Study

“…This model assesses what an educational program is trying to achieve, the characteristics of the student, and what the student experiences in the educational environment (Antonio & Astin, 2012). The benefit of evaluating a program allows students to align their values with college standards versus universal standards (Hlinka, 2017). This tailored strategy can be evaluated after implementation to ensure the plan meets the needs of the institution and its students (Fike & Fike, 2008).…”