Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Dr. John Morgan, Jr.
Keywords
admissions, college policies, college procedures, evaluation instrument, exit interviews, formative committee, Herzing College, literature review, needs assessment, program evaluation, student orientation, student retention, student satisfaction, student services, summative committee, survey research, withdrawal prevention
Abstract
The problem investigated was that an analysis of exit interviews of students dropping out of Herzing College suggested that the current student orientation program was not providing them with sufficient information about the college in which they needed to become well-informed about the school's policies, procedures, and services offered. Not being adequately informed was 2 a factor in students' decisions to withdraw from the program. Exit interviews are required when the students decide to withdraw from the program. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current student orientation through the administration of a needs assessment instrument to analyze whether or not students are being adequately informed about the school's policies, procedures, and services and to determine whether or not there may be a need for a new improved student orientation. The quality of the student orientation can be a factor in guaranteeing student satisfaction. If the students are well-informed and satisfied with the program, it is possible that students will less likely decide to withdraw from the program.
The research questions addressed what should be included in an evaluation instrument to determine the effectiveness of the current student orientation and what does an evaluation of the student orientation reveal about the program's effectiveness. This study was completed in two phases. Both the development and evaluation methodologies were used to complete this study. The development methodology was used to develop the evaluation instrument. A literature review was conducted to determine what information should be included in the evaluation instrument. The criteria for the needs assessment were based on information taken from the review of literature and input from a formative committee. A formative committee was established to provide relevant input on important topics, to review the format and drafts, and to provide feedback during the development of the needs assessment. The formative committee consisted of one undergraduate student, and two admissions representatives. A summative committee was established to ensure that the content used to develop the needs assessment was valid. The summative committee consisted of two external experts familiar with needs assessments and student orientations. After necessary revisions had been made of the initial draft, the draft of the instrument was provided to the summative committee for validation purposes. Their feedback was collected and used to finalize the needs assessment instrument. The finalized needs assessment instrument was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the current student orientation.
The evaluation methodology was the second phase of this study. The evaluation instrument was used to determine the need for a new and improved student orientation. The evaluation instrument was comprised of a 10- question survey. The evaluation phase involved four steps: (a) the data collection, (bl the sample, (c) the administration, and (d) the data collection and analysis. The survey questionnaire was administered and hand distributed to the students of Herzing College by the researcher. The results of the survey were hand tabulated by the researcher. The results of the survey implied a possible need for a new improved student orientation. The results revealed that information in various areas are not being adequately communicated to students in the current student orientation.
The researcher made a recommendation stating that the current student orientation should be re-examined to ensure that future students will be adequately informed. A copy of the data collection and recommendations for improvement was given to the College Director and Admissions Director for their review and evaluation. The following conclusions were made from this study. The conclusion addressed the two research questions. It was established by the researcher that upon completion of this study, the two research questions had been addressed. In addressing the first research question, the review of literature included gathering information relevant to information that should be included in an evaluation instrument. The review of literature focused on the purpose of need assessments, forms of evaluation designs, knowing what type of survey questions to ask for effective results, and how to report on surveys. In addressing the second questions, the results of the survey were hand tabulated by the researcher to determine what an evaluation revealed about the effectiveness of the current student orientation program at Herzing College.
Six recommendations were made from this study. First, a recommendation was made to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the student orientation at least twice a year. Second, the student orientation should be continually revised as policies and procedures change. The evaluation instrument should be updated to ensure that the student orientation is providing current and adequate information. Third, it is recommended that the results of the survey questionnaire be shared with the admission representatives because of their involvement with the student orientation process. Fourth, it is recommended that additional research be conducted to clarify if findings have been consistent over time. Fifth, it was recommended that the current orientation be re-examined for the purpose of ensuring that students are being adequately informed. Sixth, it was recommended that more emphasis be placed on the school's policies, procedures, and services offered.