The Lived Experiences of First-Year, First Semester Honors College Students Placed on Academic ...

411 Pages·2015·3.59 MB·English

THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER HONORS COLLEGE
STUDENTS PLACED ON ACADEMIC PROBATION

by

MARY-MARGARET GREER ROBINSON
B.A. University of South Carolina, 1997
M.S. University of Central Florida, 2004

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in the College of Education and Human Performance
at the University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Summer Term
2015

Major Professor: David Boote
© 2015 M.G. Robinson

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ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to examine the experiences of first-year, traditional aged Honors
College students who were placed on academic probation at the conclusion of the first semester
and how they perceive their current circumstances, reasons for their inability to meet the honors
requirements, and future academic pursuits. A comprehensive literature review was performed,
specifically in the areas of first-year college students, retention, Honors Colleges and Honors
Programs, high achievers, honors students in trouble, help-seeking behaviors, and academic
probation at the collegiate level. A phenomenological research design was employed where
participants met with the investigator one-on-one for a semi-structured interview. Ten students
participated in the study; six were first-year students on honors probation, and four were in
academic good standing following the end of the first semester. Participants described several
common experiences, including: difficulty with the high school to college transition, planning
and organizational challenges, overconfidence in academic abilities, and poor attendance and
class participation. Based on these findings, several recommendations are made.

Keywords: first-year college student(s), Honors Colleges, honors students, Honors Programs,
retention, students in trouble, high achievers, academic probation, high school transition

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This dissertation is dedicated to my daughter, Ellie, without whom I might not have made the
decision to pursue a Ph.D. degree. I also dedicate this to my parents who have been life-long
educators and true believers in everything I have undertaken in life. I would not have been able
to accomplish this without your love, support, and encouragement. “Thank you” does not begin
to cover it.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project would not have been possible without the support, input, and assistance from
numerous individuals. I have learned that this level of research is simply not possible without the
help of many.
I would like to thank Dr. Rosa Cintron for the inspiration of this topic; it is one that I
have truly enjoyed researching and plan to continue pursuing. I would also like to thank The
Burnett Honors College Dean Alvin Wang not only for his participation on my Dissertation
Committee and his time meeting with me about TBHC, but also for providing me with open
doors to information about The Burnett Honors College. Without that level of access, this
dissertation would not have been nearly as robust as it is today. By way of my extensive
investigation into Honors Colleges and Honors Programs, I learned how incredibly rare it is for
Deans and Directors to allow such access; I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to
welcome my research. Also from The Burnett Honors College, I would like to extend my
appreciation to Associate Dean Martin DuPuis who graciously and patiently answered my
questions about TBHC students who seek his advice and instruction when faced with academic
probation. Your insights were very valuable to this research! I would also like to thank Dr. Madi
Dogariu, Director of Student Services in TBHC, for providing me with critical data and
information about the students being examined. Your investment of time and energy is very
much appreciated without which would not have made this project nearly as informative. I would
also like to extend my sincerest thanks to Rex Roberts, Director of Honors Advising in TBHC.
As the person who most often interacts with students in academic jeopardy and also with those
forming plans of study within TBHC and UCF, you provided crucial information that would not
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be available otherwise. Thank you for your candor and your time. Deepest gratitude to Brandy
Christman Blue, Honors Admissions Specialist, who spent hours with me describing the
application processes, providing me with applicable documents and information, and answering
my many follow-up questions and clarifications. I would not have been able to accurately
describe these processes without your tireless efforts. And, of course, I would not even have a
research project without my data sources! My sincerest thanks to the eleven students who
volunteered and participated in my study. I found each to be candid, thoughtful, and gracious
during the time we spent together in the interviews.
Of course none of this would be possible without my esteemed Dissertation Committee.
As mentioned previously, as the Dean of The Burnett Hours College, Dr. Alvin Wang’s
participation was crucial for this project to be successful; I cannot thank you enough. The
University of Central Florida’s Director of Student Leadership Development, Dr. Stacey Malaret,
was also a valuable contributor as she not only possesses significant knowledge of academically
talented students via her work with LEADS Scholars, but she as an instructor in the Higher
Education and Policy Studies program, she and was able to offer valuable information and
guidance to me based on her extensive experiences. Dr. Thomas Cox, an esteemed member of
the Higher Education and Policy Studies faculty, truly went above and beyond by agreeing to
serve on the committee in the eleventh hour and providing fantastic feedback and guidance.
Thank you so much for being willing to be there for me during such a critical time! I would like
to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Tom Vitale, Program Coordinator of the Ed.D. in
Education at UCF. He not only served as an indispensable committee member, but I had the
great privilege of working for him during the four years I spent as a Graduate Teaching Assistant
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for the program. His patience, mentoring, advice, feedback, and humor sustained me through my
time in the Ph.D. program. You are the best boss ever!
Finally, it would all be for naught without the tireless efforts, support, input, and
guidance of my amazing Dissertation Chair, Dr. David Boote. Your vast experience in
qualitative research along with your enthusiasm to take on my ambitious project were vital for
this endeavor to be possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart as well as the deepest
corner of my brain!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... xiv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 2
Rationale for the Study ................................................................................................... 2
Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 6
Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 7
Positionality .................................................................................................................... 7
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 11
The Freshman Year of College ..................................................................................... 13
Seven Reasons Students Withdraw from College .................................................... 16
Honors Colleges ............................................................................................................ 20
Birth of the National Collegiate Honors Council ..................................................... 26
Difference between Honors Programs and Honors Colleges ................................... 28
Characteristics of Honors Students ............................................................................... 30
High-Achievers and Perfectionism ............................................................................... 35
Gifted Underachievers .............................................................................................. 38
Honors Students in “Trouble” ....................................................................................... 39
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Non-completion of Honors ....................................................................................... 41
Honors College Retention ......................................................................................... 42
Honors College Completion Rates............................................................................ 45
Help-Seeking............................................................................................................. 46
Academic Probation ...................................................................................................... 48
Defining Academic Probation................................................................................... 49
Characteristics of College Students on Academic Probation ................................... 50
Current Intervention Efforts for College Students on Academic Probation ............. 52
Supplemental Courses, Seminars, and/or Workshops Approach .......................... 53
One-on-One Advising and/or Counseling Approach ............................................. 54
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 55
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 57
Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 58
Research Design............................................................................................................ 58
Phenomenology......................................................................................................... 58
Research Setting............................................................................................................ 60
University Setting ..................................................................................................... 60
The Honors College within the University ............................................................... 62
Population ..................................................................................................................... 65
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Participants .................................................................................................................... 65
Demographic Data Reviewed ................................................................................... 68
Participant Information and Interview Descriptions ................................................. 68
Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................................... 68
Institutional Review Board ....................................................................................... 69
Interviews .................................................................................................................. 70
Interview Protocol ..................................................................................................... 70
Observational Field Notes......................................................................................... 70
Conducting the Interviews ........................................................................................ 71
Member Checking ..................................................................................................... 72
Confidentiality .......................................................................................................... 73
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 73
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 77
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ......................................................................................... 79
Participants in the Study ............................................................................................... 79
Research Question and Sub-Questions Analysis .......................................................... 80
Research Sub-Questions ........................................................................................... 80
Main Research Question ........................................................................................... 84
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 85
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