Theses and Dissertations
Advisor
White, Carol C.
Committee Member
King, Stephanie B.
Committee Member
Coats, Linda
Committee Member
Oswalt, Katie
Date of Degree
5-16-2025
Original embargo terms
Embargo 1 year
Document Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Major
Community College Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Education
Department
Department of Industrial Technology, Instructional Design, and Community College Leadership
Abstract
As higher education continues to become more competitive with each passing year, research indicates that a favorable image perception of an institution can be achieved through strategic social media presence. With previous literature primarily discussing the impacts of institutional image at a university level, this dissertation explores the role of institutional image in first-generation student choice to attend a rural Southern community college. Using photo elicitation, this qualitative study sought to understand how a rural community college’s social media influences rural, first-generation student’s perception of the college. Results indicated that institutional image perception through social media may play a role in affecting participants' college choice decisions. This study examined the perceptions of nine participants and how five social media images from a single, rural Southern community college might influence their college decision process. The findings highlighted the roles that relationships, attainability and visualization play on participant perception and ultimately college choice. Interestingly, the findings highlight that participant perceptions shape their realities. Many of these participants were confident in their perceptions about a single rural, Southern community college in many cases without ever setting foot on the campus. The present study added to existing literature by expanding on Perna’s (2006) conceptual model to include first generation, rural participant perceptions into the higher education college choice context. Future qualitative research on institutional image perception may consider investigating additional samplings of participants including dual credit students. Future research may continue the present study to understand perceptions of first-generation, rural college students after enrollment to explore if their institutional image perceptions were confirmed after becoming a full time student at the community college.
Recommended Citation
Clark, Megan Caves, "The role of institutional image in first-generation student choice to attend a rural Southern community college" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 6470.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/6470
