Theses and Dissertations

Advisor

King, Stephanie B.,

Committee Member

White, Carol C.

Committee Member

Oswalt, Katie

Committee Member

Coats, Linda T.

Date of Degree

5-16-2025

Original embargo terms

Embargo 2 years

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

Participation in orientation programming and a first-year seminar course could positively impact transfer students academically and socially as they transition into the university environment. To better understand the experience of high-achieving transfer students, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore whether community college transfer students’ participation in orientation and a 1st-year seminar course shaped their sense of belonging at the institution, their campus involvement and engagement, their knowledge of academic support resources, and their perceptions of academic advising during their first semester of college. Orientation programming and participation with a 1st-year seminar course provides the opportunity to assist with the transition of transfer students. This study focused on 7 high-achieving, community college Presidential Partnership Scholars who participated in a transfer student 1-day orientation program and a 1st-year seminar course at a large 4-year university. The site for the study was a 4-year university with an enrollment of approximately 22,000 students. Participants were between 20-21 years of age. Participants were interviewed in-person by the researcher. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis approach was utilized for coding and theming. The findings of this study revealed that orientation and a first-year seminar course shaped a transfer student’s sense of belonging and desire to seek involvement and engagement opportunities. Additionally, the findings revealed that participation in orientation shaped participants’ perceptions of academic advising both from a positive and negative perspective, but there was no indication the participation in the first-year seminar course had a meaningful influence on advising. Finally, the findings indicated that orientation and a 1st-year seminar course had very little impact on shaping a transfer student’s perceptions of academic support.

Download

Available for download on Friday, June 11, 2027

Share

COinS