Retention and Graduation of
Degree Partnership Students
Preliminary Results
Master’s Thesis
Barbara Cormack
May 19, 2006
Statement of the Research Problem



2005-06 is the seventh academic year of the
OSU/Linn-Benton Degree Partnership
Program
Students in the DP Programs can fashion
pathways that will lead to their success
Core goals of the DP Programs are to
improve access and student success in
obtaining baccalaureate degrees
The Research Questions

How do graduation and retention for
OSU/LBCC DPP students compare to that
for students in two other educational paths,
vertical transfer students from LBCC and
OSU freshman (native) students
The Research Questions


What are the demographic and academic
profiles of students in these three
educational paths?
Are there significant differences in the
profiles of students in these three
educational paths?
Highlights of Lit Review



No research found in the literature
specifically about OSU-type degree
partnership programs
Research on graduation and retention is
confined to vertical transfer and native
students
Results of graduation & retention studies are
mixed, either between studies or within
studies (between cohorts)
Highlights of Lit Review


Compared research designs
Looked at factors that other researchers
found significant related to retention and
graduation, both in institution-specific studies
and in national or state student-specific
studies
Definitions

A native student is one who initially and
exclusively enrolls as a freshman at Oregon
State University and remains at that
institution throughout the student’s tenure in
higher education at the baccalaureate level.
Populations

OSU Native Students (Freshmen)
–
–
–
Matriculated either summer or fall term of 1999,
2000 or 2001
Did not later become a DPP student
Do not have courses on their transcripts from any
school other than OSU except for AP or courses
taken while still in high school
Definitions

A vertical transfer student is one who initially
and exclusively enrolls at Linn-Benton
Community College as a freshman and
remains at that institution until the student
transfers to Oregon State University. Once at
OSU, the student remains at that institution
throughout the student’s remaining tenure in
higher education at the baccalaureate level.
Populations

OSU/LBCC Transfer Students
–
–
–
–
–
Selected through OSU student records
First cut was students admitted to OSU as transfer students
who had courses on their transcripts from LBCC
Narrowed to students who ONLY had OSU and LBCC
coursework except for AP or other courses taken while in
high school
Never became a DPP student
Earliest LBCC courses were summer or fall 1999, 2000 or
2001 – appeared to have been admitted to LBCC at that
time
Definitions

A degree partnership student is one who is
initially admitted as a freshman to the degree
partnership program between Oregon State
University and Linn-Benton Community
College. The student remains at that pair of
institutions throughout the student’s tenure in
higher education at the baccalaureate level.
Populations

OSU/LBCC Degree Partnership Program
Students
–
–
Admitted as OSU/LBCC DPP freshmen for Fall
1999, 2000 or 2001
Do not have courses on their transcripts from any
school other than OSU or LBCC except for AP or
courses taken while still in high school
Definitions

Populations to be studied include students
who matriculated summer/fall 1999, 2000
and 2001 in each of the three educational
paths.
Definitions

Graduation indicates that the student earned
a baccalaureate degree at Oregon State
University between June 2000 and
September 2005.
Definitions

Retention indicates that the student has not
yet earned a baccalaureate degree, but that
the student was enrolled for at least one term
during the 2004-05 academic year (June
2004 through June 2005) at either or both
Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon
State University for degree partnership
students or at OSU for native and vertical
transfer students.
Definitions
Demographic Profile:
 Gender
 Ethnicity
 Age
 Residency
Definitions
Academic Profile:
 # credits developmental coursework
 # math courses
 # science courses
 College/Major
 # transfer credits
 # credits earned at OSU
 Cum GPA
 Part-time or full-time student
 # terms stopped out
The Hypothesis


The null hypothesis for this study is that there
is no difference in the graduation and
retention for students in the three educational
paths of DPP, vertical transfer and native
students.
The directional hypothesis is:
Status of Results
P-R-E-L-I-M-I-N-A-R-Y
spells
?
Populations-Samples
POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZES
Fall 1999
Freshmen
Transfer
DPP
N
1456
39
31
S
306
36
28
Fall 2000
N
1353
19
93
S
302
14
76
Fall 2001
N
1524
24
109
S
306
19
86
Sample
914
69
190
Demographics of Samples
GENDER OF SAMPLES
60%
50%
40%
Male
Female
30%
20%
10%
0%
FRESHMAN
TRANSFER
DPP
Demographics of Samples
ETHNICITY OF SAMPLES
White
Asian
Black
Hispanic
American Indian
Middle Eastern
Pacific Islander
Multiple
NA
International
FRESHMEN
694
74
14
44
17
1
20
3
35
12
76%
8%
2%
5%
2%
0%
2%
0%
4%
1%
TRANSFER
57
83%
2
3%
3
4%
1
1
5
1%
1%
7%
DPP
170
5
2
5
1
89%
3%
1%
3%
1%
2
5
1%
3%
Demographics of Samples
AGE OF SAMPLES
Born before 1980
120%
Born in 1980 or after
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
FRESHMAN
TRANSFER
DPP
Demographics of Samples
RESIDENCY OF SAMPLES
120%
100%
80%
Resident
Non-Resident
International
60%
40%
20%
0%
FRESHMEN
TRANSFER
DPP
Graduation Retention Summary
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Graduated
Retained
Not Retained
OSU Freshmen
35%
19%
46%
OSU/LBCC Transfer Students
38%
45%
17%
OSU/LBCC DPP Students
24%
32%
44%
Graduation Summary
60%
F99
F00
F01
50%
T99
T00
T01
40%
D99
D00
D01
30%
20%
10%
0%
Graduation 4-yr
Graduation 5-yr
Graduation 6-yr
Graduation and Retention
Factors:





Challenges Ahead for Thesis



Develop academic profiles
Test for statistical significance
Analyze, analyze, analyze!
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Barbara Cormack
OSU Financial Aid Advisor
College Student Services Administration
Master’s Student
barbara.cormack@oregonstate.edu