{"id":{"repo_id":"alverno","oai_identifier":"oai:alverno.omeka.net:873"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/alverno/oai:alverno.omeka.net:873","repository":{"repo_id":"alverno","name":"Alverno College","base_url":"https://alverno.omeka.net/oai-pmh-repository/request"},"display":{"title":"The effect of first-year writing programs on the retention and persistence of historically underserved students","abstract":"Blemberg, Derek Retention and student persistence are perennial issues in higher education. With the current enrollment challenges in all sectors of higher ed, more attention is being paid to these issues than ever before. Colleges and universities are interested in shoring up their budgets as well as improving completion rates to be more appealing to future students. Most of the scholarly work on retention and persistence often emphasizes demographic differences or the psychological traits students possess. By contrast, this project specifically examined the role that first-year writing (FYW) courses can play to improve outcomes for students. I continue to be especially interested and invested in historically underserved students (first-generation, low-income, students of color, LGBTQIA+, ESL/ELL students, etc.). There has been work connecting retention, persistence, and FYW, but that work typically focuses on placement and the support services that surround FYW (tutoring, supplemental courses, first-year seminars, and/or bridge programs) rather than the content of FYW courses or specific strategies for instructors to implement. Some scholarly work exists examining the connection between course content, methods, design, and/or assignments and retention/persistence. This study contributes to and expands the work that has already been done in those areas and provides some avenues for further study. This qualitative study uses interviews and document analysis from two small institutions in the Midwest. The first is a public university with an access mission; it primarily confers associate degrees and enrolls approximately 1000 students. Second, the study examined FYW courses at a small to midsize private college; this school confers bachelor’s degrees as well as graduate degrees and enrolls approximately 1200 students. This cross-section provided vital insights into the connection between FYW and retention/persistence. Interviews were conducted with both instructors and students to compare their perspectives on what aids persistence. The project found that: instructors and students agree far more than they disagree about FYW, there are several areas for improvement for colleges and instructors, and the cultural obstacles of higher ed are significant for this population of students. These findings can help FYW instructors by providing some insights into best practices, methodology, content, design elements, and assignments that can positively affect student persistence and retention.","abstract_html":"Blemberg, Derek Retention and student persistence are perennial issues in higher education. With the current enrollment challenges in all sectors of higher ed, more attention is being paid to these issues than ever before. Colleges and universities are interested in shoring up their budgets as well as improving completion rates to be more appealing to future students. Most of the scholarly work on retention and persistence often emphasizes demographic differences or the psychological traits students possess. By contrast, this project specifically examined the role that first-year writing (FYW) courses can play to improve outcomes for students. I continue to be especially interested and invested in historically underserved students (first-generation, low-income, students of color, LGBTQIA+, ESL/ELL students, etc.). There has been work connecting retention, persistence, and FYW, but that work typically focuses on placement and the support services that surround FYW (tutoring, supplemental courses, first-year seminars, and/or bridge programs) rather than the content of FYW courses or specific strategies for instructors to implement. Some scholarly work exists examining the connection between course content, methods, design, and/or assignments and retention/persistence. This study contributes to and expands the work that has already been done in those areas and provides some avenues for further study. This qualitative study uses interviews and document analysis from two small institutions in the Midwest. The first is a public university with an access mission; it primarily confers associate degrees and enrolls approximately 1000 students. Second, the study examined FYW courses at a small to midsize private college; this school confers bachelor’s degrees as well as graduate degrees and enrolls approximately 1200 students. This cross-section provided vital insights into the connection between FYW and retention/persistence. Interviews were conducted with both instructors and students to compare their perspectives on what aids persistence. The project found that: instructors and students agree far more than they disagree about FYW, there are several areas for improvement for colleges and instructors, and the cultural obstacles of higher ed are significant for this population of students. These findings can help FYW instructors by providing some insights into best practices, methodology, content, design elements, and assignments that can positively affect student persistence and retention.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Blemberg, Derek"],"institution":"Alverno College","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023","date_published":"2023","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:44:40Z","subjects":["English language--Rhetoric--Study and teaching (Higher)","College attendance"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/873","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Blemberg, Derek"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2023"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Alverno College"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text","Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["English language--Rhetoric--Study and teaching (Higher)","College attendance"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/873"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Blemberg, Derek Retention and student persistence are perennial issues in higher education. With the current enrollment challenges in all sectors of higher ed, more attention is being paid to these issues than ever before. Colleges and universities are interested in shoring up their budgets as well as improving completion rates to be more appealing to future students. Most of the scholarly work on retention and persistence often emphasizes demographic differences or the psychological traits students possess. By contrast, this project specifically examined the role that first-year writing (FYW) courses can play to improve outcomes for students. I continue to be especially interested and invested in historically underserved students (first-generation, low-income, students of color, LGBTQIA+, ESL/ELL students, etc.). There has been work connecting retention, persistence, and FYW, but that work typically focuses on placement and the support services that surround FYW (tutoring, supplemental courses, first-year seminars, and/or bridge programs) rather than the content of FYW courses or specific strategies for instructors to implement. Some scholarly work exists examining the connection between course content, methods, design, and/or assignments and retention/persistence. This study contributes to and expands the work that has already been done in those areas and provides some avenues for further study. This qualitative study uses interviews and document analysis from two small institutions in the Midwest. The first is a public university with an access mission; it primarily confers associate degrees and enrolls approximately 1000 students. Second, the study examined FYW courses at a small to midsize private college; this school confers bachelor’s degrees as well as graduate degrees and enrolls approximately 1200 students. This cross-section provided vital insights into the connection between FYW and retention/persistence. Interviews were conducted with both instructors and students to compare their perspectives on what aids persistence. The project found that: instructors and students agree far more than they disagree about FYW, there are several areas for improvement for colleges and instructors, and the cultural obstacles of higher ed are significant for this population of students. These findings can help FYW instructors by providing some insights into best practices, methodology, content, design elements, and assignments that can positively affect student persistence and retention."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["PDF"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The effect of first-year writing programs on the retention and persistence of historically underserved students"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Blemberg, Derek"],"dc:date":["2023"],"dc:description":["Blemberg, Derek Retention and student persistence are perennial issues in higher education. With the current enrollment challenges in all sectors of higher ed, more attention is being paid to these issues than ever before. Colleges and universities are interested in shoring up their budgets as well as improving completion rates to be more appealing to future students. Most of the scholarly work on retention and persistence often emphasizes demographic differences or the psychological traits students possess. By contrast, this project specifically examined the role that first-year writing (FYW) courses can play to improve outcomes for students. I continue to be especially interested and invested in historically underserved students (first-generation, low-income, students of color, LGBTQIA+, ESL/ELL students, etc.). There has been work connecting retention, persistence, and FYW, but that work typically focuses on placement and the support services that surround FYW (tutoring, supplemental courses, first-year seminars, and/or bridge programs) rather than the content of FYW courses or specific strategies for instructors to implement. Some scholarly work exists examining the connection between course content, methods, design, and/or assignments and retention/persistence. This study contributes to and expands the work that has already been done in those areas and provides some avenues for further study. This qualitative study uses interviews and document analysis from two small institutions in the Midwest. The first is a public university with an access mission; it primarily confers associate degrees and enrolls approximately 1000 students. Second, the study examined FYW courses at a small to midsize private college; this school confers bachelor’s degrees as well as graduate degrees and enrolls approximately 1200 students. This cross-section provided vital insights into the connection between FYW and retention/persistence. Interviews were conducted with both instructors and students to compare their perspectives on what aids persistence. The project found that: instructors and students agree far more than they disagree about FYW, there are several areas for improvement for colleges and instructors, and the cultural obstacles of higher ed are significant for this population of students. These findings can help FYW instructors by providing some insights into best practices, methodology, content, design elements, and assignments that can positively affect student persistence and retention."],"dc:format":["PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/873"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Alverno College"],"dc:rights":["These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law."],"dc:subject":["English language--Rhetoric--Study and teaching (Higher)","College attendance"],"dc:title":["The effect of first-year writing programs on the retention and persistence of historically underserved students"],"dc:type":["Text","Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:44:40Z"}