An Evaluation of Key Components of Natural Resource Camps, Undergraduate Persistence and Success in Natural Resources

<p> This study explores the key components that connect natural resource camps, undergraduate persistence, and overall success through gainful employment within the natural resource industry. The aim of this study was to assess early interest and attitudes towards natural resource career pathways and how education interventions shape students’ career outcomes thus leading to overall success. A longitudinal mixed method design was used combining Conservation Careers Camp survey data (n = 39) with institutional records for Forestry majors (n =655) in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus. Quantitative data was analyzed through IBM SPSS Statistics software using Pearson’s <em>r</em> correlation and ANOVA procedures to examine relationships between data.</p> <p> Findings revealed that pre-college students who had a genuine interest in the natural resources field were more likely to pursue a degree in natural resources with 82% (<em>n</em> = 32) (vs. 69 %, <em>n</em> = 27, pre-camp) wanting to pursue this career field post camp. Findings also showed there were no significant relationships between test scores associated with SAT, ACT, Texas Success Initiative (TSI), Dual Credit, International Bachelorette (IB) credit and transfer credit) and degree completion of college age students. Results suggested that performance in key pre-requisite courses played a vital role in overall success related to graduation within five years, involvement in major, and employment within six months of graduation. Once they made it to graduation, forestry students who were academically successful and degree completion successful (59%, <em>n</em> = 99), were able to gain employment in the natural resources field within six months of graduation thus making them overall successful (57%, <em>n</em> = 88). If only evaluating by graduation and employment within natural resources within six months of graduation rather than the addition of time to graduation, 98% of students were successful.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy - Forestry

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Forestry

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Bishop, Brandy

Contributors dc:contributor

• Matthew McBroom, PhD
• Pat Stephens Williams, PhD
• Ray Darville, PhD

• Forest Education
• Recruitment
• Natural Resource Success
• Natural Resource Camps
• Forestry Programs
• Agricultural Education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Environmental Studies
• Higher Education
• Other Forestry and Forest Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/636

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1677