{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2217"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2217","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"An evaluation of the effectiveness of living learning communities on student success, retention, and belonging","abstract":"This project of practice evaluated the impact of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on student success, retention, and sense of belonging at a regional public university. The program evaluation includes quantitative data comparing GPA and retention rates of LLC and non-LLC students, a sense of belonging scale, and qualitative data gathered from interviews and surveys with LLC participants and program partners. Findings indicate that LLC participation positively correlates with increased student retention and a stronger sense of community, though academic performance differences were not statistically significant. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that intentional faculty-student interaction, tailored academic support, and early community-building efforts contribute to students' overall satisfaction and connection to the university. Based on these results, the project recommends strengthening recruitment processes, clarifying partnership roles, increasing academic integration, and enhancing collaborative programming. These recommendations aim to improve LLCs' structure, consistency, and long-term impact as a strategic initiative for student success and institutional retention efforts. The housing department and campus partners may utilize the data to look at ways to strengthen the program and increase the impact on student success, retention, and belonging.","abstract_html":"This project of practice evaluated the impact of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on student success, retention, and sense of belonging at a regional public university. The program evaluation includes quantitative data comparing GPA and retention rates of LLC and non-LLC students, a sense of belonging scale, and qualitative data gathered from interviews and surveys with LLC participants and program partners. Findings indicate that LLC participation positively correlates with increased student retention and a stronger sense of community, though academic performance differences were not statistically significant. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that intentional faculty-student interaction, tailored academic support, and early community-building efforts contribute to students&#x27; overall satisfaction and connection to the university. Based on these results, the project recommends strengthening recruitment processes, clarifying partnership roles, increasing academic integration, and enhancing collaborative programming. These recommendations aim to improve LLCs&#x27; structure, consistency, and long-term impact as a strategic initiative for student success and institutional retention efforts. The housing department and campus partners may utilize the data to look at ways to strengthen the program and increase the impact on student success, retention, and belonging.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Harville, Jason D."],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Taylor, Jessica N.","Rausch, David W., Crawford, Elizabeth K.","College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z","subjects":["Academic achievement--United States--Evaluation","Belonging (Social psychology)","School enrollment--Education (Higher)","Student housing--Resident satisfaction","Student learning communities"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1029","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Taylor, Jessica N.","Rausch, David W., Crawford, Elizabeth K.","College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Harville, Jason D."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-12-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Doctoral dissertations","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Academic achievement--United States--Evaluation","Belonging (Social psychology)","School enrollment--Education (Higher)","Student housing--Resident satisfaction","Student learning communities"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1029"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Applied Leadership and Learning","Ed. D.; A research project of practice submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Education."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This project of practice evaluated the impact of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on student success, retention, and sense of belonging at a regional public university. The program evaluation includes quantitative data comparing GPA and retention rates of LLC and non-LLC students, a sense of belonging scale, and qualitative data gathered from interviews and surveys with LLC participants and program partners. Findings indicate that LLC participation positively correlates with increased student retention and a stronger sense of community, though academic performance differences were not statistically significant. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that intentional faculty-student interaction, tailored academic support, and early community-building efforts contribute to students' overall satisfaction and connection to the university. Based on these results, the project recommends strengthening recruitment processes, clarifying partnership roles, increasing academic integration, and enhancing collaborative programming. These recommendations aim to improve LLCs' structure, consistency, and long-term impact as a strategic initiative for student success and institutional retention efforts. The housing department and campus partners may utilize the data to look at ways to strengthen the program and increase the impact on student success, retention, and belonging."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An evaluation of the effectiveness of living learning communities on student success, retention, and belonging"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Taylor, Jessica N.","Rausch, David W., Crawford, Elizabeth K.","College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies"],"dc:creator":["Harville, Jason D."],"dc:date":["2025-12-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Applied Leadership and Learning","Ed. D.; A research project of practice submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Education."],"dc:description.abstract":["This project of practice evaluated the impact of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on student success, retention, and sense of belonging at a regional public university. The program evaluation includes quantitative data comparing GPA and retention rates of LLC and non-LLC students, a sense of belonging scale, and qualitative data gathered from interviews and surveys with LLC participants and program partners. Findings indicate that LLC participation positively correlates with increased student retention and a stronger sense of community, though academic performance differences were not statistically significant. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that intentional faculty-student interaction, tailored academic support, and early community-building efforts contribute to students' overall satisfaction and connection to the university. Based on these results, the project recommends strengthening recruitment processes, clarifying partnership roles, increasing academic integration, and enhancing collaborative programming. These recommendations aim to improve LLCs' structure, consistency, and long-term impact as a strategic initiative for student success and institutional retention efforts. The housing department and campus partners may utilize the data to look at ways to strengthen the program and increase the impact on student success, retention, and belonging."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1029"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Academic achievement--United States--Evaluation","Belonging (Social psychology)","School enrollment--Education (Higher)","Student housing--Resident satisfaction","Student learning communities"],"dc:title":["An evaluation of the effectiveness of living learning communities on student success, retention, and belonging"],"dc:type":["Doctoral dissertations","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z"}