{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/50012"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/50012","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A comparative study to determine factors contributing to the development of off-campus credit programs in small, private, four-year liberal arts colleges","abstract":"The purpose of this study was to investigate why small, private, four-year liberal arts colleges implement off-campus credit programs. The focus of the research was to determine the factors responsible for offering off-campus programs in some institutions, while in others, no attempts were made to offer similar programs. Survey research was the primary method used in the study. Twenty-five colleges which were members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and which had off-campus programs were paired with an equal number of non-participating colleges based on size, tuition costs and affiliation. Data were gathered from NCES and SACS reports, current college catalogs and from self-designed questionnaires. A response rate above 90 percent was recorded for the mailed questionnaires. The Chi-Square test of relationship, T-test, and ANOVA techniques were used to analyze the data. All analyses were evaluated at the .05 level of significance. Data analysis for participating colleges suggested: (1) Off-campus programs were relatively new, with a majority (87 percent) having been established over the past ten years; (2) Small, private, liberal-arts colleges were adapting their missions to allow them to serve a new clientele. (3) The primary leadership within the colleges for the initiation and continuation of off-campus programs were the presidents, deans and the governing boards. A declining enrollment was indicated as a primary reason for going off campus; and (4) The groups being served most often off campus were managers, public school teachers, ministers, accountants, law enforcement personnel, and those seeking a Baccalaureate degree. The analysis of the data between the participating and non-participating colleges showed: (1) The participating colleges experienced more growth than the non-participating group. This modest growth could be traced to off-campus enrollments; (2) Both groups of colleges had a similar curriculum, but a statistically significant difference existed for the degree in education. The participating colleges had a larger number of institutions with a degree in education; (3) The participating colleges' mission statements evidenced a more serious commitment to serving the broader community through educational opportunities than did the non-participating group; (4) A statistically significant difference existed between the two groups regarding the sources of revenue, Federal appropriations, grants and contracts and total revenues. The non-participating group received more revenues from these non-tuition sources; (5) A statistically significant difference existed for the expenditure categories of academic support, library support, and operations and maintenance; and (6) No statistical difference was found between the groups for faculty or transportation characteristics or in the number of competitors for off-campus credit programs.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this study was to investigate why small, private, four-year liberal arts colleges implement off-campus credit programs. The focus of the research was to determine the factors responsible for offering off-campus programs in some institutions, while in others, no attempts were made to offer similar programs. Survey research was the primary method used in the study. Twenty-five colleges which were members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and which had off-campus programs were paired with an equal number of non-participating colleges based on size, tuition costs and affiliation. Data were gathered from NCES and SACS reports, current college catalogs and from self-designed questionnaires. A response rate above 90 percent was recorded for the mailed questionnaires. The Chi-Square test of relationship, T-test, and ANOVA techniques were used to analyze the data. All analyses were evaluated at the .05 level of significance. Data analysis for participating colleges suggested: (1) Off-campus programs were relatively new, with a majority (87 percent) having been established over the past ten years; (2) Small, private, liberal-arts colleges were adapting their missions to allow them to serve a new clientele. (3) The primary leadership within the colleges for the initiation and continuation of off-campus programs were the presidents, deans and the governing boards. A declining enrollment was indicated as a primary reason for going off campus; and (4) The groups being served most often off campus were managers, public school teachers, ministers, accountants, law enforcement personnel, and those seeking a Baccalaureate degree. The analysis of the data between the participating and non-participating colleges showed: (1) The participating colleges experienced more growth than the non-participating group. This modest growth could be traced to off-campus enrollments; (2) Both groups of colleges had a similar curriculum, but a statistically significant difference existed for the degree in education. The participating colleges had a larger number of institutions with a degree in education; (3) The participating colleges' mission statements evidenced a more serious commitment to serving the broader community through educational opportunities than did the non-participating group; (4) A statistically significant difference existed between the two groups regarding the sources of revenue, Federal appropriations, grants and contracts and total revenues. The non-participating group received more revenues from these non-tuition sources; (5) A statistically significant difference existed for the expenditure categories of academic support, library support, and operations and maintenance; and (6) No statistical difference was found between the groups for faculty or transportation characteristics or in the number of competitors for off-campus credit programs.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ely, Roy Winston"],"institution":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University","degree_name":"Ed. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Adult and Continuing Education","degree_department":"Adult and Continuing Education","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Atwell, Charles A."],"committee_members":["Bell, Norris H.","Fortune, Jimmie C.","Morgan, Samuel D.","Stubblefield, Harold"],"year":1986,"date_issued":"1986","date_published":"1986","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:42Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50012","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Atwell, Charles A."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Bell, Norris H.","Fortune, Jimmie C.","Morgan, Samuel D.","Stubblefield, Harold"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Adult and Continuing Education"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ely, Roy Winston"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-08-13T14:39:01Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-08-13T14:39:01Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1986"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Adult and Continuing Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed. 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Survey research was the primary method used in the study. Twenty-five colleges which were members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and which had off-campus programs were paired with an equal number of non-participating colleges based on size, tuition costs and affiliation. Data were gathered from NCES and SACS reports, current college catalogs and from self-designed questionnaires. A response rate above 90 percent was recorded for the mailed questionnaires. The Chi-Square test of relationship, T-test, and ANOVA techniques were used to analyze the data. All analyses were evaluated at the .05 level of significance. Data analysis for participating colleges suggested: (1) Off-campus programs were relatively new, with a majority (87 percent) having been established over the past ten years; (2) Small, private, liberal-arts colleges were adapting their missions to allow them to serve a new clientele. (3) The primary leadership within the colleges for the initiation and continuation of off-campus programs were the presidents, deans and the governing boards. A declining enrollment was indicated as a primary reason for going off campus; and (4) The groups being served most often off campus were managers, public school teachers, ministers, accountants, law enforcement personnel, and those seeking a Baccalaureate degree. The analysis of the data between the participating and non-participating colleges showed: (1) The participating colleges experienced more growth than the non-participating group. This modest growth could be traced to off-campus enrollments; (2) Both groups of colleges had a similar curriculum, but a statistically significant difference existed for the degree in education. The participating colleges had a larger number of institutions with a degree in education; (3) The participating colleges' mission statements evidenced a more serious commitment to serving the broader community through educational opportunities than did the non-participating group; (4) A statistically significant difference existed between the two groups regarding the sources of revenue, Federal appropriations, grants and contracts and total revenues. The non-participating group received more revenues from these non-tuition sources; (5) A statistically significant difference existed for the expenditure categories of academic support, library support, and operations and maintenance; and (6) No statistical difference was found between the groups for faculty or transportation characteristics or in the number of competitors for off-campus credit programs."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ed. 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The focus of the research was to determine the factors responsible for offering off-campus programs in some institutions, while in others, no attempts were made to offer similar programs. Survey research was the primary method used in the study. Twenty-five colleges which were members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and which had off-campus programs were paired with an equal number of non-participating colleges based on size, tuition costs and affiliation. Data were gathered from NCES and SACS reports, current college catalogs and from self-designed questionnaires. A response rate above 90 percent was recorded for the mailed questionnaires. The Chi-Square test of relationship, T-test, and ANOVA techniques were used to analyze the data. All analyses were evaluated at the .05 level of significance. Data analysis for participating colleges suggested: (1) Off-campus programs were relatively new, with a majority (87 percent) having been established over the past ten years; (2) Small, private, liberal-arts colleges were adapting their missions to allow them to serve a new clientele. (3) The primary leadership within the colleges for the initiation and continuation of off-campus programs were the presidents, deans and the governing boards. A declining enrollment was indicated as a primary reason for going off campus; and (4) The groups being served most often off campus were managers, public school teachers, ministers, accountants, law enforcement personnel, and those seeking a Baccalaureate degree. The analysis of the data between the participating and non-participating colleges showed: (1) The participating colleges experienced more growth than the non-participating group. This modest growth could be traced to off-campus enrollments; (2) Both groups of colleges had a similar curriculum, but a statistically significant difference existed for the degree in education. The participating colleges had a larger number of institutions with a degree in education; (3) The participating colleges' mission statements evidenced a more serious commitment to serving the broader community through educational opportunities than did the non-participating group; (4) A statistically significant difference existed between the two groups regarding the sources of revenue, Federal appropriations, grants and contracts and total revenues. The non-participating group received more revenues from these non-tuition sources; (5) A statistically significant difference existed for the expenditure categories of academic support, library support, and operations and maintenance; and (6) No statistical difference was found between the groups for faculty or transportation characteristics or in the number of competitors for off-campus credit programs."],"dc:description.degree":["Ed. D."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50012"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["A comparative study to determine factors contributing to the development of off-campus credit programs in small, private, four-year liberal arts colleges"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Adult and Continuing Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:42Z"}