Service+bridge

Download a PDF of this file. ** Service bridge - Giving at-risk students a reason to stay ** Kristi Wood-Turner, Program Director, Center for Civic Engagement, West Virginia University [kristi.wood@mail.wvu.edu]


 * Keywords:** Interactionalist theory, mid-semester course, at-risk students, mixed methods, community connection


 * Conference track:** Community engagement and student retention, access, and success


 * Format:** Poster presentation

Retention at the end of the first year and retention to graduation have both stood out as areas of focus but little has been researched on the issues relating to attrition of students from first semester to second semester. Using key service outcomes and Tinto’s (1975, 1986) interactionalist theory of college student departure, West Virginia University’s Center for Civic Engagement developed a service bridge course to fill a retention need for at-risk students. In the fall semester, students take a course on planning a nonprofit fundraiser and in the spring semester, the same students implement the event. The goal is to instill a sense of commitment and community engagement to encourage retention.
 * Summary**

The purpose of this study is to determine if civic engagement courses, specifically courses taught with the pedagogy of service-learning, increase student retention and academic engagement from first to second semester. This study provided the opportunity to understand the impact of service related courses on student retention. As a mid-semester course, the majority of students who enrolled in it were in need of more college credit hours. This could serve as a warning flag to administrators that these particular students are struggling in one or more areas of their education.

This study will provide a pre-course and post-course understanding of where each of the 10-15 students placed themselves in terms of personal competency and community connection. This mixed method study incorporated student surveys, focus groups, and review of student demographic data. Each of the surveys were analyzed and compared to focus group data and demographic data in order to answer the research question. Survey data was analyzed using coding techniques and frequencies and this data and the findings will be presented in a poster.

Mundy, M., & Eyler, J. (2002). //Service-learning & retention: Promising possibilities, potential partnerships.// Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University.
 * References**

Tinto, V. (1986). Theories of student departure revisited. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), //Higher education: Handbook of theory and research// (Vol. II, pp. 359-384). New York, NY: Agathon Press.


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