03/19/2024
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Elizabeth Farmosa “Evaluating an Honors College at a Large Public University: Factors for Honors Retention.”

Candidate: Elizabeth Farmosa
Degree: Doctoral- Research & Evaluation in Education
Defense Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Coburn Hall Room 275
Thesis/Dissertation Title: "Evaluating an Honors College at a Large Public University: Factors for Honors Retention”

Dissertation Committee

  • Dissertation Chair: Jill Hendrickson Lohmeier, Ph.D., Department Chair and Professor of Research and Evaluation in Education, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Hilary Lustick, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Jason Rydberg, Associate Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
The retention of high-achieving students in a university honors program is a significant challenge for academic institutions. This dissertation evaluates how well an honors college at a large, urban, public university retains students in the Honors College. The evaluation is a mixed-methods utilization-focused evaluation conducted by an internal evaluator. The quantitative analysis focused on students from Fall 2018 to Spring 2023 and when students left the Honors College focusing on the factors that contributed to a student completing honors versus those who did not. The quantitative analysis found that the retention rate was 17.5% with 50% leaving by the sixth semester. Half of the students who continue to senior year end up not completing all the honors requirements. The last school GPA, gender, resident type, and college were significant predictors when looking at whether a student graduated or not from the Honors College.

The qualitative data were collected via a survey and focus groups. The survey included open-ended questions about the experience of students who had left the Honors College before finishing the requirements. The five focus groups conducted focused on why students either completed the requirements or did not complete them and what their experience in honors was like. The qualitative data analysis had five themes emerge: benefits, connection, honors project, honors courses, and recommendations. The perceived benefits students had during their time as an honors student included: study abroad, courses, early registration, financial, research, recognition, and housing. What fostered a connection to honors included peers, website, advisors, honors space, and enrichment requirement. The honors project theme focused on students’ experience with starting and completing the project. Students also spoke in detail about their favorite courses and the course load. The recommendations grouped together what students would have changed to improve their experience.