Date of Award
Fall 11-20-2019
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in First Year Studies
Department
First-Year and Transition Studies
Committee Chair
Dr. Ruth Goldfine
Additional Committee Member
Dr. Ginny Boss
Additional Committee Member
Dr. Nirmal Trivedi
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the processes of dual enrollment program leaders as elements of the dual enrollment environment at three comprehensive four-year institutions of higher education in Georgia in 2017. This study addressed one research question: What processes/practices do program leaders contribute to the dual enrollment environment? The leaders of the dual enrollment programs selected for this study were individually interviewed to gain a better understanding of their daily processes and practices and the inner workings of their respective programs. The results showed commonalities between each of the participants which led to the identification of four themes: setting parental boundaries, supporting student development, orienting students, and seeking support. The researcher concluded that program leaders set boundaries with parents to promote independence and personal responsibility amongst students, use interactions with students to promote student development when first-year seminar courses are not available, serve as the primary source for orienting students to the campus, and seek support and clarification to improve the dual enrollment student experience.