Graduate Program
College Student Affairs
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Semester of Degree Completion
2010
Thesis Director
Charles Eberly
Thesis Committee Member
Reed Benedict
Thesis Committee Member
Dan Nadler
Thesis Committee Member
Jody Stone
Abstract
The present study is a qualitative assessment of the current Faculty Fellows program at Eastern Illinois University. The Faculty Fellows program was created to promote academic excellence and individualized attention to foster student retention both in the residence halls and at the University. Since the implementation of the Faculty Fellows program in 2004, there has been no formal evaluation of the current program. The present research will help fill this gap in knowledge about faculty-student interaction. A qualitative study was conducted using two focus groups and two groups of individual interviews following a semi-structured protocol. The focus groups and two groups of individual interviews were electronically recorded, transcribed, and comparative analyzed by the researcher for emerging themes within groups first (Faculty Fellows, RAs, Professional Staff, Residence hall students) and then across groups to check for triangulation of themes. Seven themes emerged from this qualitative assessment of the Faculty Fellows program, including (1) a lack of understanding and purpose of the program, (2) respondent perceptions and attitudes toward the program, (3) a lack of commitment to the program from all stakeholder groups interviewed, ( 4) miscommunication about program objectives and processes, (5) accountability issues, (6) barriers preventing program implementation, and (7) lack of perceived benefits.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Denika L., "Faculty fellows: Academic initiatives within the residential learning communities at Eastern Illinois University" (2010). Masters Theses. 158.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/158
