Date Approved

1-31-2020

Embargo Period

2-4-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Kerrigan, Monica Reid

Committee Member 1

Walpole, MaryBeth

Committee Member 2

Coaxum, James III

Keywords

2-4-year Transfer Athlete, Community College Transfer Athlete, Multiple Case Study, Organizational Dimensions, Transfer Athlete, Transfer Athlete Persistence

Subject(s)

College athletes; Transfer students

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

This multiple case study identifies the organizational factors that contribute to the persistence of two-year transfer athletes at two Division I four-year institutions in the Northeast Region Conference. This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as Berger and Milem's (2001) theoretical framework of organizational behavior and student outcomes to 1) identify the most prevalent two-year transfer athlete experiences; 2) find out how the most prevalent experiences, at each institution, contribute to their persistence and 3) identify the organizational dimensions two-year transfer athletes perceived as contributing to their most prevalent experiences. The findings showed that athletic experiences were expressed to be the most prevalent and that these experiences contributed to persistence by being frequent and mandatory. Lastly, the findings showed that the bureaucratic and collegial dimensions were noted and perceived to contribute to participants' athletic experiences. Overall, this study adds to the literature of athletics in higher education by focusing on the areas where progress can be made to increase the persistence of two-year transfer athletes that attend Division I four-year institutions.

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