Date of Award
12-2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
First Advisor
Joseph R. Kretovics, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Ramona B. Lewis, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Joseph R. Morris, Ph.D.
Keywords
Connectedness, engagement, gender, persistence, race, retention
Abstract
This quantitative study examined how faculty demographic characteristics, specifically race and gender, influence undergraduate students’ perceptions of connectedness, engagement, and persistence at a public Midwestern university. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Integration (1975, 1993, 2012), the research explored whether perceived alignment between student and faculty identities contributes to students’ sense of belonging and motivation to persist toward degree completion. Data were collected from 100 undergraduate participants representing diverse racial, gender, and academic backgrounds. Participants completed a researcher-developed survey instrument utilizing a four-point Likert scale to measure connectedness, engagement, and persistence.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Fuller, Sherrie Y., "Student Perceptions of the Impact of Faculty Race and Gender on Their Sense of Connectedness, Engagement, and Persistence" (2025). Dissertations. 4200.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/4200