Committee Chair

Rausch, David W.

Committee Member

Crawford, Elizabeth K.; Breakey, Michael G.; Harbison, John W.

Department

Dept. of Applied Leadership and Learning

College

College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

The state of Tennessee launched a promise program entitled Tennessee Reconnect (TnR) in the Fall of 2018, which was aimed at the state’s adult learner population and offered a solution for affordable education. With this introduction came pressure for institutions, specifically community colleges in the state, to increase the retention and completion rates of this population of students. One small, rural community college approached this challenge by offering both first-time and returning adult learners an adult-focused First-Year Seminar (FYS) course. The course, entitled Work-Based Learning Seminar (WBLS), looked to assist with not only the retention and completion issues of the population, but also introduced course learning outcomes that addressed common characteristics and barriers to success for this population of students. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study evaluated whether there was a difference between year one to year two retention rates, and 3-year graduation rates, of adult learners at Cleveland State Community College (CLSCC) who were funded by TnR and completed (a) a WBLS course, (b) a FYS course, or (c) no college-readiness course. The data proved a positive association between year one to year two retention rates and completing WBLS for TnR-funded adult learners. Additionally, the narrative case-study design explored the human experience of this same population through virtual, personal interviews. The results supplemented the decades of previous research surrounding adult learners regarding common characteristics of this population, motivators for these students, and barriers to success for adult learners. Ultimately, this type of research could assist community colleges in Tennessee, as well as other states across the nation, in understanding the needs of their adult learner populations. The characteristics, motivators, and barriers could be predicted more effectively with this type of study, while also assisting institutions with increasing the retention and completion rates of their adult learners. Additionally, the ever-increasing affordability of college can be addressed by studies such as this, which analyze the impact of TnR on this population of students. Moreover, the problem of transitioning to college for adult learners can be intentionally solved with access to adult-focused FYS courses such as WBLS.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, thank you to the good Lord above for loving me and continually being a source of strength and guidance throughout my life. Special thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, and LEAD cohort members for always having an encouraging word and believing in me when I did not. John, Aly, and JR- you are my inspiration, my continual motivation, and my why behind all things I take on and accomplish. I could not have started, continued, or completed this journey without each one of you. Drs. Rausch and Crawford, thank you for being what I needed as program directors, mentors, and educators. You pulled me off the ledge more times than I can count and always made me feel like I was able and worthy. Your knowledge, years of work on the program, and dedication did not go unnoticed. I would not be able to call myself Dr Reiter without both you and the entire team of outstanding, professional, encouraging professors at UTC putting the time and energy into my journey. You all saw my potential when I was blinded by my own self-doubt and unworthiness. Lastly, thank you to my college students, who are the constant reminders of my passion for higher education. I pray each one will be able to take a small piece of our time together as a positive impact on your life. Remember, failure is not negative…it is always learning and growth!

Degree

Ph. D.; A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Date

5-2026

Subject

Adult college students--Tennessee; College dropouts--Prevention--Tennessee; College freshmen--Services for--Tennessee

Keyword

Tennessee Reconnect, Tn Reconnect, First-Year Seminar, Adult-Learner, Adult-Focused, Higher Education, Community College, FYS

Document Type

Doctoral dissertations

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xii, 147 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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