Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)

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    Redshirting and academic performance : evidence from NCAA student-athletes
    (Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2014) Wilkes, Ethan Charles; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Randall R. Rucker
    Redshirting is common in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletics. Many student-athletes forgo playing time as true freshmen and extend their eligibility in order to develop physically before they suit up for their first game the following year. Although redshirting is widely used for athletic reasons, the academic effects of redshirting are unknown. Academic achievement is an area of interest for the NCAA. Student-Athletes in the 2007 cohort achieved a federal graduation rate (FGR) of 66 percent compared to the general student body's rate of 65 percent. Although student-athletes have a higher FGR than the general student body, athletes in the major revenue producing sports lag behind. Football players that attended Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools reached a FGR of 62 percent and athletes that played men's basketball at NCAA Division I schools earned an FGR of 47 percent. This paper uses individual-level data from SuperPrep Magazine and Montana State University (MSU) to examine the relationship between redshirting and academic performance. To address potential endogeneity, this thesis considers a propensity score matching (PSM) approach when using data from SuperPrep Magazine. PSM results indicate that selection bias is present in ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates, but that there are still substantial positive impacts of redshirting on graduation. OLS estimates using MSU data indicate there may be lagged benefits of redshirting on academic performance, although these results are not robust when a fixed-effects analysis is applied.
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    An examination of self-perceived temperament styles and its relation to the retention of first time, full-time freshmen in a college of agriculture
    (Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2014) Powell, Ashley Loren; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carl Igo
    First-time full-time freshmen are faced with an enormous amount of new experiences in their first year in college. Student personality has been a well-established factor in retention studies. However, no studies had been conducted on what significant ways a student temperament could be used to positively impact the retention of first-time, full-time freshmen within the College of Agriculture (COA) at Montana State University (MSU). The purposive sample for this study included only students who met four criteria: (a) First-time, full-time freshmen enrolled in the AGED 140 course in the fall 2012, spring 2013, and fall 2013 semester with declared majors in the COA; (b) completed the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) during the summer 2012 orientation session; and (c) completed the Real Colors® temperament assessment during the AGED 140 course. Descriptive quantitative in design, inferential and descriptive nonparametric statistics were used to explore for relationships and statistical significance between pre-college scores and the two study instruments-the BCSSE and Real Colors®. Findings were based on the results from the two instruments and pre-college academic factors of high school GPA, SAT Verbal and Math scores, and ACT Composite scores. Results showed that the largest primary temperament was Orange, and the largest secondary temperament was equal between Gold and Blue. Gold and Green students were concerned about making friends. Students were also concerned with engaging with instructors and paying for college. Females were concerned with their time management skills. Students expected to spend 21-30 hours preparing for coursework each week. Temperament was not correlated with retention. Recommendations were that retention programs and course study groups focus on gathering students struggling in a course or multiple courses. Scholarship and other financial services that assist in paying for college should be well publicized to students. Instructors' office hours should be posted and referred to often. Instructors and advisors should be aware of the different ways in which students with different temperaments perceived their first year academic workload. Instructors should keep course assignments practical; relate course material to industry jobs; provide hands on activities; and encourage big picture thinking.
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