Linking Institutional Policies to Student Success: Evidence From 57 Institutions

• In Event: Educational Outcomes and the Role of Institutional Type

Abstract

Drawing data from surveys completed by senior academic and student affairs administrators– and over 9,000 first-year students – at 57 bachelor’s degree granting institutions across five states (California, Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Texas), this paper identifies institutional policies with empirical linkages to student engagement and learning in the first year of college. Based on multilevel models with statistical controls at both the student and institution level, findings from the Linking Institutional Policies to Student Success (LIPSS) study challenge the efficacy of some popular policy initiatives (e.g., assessment and data-driven decision-making) while reinforcing the value of others (e.g., promoting student encounters with diversity).

Authors

• Bradley E. Cox, Florida State University

• Robert D. Reason, Iowa State University

• Barbara F. Tobolowsky, The University of Texas - Arlington

• Rebecca Brower, Florida State University