A Novel Approach for Early Identification of "At-Risk" Students: Predicting College Success via Campus Dining

• In Event: 77.033 - Student Engagement and Success in Higher Education

Abstract

Recent practice in higher education has emphasized the importance of “early alerts” for students who may be at risk of attrition to help practitioners intervene with timely and appropriate support. As a result, approaches for identifying very early indicators may serve an important function for institutions, and such findings may also be useful for informing relevant theory and future research. This study utilizes dining meal-card swipe data from 4,063 first-year undergraduates to create a novel index of students’ social networks. Results indicate that these dining networks—even when measured during the first week or two of classes—significantly predict first-year college GPA, credits earned, and retention. These relationships persist even when directly considering alternative explanations for the findings.

Authors

• Nicholas A. Bowman, University of Iowa

• Lindsay Jarratt, The University of Iowa

• Linnea Polgreen, The University of Iowa

• Thomas Kruckeberg

• Alberto Segre, The University of Iowa