Claiming Their Education: The Impact of a Required Course for Academic Probation Students with a Focus on Purpose and Motivation

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of a required course designed to retain and graduate students placed on Academic Probation. We adopted a quantitative approach to this inquiry. We found that students who took the class were approximately 20% more likely to persist and graduate compared to students placed on probation who did not take the course. Further, we note the specific curriculum of the course, which focuses on helping students identify purpose and motivation for their higher education experience. We suggest the specific educational interventions that may help dramatically increase the retention and graduation of students facing academic difficulty.