When Two Become One: A Case Study of the Relationship between College Consolidation and Enrollment, Retention and Graduation
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Authors
Hicks, Wendi
Issue Date
2021-09
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
College dropouts--Prevention , College graduates , Consolidation and merger of corporations , Dissertations, Academic--United States , School enrollment , Universities and colleges--Mergers , Universities and colleges
Alternative Title
Abstract
Higher education institutions across the United States have increasingly faced an uncertain future as student populations shift, financial pressures mount, and skepticism rises regarding the value of higher education (Seltzer, 2018). As a result, university leaders find themselves endeavoring upon a blind venture of adapting the various corporate consolidation methods to the unique complexities of higher education (Hawks, 2015). While complicated, consolidations serve as a method of adjusting to internal needs and external influences on the organization, which may cause a significant increase in the number of institutions turning to these practices. Despite the complexities and increased instances of such amalgamations by these institutions, there is a significant lack of up-to-date research, analysis, and data concerning the direct effect of consolidation on some institutional processes.
During this study, the researcher collected data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System government database for 45 consolidated (90 pre-consolidated) institutions across the United States. The goal of the study was to evaluate if a relationship exists between consolidation and the number of full-time students enrolled in the fall, the percentage of full-time students retained, the number of full-time students who graduated within six years, and the full-time undergraduate cost of tuition through the Open Systems Theory lens. By assessing pre and post-consolidation data, the researcher comprehensively identified the differences and the similarities between the specific inputs, outputs, outcomes, and environmental pressures of mergers. The study concluded that consolidation might not be a practical solution to alleviate issues or achieve enrollment, retention, graduation, and tuition goals.
Keywords: consolidation, merger, college, enrollment, graduation, retention
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.