A Comparison of the First-Year Experience Programming to Enhance the Retention of Future Allied Health Professional

This mixed-methods case study examined the effectiveness of a new first-year experience (FYE) curriculum for selected Choose Ohio First Scholars in the College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) and compared it with the effectiveness of the traditional FYE curriculum in CAHS. The quantitative phase of the study involved the collection and analysis of the following: a) cumulative and science GPAs of the case and control group, in aggregate, after their first academic year at the university, b) case and control group retention in major, college (CAHS) and university, and c) each group's average Likert scale responses about the specific First-Year Experience program model they participated in. The qualitative phase collected each group's most frequent open ended responses regarding: a) attitudes about university life, b) a career in health care, and c) perceptions of the benefits/barrier of their FYE program on their decision to persist in a health related major. The study found improved student retention percentages and statistically superior academic performance outcomes (cumulative and science GPAs) for the students in the COF (case) group. The qualitative findings helped to specifically identify the "best practice" elements of the CAHS interdisciplinary FYE program model that contributed to the superior outcomes of the case group. The findings identified from this study will be useful in developing first year programs that lead to improved early student success and retention for future health care majors.