%0 Thesis %1 jolly_relationship_2001 %A Jolly, Chad Jameson %D 2001 %K EDUCATION, GENERAL, Higher, SOCIOLOGY %T The relationship between the öfficial" and öperative" identities of a private liberal arts college %X This study provides a framework designed to aid the private, liberal arts college in understanding the important association between student expectations and student satisfaction. The study explores the relationship between three critical variables: the mission of the William Jewell College, the identity the College projects to the market, and how the College is meeting student expectations. The “dominant design” is an emergent, case study format utilizing 25 interviews from 15 students. Secondary informants, in the “less dominant design,” include 156 prospective students and 71 recent graduates of William Jewell College. Interviews with first-year students were initially conducted during the first week of their collegiate experience and again a year later. The data from upperclassman interviews, and data from the less dominant design, were used to verify emergent themes. A time-series analysis of the interviews provided important information about four critical identity elements: the academic identity, the liberal arts identity, the small college identity, and the Christian college identity. A greater understanding of these cultural components helped William Jewell College to consider the following: (a) a document offering a practical explanation of the mission statement, (b) recruitment literature which relies less on rhetorical claims and statistics, (c) a stronger tie between the Department of Athletics and the Office and Admission, (d) an integrated marketing plan, (e) a resurrected intramural program, (f) the need to articulate the unique relationship between the Christian identity and the liberal arts, (g) the need to address feelings of isolation shared by a group of students, and (h) the need to address feelings of resentment shared by a different group of students. The data allows College administrators to learn how students form expectations, what they expect, and what expectations go unmet. This is the first step in an assessment process designed to ensure that the marketing will reflect what the student will experience. This process can serve as a model for institutions wishing to assess the relationship between marketing and student retention. The terms, concepts, and constructs of the study can help other institutions systematically identify and eradicate the disparity between the “official” and “operative” institutional identities.

@phdthesis{jolly_relationship_2001, abstract = {This study provides a framework designed to aid the private, liberal arts college in understanding the important association between student expectations and student satisfaction. The study explores the relationship between three critical variables: the mission of the William Jewell College, the identity the College projects to the market, and how the College is meeting student expectations. The \“dominant design\” is an emergent, case study format utilizing 25 interviews from 15 students. Secondary informants, in the \“less dominant design,\” include 156 prospective students and 71 recent graduates of William Jewell College. Interviews with first-year students were initially conducted during the first week of their collegiate experience and again a year later. The data from upperclassman interviews, and data from the less dominant design, were used to verify emergent themes. A time-series analysis of the interviews provided important information about four critical identity elements: the academic identity, the liberal arts identity, the small college identity, and the Christian college identity. A greater understanding of these cultural components helped William Jewell College to consider the following: (a) a document offering a practical explanation of the mission statement, (b) recruitment literature which relies less on rhetorical claims and statistics, (c) a stronger tie between the Department of Athletics and the Office and Admission, (d) an integrated marketing plan, (e) a resurrected intramural program, (f) the need to articulate the unique relationship between the Christian identity and the liberal arts, (g) the need to address feelings of isolation shared by a group of students, and (h) the need to address feelings of resentment shared by a different group of students. The data allows College administrators to learn how students form expectations, what they expect, and what expectations go unmet. This is the first step in an assessment process designed to ensure that the marketing will reflect what the student will experience. This process can serve as a model for institutions wishing to assess the relationship between marketing and student retention. The terms, concepts, and constructs of the study can help other institutions systematically identify and eradicate the disparity between the \“official\” and \“operative\” institutional identities.}, added-at = {2018-06-19T15:20:34.000+0200}, author = {Jolly, Chad Jameson}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/228f83fc3989b6f6e6d195d76ee2e2197/prophe}, interhash = {f823b854d4295c0bbf405e663714f62c}, intrahash = {28f83fc3989b6f6e6d195d76ee2e2197}, keywords = {EDUCATION, GENERAL, Higher, SOCIOLOGY}, school = {University of Missouri, Kansas City}, shorttitle = {The relationship between the "official" and "operative" identities of a private liberal arts college}, timestamp = {2018-06-19T15:20:34.000+0200}, title = {The relationship between the "official" and "operative" identities of a private liberal arts college}, type = {{PhD} {Thesis}}, year = 2001 }