Date of Award

Spring 5-16-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Mindfulness Studies

First Advisor

Melissa Jean

Second Advisor

Andrew Olendzki

Abstract

Retention of community college students has many obstacles and unknowns. Students leave school and abandon their dreams of a college education for various reasons, such as lack of financial support, family support, and campus support. Efforts to research and develop retention practices and theories have been pursued for more than fifty years. Researchers and higher education institutions believe that incorporating such practices as first-year programs, learning communities, and tutoring will help in their retention efforts. While some of these practices have improved college student persistence, their efficacy has not been demonstrated for all students, specifically for those who attend community college. Simultaneously, research and practices are being developed around the topic and theory of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation practices have found their way onto college campuses but not with the specific focus of improved student retention. This paper explores the research and discoveries about retention theories and practices as well as what recent findings are discovering about the applications of mindfulness meditation in various settings. This paper contends that by applying mindfulness meditation practice, higher education institutions (and specifically community colleges) could see an increase in student retention and persistence to graduation and degree completion.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Language

English

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