Date of Award
9-22-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Topeka Singleton
Second Advisor
Tania Reis
Committee Members
Matthew Goodwin
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of case managers who use case management as a strategy for improving first-generation student retention at higher education institutions in the United States. Case managers are college or university staff members who provide non-clinical one-on-one student support, including interventions, advocacy, referrals and follow-up services for students who are experiencing significant difficulties. Guided by Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure (1975) and Pascarella’s Model for Assessing Student Change (1980), this study involved interviews with 11 case managers from institutions across the United States and a subsequent review of 24 institutional documents to better understand how case managers experience their work with first-generation students. The findings from this study provide case managers with a series of barriers to consider in their work with first-generation students and a set of strategies and practices that they can utilize to positively impact first-generation student success and retention. The results identified the following barriers to first-generation student success: navigating college, financial pressure and family concerns, social and mental health concerns, a lack of understanding about case management and CARE teams, and lack of resources for case management and CARE teams. This study identified the following strategies and practices that case managers should implement: action-oriented case management, connecting students to resources, visibility and listening, and referrals to mentorship programs. This study revealed that case managers are like a compass for first-generation students, guiding them towards their destination through each and every turn along the way.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Riley, James, "Case Managers as a Compass: A Strategy for Influencing First-Generation College Student Success" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1093.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1093
