Exploring Student Engagement Experiences: A Look at Students in the Educational Opportunity Program at a Community College

Abstract

This study focuses specifically on a state-funded specialized program, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), at a local community college in New York State. The purpose of this study is to explore the student engagement experiences of full-time students enrolled in the EOP. The objective of this research is to help the administration, staff, and faculty at this institution better understand the engagement experiences of students in EOP in order to implement helpful interventions through counseling, advising, and programming. Thirty-five students in the EOP consented to participate in the study by completing an online questionnaire in regards to their personal, social, academic, and career-development engagement behaviors. Findings suggest that students are more engaged in immediate academic and essential resources and less engaged in various social, career, and professional development opportunities. The researcher recommended several possible strategies for intervention to increase the students’ likelihood of academic, professional, and personal success.