Date of Degree
2026
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Mac, Jacqueline
Committee Members
Hutchings, Quortne; Wesener-Michael, Kelly
Keywords
Summer bridge programs, First-year student success, Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model, Program evaluation, Minority-serving institution
Abstract
Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model: A Quantitative Evaluation of Governors State University’s Summer Bridge Program
This program evaluation assesses the academic and social outcomes of Governors State University’s Jaguar “Live, Experience, and Prepare” (LEAP) summer bridge program, which is designed to support first-year students as they transition into college. Grounded in the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model, this study examines whether LEAP participants differ from non-participants in their experiences of culturally engaging environments, sense of belonging, retention, cumulative grade point averages (GPAs), and total credit hours earned. The study used a quantitative correlational design analyzing two data sources: CECE survey responses from Summer and Fall 2025 cohorts, and institutional academic performance data from all first-year cohorts enrolled from 2022 through 2025.
Survey findings indicate that LEAP and Fall respondents reported similar levels of cultural engagement across all CECE indicators, with no statistically significant differences between groups. Students in both cohorts expressed moderately positive levels of belonging after six weeks at the university, and LEAP respondents reported slightly fewer transition challenges. Across CECE clusters, students reported stronger experiences of cultural responsiveness than cultural relevance, suggesting that while students feel supported by faculty and staff, they encounter fewer opportunities that affirm or reflect their cultural backgrounds.
Analysis of institutional academic data showed that LEAP cohorts typically exhibited stronger short-term retention, with some cohorts demonstrating notably longer enrollment than their Fall counterparts. However, cumulative GPA patterns did not differ significantly between groups, and LEAP students generally accumulated more credit hours, which was aided by their initial summer coursework.
These findings suggest that while LEAP fosters early engagement and short-term persistence, the program does not consistently strengthen cultural relevance or long-term academic performance. These results highlight opportunities for program administrators to more intentionally align LEAP programming with the CECE framework and to consider the implementation of ongoing, longitudinal assessments of LEAP program in order to better track future student success.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Amedeo, Stacy, "Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model: A Quantitative Evaluation of Governors State University’s Summer Bridge Program" (2026). Dissertations of Practice. 124.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/124
