Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Agriculture
Department
Agriculture
First Advisor
Candis Scallan
Second Advisor
Garrett Hancock
Third Advisor
Emily Payne
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to discover the best approach in building academic relationships between students and faculty. Based on past research, student GPA, learning style, faculty relatability, and involvement were common factors in retention research. These factors contributed to the creation of statements used to analyze the best course of action in building academic relationships between students and faculty. Students and faculty in the Department of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University were able to rank statements using a Quasi-Q-Sort. Results from the Quasi-Q-Sort were analyzed using cross-tabulation, descriptive statistics, Kendall’s W, and Mann-Whitney tests. Following these results, students ranked “office hours” as most likely to build relationships, while faculty ranked “in field experiences” as most likely to build relationships. The statement that was ranked highest between faculty and students was in class discussions. It is recommended that the Department of Agriculture implement more individual or small group activities/meetings and stronger advocacy for office hours. Future research should explore the quality of office hours for the Department of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Repository Citation
Johnson, Macie C., "An Examination of Student-Faculty Relationships as a Factor in Retention of Students in the Department of Agriculture" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 705.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/705
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Agribusiness Commons, Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Higher Education Commons
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