Bangstein, Bjorn Associate Professor of the Practice

Dr. Bangstein's dissertation research is related to the retention rate of Texas A&M University engineering academies students. The study aims to understand why the first-year retention rate is consistently lower for engineering academies students than for on-campus students. Retention is a complex phenomenon, and research shows that cognitive and affective factors impact students' decisions to stay or leave college. For this study, a correlational design is used. The study argues that affective factors such as students' belongingness to the classroom, community, or institution are associated with persistence and affect retention.