An Evaluation of Student Participation in the

Student Alumni Association Program at the University of South Florida

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment

Mary Beth Corace Ph.D.

Date of Approval:

November 12, 2021

Keywords: Involvement, Engagement, Motivation, Student Success

Table of Contents

Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv

Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1

Background of Study ...........................................................................................................1

Statement of Problem ...........................................................................................................3

Purpose .................................................................................................................................4

Evaluation Questions ...........................................................................................................5

Evaluation Design ................................................................................................................5

Stakeholder ..........................................................................................................................5

Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................................10

History and Purpose of Student Alumni Associations .......................................................10

Student Participation and Involvement ..............................................................................13

Motivational Theories ........................................................................................................17

Self-Determination Theory ....................................................................................19

Expectancy Value Theory ......................................................................................22

Self-Efficacy ..........................................................................................................24

Summary ............................................................................................................................26

Chapter Three: Methods ................................................................................................................29

Participant Consent ............................................................................................................35

Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................35

Data Monitoring .................................................................................................................36

Assumption ........................................................................................................................36

Summary ............................................................................................................................36

Chapter Four: Findings ..................................................................................................................37

Data Analysis Process ........................................................................................................37

Themes ...............................................................................................................................38

Career Readiness ....................................................................................................38

Synthesis of Findings .........................................................................................................49

Chapter Five: Summary, Recommendations, Conclusion .............................................................50

Summary ............................................................................................................................50

Marketing and Advertising ....................................................................................51

Career Readiness ....................................................................................................53

Social and Spirted Engagement .............................................................................56

Recommendations ..............................................................................................................58

Conclusion .........................................................................................................................61

Appendix C. Interview Questions SAA Members .........................................................................74

Appendix D. Interview Questions Non-Active SAA Members.....................................................76

Table 1A :Active SAA Member Questions ...................................................................................70

Table 1B: Non-Active SAA member Questions ............................................................................73

affected students’ persistence through college. Undergraduate students and alumni who are or

once were members of the SAA participated in focus groups and interviews to evaluate their

involvement in the program. Questions addressed benefits of being involved in SAA, why

students do not participate in SAA, and factors that contribute to students’ involvement or lack of

participation in SAA. Data from the evaluation were used to identify common themes within the

tasks, which can have a significant effect on their long-term academic and career success.

College student participation in extra-curricular activities directly correlates with student

success, while lack of participation can have an adverse effect on the student (Astin, 1999).

Through a previous research study conducted by Caruth (2018), student participation in and out

of the classroom and its relationship to student persistence through college to graduation was

Association at the University of South Florida. This organization provides current graduate and

undergraduate students the opportunity to enhance their college experience through exclusive

opportunities to network with alumni, attend professional development workshops, and connect

with their peers. Students pay a one-time membership fee that supports the funding of activities

for the alumni program. The goal of the alumni association is for these students to interact with

alumni and get a better understanding of the Alumni Association so that when they graduate,

various career fields through networking events and dinners, professional development

workshops hosted by companies in the area, and attend school spirit events, such as watch parties

Alumni Association before graduation so they would remain connected as alumni. The first year

of SAA saw minimal growth, as students were trying to understand the concept of being a

student alumni member and what that meant for them in terms of activity and programming. The

pricing structure was initially an annual membership fee of $25, but if the student purchased a

four-year membership as a freshman, the student would get a year of membership for free, or $75

structure in fall 2010 so that students paid one price for all four years and that price was reduced

to $20. The new price structure resulted in a dramatic increase in membership; it grew to just

under 1000 members in two years. Upon establishing a new infinity partner with the USF Credit

Union in 2013, the alumni association signed a contract allowing students who joined the credit

union and opened a checking account to receive a free SAA membership paid by the USF Credit

Union.

from this agreement by have a huge increase in its student membership and having a larger

audience of students to engage with without having to solicit for membership. This aspect of the

agreement is a positive and saves alumni staff from having to “sell” memberships. However, the

SAA has approximately 4,800 student members comprised of both undergraduate and graduate

students, where 90% of those members are from the USF Credit Union and the other 10% are

from students who paid the one-time membership fee. Of the 4,800 students, 75% are

undergraduate students and the other 25% are graduate students. The goal of the SAA is to

provide opportunities through events and activities for students to connect with alumni, cultivate

and activities. The SAA has a large population of student members, but a very small percentage

of those student members participate in the activities designed to promote their academic and

career success. When looking at the dynamic of a large student membership organization with a

low participation rate, several questions may be asked, including, a) Why are students not

participating in the activities? b) What do SAA members perceive about the benefits of attending

alumni activities?

relied on external champions for advocacy, funding, and additional resources (Marshall, 2009).

Alumni Associations, since their inception in the early 1800s by William and Mary College,

viewed alumni relations work as an extension of student activities and have created student

alma mater, which has been shown to lead alumni to give to a university. According Gaier’s

(2001) study on alumni involvement and giving, six factors influence alumni to support their

alma mater: (a) undergraduate experiences, such as student involvement; (b) alumni involvement

with their alma mater; (c) institution tradition and prestige; (d) economic success of individual

alumni; (e) emotional attachment and quality of relationships between alumni and their alma

mater; (f) academic success; (g) and overall satisfaction with the student experience. College

experiences essentially shaped alumni’s perceptions, opinions and relationships with their alma

involvement from alumni beyond graduation is through Student Alumni Associations. Gaier

(2001) used a mathematical formula, based on research and practice, to express reasons for

friends. When looking at raising friends and having alumni engaged early on after graduation,

alumni associations introduce undergraduate students to the benefits and services of alumni

associations by creating student alumni organizations. By establishing relationships with

students before they become alumni, alumni associations are more likely to increase the

affairs literature and models, help from other campus organizations, and advice from established

research about initiating this organization addressed goal attainment, student involvement,

student motivation, student outcomes, recruitment, group structure, and programming (Gaier,

2001). When looking at the purpose of student organizations, group size and characteristics were

considered. At some universities, student alumni groups were made up of large student members

and at the other end were student alumni associations limited to a small group of student leaders.

types of student alumni associations, they all shared the same purpose and goal: interact and

educate students regarding the alumni association (Gaier, 2001).

alumni associations started doing this by partnering with other student organizations or providing

support with student activities. One of the best methods reported for getting students involved in

a student alumni association is by word of mouth or advertising in popular mediums such as the

student newspaper (Gaier, 2001).

alumni affairs professionals are constantly looking for ways to engage students in mutually

beneficial activities. These activities include strategies to orient and welcome new students and

initiatives designed to attract and retain students at the institution. Success in these areas is

high levels of academic quality and achievement, and ensure successful graduates (Singer &

Hugley, 2002). There are unaddressed needs of all college students, particularly with students in

their last undergraduate year that present opportunities for alumni relations professionals to

affinity for the institution. The root of these programs is in student organizations or classrooms,

which can spark additional opportunities for alumni engagement (Volin, 2016).

consider the following important for generating a positive perception in students regarding

alumni associations: visibility, interacting and getting involved in the life of students (Gaier,

2001). Several alumni associations strongly agree that their student alumni association helps to

increase current student interest, understanding of alumni associations, have a positive impact on

involvement from young alumni, and ease the interactions between current students and alumni

social and political awareness, improve writing and interpersonal communication, strengthen

organization skills, contribute to cognitive development, and it has been closely related to later

job success” (p. 2). When aligning these benefits, student alumni associations look for

opportunities to promote the concept of student involvement in the areas of alumni relations,

communications, and philanthropy with the goal of students feeling empowered to strengthen all

areas of education for the future (Bialek & Lloyd, 1998). Research has shown that participation

in social activities increases social integration and interpersonal bonds with the institution.

and a desire to help the organization be successful (Newbold, 2010). According to the Council

for Student Advancement and Support of Education (1997, as cited in Bialek & Lloyd, 1998),

there is significant evidence that shows the college experience is enhanced when students are

alumni association can have a positive impact on student success.

measurements for predicting student satisfaction and success as it relates to student involvement

and motivation. Those five measurements are: degree of course demands, depth of student

faculty relationships, level of inspirational scholastic experiences, quality of a helpful

opportunities. When considering the role of the alumni associations in student life, when the

target population includes both students and alumni, research indicates that the benefits of

brining the two populations together are generally very rewarding (Singer & Hughey, 2002).

level of involvement and more likely affects how they perceive the university and how they

spent their time (p. 52).

involvement and financial support through student alumni associations, the researcher looked at

various factors associated with student involvement and found that one of the factors is

satisfaction with the college experience, which is linked to college involvement. Also, Gaier

Winston (1985), "through their participation in organized student activities, students seem to

become more aware of the educational environment and of the resources and learning

opportunities available to help them meet academic demands" (p.57). Student have reported

from the study by Gaier (2001) that participation in extracurricular activities enhances college

career plans, and lifestyle plans than did students who did not participate" (p. 56). Student

outcomes, including academic achievement and performance, course enrollment intentions, and

school dropout, are tied to student engagement. Thus, it is imperative that colleges and

universities have a good understanding of activities provided that engage students (Wu & Fan,

2017).

suggests that these activities are an important part of the student’s educational development.

participate in extracurricular clubs and organizations had “statistically higher levels of

development in establishing and clarifying purpose, educational involvement, career planning,

and student satisfaction among universities that connect and engage with students and consider

these efforts important. Students are more likely to stay in school when they are able to form

connections and are actively engaged with the campus community (Tinto, 1993).

level of engagement after graduation. Furthermore, alumni who had a positive student experience

were more likely to give as alum (Astin, 1984). Lastly, Astin (1984) found that extracurricular

involvement can positively affect a student’s college experience.

but also outside of the classroom. Such personal development activities are generally non-credit

bearing, but may play a big part in the student experience at colleges and universities and are

opportunities for students to gain independence and autonomy over what is learned and how it is

learned (Brown et al., 2020). A student’s expectancy is different in non-formal settings as their

motivation to get involved in activities is driven by doing something they enjoy and find

States (Kuh et al., 2004). The concept of Living Learning Communities embodies the concept of

non-formal education where activities outside the classroom are facilitated by university staff,

similar to a student alumni association or other student organizations that promote student

growth and development in a college setting. (Kuh et al., 2004). These non-formal activities

employability skills (p. 53).

equifinality--all aspects of activation and intention” (p. 69). Motivation is considered a

for non-motivation. Motivating factors include the value one attributes to an activity as well as

strong coercive factors (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Non-motivating reasons include an urge into

action by an abiding interest or bribe and a fear of being surveilled (p.69).

do and your desire to achieve your goal. Motivated students, regardless of intrinsic or extrinsic

are willing to engage and participate in the practice of learning, they make more effort even in

satisfaction, extrinsic motivation may also shape decisions. These factors may not be

autonomous and are thus referred to as externally regulated (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Accordingly,

actions or behaviors are performed to satisfy an external demand or reward contingency. This

kind of regulation is a direct contrast to intrinsic motivation, which is doing something for

personal satisfaction or because one is curious and interested (p.71).

based-learning may appeal to an internally motivated student, whereas internships, boot camps

and job shadowing may appeal to an externally motivated student. Students who have more

internal factors for being involved are not likely to be motivated by activities filled with extrinsic

rewards and students with more extrinsic factors are not likely to be motivated in an environment

with little structure and infrequent feedback, like in a classroom. While universities and college

a wide range of motivational opportunities can pose a challenge to satisfying students across all

subjective well-being than do externally motivated students” (Nowell, 2015, p.856).

For a student transitioning from high school to college, student involvement creates a comfort

level with other students and, as a result, students are motivated to remain at that college and

persist to the next year (p.11).

psychological needs (Ryan & Deci, 2000). According to Ryan and Deci (2000) there are three

basic needs of Self-Determination Theory are; competence, relatedness, and autonomy. These

three basic needs are essential for having optimal human functioning and a natural tendency for

growth and integration. Constructive social development and personal well-being are essential

for maximizing human functioning. Self- Determination Theory is a relevant theory as the three

basic needs directly correlate with willingness to participate in activities and persistence through

college. Having opportunities to satisfy the basic needs of competence, relatedness and

collaboration, handling controversy with civility, citizenship, overall, socially responsible

leadership, resiliency, leadership efficacy, complex cognitive skills, and social perspective-

taking (Coker et al., 2017).

Student Alumni Associations also provide work-related skills that can have a positive effect on a

student organization to a work environment, such as working with peers, learning the value of

teamwork, and managing people while appreciating differences. Learning these skills before

entering the workforce increases a student’s sense of self-confidence and improves upon their

success include motivation, participation and/or involvement, and self-efficacy. Studies on

motivation related to self-determination theory were found to support a student’s ability to have

autonomy, competence and relatedness as basic needs that supports academic performance

(Gutiérrez & Tomas 2018). Students must feel that they are capable to succeed and are able to

persist through all obstacles and challenges as they arise in college. Students are more likely to

persist and graduate when they are involved as valued members of the institution (Tinto, 2002).

and involvement in activities are determined by the student’s self-efficacy and their perception

that they can achieve their goals and succeed. When students are motivated, self-determined and

feel supported by faculty, staff and peers, they are better equipped to deal with the challenges

activities that support and encourage motivation among peers, faculty and staff. Having

opportunities to be involved outside of the classroom have shown to be effective in positive

perceptions of college and a student willingness to stay at that college. Self-Determination theory

looks at the three basic psychological needs: competence, relatedness and autonomy in order to

be motivated and determined. As discussed, students with a higher sense of autonomy were

feels more autonomous in making decisions, more competent in their abilities, and more

relatable to other students. An increase in leadership opportunities and a feeling of confidence

will build a student’s self-efficacy and increase the student’s academic performance, which can

lead to persistence and graduation. Outside activities and resources have also shown to be a

major factor for non-traditional students as research has shown they need more support to persist

in college.

student motivation and the desire to succeed. Having the right opportunities only supports the

student’s motivation and will increase their likelihood to persist when obstacles and challenges

occur. Motivation is imperative to students being determined to succeed in the classroom and

alumni. Student satisfaction has been linked to student retention, especially with first year

students (Nowell, 2015). Universities or colleges that are concerned with retention must provide

appeal to students internal and external motivations (p. 864).

opportunities that will enhance their leadership and social skills, and for many students these

opportunities are invaluable (p. 65). Student involvement is vital to educational learning

environments. When departments create opportunities for students to be involved through

student organizations, such as student alumni associations, can “shape and guide students

towards meaningful educational and developmental growth” (Gaier, 2001, p. 9).

Chapter Three

but a very small percentage of those student members participate in the activities designed to

promote their academic and career success.

student’s opinion if involvement in the program has affected their persistence in college. The

three evaluation questions are the following:

evaluator also works for the Alumni Association and directly oversees the Student Alumni

Association. As an employee within the Alumni Association, you are able to see firsthand the

activity and inactivity of members of the SAA. The problem of practice with the SAA over

benefits and areas of improvement and use what was learned to propose and implement needed

changes to make the program more beneficial to students and garner more participation in the

program from members. Students were aware of this dual role before the start of each focus

needed to support this effort. There is a high interest in this evaluation as it has immediate

implications on the program and decisions that are made for events and activities planned.

reality is socially constructed and created by individual or groups to ascertain underlying

interpreted their own motivation to participate in the events and activities.

interviews. For the focus groups and interviews, students and alumni from the Student Alumni

Association were recruited through email to participate in virtual focus groups and interviews,

per USF guidelines pertaining to the COVID-19 virus for meetings. Within the email, students

were given a link to signup genius where they signed up for a specific focus group day and time.

meetings were recorded through Microsoft Teams. Each focus group and interview lasted on

average twenty-eight minutes, depending on the number of students participating and the length

of responses from participants. Table 1 outlines the number of focus group conducted, number

Table 1

Student Alumni Association Evaluation Focus Group Participants

Number Invited Number Attended Length

Focus Group- Non-Active

Focus Group - Alumni

4/9/21 6 2 49 minutes

alumni were asked pre-determined questions, but with flexibility in asking questions as students

or Alumni (AL) focus group, a letter and number to organize and identify each participant from

each group. For example, Active Focus Group 1, Active Focus Group 2, and Active Focus

Group 3. From each focus group, each participant was then given an individual number and a

focus group number depending on which focus group they were in. So participant AF1-1 (active

participate in a follow-up interview to gain more information if needed, with all participants

agreeing to additional interviews. Students and alumni were chosen for an additional interview

based on their extensive and in-depth responses during their initial focus group. Students and

alumni were sent follow-up emails requesting an additional interview and a time was scheduled

for the interview. Five follow-up interviews were conducted on Microsoft Teams, with the

interviews conducted using a semi-structured format with pre-determined questions. (See

Appendix C and D). Students and alumni who were interviewed were also given an individual

(interview 1, participant 1), participant I2 (interview 2, participant 2). Table 2 outlines the dates

of the individual interviews and length of each interview.

qualitative interviews tend to report that they become more self-aware and appreciate the

the evaluation and that they were free to leave the evaluation at any point. Participants were

reminded at the beginning of each focus group and interview that they could opt to exclude

elements or the entirety of their focus group comments or interview from the evaluation. All

participants were given pseudonyms and identifying information (including, especially,

participants’ roles on the project) was disguised.

the responses received from students were identified. The responses were reviewed from each

participant to each question to find common or similar responses. Once those similar responses

are determined, they were coded based on common themes to form a data set. The data was

reviewed several times to ensure the correct coding had been applied. The data was maintained

in a filing system based on interview, focus group and data set formed from the coding process.

From those themes, it determined if there was any relation to the theories presented in the

evaluation and discusses any commonalities. .

content in the message of the event was not clear and decreased their likelihood of attending.

They also stated that not enough information was provided about the event to encourage their

attendance. This was especially true for students whose major or career aspirations were not in

participants stated they attended the Career Conversation due to encouragement from another

person, otherwise they would not have attended the event.

Another factor as it relates to communication is the look of the content of the flyers,

social media posts, emails. More than 50% stated the look of the emails, flyers and social media

posts were not trendy or inviting. Of these 50% of made statements about the look of the flyers,

participants agreed that showing pictures of the events on social media sites was important to

show other students that students actually do attend these events. Pictures would also give

students an idea of the event of was like.

Alumni Association and the focus groups to collect this information was divided into three

categories: Active members, Non-Active members and Alumni. Membership type was

their persistence in college. The alumni category was important to give perspectives if their

participation in the Student Alumni Association benefited them through college and in their

current career. I grouped participants to analyze why students –by group--are active in the

through college. Other information collected from the students and alumni were how they

became a member of the organization. To become a member of the Student Alumni Association

students either paid for the membership or they received the membership when they opened an

account with the USF Federal Credit Union. This is an important factor to determine if the way

in which a student became a member affected their involvement in the organization.

student (16%) in the active membership category, one student (11%) in the non-active

membership category, and two alumni (4%) paid for their membership in the Student Alumni

Association.

student members and alumni. This part of the evaluation will discuss specific responses from

each of the groups.

able to articulate the Student Alumni Association is a program to connect students with alumni

and provide career opportunities with alumni

These group of students have participated in a wide range of activities that include

careers. Lastly, student have connected with each other through socials and week of welcome

events. According to A-Focus Group 2, participant 1, the student stated:

something that is not talked about a lot but was very valuable and important.

Student Alumni Association. This particular group was important in helping the evaluator

non-active focus groups were in either their third or fourth year at USF. All but one student

became a member of the Student Alumni Association through the USF Credit Union.

Association and the purpose of the program. Two students specifically said they only knew

about the Student Alumni Association through their involvement with another student

Three of the nine students stated that free food or a giveaway would motivate them to attend.

They said that they attend events to be able to eat a meal that they otherwise would have to pay

for and if they were to get more out of it the event then just food that would be bonus. Two

students stated that if it was not required for class they would not attend. One student stated they

felt they could receive the same kind of workshops within their college and did not see the need

to attend an event within the SAA. Two students also stated that the location of the event was

interested in attending virtual events in their leisure time. One student stated specifically that

after taking a full load of classes “The last thing I wanted to do was log in to a Teams event, so

attending, not just saying alumni was too broad, but if I knew person A is coming and what they

specialize in, I know that person is going to be a good resource for me” (NF-2, participant 1,

personal communication, March 19, 2021)

attend the Student Alumni Association events. Students indicated they would be interested in a

assist students with connecting with alumni and getting prepared for life after USF. Not having a

clear understanding of the purpose of the program and the benefits of being a member affected

their motivation and willingness to participate. They felt with improvements to the program such

as better communication, marketing events effectively and changing the location would increase

not only their participation, but most other students’ participation in the program.

and served in a leadership role with the organization. The alumni are also considered young or

recent alumni, as they all graduated within the last two years from USF.

also stated that the Student Alumni Association was to motivate and encourage students to

become more involved with the Alumni Association after graduation. As stated by one alum

(ALF-1, participant 1, personal communication, April 9, 2021), the Student Alumni

Association’s purpose was very clear to them

Because of their involvement as a leader with the organization they attended every event the

like Week of Welcome and dinners with alumni. They also stated that emails were effective for

them in learning about events, such as the Beat T-shirt pick-up days. When asked what they

gained from attending the Student Alumni Association events, the alumni spoke about having the

ability to network with alumni, learn how to utilize professional networking sites like LinkedIn

and gain skills to help with interviews. One alum stated, “It taught me truly how to interact and

network 100%. It's like the most subtle little things that made me change as a person. It teaches

you how to approach professional situations and socialize” (ALF-1, participant 2, personal

talked about the interactions with alumni was out of their normal comfort zone, but it helped

them to gain more confidence in themselves and in their future plans, knowing that an alum had

been through the same classes and activities as themselves.

Three of the five alumni spoke about how the Student Alumni Association motivated

them to do well in class because they were hearing from alumni the importance of getting a good

events. Participant 2 from alumni focus group 2 stated “Getting to talk to alumni and see how far

they had gotten from graduating and doing some of the same things that I did in college,

definitely pushed me to work harder” (personal communication, April 19, 2021).

not alumni from their specific major to which they would tie academics to attending the events.

However, that same alum stated that one their biggest takeaways was knowing they too can be

involved with USF after graduation and engage with students the same way the alumni engaged

the purpose and mission of the Student Alumni Association than non-active students. It also

Lastly, students and alumni who participated in the program found the events to be valuable and

assisted with their personal and professional development, specifically career readiness.

Students specifically gave examples of attending events that directly impacted their ability to do

well in a job interview, such as attending a workshop on “Impressing the Recruiter” by utilizing

the skills learned in that workshop to apply in their actual interview. Alumni stated that attending

Association at the University of South Florida. This program is for current students to join and

become members where they will have the opportunity to enhance their college experience by

having exclusive opportunities to network with alumni, attend professional development

workshops and connect with their peers through spirit events. Students become members in one

of two ways: they can pay a one-time membership fee or they become members when they join

proportion of its members in annual events and activities. The SAA has a large population of

student members, but a very small percentage of those student members participate in the

activities designed to promote their academic and career success. The purpose of this evaluation

was to look at participation within the Student Alumni Association and understand why students

are or are not active in the program. The questions for this evaluation are:

major theme, students gave examples that supported their decision to participate or not

participate. Based on the results it was determined that students found the SAA events and

activities to be very helpful with their career aspirations and confidence in speaking to alumni

and potential employers. They felt strongly about the career readiness workshops provided and

felt these helped them in their classes and career choice. The social and spirited engagement

their decision to attend or not attend events the most.

communication about SAA events and activities offered. Students were not clear on about the

purpose of the event, who was going to be in attendance, or the benefits of attending the event.

events. In addition, the SAA did not use multiple resources in communicating to students,

some these external factors was the only motivation to keep participating in the SAA. What was

also very interesting to learn was the extrinsic factors is what motivated students initially to

participate but through attending the activities, eventually the intrinsic factors such as making

alumnus is what made them want to come back again and while the free item was still something

they wanted it became less important to them and the sense of community and the value they saw

in the events became more important and the main reason for attending. Compared to students in

their first or second year at the University who were influenced by extrinsic rewards, like free t-

shirts, upperclassman was more focused on the intrinsic value of attending to help with career

students to be involved, engaged and connected, which is important overall for universities when

seeking to retain students year after year. But once students begin to feel confident and

determined and are motivated to succeed they will want to persist through college

the program and help with increasing student participation. Marketing and Advertising were the

biggest concerns for recruiting members. Flyers should be clear and concise on what the events

and alumni interviewed agreed that without a clear message of what the event entails, students

are not going to attend.

having student testimonials will increase the likelihood of students participated as they would be

seeing other students involved and would spark their interests to get involved with SAA as well.

from different backgrounds. Instead of a panel with alumni from one career, have alumni from

multiple careers to get more students to attend and repeat workshops in for fall and spring so

would motivate students to attend and would help a lot of other students who may not have

access to this through their colleges. Based on the findings, it is evident students closer to

graduation would feel more motivated to attend career readiness events than a student at the

beginning of their college journey.

with first- and second-year students. These events allow students to interact and get to know one

another better. While free food is important at events and gets many in the door, most students in

There were no tangible incentives for attending the focus groups, which may have limited

participation. In addition, serving in a dual role of evaluator and employee may have hindered

participate in virtual events, which the SAA solely relied on for the 2020-2021 academic year.

the program to increase participation at events. The evaluation will serve as guiding tool for

making future decisions that will impact the program overall. The findings from the evaluation

have already had implications on decisions that are being made in regard to the SAA going into

and advertisement of events. Because marketing and advertising was an area that needed

significant improvement, it has become a focus area for the SAA going into the new academic

year. The suggestions recommended by the participants from the evaluation has been utilized,

such as using various social media outlets to advertise, being clearer and more concise with the

messaging on flyers so students know what to expect and how they can benefit from attending.

In addition, the flyers are more graphically appealing to the eye. With social and spirited events

being an important way for students to connect with each other, the SAA is now incorporating

about the benefits of being involved and having alumni who were once SAA members now serve

as speakers at events. Having alumni come back and serve as speakers at workshops shows the

full circle of the program and the benefits of being involved with the SAA. Alumni know and

way. Based on the evaluation, students who feel a connection to their university and are involved

in activities throughout their college career are more likely to continue that involvement after

graduation. Participation in programs like the SAA grow a student affinity to their university

and will prompt them to want to give back, whether that be of their time by coming to activities

involved and contributing to the continued growth of the university.

tendencies and innate psychological needs that are the basis for self-motivation” (Ryan & Deci

2000). The nature of motivation can be internal or externa, which contributes to one’s motivation

and reasons for achieving goals. Students involved in the SAA were motivated by both external

and internal factors for participating. With some having authentic motivations, others were

motivated by external factors that are controlled for an action, such as receiving a t-shirt if you

activities that could help them with their career and the SAA was a program that provided them

with opportunities to gain advice and hear perspectives from alumni who could help them

advance in their chosen profession. A sub theory of Self Determination Theory is Cognitive

successful. The SAA provided opportunities for students to be motivated by extrinsic factors,

such as through free items, and by intrinsic factors such as making connections and professional

development. Some students may have experienced a motivational shift from wanting the free

items to wanting to learn and gain skills to help with career goals. Many students voiced that

they felt confident – as their expectation for success increased, so did their self-efficacy.

career readiness workshops were beneficial and supported their long-term career goals. The

students felt the events helped to build their self-confidence and made they feel more

comfortable when preparing for job interviews and networking events. The program did help

them focus more in classes to see the importance and value of doing well in school. Lastly, the

students felt the SAA helped them to feel more connected to USF, make friends, and build a

sense of community.

them in their career were like none other on campus. Students also wanted to connect socially

and were enthusiastic to receive free items as a part of membership.

them participate.

by building self-efficacy, career readiness and community among other students. Participation in

programs like the SAA helps to create opportunities for students to be active and engage who

Bowman, Richard (2011) Rethinking what motivates and inspires students, The Clearing

House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84:6, 264-269.

Brouwer, J., Jansen, E., Hofman, A., & Flache, A. (2016). Early tracking or finally leaving?

Brown, E. J., Dunlop, L., & Scally, J. (2020). ‘It’s about not achieving the outcomes that you

necessarily expected’: Non-formal learning in higher education. Teaching in Higher

Caruth, G. D. 1. gaildianna@flash. ne. (2018). Student Involvement, Retention, and Motivation:

Gannouni, K., & Ramboarison-Lalao, L. (2018). Leadership and Students’ Academic Success:

Gutiérrez, M., & Tomás, J.-M. (2018). Original: Motivational Class Climate, Motivation and

Academic Success in University Students. Revista de Psicodidáctica (English Ed.), 23,

94–101.

Hanousek-Monge, M. B. A., & Hegarty, N. (2015). The Measurement of Student Motivation:

Does one Scale do it All? Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 15(1).

Hill, A. P. (2013). Motivation and university experience in first-year university students: A self-

determination theory perspective. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism

Attributions, to Expectancy and Values. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 64(1),

3–15.

Krueger, R. A. (2015). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Sage publications.

Lincoln, Y.S., Lynham, S.A. & Guba, E.G. (2011). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research.

Marshall, C. B. (2009). Exploring the Functions of Alumni Associations at Selected Urban

Universities (Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati).

Newbold, J. J., Mehta, S. S., & Forbus, P. R. (2010). Examining Student Identification with the

Schweinle, A., & Helming, L. M. (2011). Success and motivation among college students. Social

Tasgin, A., & Coskun, G. (2018). The Relationship between Academic Motivations and

Motivation Gets Kids to Work Harder and Learn More. Education Next, (3), 26.

University of South Florida Alumni Association (2020). Student Alumni Association

membership data.

Volin, J. (2016). The Relationship Between Undergraduate Student Involvement and Subsequent

Alumni Engagement (Doctoral dissertation, Northern Illinois University).

Williams, W., & Winston, R. B., Jr. (1985). Participation in organized student activities and

work: Differences in developmental task achievement of traditional aged college

Wu, F., & Fan, W. (2017). Academic procrastination in linking motivation and achievement-

related behaviors: A perspective of expectancy-value theory. Educational

g. Do the activities/events help you to strive towards your long-term goals? If so,

how? If not, why not?

h. How confident do you feel when you attend these events?

c. Would your friends attending increase your participation in activities and events

in the SAA? How so??

d. Any other suggestions to increase your participation in activities and events on