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The Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council

INTRODUCTION A common need in honors education is to recruit a student cohort that actively engages in educational experiences, demonstrates a motivation for academic challenge, and is likely to complete the honors program. Honors programs use varied quantitative (Green & Kimbrough) and qualitative admissions criteria to yield this desired student cohort. However, research is limited on the value of quantitative measures, i.e., SAT scores, grade point average, and/or class rank, in predicting qualities such as student engagement or outcomes such as program completion. Attempting to recruit a more diversified student cohort and to increase student engagement, the Clarion University Honors Program initiated a collaborative recruitment model with the athletic program. In addition to the goal of student engagement, this model was designed to be mutually beneficial through coordination of recruitment scholarship incentives. From the standpoint of the athletic program, student athletes' engagement in honors education could positively affect academic performance and consequently graduation rates. From the perspective of the honors program, admission of student athletes could create a more engaged student population within the honors community. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Student Engagement in Honors Participation Honors student recruitment is targeted to create an undergraduate cohort that enthusiastically engages in honors education and completes the program. Research has begun to document the positive influence of honors program participation on first-year retention rate (Slavin, Coladarci, & Pratt; Shushok, 2006; Shushok, 2002) academic performance, retention, and graduation (Cosgrove, 2004). Factors that engage students in the honors community and enhance academic experiences need further investigation, but research on student learning and personal development has revealed the critical nature of student engagement (Astin; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991 and 2005). Described as integral to best practices in student learning (Chickering & Gamson), student engagement is enhanced by factors such as student/faculty contact, cooperation among students, active learning contexts, prompt feedback, time on task, communication of high expectations, and respect for diverse talents and ways of learning. These principles reflect theoretical discussions of the combined value of athletic participation and honors education such as Schuman's description of the potential value of athletics within honors education, specifically the dynamics of team participation, development of a work ethic, and persistence in accomplishment. These learned qualities are integral to academic accomplishment, scholarly research, program completion, and graduation rates. Athletic Participation and Student Learning Over the past few years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has developed policies that place a high value on the educational experience of student athletes (Gayles & Hu). For example, Life in the Balance is a current NCAA initiative to coordinate intercollegiate athletics with the goals of higher education. Such a program has the effect of balancing the number of hours spent in athletic conditioning, practice, and competition with the inherent demands of an undergraduate program of study. In addition, many athletic programs require academic support ranging from informal study groups to formalized academic programs tailored for student-athletes. Each of the three NCAA divisions has a set of unique characteristics that differentiate it from the other two. understanding these characteristics and rules is important not only to athletic departments but also to academic units. Division I universities are typically larger and offer a wider variety of athletic programs. According to NCAA legislation, Division I programs can offer individuals financial aid annually based on athletic talent, but the NCAA restricts the total number of scholarships a particular sport can offer at an individual school. …

A Collaborative Recruitment Model between Honors and Athletic Programs for Student Engagement and Retention