Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant difference in persistence, degree completion, and academic success of Alaska Native students with similar precollege profiles enrolled in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) and the Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN) program compared to Alaska Native students enrolled in all other University of Alaska Anchorage baccalaureate degree programs (GENERAL) over a five academic-year period from the summer of 1998 through the spring of 2003 (including graduation data for academic years 2004 and 2005). Methodology. This study used a quantitative, ex post facto research design to determine the significance of the differences between the persistence and academic success of Native students with similar precollege profiles in the ANSEP, RRANN, and GENERAL program cohorts and to examine the relationships between the precollege profiles, cohorts, and academic success. Findings. There was a significant difference in the persistence of ANSEP and RRANN Alaska Native students compared to GENERAL Alaska Native students at the University of Alaska Anchorage. There was also a significant difference in degree completion success for ANSEP Alaska Native students in terms of bachelor degrees compared to RRANN and GENERAL Alaska Native students and a significant difference in degree completion success for RRANN Alaska Native students in terms of certificate or associate degrees compared to ANSEP and GENERAL Alaska Native students. There was not a significant difference in college GPA between the ANSEP, RRANN, and GENERAL Alaska Native student cohorts and academic success. Conclusions. University academic programs like ANSEP and RRANN specifically tailored to the cultural and community needs of Alaska Native students could make a difference in their persistence and academic success no matter their age, rural/urban background, or gender. ANSEP and RRANN students succeeded despite their high school and college grade performance, reinforcing research that concludes that academic preparation was not the key to Native higher education persistence; it was the environment of the University. Recommendations. It is recommended that longitudinal and qualitative studies be conducted with the ANSEP, RRANN, and GENERAL students at the University of Alaska Anchorage.