Student-Institution Fit Adopting a Faith-Based University Case Study

The research reported in this thesis took place at a time of unprecedented challenge and financial uncertainty for universities. Challenges came following the introduction of tuition fees (1998), Brexit, Covid-19 and declining birth rates. Such issues have resulted in the establishment of an increased competitive market that has seen institutions utilise incentives and unconditional offers to students to ensure recruitment targets are met. Against this background, this PhD research concerns student belonging and fit with an emphasis on cultural capital, and the congruency of students’ personal values and those of the institution. The enquiry asks whether students considered ‘fitting in’ when applying to university and ascertained if institutional values matched their own, and so explores areas that have hereunto been under-researched. Unsurprisingly, extant research indicates that students who fit with their university are more satisfied, and conversely, those who do not are more likely to misfit resulting in unhappiness, stress and withdrawal. The PhD had three phases, and incorporated longitudinal and mixed methods approaches. Phase One scrutinised the findings of the UKES survey between 2018 and 2019, which asked students why they chose to attend St Mary’s University, a faith-based institution. In Phase Two, 22 students and alumni were interviewed to explore the rationale for student choice; thematic analysis was used to establish St Mary’s unique differentiators. Phase Three explored photography within the undergraduate prospectus to establish whether it was representative of students’ experiences and how the brand or St Mary’s Way was communicated. Drawing on models proposed by Gilbreath, Kim and Nichols (2011), Schwartz, Cieciuch, Vecchione, Davidov, Fischer, Beierlein, Ramos, Verkasalo, Lönnqvist, Demirutku, Dirilen-Gumus and Konty (2012) and generic HR theory, the research culminated in the creation of a Holistic Student Fit Model which highlights the importance of congruent personal and institutional values. Of the many recommendations drawn from the findings, institutions are encouraged to ensure their social environments accommodate the increasingly diverse student population and their expectations. Universities are urged to re-evaluate how they communicate their culture to non-traditional students, allowing these learners to decide whether the institution has similar values to their own. Various examples of how the Model might be used to good effect in these matters are presented. It is also recommended that faith-based institutions articulate to students what a faith-based university is and how they differ from secular universities. Faith-based universities tend to market themselves based on their principles but do not explain how these principles translate into the everyday student experience. Examples of appreciation, mistrust and misinterpretation of St Mary’s Catholic ethos, as experienced by students, are presented. Taken together, this research has created new theory in the field of student-fit and presents new realms of future practice for those in student recruitment and retention.