Hamilton, J. M. (1995).
Enrollment, retention, and graduation of Blacks at Gainesville
College.
GA: Gainesville College, Office of Planning and Institutional
Research. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 379 019)
A study was conducted at Gainesville College (GC) in Georgia to
investigate the
enrollment patterns, retention rates, and graduation rates of
black students. Depending on
the data element, the period of time covered extended from the
late 1980's to winter 1995.
In some cases, comparisons were drawn with other units of the
University System of
Georgia. Study findings included the following: (1) American black
enrollments
consistently fell below 5% of the total enrollment between fall
1990 and winter 1995,
with reasons for this low enrollment rate being the small number
of college-ready black
students coming out of local high schools, increases in enrollments
at Lanier Technical
Institute, and local students with financial aid choosing to attend
other colleges and
universities; (2) 5-year systemwide retention rates for black
students at GC were lower
than for all other students, though similar to the average statewide
experience of blacks
who begin at other two-year colleges, but lower than the rates
at traditionally black
colleges; (3) of the 25 black students who enrolled at GC as first-time,
full-time students
during fall 1990 or fall 1991, 22 required remedial course work
and only 1 received an
associate degree within 3 years of arriving at GC; and (4) 88%
of the seniors graduating
from area high schools in 1993-94 were white, with the major feeder
of black students to
GC graduating only six black students in 1993-94. A review of
the literature on topics
related to the recruitment and retention of minority students
is included.
Head, R. B. (1991).
Student retention at Piedmont Virginia Community College, 1990-1991
(Research Report Number 7-91). Charlottesville, VA: Piedmont Virginia
Community
College, Office of Institutional Research and Planning. (ERIC
Document Reproduction
Service No. ED 339 440)
Sixth in Piedmont Virginia Community College's (PVCC's) annual
series, this student
retention study was conducted to provide collegewide retention
rates aggregated by a
variety of institutional and student characteristics, and to ascertain
major differences
between returning and non-returning students. Official end-of-term
data for the 1990-91
school year were examined to yield multiple retention measures.
Major findings included
the following: (1) over one-half of all students enrolled at PVCC
during fall 1990
returned and completed spring term 1991; (2) over 80% of all full-time
students returned
to PVCC, as did over 45% of all part-time students; (3) overall,
retention figures for
1990-91 were quite similar to figures for 1989-90 and 1988-89;
(4) the retention rate for
full-time female students was higher than that for full-time male
students (87.8% versus
78%); (5) while in 1988-89 the retention rate for full-time black
students had been 22.3%
lower than that for full-time white students, in 1990-91, the
retention rate for full-time
black students (85.3%) surpassed that for full-time white students
(82.8%) by 2.5%; (6)
the retention rate for returning students was 85.5%, while the
rate for new students was
79.2%; (7) retention rates for programs leading toward the Associate
of Arts or Associate
of Science degree were slightly lower than those for programs
leading toward the
Associate of Applied Science degree in 1990-91; and (8) demographically,
returning and
non-returning students were similar, with the exception that approximately
two-thirds of
the full-time, non-returning students were male. Data tables are
provided.
Henry, T. C. & Smith,
G. P. (1994). Planning student success andpersistence: Implementing
a
state system strategy. Community College Review, 22,
26-36. Describes a systemwide
effort within the Colorado Community College and Occupational
Education System to
develop a framework for improving student persistence and success.
Highlights changes
to the original Bean and Metzner retention model, the characteristics
and needs of
Colorado's two-year college student population, the campus-based
implementation of
planning initiatives, and evaluation considerations. (13 references)
Hossler, D. (1991).
Evaluating recruitment and retentionprograms. In Evaluating Student
Recruitment and Retention Programs. New Directions for Institutional
Research, No. 70
(pp 95-99). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Evaluation of college student recruitment and retention programs
is complex and has
limitations that must be acknowledged. It requires an ongoing
commitment to evaluation
and a willingness to look at such programs within the larger context
of academic policies
and administrative procedures.
Higher education: Restructuring
student aid could reduce low-income student dropout
rate. Report to Congressional Requesters. U.S. General Accounting
Office, Gaithersburg,
MD. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 381 078) online. ERIC.
(1995,
August).
This study compared the relative effectiveness of grants and loans
in helping low-income
students stay in college until graduation. The study analyzed
two student-level databases.
One database contained data on a national sample of high school
seniors who began
full-time study at four-year colleges and traced them through
college. The other database
contained data on a group of relatively low-income freshmen from
a large public
four-year university that "frontloaded" some of its
institutional grant dollars as part of a
program to improve these student's dropout rates. In addition
the study sought the views
of financial aid directors and 51 students from 12 colleges and
universities. Results
found that grant aid lowers the probability that low-income students
will drop out, while
loans have no statically significant impact on such students'
drop-out rates. In addition,
for low-income students, grant aid is relatively more effective
during the first school
year than in subsequent years. Results from a university that
frontloaded grants for some
students as well as providing them with academic and administrative
support reinforced
these findings. Appendixes contain detailed information on study
methodology. Ten
tables and seven figures illustrate the report.
Hudson, J. B. (1991). The long-term performance and retention
of preparatory division transfer
students: 1983-1990. Louisville, KY: University of Louisville,
Preparatory Division.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 334 918)
This study analyzed the academic and demographic characteristics
of 2,939 students
admitted to the University of Louisville (Kentucky) Preparatory
Division (an
academic/enrollment unit for all students initially inadmissible
to a degree-granting unit)
who achieved eligibility to transfer to a degree-granting unit
of the University. It also
examined their performance patterns and characteristics in relation
to the aggregate
Preparatory Division population. The study resulted in the following
findings about the
students transferring to a degree-granting unit (as compared to
the University's
undergraduate population): Division transfers were more likely
to be female, African
American, first-generation college students, employed, and on
financial aid; they were a
better-performing segment of the Division's aggregate population
but not a particular
demographic or academic subgroup; first-year academic performance
related strongly to
students' initial level of academic preparation, but retention
and graduation related more
strongly to economic factors such as employment status, financial
aid, and parents'
education; transfer students were prepared when they entered the
University from the
Division; 291 Division transfer students graduated from the University,
earning 309
academic degrees; the Preparatory Division strongly enhanced performance,
retention,
and graduation rates of white females; white females tended to
perform better, while
African Americans were more likely to persist. Appendices contain
data tables. (Includes
25 references.)
Hudson, P. S. (1993).
Addressing issues of student access and retention. The Fall 1991
AACRAO Focus Forum (Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia).
College and University 68, 54-56.
Major presentations at an American Association of Collegiate Registrars
and Admissions
Officers forum are summarized, including (1) a report of a study
of students' perceptions
of racial climate on their campuses; and (2) a discussion of access,
ability, and
achievement among minority group college students. Additional
conference group
discussions are also noted.
Hull-Toye, C. S. (1995,
November). Persistence based upon degree aspirations. ASHE Annual
Meeting Paper. Paper presented at the 20th Annual Meeting of the
Association for the
Study of Higher Education, Orlando, FL. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No.
ED 391414)
This study sought to develop a causal model for college persistence
based upon students'
degree aspirations 4 years into the college experience. It is
based on a subset of data
from the 1986 and follow-up 1990 Cooperative Institutional Research
Program survey,
namely 1,473 students attending 261 institutions. The model examined
five sets of
variables: (1) background characteristics; (2) initial personal
commitment, namely degree
aspiration and occupational goal upon entering college; (3) institutional
characteristics;
(4) satisfaction measures; and (5) personal commitment four years
after enrolling as a
freshman. The results exhibited some validation of the conceptual
model which theorized
that ability and socioeconomic status, along with measures of
satisfaction and
commitment 4 years into the college experience, have similar effects
as original degree
aspirations upon the subsequent measure of aspirations. Differences
between male and
female students, and students attending public and private institutions,
are also
considered. An appendix provides data tables and graphic representations
of the
statistical models.
Hyman, R. E. (1995).
Creating campus partnerships for student success. College and
University, 71, 2-8.
A Ball State University (Indiana) program to stre ngthen student
retention involves a
Freshman-Year Experience Committee of 40 professionals representing
key units in
academic and student affairs who collaborate to respond to the
needs of first-year
students. The committee has designed policies for freshman dismissal
and midterm evaluation
that are intended to support student achievement and persistence.
Isonio, S. (1994). Retention
and success rates by course category, year, and selected student
characteristics at Golden West College. Huntington Beach, CA:
Golden West College.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 377 895)
A study was conducted at Golden West College in California using
data from the
state-report management information system files to analyze course
completion and
course success data from fall 1991, 1992, and 1993. In addition
to identifying trends, the
study made comparisons among ethnic groups, between males and
females, and between
persons for whom English is the primary language and those with
another primary
language. Study findings show: (1) the overall success rate was
66% in
credit/degree-applicable (CDA) courses, 72.4% in credit/non-degree-applicable
(CNA)
courses; (2) retention rates were 79.8% in CDA courses and 84.8%
in CNA courses; (3)
Asian students had the highest success rate in CDA courses for
each of the fall terms; (4)
female students generally had higher success and retention rates
than males; and (5)
students whose first language was other than English had higher
success and retention
rates than their native English-speaking counterparts. The college
has an obligation to
examine reasons for differential rates of success or retention
to incorporate them into the
Student Equity Plan. It is appropriate to focus on factors such
as preparedness,
motivation, study skills, and demands on time when discussing
demographic variables
and educational outcomes. Twelve tables present the data.
Johnson, R. S., &
Rodriguez, C. M. (1991, October). How policy makers address minority
student retention: Whose interests are being served? (ASHE Annual
Meeting Paper).
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the
Study of Higher
Education, Boston, MA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED 339 310)
A study examined policies addressing minority student retention
in higher education at
the national, state, and institutional level in order to clarify
how the discourse surrounding
minority student retention in higher education is related to social
and political purposes
and existing power arrangements. The study proceeded by critically
examining two
documents issued by national groups, reports issued by state level
educational bodies in
Arizona and Texas, as well as reports prepared by the University
of Texas at Austin and
by the University of Arizona. For each set of documents representing
either the national,
state, or institutional level the study looked at the following
questions: (1) Who is
authorized to speak on minority student retention? (2) Who listens?
(3) What can be said?
(4) What remains unspoken? (5) Which metaphors, modes of argumentation,
explanation,
and description are valued? and (6) Which ideas are advanced as
foundational to the
discourse? This content analysis of retention policies found that
the policies leave intact a
fundamental ideology of cultural deficit and disadvantage and
support existing power
arrangements. The analysis also found that policy reports address
the same topics, use
similar metaphors, advance the same ideas as foundational to the
discourse, and fail to
acknowledge racism. Included are 30 references.
Kangas, J. (1992). Success
and retention rates for Gateway Uclasses, spring 1992 (Research
Report#256). San Jose, CA: San Jose/Evergreen Community College
District. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 349 049)
In spring 1992, a program was initiated at San Jose City College
(SJCC) in California to
assist underprepared student entering reading, writing, and math
courses below the level
of transfer English and math courses. The program entitled Gateway
U (GU), included
the following components: weekly surveys of students during the
first 4 weeks of class to
determine if students understood their assignments, and if they
wanted to see a tutor, talk
with the instructor, or study with other students; a program assistant
who immediately
contacted students having difficulty; block scheduling of reading,
writing, and math
classes; student study groups; and assistance for students on
visits to student services
offices. A total of 259 students participated in GU. Success and
retention rates were
compared to the 796 students who were in remedial class sections
that were not a part of
GU. Program outcomes included the following: (1) 64% of the GU
students (n=167) were
successful in their courses (receiving letter grades of A, B,
C, or credit) as compared with
45% of non-GU students (n=358); (2) class retention (of those
receiving letter grades of
A, B, C, D, or credit) for GU students was 72% (n=186) as compared
with 53% for
non-GU students (n=421); (3) 81% of the time (based on 22 of 27
comparisons) GU class
sections had higher success rates than non-GU sections; (4) 85%
of the time (23 of 27
comparisons) GU sections had higher retention rates than non-GU
sections; and (5) 86%
of the students in GU were ethnic minorities, including 52% Hispanic,
23% Black, and
5% Asian, compared with 73% ethnic minorities in non-GU sections.
Data tables are
included.
Kennedy, G. J. et al.
(1995). Changes in social and academic integration in freshmen
of high
and average ability: Implications for retention. NACADA Journal,
15, 9-19.
A survey of 219 Ohio State University students before and after
freshman year
investigated the relationship between retention and changes in
freshman perspectives on
social and academic issues. Results indicate faculty contact may
play a significant role in
student attitudes but may not affect retention. Retention may
be only indirectly related to
social/academic integration, depending more on student characteristics/predispositions.
King, M. C. (1993).
Academic advising, retention, and transfer. In M. C. King, (Ed).
Academic
advising: Organizing and delivering services for student success.
New Directions for
Community Colleges, No. 82, (pp. 21-31). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Stresses the central role of academic advising in student retention.
Reviews Tinto's model
of retention stressing the importance of student academic and
social integration.
Describes studies demonstrating the predictive validity of integration
for retention, and
identifying attitudinal and behavioral correlates of attrition.
Reviews obstacles to student
transfer and impact of advisement on transfer.
Kluepfel, G. A., et
al. (1994). Involving faculty in retention. Journal of Developmental
Education, 17, 16-26.
Describes Rutgers University's Gateway retention program which
involves a number of
academic departments in the development of retention programs.
Highlights particular
Gateway courses in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
Discusses the benefits
of faculty involvement and the importance of incentives for involvement.
Reports a 90%
first-to-second year retention rate.
Kluepfel, G. A. &
Hovland, M. (1994). Developing successful retention programs:
An
interview with Michael Hovland. Journal of Developmental Education,
17,
28-30,32-33.
Michael Hovland, the senior consultant at Noel-Levitz Centers,
responds to questions
about summer bridge programs, first-year seminar programs, Rutgers'
retention model,
faculty reactions to retention programs, the impact of retention
programs on institutional
mission, administrative involvement in retention, student assessment,
retention efforts for
special populations, and retention models that do not work.
Lee, C. (1991). Achieving
diversity. Issues in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented
racial/ethnic students in higher education: A review of the literature.
Alexandria, VA:
National Association of College Admissions Counselors. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 338 941)
Much has been done in recent years to enhance the quality of the
educational experience
for students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on college
campuses. However,
many major problems still exist, presenting professionals concerned
with the educational
development of students with many significant challenges. This
literature review focuses
on issues in the recruitment and retention of the following underrepresented
racial/ethnic
students in higher education: Native Americans, African Americans,
Latino/Hispanic
Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Undocumented Students.
The review contains
four chapters. The recruitment chapter focuses on issues related
to the postsecondary
transition process. The chapter on retention reviews the salient
issues related to the
college enrollment, retention, and graduation of students from
these racial/ethnic groups.
Before examining these two issues, the first two chapters discuss,
respectively,
enrollment and graduation trends for underrepresented racial/ethnic
students, and the
cultural dynamics that must be considered in recruitment and retention
policies. The
issues and research findings provided in this review stress the
need for new policy
directions that insure maximum participation in the higher education
process for students
from underrepresented groups.
Levin, J. & Wyckoff,
J. H. (1995). Predictors of persistence and success in an engineering
program. NACADA Journal, 15, 15-21.
A study (n=510) investigated students' cognitive and noncognitive
variables predicting
success and persistence in an undergraduate engineering program.
Students performing
well in science and mathematics and genuinely interested in engineering
were more
likely to persist and succeed. Predictor variables changed over
the students' first two
years. Academic advising implications are discussed.
Licklider, P. (1993).
Linking freshmen to increase retention.Community College Journal
of
Research and Practice, 17, 59-73.
The Linkage Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice links
small groups of
entering first-year students with similar academic skills in three
courses whose instructors
meet beforehand to coordinate assignments and class materials.
Describes the evolution
and outcomes of the Linkage Program, highlighting its effects
on academic persistence
Lyons, L. (1991, May).
The integration of qualitative andquantitative research in a longitudinal
retention study (AIR 1991 Annual Forum Paper). Paper presented
at the 31st Annual
Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, San Francisco,
CA. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 336 034)
Tinto's retention model provided the theoretical framework for
the design of a
comprehensive student-retention study at an urban, public 4-year
college. The study
employed quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain a broad
understanding of the
many salient factors that contribute to student persistence over
a 4-year period.
Institutional data files were examined to obtain longitudinal
retention data and student
background information. Focus-group interviews and surveys with
fourth-year persisters
(N=114), supported by broadly-based survey data, were utilized
to assess the students'
academic and social integration with the college. Study results
indicated that background
characteristics were less critical to long-term retention than
the students' level of
integration within the institution. In this regard, academic and
social factors were
considered important to the development of strong educational
goals and institutional
commitments. The study also showed the importance of assessing
student attitudes
toward academic and social issues and of integrating a variety
of qualitative and
quantitative data in order to more fully understand the salient
aspects of student retention.
Contains 12 references.
Manzo, K. K. (1994).
Priorities: Retention programs more visibleafter decades of neglect.
Black
Issues in Higher Education, 10, 16-18,21-25.
After many years of focusing on providing black students with
access to postsecondary
education, attention is being refocused on retaining students
through graduation. Critics
say that enrollment rates, not commitment, dictate retention efforts
and that such
programs are isolated, not institutionwide efforts. Some institutions
are sharing dropout
prevention strategies.
Martin, J. & Samels,
J. E. (1993). Training administrators to serve as student mentors:
An
untapped resource in retention planning. College and University,
69, 14-21.
Mount Ida College (Massachusetts) has found the use of college
administrators as
mentors to students, complementing academic advising and faculty
mentoring, to be an
effective approach to strengthening the tie between first-year
college students and their
institutions. The impact has been noticeable in the campus culture
as well as in student
retention.
Matthews, D. B. (1995).
An investigation of the learning styles of students at selected
postsecondary and secondary institutions in South Carolina. (
Research Bulletin No. 60).
South Carolina State University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. ED 386 098).
This study examined the learning styles of postsecondary and secondary
students in
selected institutions throughout South Carolina. The sample in
clu ded o ver 2,000 college
and university students and over 6,000 high school students. The
five-phased research program
examined: (1) the learning styles of first-year college students;
(2) the learning styles of
majors in various disciplines and the association of learning
styles with parents' educational
level, family size, community, and college or university; (3)
the relationship between
retention and learning style; (4) the learning styles of high
school students, including a
comparison of secondary and postsecondary learning styles; and
(5) learning styles in relation
to gender and race. The study found that first-year college students
preferred social and
conceptual styles of learning to other styles, and that students
with applied styles performed
better in school and scored higher on standardized tests than
did students with other styles.
It also found that mathematics majors selected the applied category
most often, whereas majors
in humanities, social sciences, education, and business selected
the conceptual category most
frequently. Other significant results are discussed. Two appendixes
provide copies of the
student survey questionnaires and statistical tables. (Contains
91 references.)
McHewitt, E. R. (1993).
Graduation rate differences within the VCCS, August 1993.
Richmond: Virginia State Department of Community Colleges. (ERIC
Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 360 036)
A statewide retention study conducted in fall 1992 revealed significant
differences in
graduation rates among Virginia Community College System (VCCS)
institutions. To
determine factors related to student graduation and differences
in graduation rates for
VCCS colleges, an analysis was undertaken of the characteristics
of fall 1989 entering
students and the characteristics of students from this cohort
who received an award (i.e.,
certificate, diploma, or associate degree) by June 1992. Results
of the analysis included
the following: (1) graduation rates for the 23 colleges in the
VCCS ranged from 53.8% to
4.8%, with a system-wide average of 10%; (2) with respect to graduates
system-wide,
53% were female, 82% were under 25, 86% were white, and another
86% were enrolled
full-time; (3) while age, race, and gender were related to receiving
an award, they were
not as strongly related as the program selected, college location,
and student course load;
(4) occupational-training students were more likely to graduate
than transfer students; (5)
the probability of receiving an award for urban students was only
about half of that for
non-urban students; (6) students who initially enrolled full-time
were five times more
likely to graduate than part-time students, though the 3-year
period commonly used in
graduation studies is generally not enough time for part-time
students; and (7) colleges
with large numbers of part-time freshmen had lower graduation
rates, even if the tracking
time was extended to 7 years.
McIntire, R. W., et
al. (1992). Improving retention throughintensive practice in college
survival
skills. NASPA Journal, 29, 299-306.
Examined effectiveness of General Education 100 (GNED 100), behaviorally
oriented
course addressing nonacademic/academic factors affecting student
retention. Compared
to performance predicted by university's admissions formula, performance
of 407 GNED
100 students exceeded predicted norms by as much as 1 grade point.
Differences related
positively to performance in GN ED 100, being greatest for students
performing well in
course.
Morris, C. (1992). Retention
rate related to choice of first termcoursework (Research Report
No.82-39). Miami, FL: Miami-Dade Community College, Office of
Institutional
Research. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 256 421)
A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College to determine
whether a
student's choice of first-term courses related to subsequent retention.
The database used
for the study was the Basic Skills Validity Studies file, which
contains records on all
first-time-in-college students tested during the fall 1980-81
term, including information
on the developmental and core courses taken by the students and
the total credits carried
during the term. Study findings indicated that taking extra coursework
beyond
developmental and core courses during the first term improved
student retention. For
students with low basic skills levels, optimal retention occurred
when a mix of core,
developmental, and extra coursework was taken. Students who chose
to take only
developmental courses had quite low retention rates, as did students
who chose to take
only non-developmental/non-core courses. While the retention rate
for part-time students
was generally much lower than that for full-time students, in
every case the selection of
an extra course during the first term improved retention.
Murdock, T. et al. (1995,
May). The effect of types of financial aid on student persistence
towards graduation. AIR 1995 Annual Forum Paper. Paper presented
at the 35th Annual
Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Boston, MA.
(ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 387 009)
The relationship between student persistence and types of financial
aid at a Jesuit
comprehensive university was studied. Three freshmen cohorts (134
for 1989, 171 for
1990, and 131 for 1991) of 436 students were tracked through fall
1994. Attention was
focused on nine financial aid variables, five additional noncategorical
and six categorical
variables and their relationship to yearly persistence to graduation.
Nine models were
derived using logistic regression. Although loans were a significant
discriminator
between persisters and nonpersisters for white males and females
during their freshmen
year, academic ability of students may have influenced the results
since the institutional
financial aid award policy establishes an inverse relationship
between the amount of
loans that make up a student's financial aid package and their
academic ability. As
students progressed toward graduation, the amount of financial
aid award and unmet
need became more important discriminators than types of financial
aid. College grade
point average was found to be the strongest discriminator of all
20 variables in predicting
persistence during the first 3 years. Ethnicity, gender, and year
in school appeared to be
important variables in studying different types of financial aid
and other variables on
persistence.
Nelson, B., et al. (1993). Effects of learning styleintervention
on college students' retention and
achievement. Journal of College Student Development,
34, 364-69.
Assigned community college first-year students (n=1,089) to three
groups that differed
with the intensity of a learning style intervention. Follow-up
during the next semester
revealed that students in the highest intensity group achieved
significantly higher
grade-point averages and higher retention rates than those in
the other groups.
O'Neil, K. K. (1993).
An evaluation of student retention effortsat a small college.
NASPA
Journal, 31, 36-40.
Surveyed college administrators, faculty, support staff, and students
(total n=211) to
assess retention efforts at small college. Found both differences
and similarities among
groups. Findings suggest that progress has been made in improving
retention efforts.
Results revealed that respondents did not always perceive close
relationship between
theory and practice in current coordination of retention efforts.
Pacheco, A. (1994).
Bridging the gaps in retention. Metropolitan Universities: An
International
Forum, 5, 54-60. (Theme Issue: "Metropolitan Universities
and the Schools.")
This paper reviews the literature on student retention at urban
colleges and explores
notions of student involvement and academic and social integration
especially in relation
to nontraditional students. It describes some programmatic interventions
designed to
improve retention. The paper concludes that partnerships with
public schools may have a
significant impact on retention at urban universities.
Pickering, J. W., et
al. (1992). The effect of noncognitive factors on freshman academic
performance and retention. Journal of the Freshman Year Experience,
4, 7-30.
A study of 1,587 first-year students at 1 university investigated
the usefulness of 16
noncognitive factors as predictors of (1) academic difficulty
or success after the first year
and (2) attrition or retention into the second year. Data were
drawn from a survey and
academic records.
Polansky, J., et al.
(1993). Experimental construct validity of the outcomes of study
skills
training and career counseling as treatments for the retention
of at-risk students. Journal
of Counseling and Development, 71, 488-92.
Evaluated separate and combined effects of study skills training
and career counseling on
student retention among 36 college students at high risk for dropping
out of college.
Students were randomly assigned to one of four treatment or control
conditions. Only
study-skills-alone treatment had significant positive impact on
retention and achieved
significantly greater academic success compared to other groups
Retention report for
first-time entering students to Midlands Technical College, 1988-1991
(Report II). (1992). Columbia, SC: Midlands Technical College.
(ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 345 763)
In 1989, Midlands Technical College implemented a comprehensive
student tracking and
retention reporting system to provide data on first-time students
beginning in fall 1988.
Highlighted findings for 1988 through 1991 included the following:
(1) the freshman to
sophomore retention rate for the fall 1990 cohort was 53.8%, a
6.4% increase over the fall
1988 group; (2) the composition of the entering student cohort
showed slight increases in
the percentages of males, non-minorities, and part-time enrollees,
as well as a significant
increase in the percentage of students enrolled in partial or
full developmental studies
(DVS) classes during their first term; (3) the one-year retention
rate of black students in
the 1990 cohort increased by 9.2% over that of the 1988 cohort,
while the two-year
retention rate of black students in the 1989 cohort increased
by 2.9% over that of the 1988
group; (4) retention among females increased from 51% for the
fall 1988 cohort to 60.4%
for the fall 1990 cohort, while male student retention increased
from 42.5% to 45.8%
during the same period; (5) the one-year retention rates of 1990
entering students enrolled
in full or partial DVS classes their first term increased by 16.9%
and 10.8%, respectively,
when compared to their 1988 cohorts; (6) college-wide graduation
rates within a two-year
period decreased for the 1989 cohort when compared with the 1988
cohort; and (7) the
first-year grade point averages of retained students rose steadily
over the three years
examined. The report provides detailed tables and graphs, as well
as an appendix
containing an aggregate retention report by program.
Rickinson, B. &
Rutherford, D. (1995). Increasing undergraduate student retention
rates.
British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 23, 161-72.
Examined factors which influence withdrawal/retention rates in
the first term at one
university. Data were based on a questionnaire survey of the new
undergraduate intake.
The effectiveness of counseling intervention with first-year undergraduates
at risk of
leaving school in their first term is also explored.
Romano, R. (1995). First-year
attrition and retention at a community college. Journal of
Applied Research in the Community College, 2, 169-77.
Describes a study that uses multiple regression analysis to identify
factors associated
with attrition as well as discriminant analysis to develop a profile
of high-risk students
before they start classes. Results show that being placed on academic
probation was the
best predictor of whether a student would leave school.
Rombouts, S. (1991).
The use of contingency tables in student retention studies. College
and
University, 67, 37-46.
The use of contingency tables in creating a statistical profile
of a college student
population is explained. The method provides simultaneous cross-indexed
frequency
distribution of two database fields. Common uses are discussed,
and application is
illustrated in a hypothetical student retention study. Extensions
for nonnumerical fields
and minority retention studies are considered.
Ronco, S. L. (1995,
May). How enrollment ends: Analyzing the correlates of student
graduation, transfer and dropout with a competing risks model.
AIR 1995 Annual Forum
Paper. Paper presented at the 35th Annual Forum of the Association
for Institutional
Research, Boston, MA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED 387 007)
This study applied the methodology of competing risks survival
analysis to determine the
probability that a student's first enrollment in the university
will end in graduation,
transfer, or withdrawal. The risk factors associated with each
mode of exit were assessed,
with attention to factors such as admission status, full-time
or part-time enrollment,
major, grade point average (GPA), and ethnicity. The ways that
the risk factors exert
different influences at different times were also addressed. The
analyses were based on
the cohort of 1,635 first-time-in-college students entering the
university in fall 1987 and
followed through spring 1994. Results showed that the risk of
transfer to a two-year
college was almost as high as the risk of dropout throughout the
enrollment period, and
that provisionally-admitted students and those with low GPAs were
at greatest risk.
Almost one-third of the cohort graduated. and almost as many dropped
out. The next
largest group transferred to a two-year college. By studying the
timing of exit, it was
learned that what originally was thought to be a high dropout
rate after the second
semester, especially for Hispanic and provisional students, was,
at least in part, a
significant movement to the community college.
Rowe, F. A., & Smith,
N. M. (1992). Relationship ofnonintellectual variables to student
retention for office occupation majors in the community college.
Community Junior
College Quarterly of Research and Practice, 16, 271-78.
Compares persisters and noncompleters enrolled in an office occupations
major at Utah
Valley Community College in terms of scores on Super's Work Values
Inventory and
Holland's Self-Directed Search. Found little relationship between
work values and
retention.
Rudmann, J. (1992).
An evaluation of several early alert strategies for helping first
semester
freshmen at the community college and a description of the newly
developed Early Alert
Retention System (EARS) Software. Irvine, CA: Irvine Valley College.
(ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 349 055)
An overview of the development and evaluation of an early alert
procedure for identifying
and assisting students experiencing academic difficulty at Irvine
Valley College (IVC), in
California, is provided in this report. The first section introduces
IVC's new personal
computer-based Early Alert Retention System (EARS) software, as
well as the research
conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the project as it evolved.
The next four sections
present research summaries, providing a hypothesis, guiding questions,
study
methodology, detailed results, tables and charts, and conclusions
for the following: (1) a
pilot project of faculty mentoring for 160 students randomly selected
from a pool of 800
new matriculants and collection of mid-semester alerts from faculty;
(2) an evaluation of
mid-semester early alerts using an experimental design which compared
the performance
of students who had been issued a letter of concern/support, those
to whom letters
requesting that they consult an "early advantage" advisor
had been sent, and those not
contacted; (3) early alert rosters issued to teachers of all first
semester students; and (4)
the effectiveness of College Student Inventory for predicting
academic outcomes. A key
finding presented in the second research summary is that full-time
students receiving alert
letters had the highest end-of-year retention (81.3%), while part-time
students in both the
advisor and letter groups had greater end-of-year retention than
those not contacted. A
detailed discussion of approaches to designing and implementing
early alert processes
conclude the report. An appendix includes a description of the
EARS software, and
samples of early alert forms, letters, and logs.
Ryland, E. B., et al.
(1994). Selected characteristics of high-risk students and their
enrollment
persistence. Journal of College Student Development,
35, 54-58.
Examined factors affecting persistence/attrition of college students
(n=301) at high risk
for dropping out who were enrolled in personal and academic development
seminars.
Findings revealed that student demographic and retention characteristics,
rather than
stress coping resources, appeared to be most useful in predicting
attrition. Findings
suggest that academic self-confidence of nonpersisters could be
low.
Santa Rita, E. (1992).
Educational advising for student retention. Bronx, NY: Bronx
Community College, Department of Student Development. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 360 020)
Drawing from the literature and research on educational advising
and student retention,
this handbook provides practical guidelines on advising students,
based on five
propositions. The propositions are that: (1) educational advisement
should be designed to
provide accurate, consistent, accessible information for students
concerning their progress
within their curriculum; (2) the best single indication of the
likelihood of college
persistence is the student's ability to cope with academic problems;
(3) educational
advising should be career focused; (4) the quality of student-faculty
interaction is a major
contributing variable to college holding power; and (5) the premier
goal of educational
advising is a full response to the student's needs. Each of the
five sections of the
handbook deals with one of these propositions. Part 1 deals with
providing information to
different categories of students, including returning, entering,
freshmen,
English-as-a-Second-Language, international, undecided, change
of major, transfer,
part-time, and probationary students. Part 2 suggests ways of
helping students cope with
19 difference academic problems. Part 3 deals with 15 categories
of difficulties
encountered in the course of making a decision about a career.
Part 4 reviews seven ways
of responding to students who come for advisement. Finally, part
5 outlines the method of
making an effective referral and summarizes referral skills. Each
section concludes with
case studies and specific recommendations. An academic advisor
checklist and evaluation
form used at Bronx Community College and responses to case problems
are included.
Santa Rita, E. (1991).
Retention Checklist. Bronx, NY: Bronx Community College. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 330 412)
Designed to improve student retention at Bronx Community College
(BCC), this
workbook is comprised of sets checklists for use by students in
evaluating their progress
toward a number of academic, personal, and work-related goals.
The workbook is divided
into five sections, each containing a set of goals and associated
checklists. Part I deals
with self-knowledge and interpersonal skills and contains six
checklists addressing the
goals of developing one's unique personal characteristics; physical
and mental health;
positive self-esteem; listening and expression skills for interpersonal
problem solving;
effective relationships with peers and adults; and responsibility
for oneself. Part II focuses
on bonding with BCC and contains six checklists addressing the
goals of developing
personal and special relationships with counselors, instructors,
and academic advisors;
developing a sense of pride as a BCC student; and learning to
utilize the college's
resources. Part III includes 10 checklists dealing with study
habits and study skills. Part
IV contains seven checklists on life career planning goals, addressing
issues of students'
interests, abilities, and their understanding of the internal
and external factors relevant to
achieving career goals. The final section, dealing with work and
job satisfaction, includes
checklists concerned with choosing and planning for an occupation;
developing
job-seeking skills; developing necessary workers' traits; and
learning to choose optimal
work conditions. A goal achievement worksheet, a self-contract
for goal implementation,
and a list of references are included.
Shelton, D., et al.
(1995, November). Portrait of a working model for calculating
student
retention. Paper presented at the Annual Assessment Conference
of the South Carolina
Higher Education Association, Myrtle Beach, SC. (ERIC Document
Reproduction
Service No. ED 388 353).
Since 1988 , South Carolina's Piedmont Te chnical Col lege (PTC)
has been engaged in a
process to develop a functional model for calculating stu dent
retention. The college has
defined retention as a series of levels at whic h stud ents and
the college persist and work
to fulfill goals. This definition is based on the ideas that there
is no single number to measure
an institution's effectiveness; retention is a joint effort between
the student and the institutions;
and the term "persist" refers to the process of retention,
while the term "success" refers to the
product. To develop a system for determining retention, PTC applied
Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People" to the retention process. As a first step
in the new system, PTC classified students
in the following categories: continuing students, reinstated students,
transfer students, and first
timers (i.e., those whose initial college experience is at PTC).
After a trial run, the model was
altered to account for graduates and treated developmental education
as an academic program. The model
now allows the college to determine both program and overall college
retention rates for each of the
four categories of students, as well as by student race, sex,
age, and grade point average. Future plans
for the system include incorporating retention as a major goal
in the institutional plan and merging
retention goals with student goals. Bibliographic citations of
articles in the ERIC database related to
retention and sample retention data are appended.
Simmons, D. L. (1995).
Retraining dislocated workers in the community college: Identifying
factors for persistence. Community College Review, 23,
47-58
Describes a study designed to apply a model of nontraditional
student attrition to
dislocated workers being retrained at Washington community colleges
to determine the
predictive powers of selected variables. Indicates that workers
with relatively low skills
and fewer years of previous education were most likely to persist.
Smith, T. Y. (1992,
May). The Big Eight/Big Ten/SUG Longitudinal Retention Survey:
A report
on findings and implications (AIR 1992 Annual Forum Paper). Paper
presented at the
32nd Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research,
Atlanta, GA. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 349 863)
A study was conducted of the extent to which the factors of selectivity
in freshman
admissions, ethnic background, and gender affect the retention
and graduation rates of
university students. Longitudinal retention data collected from
28 institutions in the Big
Eight, Big Ten, and the Southern University Group (SUG) for the
first-time freshmen
classes of fall 1983 through fall 1989 were used as a basis for
analysis. Findings indicated
that while the overall retention rates for the 1983-89 cohort
groups were generally
consistent, retention rates for Black students showed significant
and steady improvement,
going from 75 percent for 1983 to 82 percent for 1989. Findings
also showed that among
minority groups, retention rates and graduation rates were highest
for Asian Americans,
followed by Hispanics, Blacks, and American Indians, even when
subgroups of race are
combined with variables of selectivity or gender. In addition,
comparison of the highly
selective with the selective colleges showed significant differences
in retention and
graduation, with the highly selective institutions retaining and
graduating more students.
Analysis by gender found that, in almost all of the institutions,
retention and graduation
rates were higher for females than they were for males. Included
are seven tables and
seven references.
Starke, M. C. (1994,
February). Retention, bonding, and academic achievement: effectiveness
of the college seminar in promoting college success. Paper presented
at the 13th Annual
Freshman Year Experience National Conference, Columbia, SC. (ERIC
Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 374 741)
This paper compares freshmen who enrolled in the College Seminar
at Ramapo College
(a 4-year liberal arts college in New Jersey) with freshmen who
have not taken the
seminar. The seminar course includes units on higher educat ion
in America; study skills
(e.g., writing papers, research skills, taking notes, time management,
computer skills);
communication and interpersonal skills (e.g., avoiding date rape,
solving disputes);
substance abuse; stress management; values clarification; volunteerism;
discrimination
and other minority issues; and career planning. The study's data
include responses from
68 percent, 80 percent, and 80 percent of the 1986, 1987, and
1988 freshmen cohorts
(ranging from 400 to 500 students) respectively. Retention rates
into the subsequent years
of college favored those students who enrolled in the seminar.
Of eight variables analyzed
to predict cumulative grade point average after four semest ers
in college, the best
predictor was "grade and enrollment in College Seminar. "
Students who took the course
attended more events on campus, belonged to more extracurricular
organizations, felt more
comfortable approaching faculty, spoke with faculty more frequently
outside of class, and
were more familiar with college support services. The paper concludes
that students who
have taken the seminar bonded more to the institution and experienced
more benefits in both
the academic and personal spheres.
Steele, G. E., Gordon,
V. N., & Kennedy, G. J. (1993). The retention of major-changers:
A
longitudinal study. Journal of College Student Development,
34, 58-62.
Developed Academic Alternatives Program (ALT) to help students
in their search for
alternative major. Compared 206 ALT students with matched cohort
of 206 students not
participating in ALT and randomly selected comparison group (n=206).
Found that
major-changer who experienced ALT program exhibited higher retention
and graduation
rates than did matched or randomly selected groups of students.
Steinmiller, R., &
Steinmiller, G. (1991, March). Retention ofat-risk students in
higher
education.In: Reaching our potential: Rural education in the 90's
(Conference
Proceedings, Rural Education Symposium, Nashville, TN). (ERIC
Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 342 527)
This paper describes a program at Henderson State University,
Arizona, that provides
interventions for at-risk college students in an effort to keep
them in higher education.
The Office of Retention provides a wide range of academic assistance
services including
summer freshman orientation, assessment for non-traditional students,
general education
audits, career exploration, academic advising, absentee monitoring,
and academic
assistance for probation students. Students in the program submit
weekly Academic
Assistance Program Reports detailing activities the student has
completed to be a more
successful student. The student meets with the Counseling Center,
the student's advisor,
and with each current professor three times during the semester.
The Individual Academic
Assistance Work program includes activities designed to help the
individual raise his or
her grade point average. Self-assessment is encouraged through
a personal record of
efforts made to raise the student's grade point average. The document
contains: (1)
suggestions for academic assistance participants; (2) a weekly
report sheet; (3) a
statement of understanding for probation students; (4) a tracking
sheet for the retention
office; and (5) a form letter to the registrar's office requesting
information about a student.
Stewart, R. A., &
Cross, T. L. (1991). The effect of marginal glosses on reading
comprehension
and retention. Journal of Reading, 35, 4-12.
Explores the effects of marginal glossing on college students'
comprehension and
retention. Describes what a marginal gloss is and how it might
work. Concludes that
although marginal glossing is a frequently recommended study strategy,
its usefulness
may be limited.
Student Retention and
Graduation. (1994). Atlanta: University System of Georgia, Office
of
Research and Planning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
Ed 387 197)
Describing outcomes related to student retention and graduation
in the University System
of Georgia, this six-part report discusses definitions and assumptions
pertaining to
retention and compares success ra tes f or black, white, de velopmental
studies, and
regularly-admitted freshmen students in USG senior and two-year
colleges. Section 1 provides
an overview of student retention and reviews findings from national
and state retention studies.
Section 2 focuses on first-year retention of first-time full-time
students by institution, race,
and admission status, indicating that systemwide senior colleges
had a 71.1% and two-year colleges
a 58.2% retention rate for 1992-93. Section 3 discusses multiple-year
retention of first-time
full-time students by institution, race, and admission status,
revealing a fall 1984 through fall
1993 retention rate of 56.4% for senior institutions and 42% fortwo-year
institutions. Section 4 focuses
on bachelor's degree graduation of first-time full-time students
by institution, race, and admissionstatus,
indicating that systemwide,24.3% of the fall 1984 black developmental
students graduated after 9 years,
compared to31.1% of other races. Finally, section 5 describes
USG programs designed to improve student
retention by counteracting the major causes of attrition, including
developmental studies, student support
services, minority student support, freshman orientation, peer
assistance programs, academic intervention,
counseling centers, honors programs, academic advisement, and
financial aid, while section 6 provides a
summary and conclusions.
Sturtz, A. J. (1995,
May). Goal attainment: A new look at the meaning of attrition
at a
community college. AIR 1995 Annual Forum Paper. Paper presented
at the 35th Annual
Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Boston, MA.
(ERIC document
Reproduction Service No. ED 386 987)
The importance of considering the students's goal for attending
community college in
examining attrition is addressed. A total of 282 new students
(18% of all new students)
entering a community college in fall 1990 were tracked. Four items
from the Entering
Student Information Survey were examined: the degree the student
plans to work toward
at the community college; for nondegree seekers, the number of
courses the students
plans to take; the highest degree the student plans to earn; and
three "most important"
goals. Followup letters were sent to students who completed the
survey to determine
whether the student attained their most important goal, and when
applicable, the reason
they did not return to the college. Student files were used to
obtain additional
information on student characteristics. Findings include: 32.6
percent of students
indicated that they were not seeking a degree or certificate,
while 159 were seeking a
degree and 18 were seeking a certificate; and 61 percent of those
not seeking a degree
were certain of their career choice, compared to 78 percent of
those seeking a certificate
and 64 percent of those seeking a degree. It is concluded that
attrition should refer only
to students who do not achieve their stated goals.
Swager, S. et al. (1995,
May). An analysis of student motivations for withdrawal in a
community college. AIR 1995 Annual Forum Paper. Paper presented
at the 35th Annual
Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Boston, MA.
(ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 387 000)
Information was collected in 1993 from students who withdrew from
courses in
mid-term at a community college either because they were dropping
a course or
departing from the college. This report documents withdrawal patterns
of students
during the calendar year of 1994. Self-reported reasons for course/college
withdrawal
were identified and differences in withdrawal patterns across
gender, ethnic, age groups,
and academic curricula were identified. A Student Withdrawal Form,
which is
appended, was used to gather information on 15,918 withdrawals.
Findings included:
compared to actual enrollments, students withdrew from courses
in the natural and
physical sciences at a disproportionate rate, and mathematics
represented the largest
number of students within this group; allied health and public
service had much lower
withdrawal rates than their enrollments would suggest; when students
withdrew from
natural/physical science courses, they were more likely to retain
other courses at the
colleges, while when they withdrew from allied/technical courses,
there were more likely
to be departing from the college; there were few differences across
curriculum areas for
gender and racial/ethnic groups; the most common reason cited
for withdrawal was
conflict with work; more than 1,200 students who withdrew from
the college felt the
college could have prevented the withdrawal and cited reasons
for their view. The
student withdrawal form is attached.
Tatum, T., & Rasool,
J. (1992). Reassessing retention courses:The need to empower students.
Equity and Excellence, 25, 16-21.
Argues that the remedial reading and study skills approach to
retention courses for
minority students is seriously flawed and often consists of no
more than offering good
advice. Accurately assessing student work in an atmosphere that
validates cultural
pluralism will best support student efforts and affirm their worth.
Tinto, V., et al. (1994).
Constructing educational communities:Increasing retention
Describes Seattle Central Community College's Coordinated Studies
Program (CSP)--a
thematic, team-taught, and interdisciplinary set of humanities
and social science courses
taught as a single course. Compares CSP students' outcomes with
the academic
performance and persistence of other students, revealing the benefits
of CSP's peer and
teacher support network.
Tukey, D. D. (1991).
Models for student retention and migration. Journal of the
Freshman Year
Experience, 3, 61-74.
Three models for calculating college student retention rates and
predicting enrollments
are examined: (1) the Cohort Ratio Model; (2) the Longitudinal
Persistence Model; and
(3) the Markov Process Model. The last is seen as more encompassing,
with wider
applicability range, and useful in tracking student change in
major and movement in and
out of academic difficulty.
Twomey, J. L. (1991).
Academic performance and retention in apeer mentor program at
a
two-year campus of a four-year institution. Alamogordo: New Mexico
State University.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 331 552)
The peer mentor program at the two-year campus of New Mexico State
University at
Alamogordo utilizes a stress prevention model of social support.
In an effort to determine
the most successful program design, two social support models
were introduced into the
program. In the first, 14 participants received individual, one-on-one
support from a
mentor, while in the second, 12 students received support in small
groups from a single
mentor. A control group of 15 students received no support. In
both support conditions,
students met with the mentor for 1 hour each week to discuss the
campus and
student-related issues, or to study. All study participants were
new to the college. The two
different support conditions were compared to assess effects on
mentees' grades,
retention, identification with the role of student, and psychological
well-being. In
addition, the effects of mentor-mentee similarity, and the performance
and psychological
well-being of the mentors were examined. Pre- and post-intervention
questionnaires were
used to assess psychological outcomes. Study results included
the following: (1) the
mentored students had higher grade point averages (GPAs) than
the students who had no
mentors, regardless of whether the mentoring took place in group
or one-on-one settings;
(2) students who had been mentored in groups returned the following
semester at a higher
rate than students with individual mentors or students in the
control group; (3) there was
virtually no change in commitment to the student role in any of
the groups; (4)
similarities in the attitudes and activities of the mentors and
mentees had no effect on
GPA or retention; and (5) a detrimental relationship was found
between mentor-mentee
similarity and the GPA of the mentor.
Wilcox, L. (1991). Evaluating
the impact of financial aid on student recruitment and retention.
In: Evaluating Student Recruitment and Retention Programs. New
Directions for
Institutional Research, No. 70, (pp. 47-60). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Although college missions, goals, and resources vary widely, institutions
can assess the
impact of financial aid and make strategic decisions to advance
enrollment objectives.
Such research requires specification of institutional goals and
the relative priority of
quality, quantity, diversity, and cost, and data on previous cohorts.
New statistical
techniques are promising.
Williams, M. S. (1992).
The effects of emergency loans on student retention. Journal
of Student
Financial Aid, 22, 39-44.
A study investigated the effect of emergency loans of up to $275
on retention among 504
loan applicants (347 granted and 157 denied) at 1 university.
Results indicate the loans
had little or no effect on the likelihood of a student remaining
in college
Wince, M. H. & Borden,
V. M. H. (1995, May). When does student satisfaction matter? AIR
1995 Annual Forum Paper. Paper presented at the 35th Annual Forum
of the Association
for Institutional Research, Boston, MA. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED
386 990)
The relationship between student satisfaction and performance
and persistence were
studied at a large midwestern, urban commuter university. A student
satisfaction survey
was completed by 1,643 students (out of 3,004 students), who rated
their level of
satisfaction with 48 specific and 5 general aspects of their college
experiences.
Performance was measured by the spring semester grade point average
(GPA), and
persistence consisted of students' reenrollment status in the
fall semester. Logistic
regression analysis took into account prior performance factors,
student demographic
characteristics, and satisfaction scales. Student satisfaction
made a relatively weak
contribution to predicting students' academic performance for
the semester. The best
predictor of performance was students' prior performance, including
cumulative GPA
and high school percentile rank. Among the demographic variables,
students' age
accounted for the largest portion of variation in spring semester
GPA. Students' general
academic satisfaction contributed more to the prediction of nonpersistence.
Results are
presented for student subgroups identified through cluster analysis.
One result suggested
that single, female, full-time students may give more weight than
other students to their
level of satisfaction when deciding whether to continue schooling.
Windham, P. (1994, August).
The relative importance of selected factors to attrition at public
community colleges. Paper presented at the 23rd Annual Conference
of the Southeastern
Association for Community Colleges, Savannah, GA. (ERIC Document
Reproduction
Service No. ED 373 833)
In order to better understand the factors that contribute to student
attrition in community
colleges, a study was undertaken to track a cohort of 1990 first-time
students at a Florida
public community college for 2 years. Once the cohort students
were identified, a file was
built containing both demographic and academic attributes, including
age, race, sex, first
term grade point average, scores on three subsets of placement
tests, full-time/part-time
status, enrollment in college preparatory courses, financial aid
status, degree expectations,
and type of high school diploma earned. These variables were a
nalyzed to develop a
functional relationship to students' continued enrollment or continuing
education
elsewhere in fall 1991 and fall 1992. Students found to be most
likely to remain enrolled
were "traditional" students, defined as young, not working
full-time, not enrolled in college
preparatory courses, attending college full-time, and earning
high grades. Students least
likely to return were older, part-time students who worked full-time
and enrolled in college
preparatory courses. In addition, having a standard high school
diploma increased the
likelihood of first-year retention by a factor of 4.5. The study
concluded that, since
the population found to be least likely to persist is also the
majority population at
most public community colleges, colleges should keep this profile
in mind when developing
intervention strategies.
Windham, P. (1995, August).
The importance of work and other factors to attrition: A
comparison of significancy and odds ratios for different outcomes.
Paper presented at the
24th Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association for Community
College
Research, Asheville, NC. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED 385312)
In order to gather data on the causes of student attrition, a
study was conducted at a
Florida community college to identify the relative importance
of a set of selected
environmental factors and student characteristics. A cohort was
developed from the fall
1990 first-time-in-college students and was tracked for 2 years
using the college's
standard student level record system and the Florida Education
and Training Placement
Information Program, a state-level follow-up system. Study results
included the
following: (1) fall 1990 grade point average (GPA) and the student's
mathematics
placement score were the most consistently significant variables
throughout the study;
(2) students working full-time were between 2 and 3 times more
likely to drop out than
students not working full-time; (3) students taking college preparatory
courses were
about twice as likely to drop out as those not taking college
preparatory courses; (4)
beginning college with a regular high school diploma was very
important the first year,
while the ability to attend full-time was important the second
year; (5) students most
likely to remain enrolled either at the community college or in
higher education were
young, were employed part-time, were attending college full-time,
and had a high school
diploma and good GPA; and (6) students least likely to return
were older students, were
working full-time, were attending college part-time, and had taken
college preparatory
courses the first semester. Contains eight references.
RETENTION OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Avalos, J., & Pavel, D. M. (1993). Improving the performance
of the Hispanic community
college student (ERIC Digest). Los Angeles: ERIC Clearinghouse
for Junior Colleges.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 358 907)
Community colleges play a major role in improving the access of
Hispanic students to
higher education, with roughly 56% of all college-going Hispanics
attending these
institutions. Relatively few however, have attained a postsecondary
degree of any kind. A
study of 145 community colleges found that Hispanic student retention
was influenced by
such factors as financial aid grants, career counseling into selective
programs and
participation in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and Hispanic
Studies classes. Two
successful retention programs, the Puente Project and the Enlace
program, incorporate
multiple elements associated with increased Hispanic retention.
The Puente Project is a
state-wide community college program in California employing specially
trained English
instructors, Hispanic counselors, and Hispanic corporate professionals
acting as mentors.
The Enlace program at Evergreen Valley College (EVC) in California,
extended the
college's Puente Project to include a focus on improving math
skills. A study conducted
at EVC showed that between 1983 and 1986, Puente students had
higher course
completion rates in English, earned more degrees, and had higher
transfer rates than other
Hispanic students at the college. A study of Enlace students at
EVC revealed higher math
completion rates than the Hispanic general student population.
Suggestions for improving
Hispanic student transfer rates include strengthening of articulation
agreements with
four-year institutions, improving the peer support system, and
increasing the
representation of Hispanic role models in staff and administrative
positions.
Bauman, R. (1992). Minority
students and the health professions: The organizational changes
required to attract and retain them. Equity and Excellence,
25, 22-30.
Discusses organizational changes in educational institutions needed
to attract minority
students to the health professions and retain them, focusing on
the University of
Massachusetts Medical Center program and its initiatives for high
school and college
students. The program is increasing enrollment and retention of
minorities at the medical
school.
Blankenship, C. S.,
et al. (1992). Embracing cultural diversity in colleges of education.
Minority
recruitment and retention project. Salt Lake City, UT: University
of Utah, Graduate
School of Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED
362 469)
This publication is intended to assist Holmes Group institutions
of higher learning in
designing and implementing more effective programs to recruit
and retain minority
candidates in teacher education. Information from many sources,
including the literature,
was synthesized, and certain principles emerged as keys to diversifying
the teaching
force--ideas that became the framework for this document. Following
a preface and a
discussion of equity and diversity as a commitment of the Holmes
Group, the report is
organized into five chapters. The first, "Rationale and Conceptual
Framework:
Understanding and Addressing the Need," discusses changing
demographics in America,
underrepresentation of minorities in higher education, declining
minority enrollment in
teacher education, understanding diversity issues, and the challenge
to teacher education.
Chapter 2, "Recruitment: Bringing Prospective Teachers to
Campus," examines the status
of minority student recruitment efforts and principles of successful
recruitment. Chapter
3, "Retention: Maintaining Diversity in Teacher Education,"
focuses on retention research
in teacher education and principles for retention of minorities.
Chapter 4, "Induction
Years: Succeeding on the Job," deals with common problems
of beginning teachers,
impact of the school environment, need for administrative support
and principles of
successful induction. The final chapter, "Roles and Responsibilities:
Applying the
Principles," concentrates on administrators in public schools;
campus level administrators
in institutions of higher education; deans and directors of schools,
colleges, and
departments of education; faculty; and students. (Contains approximately
175 references.)
Bowen, B. E., et al.
(1991). Diversifying the profession: Recruitment, retention, and
career
enhancement strategies utilized with under-represented groups.
American Association
for Agricultural Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. ED 366 719)
Information regarding the recruitment, retention, placement, and
career enhancement of
diverse populations was provided by 35 purposefully selected departments
of agricultural
education. The institutions that were included in the telephone
interviews were chosen to
provide geographic, 1862 and 1890 land grant, and nonland grant
representation. Major
findings included the following: 17 universities identified minority
students in at least 1
of their recruitment or retention activities for undergraduates;
12 universities mentioned
minority students in at least 1 of their recruitment activities
for graduate students; and no
university mentioned special retention activities for minority
or women graduate students.
Thirteen universities indicated they did nothing special to recruit
or retain undergraduate
students from diverse populations; 10 universities stated they
did not do anything
different or special to recruit or retain graduate students. The
most common type of
diverse population recruitment identified was that of including
pictures of minorities and
women in recruitment brochures and other related materials. Two
universities did not
consider women as minority students in agricultural education.
Nine universities
indicated the major recruitment tool for diverse population graduate
students was
financial aid packages. No university identified doing anything
special or different for
diverse population students to help them secure professional positions
at graduation or
after employment.
Brodsky, S. M. (1991).
Campus seminars/workshops on strategies for retention of women
&
minorities in associate degree science & engineering-related
programs. NY: City
University of New York, Center for Advanced Study in Education.
(ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 338 158)
This report describes a program which provided on-campus seminars
and workshops at
the College of Staten Island, Kingsborough Community College,
and Hostos Community
College in New York. The program was designed to improve recruitment
and especially
retention of women and minorities in associate degree science
and engineering-related
programs. National and local indications of need were reviewed
and project objectives
stated. Each of the events was jointly planned with key campus
personnel and configured
to local needs. In each case expert presenters provided direct
formal and informal
communication with the participants, and specially assembled kits
of materials were
distributed. In addition, student/alumni panels were included
in two of the seminars.
Follow-up efforts in encouragement, advice, and technical assistance
were provided as
needed. Evaluations of the events were done using forms completed
by participants. The
participants (N=14, N=18, and N=24, respectively) gave the program
an overall positive
rating. In addition a draft document entitled "Behavioral
Instructional and Departmental
Strategies for Retention of College Students in Science, Engineering
or Technology
Programs" was distributed at each event and responses solicited.
A seven-item
bibliography, evaluation summaries, lists of registrants, lists
of materials distributed, and
summaries of the presentations and programs are included in appendixes.
Coleman, H. L. K., et
al. (1992, April). Bicultural efficacy and college adjustment.
Paper
presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, San
Francisco, CA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 345
608)
The retention of ethnic minorities is a major problem in American
colleges and
universities. This study deals with the factors that affect adjustment
to college and, in
particular, to achievement of "bicultural efficacy"
for this group. Bicultural efficacy is
defined as an individual's expectations that he or she can (or
cannot) manage the stress
and conflict of living in two cultures at the same time without
suffering negative
psychological consequences or compromising his/her personal and
cultural identity.
Participants included 88 ethnic minority freshmen and a random
sample of 30 Anglo
freshmen from a private university in the West. Of these, 57 completed
the study.
Bicultural efficacy was assessed by the Bicultural Efficacy Scale,
a sub-scale of the
College Behavior Scale. Results of the study indicated that those
students who have high
bicultural efficacy scores have the perception of having adequate
social support. A strong
negative correlation was found between bicultural efficacy and
both college adjustment
and the grade point average. The study also found that the more
a minority student was
affiliated with Anglo culture the better was his/her college adjustment
and academic
performance. The findings support the hypothesis that academic
success is a function of
the individuation process. Included are 4 tables, 1 figure, and
21 references.
Credle, J. O., &
Dean, G. J. (1991). A comprehensive model for enhancing black
student
retention in higher education. Journal of Multicultural Counseling
and Development,
19, 158-65.
Provides general model for recruiting and retaining black students
in predominantly white
institutions. Asserts that minimizing barriers and creating effective
student service
programs require a total commitment and comprehensive effort on
the part of the
administration, faculty, and staff of the institution. Lists and
discusses steps to ensure
successful recruiting and retention of black students.
Davis, R. D. (1995).
Perceptions of the college experience: African American students
on a
predominantly white campus or a qualitative piece of the retention
puzzle. Paper
presented at the 9th Annual Conference for Recruitment and Retention
of Minorities in
Education, Syracuse, NY. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED 382 152)
Eighteen black students were asked their perceptions of life on
a predominantly white
university campus, Syracuse University (New York). Data from interviews
were analyzed
as well as accounts in the campus newspaper during the 5-year
period 1988-1993 and
interviews with four administrators who worked with minority students
in an academic
support capacity. Nine of the students had participated in the
1989 pre-college summer
program. Students were interviewed in their sophomore year and
again in their senior
year. Extensive quotes from the interviews support the analysis
which covered initial
impressions of the university, reactions to the summer program,
the college experience,
and their feelings of difference. Three major themes surfaced:
(1) student
identity/development; (2) social interactions; and (3) academic
interactions. It was the
students' perception that getting through college and interacting
with faculty are more
difficult for students of color, than for students of the majority
culture. All the students
interviewed mentioned racism and having been affected by it either
in a classroom, an
administrative office, or an incident with students on campus.
(Contains 56 references.)
Dingman, S. M. et al.
(1995). Predicting academic success for American Indian students.
Journal of American Indian Education, 34, 10-17.
Eighty American Indian students enrolled in Montana colleges and
universities
completed eight tests of cognitive function. Academic success
(as measured by number
of quarters completed) was related to three measures of simultaneous
processing:
orientation, form completion, and localization. These measures
are seldom included on
standardized intelligence tests.
Fecher, A. (Ed.). (1991).
Recruitment and retention of minorities: Ten case studies from
the
Neylan Minorities Project. Association of Catholic Colleges and
Universities,
Washington, D.C. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 338
172)
This report presents case studies of 10 colleges participating
in the Neylan Minorities
Project. The Neylan colleges consist primarily of colleges and
universities founded by
Catholic communities of religious women. This project's goals
were to increase the pool
of minority students with potential to move from the secondary
level into college; to
increase the enrollment of minorities in college, and to increase
the proportion of
minority students who graduate from these colleges. Using instruments
designed by a
Neylan member to measure institutional readiness for undertaking
minority focused
programs and to measure the success of such programs, each participating
program
evaluated its own success in recruitment and retention of minorities.
Participating
institutions included the following: Alverno College, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin; Barry
University, Miami, Florida; The College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle,
New York;
Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts; Heritage College, Toppenish,
Washington;
Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan; Mount St. Mary's College,
Los Angeles,
California; Mundelein College of Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois;
Our Lady of the
Lake University, San Antonio, Texas; the College of Mount Saint
Joseph, Cincinnati,
Ohio. Copies of the institutional readiness assessment, the faculty
staff survey and a
student survey are included.
Fidler, P. P. &
Godwin, M. A. (1994). Retaining African-Americanstudents through
the
Freshman Seminar. Journal of Developmental Education,
17, 34-36,38,40.
Describes the success of the Freshman Seminar Program at the University
of South
Carolina, designed to retain African-American students. Discusses
the personal and social
development needs of African-American students and how the Freshman
Seminar
contributes to their development. Presents data showing retention
results.
Fordyce, H. R. (1991).
Improving retention rates of black college students: A call for
action
(Research Report Volume 14, Number 1). Atlanta, CA: United Negro
College Fund.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 333 802)
This report addresses the problem of retaining and graduating
college students,
particularly black students, in 4-year college programs. Seven
key ideas are suggested: (1)
colleges granting admission to students who lack adequate preparation
should offer
appropriate developmental or remedial support to these students;
(2) colleges should
ensure that enrolled students have adequate financial resources;
(3) the college should
provide a structure where at least one person is deeply concerned
about each individual
student; (4) the college should provide opportunities for each
student to achieve a sense
of belonging and purpose; (5) colleges should rigorously assess
their educational
programs for meeting students' needs; (6) colleges should modify
practices and policies
which impede student retention; and (7) the college should keep
accurate records of
student retention/graduation. In addition, three established practices
(such as extensive
lecturing) in American colleges are questioned with regard to
their effect on student
retention. Finally, it is noted that if the steps discussed are
going to be implemented,
vigorous leadership will be required. Contains nine references.
Fuertes, J. N. &
Sedlacek, W. E. (1995). Using noncognitive variables to predict
the grades and
retention of Hispanic students. College Student Affairs Journal,
14, 30-36.
This 10-year study of 156 Hispanic college students revealed that
their ability to identify
and combat perceived interpersonal and institutional racism, as
measured by the
Noncognitive Questionnaire, predicted their grades their first
3 semesters in college.
Noncognitive variables did not foreshadow Hispanic students' retention
over a
nine-semester period.
Gay, L., et al. (1992,
June). Improving minority student retention: Lessons learned from
Leeward Community College for the Community College Consortium
Conference.
Honolulu: University of Hawaii, Leeward Community College.
The Native Hawaiian Project at Leeward Community College (LCC)
in Pearl City,
Hawaii, was developed to increase the retention and academic success
of native Hawaiian
students at the college. The project was initiated in summer 1988
with the establishment
of the Native Hawaiian Recruitment and Retention Task force to
examine campus
services and practices that influence student retention. In fall
of 1988, planning meetings
were held for the development of a special student tracking system.
In addition, a survey
was distributed during the advising/registration period to identify
native Hawaiian
students who self-identified as another ethnicity. Information
was then sent to all native
Hawaiian students informing them about LCC services, financial
aid and Learning
Resource Center workshops, and providing them with study skills
materials. Other
activities of the project included a staff development workshop
to increase faculty
sensitivity to native Hawaiians, special workshops on Hawaiian
culture, formation of a
Hawaiian Club to promote Hawaiian culture, and a summer Bridge
Program for recent
high school graduates. Beginning in summer 1989, courses in self-development
and
career exploration were established, and in fall 1989, a minority
counselor was hired
specifically for the project. In August 1990, a two-hour orientation
session was held for
Hawaiian students entitled "Introduction to College Seminar,"
and in spring 1991, the
Native Hawaiian Student Success Conference was held. A large part
of this report
consists on graphs, pie charts, and data tables on LCC student
characteristics for fall
1991; on the Native Hawaiian Project; and on native Hawaiian student
enrollment at LCC
for 1987-1991 and at all community colleges in the University
of Hawai'i system for
1988-1991.
George, C. (1993). Beyond
retention. A study of retention rates.Practices, and successful
alternatives in California. Summary report. California State Dept.
of Education,
Sacramento, CA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 365
005)
This document reports findings of a California Department of Education
(DOE) study
that examined grade-retention practices in the state. Data were
collected primarily
through surveys of schools and school districts. Findings indicate
that approximately 1 in
10 students spent an extra year in school before second grade
during the 1988-89 school
year. In kindergarten and first grade, the retention rates for
African-Americans and
Hispanics were up to double the rate for whites. The most common
treatment for retained
students was grade repetition. Despite research findings to the
contrary, most educators
believed that retention was effective. Many educators used Light's
Retention Scale, an
instrument that lacks reliability and validity in identifying
students for retention. The
following alternatives to retention are identified--dissemination
of research,
developmentally appropriate instruction, the Reading Recovery
Program, other
intervention programs, the Success for All Program, and structural
changes (such as
combination classes, year-round education, and ungraded schools).
Several
recommendations are offered to reduce the statewide retention
rate: (1) School districts
and schools should examine their policies and practices in light
of current research; (2)
school districts and schools should disseminate research on retention
to elementary and
middle school staffs; (3) school districts with high retention
rates should develop a plan
to reduce the rate and improve the instructional program for at-risk
students; (4) school
districts should monitor the differential effects of retention
for different ethnic groups,
non-English-speaking children, and boys and girls; and (5) the
DOE and state legislature
should provide support to school districts to implement early
intervention reading
programs. Two figures are included.
Goals and action plan
for people of color participation and diversity, 1994-1997. (1994).
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 376 904)
This action plan for Centralia College in Washington attempts
to establish achievable
goals, measurable objectives, and appropriate timelines to improve
the participation and
success of people of color at the college, as both students and
staff. Introductory material
explains the state mandate for colleges to develop action plans,
the way in with the state's
diversity goals are integrated with the college's mission, the
history of multicultural
efforts at Centralia College, and the planning process and assumptions.
Part I presents
data about people of color in the college's service area, students
of color at Centralia,
staffing at Centralia, and campus climate. The following findings
are highlighted: (1)
while the population of students of color is relatively small
at Centralia College and in the
local service area, it is growing faster than the population of
the se rvice area or the
student population in general; (2) students of color general ly
have educational goals
similar to white students, but do not currently enroll in academic
or vocational courses,
remain in programs, or complete programs at the same levels; (3)
in general, students
of color have greater needs for academic and financial support
and career/transfer counseling
than white students; (4) Hispanics are underrepresented throughout
the college
workforce, disabled people and women are underrepresented in executive
p ositions, and
people of color and disabled are underrepresented in the faculty.
Part II presents goals,
goal attainment measures, problem statements, and act ion plans
for student recruitment
and enrollment, student retention, student completion, staff recruitment
and employment,
and institutional climate. Part III underscores Centralia College's
commitment to the plan,
and identifies those offices responsible for particular areas
of its implementation.
Gold, M. V. (1992).
The bridge: A summer enrichment program to retain African-American
collegians. Journal of the Freshman Year Experience,
4, 101-17.
A four-week summer program at Georgia State University prepares
entering
African-American students for college work through instruction
in mathematics, reading,
composition, study skills, word processing, tutoring, academic
and career counseling,
mentoring, and follow-up. The program has been well received and
succeeded in
enhancing retention.
Hanson, T. L., &
Mangum, A. W. (1992, November). Recruitment and retention of Hispanic
students at West Texas State University. Paper presented at the
Speech Communication
Association Convention, Chicago, IL. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED
354 282)
This paper describes West Texas State University's efforts to
recruit Hispanic students
and compares enrollment trends there with national statistics.
West Texas State
University (WTSU) is a small four-year college, located 12 miles
south of Amarillo in
Canyon (Texas). A review of enrollment trends in higher education
notes that although
minority enrollment has shown an increase, graduation rates for
Hispanics are
disappointing. In 1989-90, WTSU awarded 826 undergraduate degrees;
38 (5 percent) of
these were awarded to Hispanic students. At WTSU, enrollment of
Hispanic women has
increased from 158 in 1987 to 221 in 1990, and enrollment of Hispanic
men has increased
from 143 in 1987 to 155 in 1990. A section describing the recruitment
efforts at WTSU
covers the work of a minority recruiter, a program aimed at local
middle school students,
print materials and outreach through the mail, work with federally
funded student support
services, parent education, and institutional obstacles. The next
section describes WTSU's
collaboration with the Texas Alliance for Minority Participation,
which involves a
summer pre-college program, stipends, internships, and scholarships.
Student services at
WTSU are also described, and they include a multicultural center
and leadership training
programs led by WTSU students at local high schools. A 19-item
list of references is
included.
Henderson, J. C. (1991).
Minority student retention. In: New Directions for Community
Colleges, No. 19, (pp. 47-55). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Discusses the community college's role in Native American education.
Describes
recruitment, counseling, assessment, remedial, and outreach programs
developed by San
Juan College to help minority students succeed, and specifically
help Native Americans
bridge the worlds of public school, reservation, and university.
Identifies keys to the
programs' success.
Hood, D. W. (1992).
Academic and noncognitive factors affecting the retention of Black
men at
a predominantly white university. Journal of Negro Education,
61, 12-23.
Investigates whether and to what extent noncognitive and traditional
precollege variables
(such as American College Testing scores) predict first-semester
grade point average and
enrollment factors for 409 African-American males admitted to
a predominantly white
university through its office of Educational Services and Programs.
James, D. P. (1991).
Minority student retention: The Prince George's Community College
program.New Directions for Community Colleges, 19, 57-62.
Describes Prince George's Community College's Black and Minority
Student Retention
programs, focusing on enrollment patterns, initial retention efforts,
program objectives,
support services provided, selection criteria for students, and
the mentoring component.
Traces program growth and presents evaluation results.
Johnson, G. M. &
Boehm, R. (1995). Aboriginal Canadian university students: A comparison
of students who withdraw and students who continue. Australian
Journal of Adult &
Community Education, 35, 141-56.
A comparison of 24 Canadian aborigines who withdrew from college
and 25 who
persisted showed that withdrawers were often nonmatriculated,
lacked time management
skills, frequently missed class, worked over 25 hours per week,
felt lonely and alienated,
had family problems, and socialized excessively.
Kane, T. J. (1994).
Race, college attendance and college completion. Washington, DC:
Brookings Institution. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED 374 766).
This study examined the college attendance and degre e completion
rates of black
and white students using census data and data from the class of
1980 of the High School and
Beyond Study. Introductory information examines the racial gap
in earnings. The following
sections consider: differences in educational attainment in relation
to wage differences;
the effects of standardized test scores, high school characteristics
and family background
on racial differences in college entry; differences in college
retention and the racial gap
in educational attainment; differences in colleges attended by
blacks and whites
students; differences in retention among blacks and whites attending
predominantly white
institutions; effects of attending historically black institutions.
Overall findings include
the following: (1) college entry rates of blacks were higher at
every SAT (Scholastic
Aptitude Test) quartile; (2) the mean enrollment rate of Blacks
was lower than for whites;
(3) black college completion rates (by SAT quartiles) were generally
sl ightly higher for
blacks than for whites; (4) increased access and financial aid
had but m arginal impact on
degree completion rates for blacks; (5) enrolling in a historically
black college or
university increased retention rates for blacks; and (6) the disproportionate
numbers
of black youth receiving low test scores appeared to be the primary
obstacle to black
student retention.
Kee, A. M. & Mahoney,
J. R. (1995). Multicultural strategies for community colleges.
Washington, DC: American Association of Community Colleges, Washington,
DC.
(ERIC Docuemnt Reproduction Service No. ED 380 175)
Focusing on community college programs designed to achieve multicultural
climates and
minority student success, this monograph provides profiles from
documents in the ERIC
database of such programs established in the 1990s by individual
colleges or developed in
partnership s with community, business, or other educational institutions.
Introductory
materials provide a conceptual framework for minority programs
and present a synopsis
of strategies described in the profiles. One-page descriptions
are then provided of 21
programs focusing on students, including 8 related to recruitment,
6 regarding retention, 6
related to student success, and 2 focusing on transfer. Next,
descriptions are provided for
faculty programs, including five related to recruitment, two focusing
on development, and
two on adv ancement. Five programs related to administrator advanceme
nt are then
reviewed, and then five campus-wide multicultural efforts related
to campus climate and
assessment and program assessment are profiled. For all the sections,
the profiles include
the program title, host institution, and contact person, as well
as descriptions of
program philosophies and strategies. Finally, a 117-item bibliography
is provided of
resources related to community colleges and higher education.
An agenda for minority
education by the American Association of Community Colleges is
appended
Kobrak, P. (1992). Black
student retention in predominantly white regional universities:
The
politics of faculty involvement. Journal of Negro Education,
61, 509-30.
Advocates an intrusive advising stance and proactive teaching
approach on the part of
selected African-American and white faculty members as part of
programs to retain
disadvantaged African-American students in college. Meeting the
political and
organizational challenges of retaining disadvantaged African-American
students is
discussed.
Lang, M., & Ford,
C. A., (Eds.). (1992). Strategies for Retaining Minority Students
in Higher
Education. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
This volume contains selected papers presented at National Black
Student Retention
Conferences between 1988 and 1991, that examine ideas concerning
educational access
and retention. The volume and papers are divided into three groupings
which address: (1)
The Psycho-Social Implications; (2) Model Strategies and Programs;
and (3) Impacts of
Faculty and Institutions. Papers and their authors are the following:
"The Impacts of
Academic and Social Integration for Black Students in Higher Education"
(Oris T.
Griffin); "The Relationship of Black Students' Achievement
Motivation to Family
Cohesion and Specific Aspirations" (Carmon Weaver Kiah);
"Postsecondary Education
Opportunities as Perceived by Black High School Seniors"
(Omega S. Gardner);
"Survival Conflict and Survival Guilt in African-American
College Students" (Lisa
Whitten); "The Fenway Retention Consortium Model: Progress
to Date and Lessons
Learned" (Bard R. Hamlen); "A Qualitative Investigation
of Administrators' Assessments
of Cultural Centers on Predominantly White Campuses" (Louise
M. Tomlinson);
"Measurement Strategies to Increase Black Student Retention:
A Case Study" (Helen F.
Giles-Gee); "Headway: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Retain
Black Students in an
Osteopathic Medical School" (Nancy L. Cooper); "Black
Student Retention: The Role of
Black Faculty and Administrators at Traditionally White Institutions"
(Alvin J.
Schexnider); "The Shortage of Black Faculty in Higher Education:
Implications for Black
Student Retention" (Shirley Vining Brown); and "The
Hidden Agenda in Black Student
Retention" (Farrell J. Webb). Most papers include references.
Contains an index.
Lee, C. (1991). Achieving
diversity. Issues in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented
racial/ethnic students in higher education: A review of the literature.
National
Association of College Admissions Counselors, Alexandria, VA.
(ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 338 941)
Much has been done in recent years to enhance the quality of the
educational experience
for students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on college
campuses. However,
many major problems still exist, presenting professionals concerned
with the educational
development of students with many significant challenges. This
literature review focuses
on issues in the recruitment and retention of the following underrepresented
racial/ethnic
students in higher education: Native Americans, African Americans,
Latino/Hispanic
Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Undocumented Students.
The review contains
four chapters. The recruitment chapter focuses on issues related
to the postsecondary
transition process. The chapter on retention reviews the salient
issues related to the
college enrollment, retention, and graduation of students from
these racial/ethnic groups.
Before examining these two issues, the first two chapters discuss,
respectively,
enrollment and graduation trends for underrepresented racial/ethnic
students, and the
cultural dynamics that must be considered in recruitment and retention
policies. The
issues and research findings provided in this review stress the
need for new policy
directions that insure maximum participation in the higher education
process for students
from underrepresented groups.
Levin, J. R., &
Levin, M E. (1993). Methodological problems inresearch on academic
retention
programs for at-risk minority college students. Journal of
College Student Development,
34, 118-24.
Notes that research on academic retention programs for at-risk
minority college students
suffers from variety of methodological shortcomings. Identifies
several problems in
context of published retention-program studies, followed by corresponding
solutions
framed within call for nontraditional, alternative methodological
and statistical strategies
for retention-program research.
Levin, M. E., &
Levin, J. R. (1991). A critical examination of academic retention
programs for
at-risk minority college students. Journal of College Student
Development, 32, 323-34.
Reviews and critically examines research on academic programs
for improving retention
of at-risk minority college students. Recommends academic retention
program designers
incorporate effective instructional components and program evaluators
implement better
controlled research studies.
Longres, J. F. &
Seltzer, G. B. (1994). Racism: its implications for the education
of minority
social work students. Journal of Multicultural Social Work.,
3, 59-75. (Theme issue
topic: School Social Workers in the Multicultural Environment:
New Roles,
Responsibilities, and Educational Enrichment.)
Examines how racism affects the recruitment and retention of minority
group students to
the field of social work. Case studies illustrate problems of
minority college students
related to poor educational preparation, economic hards hip, social
isolation, unintended
consequences of affirmative action, and difficulties with faculty.
Lists enrollment in
social work master's programs by race and year, 1969-88.
Love, B. J. (1993).
Issues and problems in the retention of blackstudents in predominantly
white
institutions of higher education. Equity and Excellence,
26, 27-36.
Examines issues in the retention of African-American students
in predominantly white
institutions of higher learning. Factors affecting retention are
cataloged, and the
responsiveness of existing retention programs to these factors
is analyzed. Focus on
African-American students who do persist is needed to create a
climate of inclusion.
Manzo, K. K. (1994).
Priorities :retention programs more visible after decades of neglect.
Black Issues in Higher Education, 10, 16-18, 21-25.
After many years of focusing on providing black students with
access to postsecondary
education, attention is being refocused on retaining students
through graduation. Critics
say that enrollment rates, not commitment, dictate retention efforts
and that such
programs are isolated, not institutionwide efforts. Some institutions
are sharing dropout
prevention strategies.
Martin, O. L., &
Williams-Dixon, R. (1991, May). The student-institutional fit
for the African
American student: Do college retention programs facilitate academic
and social access?
Paper presented at the Annual National Conference on Racial and
Ethnic Relations in
American Higher Education (4th, San Antonio, TX. (ERIC Document
Reproduction
Service No. ED 341 351)
This study examined the personal-environment relationship from
a social-cognitive
perspective for black college students (N=90) at two southern,
nearly all-white
institutions. The study employed observational learning models
in relations to academic
and social integrated behaviors of black college students. The
study postulated that the
persistence or withdrawal of black students was influenced by
cognitive processes. The
data showed that the first level of black students' processes
occurred more in academic
settings than in social systems of the college. Students applied
negative feedback in
classes to other campus situations. Students also formed opinions
of white students from
academic experiences which made it difficult for the black students
to believe that blacks
were not intruders in the environment. These negative experiences
affected the perception
of the college. The presence of black faculty models provided
positive feedback
mechanisms for the black students. Finally, the students concluded
that the college
environment was unsupportive to black students and was not a place
of racial harmony.
Surprisingly, many would not have attended another college if
they had the resources.
Included are 25 references.
Norman, K. F. &
Norman, J. E. (1995). The synergy of minority student persistence
and
faculty renewal. Innovative Higher Education, 20, 129-40.
A proposed strategy for colleges and universities to increase
the academic persistence of
minority group students begins with faculty renewal efforts that
encourage faculty to
question their cultural beliefs, examine how diversity affects
teaching and learning, foster
more collaborative classroom interactions, maintain high academic
expectations, and
acknowledge diverse learning styles and individual differences.
Pacheco, A. (1994).
Bridging the gaps in retention. Metropolitan Universities: An
International
Forum, 5, 54-60. Theme Issue: "Metropolitan Universities
and the Schools."
This paper reviews the literature on student retention at urban
colle ges and explores
notions of student involvement and academic and social integration
especially in relation
to nontraditional students. It describes some progr ammatic interventions
designed to
improve retention. The paper concludes that partnerships with
public schools may have
a significant impact on retention at urban universities.
Phillip, M. C. (1993).
Too many institutions still taking band-aid approach to minority
student
retention, experts say. Black Issues in Higher Education,
9, 24-260, & 28.
Retention of minority college students is elusive because many
institutions have not made
a full commitment to it, as is apparent in faculty, curriculum,
and corporate culture.
Unrealistic expectations, racism, funding, college environment,
faculty interaction with
students, and parental role must be addressed before a solution
is found.
Smith, T. Y. (1995,
May). The retention status of underrepresented minority students:
An
analysis of survey results from sixty-seven U.S. colleges and
universities. Paper
presented at the 35th Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional
Research, Boston,
MA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 386 989)
Retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority students
were studied
during 1985-91 with first-time freshman cohort sat 67 U.S. colleges
and universities.
Data were also collected from 17 institu tions for science, engineering,
and mathematics
(SEM) majors by race and gender. Research areas included: headcounts,
average admission test
scores, retention rates after one and two years, and graduation
and continuation rates within
4, 5, and 6 years. Findings included: underrepresented minorities
constituted 14 percent of
1985 entering freshman and 19 percent of 1991 freshmen; 6-year
tracking of the 1985 and
1986 cohorts of 312,795 first-time freshmen indicated that 80
percent continued to the
second year and 69 percent progressed to the third year of college;
after the first year,
retention rates were 73 percent for Blacks, 72 percent for Hispanics,
and 69 percent for
American Indians compared with 81 percent for the other ethnic
groups; after the second
year, the retention rates were about 59 percent for Blacks, 62
percent for Hispanics,
and 54 percent for American Indians. Additional information is
provided on the effects
of gender and institutional selectivity on retention and graduation
rates. (Contains
28 references.)
Solis, E., Jr. (1995).
Regression and path analysis models of Hispanic community college
students' intent to persist. Community College Review,
23, 3-15.
Describes a study to test causal relationships among variables
related to Hispanic
students' intent to persist using multiple regression and path
analysis models. Reports
that a path analysis model, examining students' satisfaction with
their academic
experience and instruction, commitment, family support, and perceptions
of future job
prestige, best fit persistence data.
Somers, P. (1995). A
comprehensive model for examining the impact of financial aid
on
enrollment and persistence. Journal of Student Financial Aid,
25, 13-27.
An institutional model to measure effect of student financial
aid on matriculation and
persistence was found to be both workable and potentially useful
for college planning. It
examines first-time attendance, within-year persistence, and year-to-year
persistence of
the entering class at an urban, public university, factoring in
student background,
achievement, persistence, program participation, and aid packaging.
St. John, E. P. &
Starkey, J. B. (1995). An alternative to net price: Assessing
the influence of
prices and subsidies on within-year persistence. Journal of
Higher Education, 66,
156-86.
This study reviews higher education assumptions of traditional
net-price theory and an
emerging approach considering a set of price and subsidies in
enrollment and persistence
decisions. Results suggest that within-year persistence decisions
made by students from
all income groups are more sensitive to tuition charges than to
student aid. Implications
for pricing strategies and research are discussed.
Steele, R. (1991). Mentoring:
An effective tool for retention of minorities. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 342 841)
Mentoring is an effective tool for retaining minorities who are
in higher education and on
the path to productive careers. Within business organizations,
the link between mentoring
and career advancement is widely acknowledged. The stages of mentoring
functions
include the following: (1) teaching techniques in a guided apprenticeship;
(2) counseling,
supporting, and introducing the protege to key people; (3) intervening
with influence; and
(4) recommending and sponsoring the protege for positions. Within
higher education,
current data seem to indicate a positive relationship between
the numbers of black faculty
at predominantly white institutions and recruitment, admissions,
and graduation rates of
black students. However, on many campuses, the gap between admission
rates for
minorities and graduation rates may be due to the lack of real
support during the college
experience. In addition, aspects of the minority experience in
graduate education may
have negative consequences for career development if students
are not included in
collaborative socialization with faculty. Such experience can
be key to later career
development. A survey of students on a campus integrated since
1960 found that minority
faculty were involved with students and visible on campus only
to a very low degree. It is
concluded that mentoring may make a real difference to minority
students. Included are
one table and seven references.
Stith, P. L. & Russell,
F. (1994, May). Faculty/student interaction: impact on student
retention.
A longitudinal study at a large predominantly White university
revealed that
faculty/student interaction had a significant impact on African-American
students'
decision to persist. Subjects included 310 freshmen (128 African
Americans, 131 Whites,
49 Hispanics, and 2 Asians). Hispanics and Whites were better
retained after the 4 years
than African-Americans, though African-Americans showed higher
retention rates than
Hispanics and Whites in the first 2 years. For all students, more
dropped out at the end of
the second year than any other time. High-achieving African-American
students who
talked with faculty outside class were better retained than those
who did not.
Faculty/student interaction, including advisor help in scheduling
courses, knowing
advisor's name, and being impressed with the faculty, was found
to have significant
effects on retention for all African-American students. Results
indicate that there are
different profiles for students who stop attending at different
times during the college
career, and suggest that freshman experiences can predict those
students who are prone to
drop out in later years. (Contains 22 references.)
Stolar, S. M. (1991).
Non-traditional age students: Attrition, retention, and recommendations
for campus change. Vineland, NJ: Cumberland County College. (ERIC
Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 335 092)
In 1991, a study was conducted at Cumberland County College (CCC)
to examine the
demographic characteristics, academic goals, attendance patterns,
opinions about the
school, and other relevant data about CCC's nontraditional age
student population (i.e.,
students aged 25 to 55 years). In fall 1990, 1,147 nontraditional
aged students were
enrolled at CCC, representing 46% of the student body. In spring
1991, only 67% of this
group (N=767) returned. Surveys were conducted of both continuing
and non-returning
with the non-returning students being contacted by mail and the
returning students being
surveyed in class. Study findings, based on responses from 168
non-returning students
and 208 continuing students, included the following: (1) the non-returning
students were
predominantly white, female, and part-time attendees; (2) non-returning
students were
most satisfied with admissions, the quality of instruction in
their major, the library, and
registration procedures; and least satisfied with job placement
services, financial aid,
student activities, and tutoring services; (3) the most frequently
cited reasons for not
returning to CCC were "financial reasons," "conflicting
job hours," "satisfied personal
need," and "parenthood"; (4) the one service most
requested by continuing students was a
campus day care center; (5) continuing students requested extended
evening hours for the
bookstore, cafeteria, and other campus offices; (6) continuing
students also requested a
greater variety of evening course selections, more Saturday classes,
and more telecourses;
and (7) evening counselor availability, opportunities for social
interaction, and the sale of
used books in the bookstore were suggested student services. Graphs
reflecting response
frequencies and student comments are attached.
Tierney, W. G. (1995).
Addressing failure: Factors affecting Native American college
student
retention. Journal of Navajo Education, 13, 3-7.
This keynote address of the 1996 RETAIN Conference (Retention
in Education for
Today's American Indian Nations, University of Arizona) addresses
factors affecting the
retention of American Indian college students. Includes institutional
strategies to meet
the needs of American Indian students, student strategies to increase
their chances for
graduation, and family strategies to reinforce the importance
of education.
Townsend, L. (1994).
How universities successfully retain andgraduate Black students.
Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 4, 85-89.
Once black students matriculate at a predominantly white college,
they are often left to
fend for themselves. Some schools, however, have launched retention
programs that are
effective. Characteristics of effective retention efforts, especially
the importance of
concerned, supportive faculty, are reviewed.
Villella, E. F., &
Hu, M. (1991). A factor analysis of variables affecting the retention
decision of
nontraditional college students. NASPA Journal, 28, 334-41.
Designed a conceptual model to better understand the retention
decision of nontraditional
students, and examined the model empirically to understand the
underlying factors that
constitute retention decisions. Results revealed that, for nontraditional
students, the
reality of time constraints and academic rigor when compared with
the expectations of
college could lead to student stress and dissatisfaction.
Young, C. (1992). Issues
of access and retention for Afro-Americans in higher education.
Phylon, 49, 55-60.
Discusses issues of equity, access, and retention for African
Americans in higher
education. African Americans continue to be underrepresented in
higher level positions
largely because they are underrepresented in higher education
for economic and social
reasons that an increasingly multiracial society may not be able
to tolerate
