Effective evaluation of college student recruitment and retention programs is critical to any enrollment management strategy as a strategic tool and a policymaking tool. Meaningful evaluation is based on setting clear goals, asking the right questions, and establishing a context for interpretation of results. (Author/MSE)

It is difficult to evaluate the goals and effectiveness of programs to recruit and retain minority students in medical education by current methods. Management by objectives is proposed as an appropriate process for refining program goals and fairly evaluating the programs. (Author/MSE)

Five strategies used by Rollins College to improve retention are discussed, including examining longitudinal trends, developing and testing hypotheses about the reasons for student dissatisfaction and departure, setting goals for retention improvement, designing and implementing strategies, and measuring progress and assessing programs. (MSE)

Research shows that learning communities are an effective way to improve student performance and persistence, but the success of any particular implementation is not guaranteed. Each program should be evaluated with regard to the likelihood that better-prepared students tend to participate. The protocol used for evaluation at Indiana…

An environment that values evaluation as a means of effectively using resources is a prerequisite for development of administrative computing systems. Collaborative development of student information systems by a variety of campus offices increases the likelihood that useful information will be available to administrators for evaluating…

In September 1992, a peer mentoring program was initiated at Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), in California, to address the disproportionately low enrollment and retention rates of minority and disabled students. This handbook is designed for colleges considering establishing similar mentoring programs and provides background information on…

Community colleges need to adopt a broad conceptual definition of a continuing student in the design and evaluation of their retention strategies, recognizing nondegree goals as legitimate educational achievements and intermittent but persistent attendance as a valid method of pursuing educational goals. (MSE)

This guide provides information for community colleges on the recruitment, retention, and job placement of women and men in occupations nontraditional for their sex, based on two programs offered at the College of Marin, machine metal work for women and secretarial/office work for men. Part I discusses barriers confronting men in…

This handbook for program coordinators in public postsecondary vocational-technical schools presents guidelines for establishing programs to prepare adult women for nontraditional occupations (NTOs). It focuses on recruiting, retaining, and placing women in NTO programs. Chapter 1 provides definitions and looks at need for NTO programs. Planning…

This book presents 11 papers which consider the central issues, methods, and resources for work in institutional research in higher education. The primer uses the idea of a "cookbook" or "manual" for its conceptualization, organization, and format. The chapter topics focus on what are expected to be the key issues facing…

This self-assessment manual and its companion publication on preparing for accreditation explains how further education (FE) colleges throughout the United Kingdom can use self-assessment to achieve and document measurable improvements in their operation and services to increase their chances for accreditation. The following are among the topics…

This monograph contains 14 papers on all aspects of college and university student and family orientation programs. The papers are: (1) "Orienting Today's Students" by M. Lee Upcraft; (2) "Theoretical Perspectives on Orientation" by Michael Dannells; (3) "Trends and Issues in Orientation Programs" by Gerry Strumpf and…

A framework is offered for institutions to use in identifying and overcoming obstacles to graduate student progress and retention. Seven aspects of graduate education that would have to be altered to reduce student frustration are examined: admissions, graduate curriculum, advising/mentoring, monitoring progress, financial support, institutional…

This instructional guide is intended for use by adult education teachers who deal with homeless students either on an occasional or an exclusive basis. An introduction defines homelessness, describes how education can help, and offers a mission statement. The second section focuses on what teachers of the homeless need. It defines categories of…

This handbook is an introduction to the topics that adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) program administrators need to know. The 77 articles by various authors are divided into 6 sections. "A Background for the ABLE Program Administrator" covers the definition of a program administrator, a guiding philosophy, a brief history of…