Both financial and personal losses occur for students dropping out of higher education. Intervention programs designed to reduce student attrition have been suggested, and it is important to consider the extent to which these strategies can be effectively implemented. (MSE)

Most college and university retention programs do little to change the quality of academic experience for students, especially during the first critical year of college. One of the most promising reforms is establishment of "learning communities," which feature block scheduling to enable students to take classes together, are organized…

This report proposes a preliminary basic math program that may help mitigate the student attrition problem at Contra Costa College (California). For the purposes of this proposal, Math 101, 115, and 118 are identified as courses to be included in the program. The essential features of this proposed curriculum are summarized as follows: (1) it…

First-year activities of Women in Technical Education, a project to develop a model for women in that field, were evaluated. A formative evaluation showed that intense development and implementation activity enabled achievement of first-year goals and objectives during the 1990-91 year. Procedures to accomplish objectives were effective.…

The nursing shortage in California has prompted legislators to propose solutions that may be well intentioned but fail to recognize the complexity of the issues they are trying to address. In April 2005, the Academic Senate convened a nursing task force, comprised of community college nursing faculty from across the state, to examine the issues…