This paper reports on the feasibility of "The Study Place Project" (TSP[superscript 2] ), a novel intervention designed to improve academic achievement and retention for first-year college students. Our aim was to provide students with regular study sessions in a minimal distraction environment, allowing them to apply their own…

In this study, we explored whether a uniquely designed First Year Experience (FYE) class for newly admitted at-risk college students would increase academic success; help students avoid academic probation; and increase retention for the following semester. Participants included 40 students (75% African Americans, 20% Hispanic Americans, and 5%…

This study was a combined causal-comparative and quasiexperimental exploration that related Tinto's Theory of Student Integration to the use of a college success course as a student persistence tool in a for-profit postsecondary setting. It sought to explore whether any relationship existed between student persistence and participation in the…

The purpose of this study is to determine if student confidence levels change when attending a series of five pre-semester orientation success workshops. This research was conducted at a Canadian Community College whose attrition rates for the Practical Nursing program within the host college average 36%. The workshop sessions occur prior to the…

An estimated 40 million Americans adults live their lives deprived of prosperity, pleasures, and the rewards of lifelong learning (Comings & Cuban, 2007). With the economic, social, and technical changes in society, there are shifts in the labor market (Champagne, 1987). Many adults are having to set their sights on obtaining sufficient skills…

Concerns with the retention of women in engineering have led to the implementation of numerous programs to improve retention, including mentoring programs. The college of engineering at Washington State University (WSU) started a novel women's mentoring program in 2008, using professional engineers who graduated from WSU as mentors. The program is…

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a growing student support service used to offer students peer-guided activities to improve course learning. The current research was conducted to answer two research questions: 1) Do those who participate in SI perform better in their courses than those who do not attend SI? 2) Are those who participate in SI more…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Latino Educational Equity Project (LEEP), a brief intervention designed to enhance college retention by increasing social awareness and skills for Latino students at three, predominately White universities in the Pacific Northwest. Participants were 40 students who completed the…

The influence of informal faculty/student interactions (i.e., group dinners at faculty member's home) on GPA and retention rates was investigated. Students were invited to attend dinner at a faculty member's house in groups of approximately 6 students. The academic performance and retention rates of attendees and nonattendees were compared.…

This study, using hierarchical linear models, examined effects of the intervention programs on first-time-full-time students' retention and college cumulative GPA, interacting with students' characteristics, e.g., demographics and college preparedness. Program effects on a three-year trend were also explored. The study results show that the…

Previous research and retention interventions have been primarily targeted towards the freshmen, first-year experience (Gardner, Pattengale, & Schreiner, 2000; Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000) and yet, sophomores are a uniquely vulnerable group with increasing levels of dissatisfaction and attrition (Boivin, Fountain, & Baylis, 2000).This article…