In this paper we extend prior studies on alcohol beliefs among college undergraduates, which have focused primarily on their relationship to drinking, by assessing the extent to which the notion that alcohol use is integral to the student role impacts college undergraduates' academic and social experiences. An analysis of data from a survey…

Dad? The high school biology teacher? A childhood friend? Understanding who students believe influences their degree persistence will improve student retention and degree attainment. This study examined relationships between student perceptions of close social groups' (i.e., family, friends, and educators; FFEs) influence, motivational factors,…

Previous research on passion and burnout has shown that teachers, including college faculty, who show high levels of harmonious passion toward their work experience lower burnout than teachers who have high levels of obsessive passion. In the present study, we extended this line of research to college students. We found that students who were…

Sadly, data collected from universities across the nation continue to suggest that fully half of the "emerging adults" (Arnett, 2015) who make their way to college will not graduate. This vexing statistic is particularly troublesome because it reflects a tremendous cost--in dollars, in time, and in self-esteem. In this study, we report…

Drawing on theories of student retention and campus climate for diversity, this study examines differences in Black and White students' consideration of transferring or dropping-out of college. It expands the current state of retention research by: (1) testing whether there are different antecedents for considering different types of withdrawal;…

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…

This qualitative study explored the factors that enhance Arab international students' persistence and facilitate their academic and cultural adjustment at postsecondary institutions in the United States. The sample for this study consisted of Arab international students from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Syria, UAE, Iraq, and Jordan. In-depth…

This study explored factors associated with both career and student development, and with persistence decisions. Findings revealed differences in which students perceived their abilities, responsibilities, adaptability, and connections between academics and vocation among those at a liberal arts college who intended to return to the institution…

Objectives: This study attempted to identify relationships between alcohol consumption and first-to-second-year student retention among college students. Methods: 820 students in general education courses completed an online wellness assessment at four separate time points, including questions related to alcohol consumption. Data were analyzed…

The current study examined whether it is possible to increase college students' intention to earn a four-year degree with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Three research questions were examined: (1) Can the TPB predict traditional undergraduates' graduation intention? (2) Does graduation intention differ by traditional students' year of…

The challenge colleges and universities encounter in the United States is retention of freshmen male college students. The National Center for Education Statistics (2012) reported that 37% of freshman males enrolled in a postsecondary institution in 2003-04 dropped out by June 2009. Unfortunately, 17% dropped-out within the first-year without…

At public Ph.D. granting institutions in the United States, approximately 22% of first-year college students do not return for their sophomore year (ACT, 2011). It was hypothesized that higher levels of sense of belonging would be related to self-reported intention to persist as well as actual second-year retention. It was expected that higher…

The qualitative study explored the opinions and perceptions of freshman, sophomores, and freshman students that dropped out of the university to understand the obstacles and enablers that millennial freshmen faced transitioning into a college environment. To understand these factors the study posed the question, how do the participants (i.e.,…

With growing concerns over higher education accountability and diminishing resources, student retention rates and the reasons why students remain at a post-secondary institution continue to persist. Since the 1960s, researchers have examined cognitive and non-cognitive factors that impact whether or not students stay at a particular post-secondary…

This study analyzed undergraduate students' (n = 280) attitudes toward selected social factors that would influence and discourage student persistence at a four-year research university. Using a modified Delphi technique to construct the questionnaire, the researchers discovered that family encouragement, positive relationships with professors,…