Continued research on the first-year experience of African American male students entering institutions of higher learning is necessary and can provide a deeper look at institutional and individual factors that African American male students may encounter, and impact their academic success. Understanding the issues that affect African American…

This article presents a case study of the design, implementation, and results of a program developed to increase Latina/o student success at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. A team of university faculty, staff, and administrator researchers drew from four sources of evidence to design and examine the effects of the program, including: (a)…

This paper describes results from a case study that focuses on the initial implementation of a new, online instructional program, the WebIT M.S. in Instructional Technology, offered at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville during 2008-2010. Survey data were collected from two groups of students: a self-selected sample of those students who…

This paper is a case study of a Master of Library and Information Studies degree program online option that has been unusually successful in retaining and graduating students. Design characteristics of this program that has maintained a retention rate of over 90 percent over five years are described and mapped to the literature on distance…

Evaluation can provide the assessment information for considering program change as well as be integral to the program design and pilot test of any new institutional intervention. (Contains 4 tables.)

A study investigated the effects of changes in institutional aid strategies on student persistence, exploring the implications of increased reliance on loans at a private university. Increases in grants and loans appeared to improve student persistence. However, students' increased loan burden should be considered. The study also suggests that new…

This monograph offers seven case studies and supporting papers on university colleges and undergraduate divisions and their role in shaping the freshman college experience. An introductory section offers a preface, information on the authors and a first chapter "University Colleges Today" by Diane W. Strommer which examines the…

Dropout research reveals that students attending two-year institutions persist at significantly lower rates than students enrolled in four-year schools. In addition, the research indicates that student involvement in campus life at any institution increases the likelihood of persistence. Therefore, a major challenge for student services staff in…

This report examines best practices in the delivery of Student Support Services (SSS), one of the three Special Programs for Disadvantaged Students known as the TRIO programs. Data have shown that participation in student support services has a positive effect on student outcomes, but many participants do not receive enough services to receive…

Research proposals funded by the National Academic Advising Association are summarized. Topics include adult student retention factors, high-risk students' learning processes, undergraduate engineering performance predictors, traditional and computerized advising in research universities, re-entry women, advisor training through case studies,…