The sustained recruitment and retention of students in STEM majors is a national concern. Although the rate of attrition in these majors is comparable to other majors, the demand for trained scientists to enter the workforce with a baccalaureate degree is high. To enhance retention and support of STEM students from their first year until…

As higher education institutions develop fully online course programs to provide better access for the non-traditional learner, there is increasing interest in identifying students who may be at risk of attrition and poor performance in these online course programs. In our study, we investigate the effectiveness of an online orientation course in…

The low enrollment, retention, and graduation rate among men of color in higher education is a national crisis. The John Jay SEEK Department has created a committee focused exclusively to address this crisis. The committee's work includes focus and weekly support groups. The groups entitled P.O.W.E.R. (Pushing Our Will to Experience Resilience)…

Designing effective student retention programs is of critical importance from both a completion and a monetary standpoint. However, oftentimes colleges attempt to use nationally developed models rather than institutional-specific data to identify potential factors involved in student attrition. At a Midwestern community college, research…

Orienting and welcoming first-year students to campus and to honors programs are often key components of program development. At an institutional level, successful orientation programs can positively affect retention rates from the first to second year. The greater a student's involvement and integration into the life of the university, the less…

This paper describes key success factors for the implementation and development of a LEGO robotics engineering outreach program for elementary school students in West Texas. The outreach program not only aims at getting young students excited about engineering but at the same time aims at improving retention rates among electrical and computer…

Even as the number of students attending college has more than doubled in the past forty years, it is still the case that nearly half of all college students in the United States will not complete their degree within six years. It is clear that much remains to be done toward improving student success. For more than twenty years, Vincent Tinto's…

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…

After many years of focusing on providing black students with access to postsecondary education, attention is being refocused on retaining students through graduation. Critics say that enrollment rates, not commitment, dictate retention efforts and that such programs are isolated, not institutionwide efforts. Some institutions are sharing dropout…

This article concentrates on identifying program goals as an initial, and essential, aspect of developing a program for the retention of minority students in higher education. Focus groups and in-depth interviews that were conducted to identify goals for such a program at a major research university are described. (SLD)

A series of surveys was used to assess the image of Southern Illinois University and to help identify institutional strengths and weaknesses. The surveys collected student and employee views on academic programs, policies, student services, facilities, and general functions. (MLW)

Essential elements of a good marketing plan for higher education institutions are described. What market research is and how the modern concept of marketing differs from the traditional sales approach are discussed as well as market analysis and definition. Also included is a discussion of marketing for proposed new programs. (Author/SF)

Describes the Freshman/Sophomore Minority Teachers Grant Program, a collaborative project among several postsecondary institutions that provides mentors for minority students who are interested in teaching. (YKH)

The Linkage Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice links small groups of entering first-year students with similar academic skills in three courses whose instructors meet beforehand to coordinate assignments and class materials. Describes the evolution and outcomes of the Linkage Program, highlighting its effects on academic persistence.…

Describes the benefits of mentoring for African-American male students. Profiles six successful mentoring programs, highlighting the success of the Faculty Mentor Program at the University of Louisville. Presents eight recommendations for viable, effective mentoring programs to promote the retention, academic achievement, and leadership…