This article discusses the current dropout rate, as great as 70 percent in colleges and universities, and the need to alleviate this problem. (HS)

The history and status of research on college student attrition are reviewed, and research design and measurement deficiencies that have reduced the accuracy or usefulness of results or hindered appropriate policy formation are discussed. (MSE)

Statistics on the drop-add tendencies of undergraduates at Clemson University were compiled. Three semesters were compared collectively, and it was discovered that numerous students had dropped at least one course in two of the three semesters and others in all three semesters. Profiles were built on these two groups. (MLW)

A study of transcripts of adult students and younger counterparts to examine patterns of credit load, stopping out, and the flow from special student status to matriculant is presented. Results support earlier findings about academic achievement, and presents new evidence that adult students' pace is generally brisker than previously assumed. (MSE)

Issues and considerations likely to be confronted in designing and constructing longitudinal institutional databases or studies are examined, including operational definitions of retention and attrition. The intent is to reduce current limitations in dropout research. (MSE)

A study of student attrition rates in 15 Florida junior colleges considered students' educational objectives and plans to reach them. Responses show two groups commonly mislabeled dropouts: those who originally planned to take one or more courses and those who left planning to return. Only two percent were considered legitimate dropouts. (JT)

The use of computer graphics techniques in a study of attrition at the University of Akron is outlined to illustrate potential applications. The techniques produce information that is more readily interpreted than the usual data tables. Specific software information and illustrations are included. (MSE)

A study of student retention at the University of Missouri--St. Louis focused on the behavior of stopouts. Retention of first-time freshmen was higher than that of transfers, but the cumulative percentage of graduates of transfers by the fourth year was double that of first-time freshmen. Males showed higher retention rates, as did Whites over…

Argues that assessment, outcomes measurement, and prediction of attrition are separate but highly interrelated phenomena, with none meaningfully understood without reference to the other two. Suggests that the assessment process be the initial exercise, followed by periodic outcomes measurement used in conjunction with the assessment data to…

Results, limitations, and policy recommendations emerging from a series of four studies of the attendance patterns, achievement, and persistence of freshmen and transfer students new to the three Regents' Universities of Iowa in the academic years 1960-61, 1965-66, 1970-71, and 1975-76 are reported. (MSE)

The executive committee of a combined sixth-year Baccalaureate-M.S. degree program instituted the administration of exit interviews to gain systematic information about why students leave the program prematurely. The committee hoped to assess the school's admissions procedures, its educational policies, and its student support services. (MLW)

Compared three types of orientation programs offered to new students at Salisbury State University (Maryland) traditional, alternative, and outdoor. Findings suggested enrollees in the outdoor program had better adjustment and higher retention rates than enrollees in other programs. The study concluded that interaction/ collaboration among…

The development and findings of a student questionnaire (MOSS) concerning college climate and dropouts is presented. Survey results identify nine academic program aspects that seemed to discriminate between students planning to remain until degree completion and those planning to drop out. The questionnaire is appended. (MSE)

Student retention at the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill is examined using different student levels (freshman, transfer, masters, professional, and doctoral) as a basis for comparison. Intrainstitutional data have the advantage of being readily available and they highlight the difference among levels within the institution. Understanding…