This study attempted to analyze the drop out problem from spatial perspectives within the context of East Los Angeles Community College, California. Selected urban land-use types, which positively and negatively influence the propensity to drop out or persist-in colleges, were selected and captured during a global positioning system (GPS)-based…

Describes the outcome of a National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS), which found that two-year students were 0.18% less likely to persist for each $100 increase in tuition, more likely to persist if they received subsidies, and 15.96% more likely to persist for every $1,000 in student loan debt outstanding. (Contains 68 references.) (PGS)

States that student retention is significant for measuring institutional effectiveness in the prevailing environment of accountability and budgetary constraints. Presents recommendations for increasing retention, including training staff on retention issues, reviewing admission and advising strategies affecting minority populations, and piloting…

Presents findings from Johnson County Community College follow-up surveys of nonreturning students. Indicates that most nonreturning students had achieved their educational goals, had improved various cognitive and noncognitive behaviors because of their college experiences, and planned to reenroll in college eventually. Describes reasons for…

Describes a study comparing the scores of 515 community college students on communication apprehension measures to published norms of 4-year students and working adults. Finds that community college students had higher apprehension levels than both groups. Suggests that higher communication apprehension levels can lead to higher levels of…

Reviews the current emphasis on quality in Canada and the United States, focusing on measures and the implications of attrition research on improving institutional quality. Reviews principles and practices of retention, including the use of freshman profiles, early warning systems, monitoring student progress/attitudes, and program analyses. (54…

Describes the results of an ongoing course attrition study, designed to determine which classes were most often dropped and the factors impacting students' decisions to drop them. Students cited conditions both within and beyond the control of college administration as influential. (JDI)

Lists and defines more than 20 variables that institutional researchers may choose when researching retention at community colleges, based on Tinto's and Bean's models of retention. States that independent variables can be used to develop and implement retention studies at researchers' own institutions. (Contains 23 references.) (AUTH/NB)