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…

Examined in this study were faculty perceptions of students who do not continue their college education. Also examined was how urban and rural community colleges faculty perceived academic preparation, work ethics, and institutional support as predictors of student success. In this predictive study of community college faculty, 36 faculty members…

In response to the increasing challenge for community colleges to uphold their mission of accessibility with an open door policy, while being held accountable for student success, higher education administrators and counselors need to have a better comprehension on the relationship among community college students, institutional enrollment…

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions of underprepared college students who had participated in a first-year learning community at an urban, culturally diverse, commuter campus in the southeastern United States. Perceptions of graduates and those who earned at least 30 college-level credit hours were compared to…

College student persistence and dropout have been studied for decades, but little inquiry has focused on community college or private two-year college students. Although about half of first-time postsecondary students enroll in a two-year college, researchers understand little about why only approximately a quarter of these degree-seekers complete…

The population of rural America has faced changes as the manufacturing industries that once assured jobs for those living in rural areas have moved or closed. Small towns have become smaller as younger residents move away for employment or educational opportunities. As these changes take place rural citizens face increased challenges in the wake…

While approximately 62% of high school graduates enroll in college, almost half of these students do not return for their second year in school. This demonstratable gap in college interest and reaching actual goals speaks to a need for information on how to facilitate the precollege guidance process to achieve more successful high school graduate…

Existing research demonstrates a strong relationship between the prevalence of irregular enrollment patterns among community college students and their low rates of degree attainment (Adelman 2006; Bahr 2009; Berkner et al. 2000; Goldrick-Rab 2004, 2007; Horn and Nevill 2006). However, very little is known about the features and processes that…

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that affect students' persistence in completion of the GED. Exploration of characteristics of participants that do/do not persist and obtain their GED assists the high school dropout, potential GED recipient, GED program staff, and society as a whole. More information was needed in order to…

A qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted through interviews with 20 non-traditional (NT) Hispanic/Latino female part-time community college students and located at an urban community college in southern New Jersey explored for factors of persistence and discontinuation. Six themes emerged. Theme 1: Institutional persistence…

In an attempt to better understand students' reasons for withdrawing from Cerritos College, a follow-up postage-paid postcard questionnaire was sent to a sample of 1,027 students who had withdrawn between the first and tenth week of the Fall semester of 1972. Of the questionnaires, 34.3% were completed and returned. Analyses of the responses…

A study was made to determine the reasons that students drop Introduction to Business at Cuyahoga Community College-Metropolitan Campus. Of 422 students who were enrolled in the course during the winter quarter of 1974, 103 withdrew. An attempt was made to reach by telephone all students who had withdrawn from the course. Of the 52 who were…

Analyzed data for three cohorts of male, African-American community college students in a longitudinal design for three semesters, and used logistic regression to identify factors that best predict retention. Found that high school grades, age, number of courses, a positive view of personal skills, clear high goals, and the early identification of…

Of 1,629 students enrolled in the fall semester of 1975 at Allegany Community College, 340 (20.9 percent) did not re-register for spring 1976. Although the fall enrollment contained almost twice as many full-time as part-time students, more than half of the non-returning students were part-time. Attrition also correlated to age of the students,…

This study of a random sample of 125 nongraduates and withdrawals from a Canadian community college found that the most frequently given reasons for noncompletion were school related, e.g., lack of interest, test failure, boredom, and dislike of teachers or courses. (SK)