At many institutions of higher education, first-year seminars are meant to help students transition to college life and to provide them with resources and skills to develop socially and academically, supporting persistence (Jamelske, 2009; Janz, 2004). Since their inception, researchers have evaluated the effectiveness of these seminars and their…

The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the role of mentoring on preventing attrition of females in STEM pathways. This particular study examined mentoring sampled women currently in cybersecurity and engineering professions, though the study and subsequent results could be easily applied to other professions. The…

This paper presents a comprehensive research project aimed at investigating the transitional supports necessary for nontraditional students both prior to and following their entry into higher education. The overarching research question guiding this study is, in which states does the YouthBuild Program appear to be most effective? This research…

Many nontraditional students specifically enroll in online degree programs for the scheduling flexibility they afford, given that these students are often balancing work, family, and other obligations. Nevertheless, obligations beyond the classroom are often prioritized when compared to traditional students. Lack of resources and a general…

In 2008, a career-focused university implemented a set of faculty-led retention strategies to address a steady decline in retention. Yet, despite the implementation of this program, retention continued to decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of full-time faculty and part-time faculty regarding what aspects of the…

This Action Research with a survey component study examined the various obstacles that lead to minority student's lack of persistence and failure to graduate two and four year colleges and universities. Minority students have many obstacles that start at a very early age that prevent them from being academically competitive, and travel with them…

Research has yielded much evidence that investing in postsecondary interventions increases retention and success for Hispanic/Latinx undergraduates. This study examines one such intervention, funded by Title V and implemented at a large public Hispanic-Serving Institution, developed to improve semester-to-semester retention. Faculty and peer…

As the enrollment cliff, fueled by declining birthrates and fewer students graduating from high school, continues to challenge colleges and universities to find new enrollment and revenue streams, one area of opportunity is increasing the enrollment of adult learners in on-campus, hybrid, and online programs. Colleges, like Northeast Religious…

Retention, persistence, and academic achievement for first-generation students have become increasingly prevalent with increasing access to higher education. Beyond access, the most discernible challenge relates to their identity as a first-generation college student and the lack of mentorship from their parents in navigating the college…

In the higher education landscape, community colleges have served to help many under-resourced populations gain access to post-secondary education and a chance to pursue their dreams (Bailey, Jaggers, & Jenkins, 2015; Schudde & Goldrick-Rab, 2015). As with many under-resourced populations of students, the stakes are high for incarcerated…

The purpose of this Explanatory Mixed Methods study was to investigate the impact of dual enrollment and mentoring programs on college readiness, retention, and graduation. The current study focused on Point Park University's College Now dual enrollment and mentoring program and the impact on past participants. Furthermore, two phase quan-qual…

Undergraduate research experiences offer a range of positive academic and affective student outcomes. However, these benefits often do not reach all students, as research experiences are often selective, favor high-achieving students, focus on STEM fields, and typically target students in their third or fourth year of undergraduate studies. To…

Many institutions of higher education struggle with low retention rates. One state liberal arts college addressed this concern by assigning an academic case manager to higher risk students. This project evaluated the effectiveness of the case manager on student credit hours and retention using a randomized control trial. The case manager contacted…

Early intervention is a method institutions use to identify and support students who are having academic difficulty and might be designated as "at-risk", or more likely to leave an institution (Villano et al., 2018). Institutions often adopt early alert systems to support early intervention efforts and student retention (Barefoot et al.,…

Beginning in 2016 and with funding from the National Science Foundation, the Rural and Diverse Student Scholars Program at George Mason University supported two cohorts of diverse undergraduate students from rural Virginia in their pursuit of a STEM degree. A holistic program design and individual components aimed to combine to support student…