Purpose: The purpose of this integrative literature review was three-fold: to explore the phenomenon of women's career interruptions as revealed by publications in the past two decades, to propose a new career decision tree model (CDTM) and to outline an agenda for future research. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopted the integrative…

With the increasing availability of high-quality longitudinal data on students in higher education, scholars' interest in how students proceed through higher education has risen. So far, the research field is diverse in theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. Thus, based on 27 studies published in (higher) education research…

Almost all studies of retention inappropriately combine stopouts with transfer-outs because of a lack of data. The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) (formerly called the National Student Loan Clearinghouse) created a new database that tracks students across institutions. These data, in combination with institutional databases, now allow…

Discusses empirical problems in confining college student retention studies to stay-versus-go outcomes, reviewing data resources (exit surveys, transcript requests, withdrawn student surveys, state transfer student databases, and the National Student Clearinghouse's Enrollment Search Program), which can enhance understanding of first-year…

This paper reviews current approaches for tracking student progress in postsecondary education, focusing on the context of emerging policy and information needs at the state, national and institutional levels and on the capabilities and limits of currently available information technology. The paper consists of six main sections. First the growing…

One of the themes frequently appearing in the literature on student retention is that a primary determinant of student persistence is the interaction between students and faculty. Research reveals that students' educational intentions, goal commitment, and integration into the social and academic environment of the college are also influential.…

Arguing that retention research requires a sound theoretical framework and that retention planning takes place within a sociopolitical context, this paper presents an overview of the requirements and process of student retention research. Part I examines the role of research in a college's retention effort and establishes the general requirements…

A survey of literature on adult learning and learners conducted for Palau Community College (PCC), Koror, Palau, found a lack of literature specific to the United States-affiliated Pacific region. Background information was compiled on development of formal education in Palau. A survey was administered in fall 2001 to adult learners working toward…

An examination of the effect of financial aid on college and university enrollment during a period of steady-state and decline is presented with a focus on the student's decision to go or not to go to college, to matriculate at a private or public college, to attend an in-state or out-of-state school, to transfer from a community college to a…

Reasons for the lack of agreement among studies of persistence are considered, using a simplified causal model. Two major theoretical perspectives used in studying the educational careers of college entrants are summarized: (1) the Tinto or institutional persistence theory, which draws mainly on the discipline of education and applied…

Three papers comprise this symposium on women and career development. "Enhancing the Career Success of Women Faculty: Mentoring as a Human Resource Development (HRD) Initiative in Higher Education" (Sharon K. Gibson) explores mentoring of women faculty, focusing on the key dimensions of roles and functions, outcomes, gender, and formal…