Retention research in the four-year college setting has traditionally assumed that students intend to achieve a degree, and that when a student leaves school, either the college or the student has failed. In an effort to demonstrate that such assumptions do not apply when examining retention among two-year college students, Brookdale Community…

Research on student withdrawals has largely ignored the issue of stop-outs, those students who withdraw from a college or university but subsequently reenroll. As a result, student withdrawals have been seen as an attrition issue. However, this study suggests they should be viewed as a retention possibility rather than an attrition issue. This…

This report contains four case studies from further education colleges in England that have been addressing student retention and dropout issues during the last several years. The case studies demonstrate successful student retention strategies in diverse college contexts with different student populations. They cover the following colleges:…

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…

More adults are attending college in Finland, so that now approximately one-third of university students, including one-fourth of undergraduates are aged 30 years or over. A study using national data and adult history accounts found these three reasons connected with the change of the age structure in universities: studying for a second university…

Graduation rates are often used indicators of the performance of institutions of higher education. How institutions are represented can be profoundly affected by different approaches used to develop the data for the rates. The impact of variations in how these rates are constructed is illustrated by the example of the City University of New York…

Designed as a forum for the exchange of information among members of the National Council for Research and Planning (NCRP), this journal provides articles on various aspects of community college research, management, and planning. The two issues of volume 6 contain the following articles: (1) "The President's Forum: What Have We Accomplished?" by…

This study relates the personal characteristics, high school experiences, and college experiences of students pursuing a baccalaureate degree to the type of institution they attended and their ethnicity. Multivariate analysis was performed on data drawn from the High School and Beyond database. Summary conclusions include the following: (1)…

The Saint Paul Foundation contracted with the Wilder Research Center to conduct an evaluation of their Two Feathers Scholarship Program. The Two Feathers Scholarship Program is funded through the Two Feathers Endowment, which is one part of the Foundation's SpectrumTrust. SpectrumTrust is a unique partnership between communities of color and The…

In 1990, a study was conducted at Snead State Junior College (SSJC) of students who were enrolled at the college in fall 1989 or winter 1990 but did not return in the subsequent quarter. Of 661 students identified as nonreturning, 489 were surveyed by telephone to determine their reasons for not returning. Demographic data on these students were…

This Department of Education (ED) Tabulation presents a wide range of data on patterns of stopping out and dropping out from postsecondary education (PE) that 1972, 1980, and 1982 high school graduates experienced. The data compare how these respective cohorts differ by examining the percentage who attend continuously; they also describe patterns…

In 1988, a retrospective study was conducted at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) of the enrollment patterns of 1,521 students who graduated from the district in spring 1987. The study was designed to determine the length of time it took a sample of CCC graduates to receive a two-year degree. Data for the study were drawn from computerized and…

Females, minorities, and older students are entering higher education at an increasing rate. The influx of these "nontraditional" students has led to quite different enrollment patterns, in which stopping out of college and part-time enrollment are common. Most students have objectives that are not synonymous with earning a baccalaureate degree…

This research brief reviews and analyzes national data on college going, persistence, and graduation. It compares characteristics of students who enter college immediately after high school graduation with other types of postsecondary entrants, considers traditional versus nontraditional paths of college going, and examines college persisters and…

The Peralta Community College District (PCCD) is comprised of four comprehensive, public, two-year colleges serving a diverse student population of 28,000. In response to state-mandated matriculation research requirements, and to an invitation to participate in a national study of student outcomes in urban community colleges, PCCD conducted a…