A study was conducted at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) to determine the relationship between student educational objectives and retention/attrition rates. The study followed 4,502 students who came to the college for the first time in winter 1985 for five quarters, through winter 1986. The students were asked to indicate their…

Because of the unique nature of community colleges, no single model or calculation of attrition can fit all institutions. Each college falls somewhere on the continuum between the degree-oriented junior college, in which students pursue a linear pattern of enrollment from entry to graduation, to the consumer-oriented community college, in which…

John Tyler Community College (JTCC) conducts a regular investigation of students who leave the institution after one or more quarters of study in an effort to determine reasons for their withdrawal, objective for enrolling, goal achievement, and current occupational status and future educational goals. A systematic random sample of all…

Queries which college serves best: one with 10,000 part-time students or one with 2,500 full-time students? Deems the services rendered dissimilar, but the costs about the same. Discusses attrition rates and transfer success and the relationship between academic persistence and goal attainment. (DMM)

Intended as a resource to help decrease student withdrawal and increase student success at California's Santa Monica College, this report presents results from a study of student withdrawal and success rates for 8 sessions, from winter 1994 through fall 1994. Following an overview of the project and general observations based on findings, tables…

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.…

In the Maryland community colleges, a Success Rate Indicator is used to measure student success and is determined from the graduation, transfer, and still-enrolled status of a cohort of first-time full-time students after 4 years. The information is obtained by matching enrollment and graduation files from all public colleges in Maryland. Students…

A study was conducted to document the progress of students who entered Napa Valley College (NVC) in fall 1984 with the educational objective of earning a degree or certificate. Persistence rates, changes in enrollment status, grades, and withdrawal patterns of 2,319 first-time college students were monitored from fall 1984 to spring 1986. Study…

This paper examines the implications of the California Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of community college students with respect to college admissions and records, and concerns such as recruitment, registration, attrition, grading, probation and dismissal, and reporting. After an introduction to the institutional role of admissions and records…

In 1988, a telephone survey was conducted of students at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) who were enrolled in fall 1987, but who were not registered for spring 1988. The purposes of the study were to ascertain students' reasons for not returning to PGCC and to determine what the college could have done to influence the non-returning…

The implications of the California Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of community college students are considered from the standpoint of finance. After identifying the major problem facing community colleges as their ability to cope with the ever-increasing diversity of students, the paper presents selected SLS findings and offers observations on…

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…