A study was conducted to determine why applicants to the DeKalb Area Vocational-Technical School did not show up for admissions testing and enrollment or did not complete programs which they began. The study identified four groups of non-completers: "no shows" (i.e., applicants who failed to report for admissions testing); "test outs" (i.e.,…

In 1989, staff from Rancho Santiago College's (RSC's) research office conducted telephone interviews with a random sample of 255 out of the 17,359 former students who attended RSC in spring 1989 but did not return for the next semester. The study was conducted to determine why students did not return, whether they accomplished their educational…

As part of a student retention project conducted at Spoon River College (SRC), specific populations served by SRC were identified; strategies to increase retention of particular student populations were developed; students in need of assistance were identified; and a transfer graduate follow-up study and two cohort tracking studies involving all…

A telephone survey was conducted at John Tyler Community College (JTCC) to determine the initial goals, reasons for leaving, current activities, plans, and characteristics of students who left the college after one or more quarters of attendance. Telephone calls were made to all 103 full-time students and a 17% sample of the part-time students…

A retention study was conducted at Tallahassee Community College (TCC) to determine reasons student withdrew from TCC prior to meeting their educational objectives. The survey population consisted of all students, apart from graduates and those who had been academically suspended, who were enrolled in winter 1981 but had not returned by winter…

A study was conducted at MiraCosta College (MCC), in Del Mar, California, to investigate various aspects of retention and attrition and to make recommendations for possible program enhancements. The study sought to determine when students drop out of classes, which students drop out of school completely, and the drop out rate for various…

As part of a continuing program of monitoring the number of student withdrawals and tuition refunds at William Rainey Harper College, students dropping courses during fall 1980 were surveyed to determine their characteristics and reasons for withdrawal. Students who simply stopped attending courses were not included in the study. The survey…

In Spring 1980, a study was conducted at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) to determine selected information about students who indicated during Fall semester registration that they intended to return the following Spring, but who failed to do so. One aspect of the study involved a comparison of returning and non-returning students with…

A study was undertaken at College of the Canyons, in California, to determine the underlying reasons for student attrition. Questionnaires were mailed to all 2,511 students who had officially withdrawn from the college between fall 1992 and spring 1994. A total of 391 completed questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 16%. Results…

To gather data on factors associated with the withdrawal of first-time students before they achieved their educational goals, Riverside Community College (RCC), in California, conducted a study of 742 students who were attending RCC for the first time in 1994-95. The students were surveyed by telephone during their first and second semesters and…

A follow-up study was conducted at Sierra College (California) to determine why students who dropped out of all of their classes during fall 1984 left the college. The dropout population included 1,549 students, of whom only 374 (27%) returned to college in spring 1985. A survey instrument was sent to all withdrawing students, requesting…

A study was conducted at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) to determine the elements which contribute to student attrition. Two separate groups of non-returning students were surveyed in 1982 and 1984. The first group was composed of students who attended MCCC in spring 1981, but did not return in fall 1981 or spring 1982. The second group…

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…

The project described in this report was piloted at Florida Community College during fall 1985 to review policies and practices that can facilitate the retention of students, to propose a system of data collection and dissemination designed to provide routine, useful information about the retention of students, and to establish communications…

A study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine why students withdrew from courses at two off-campus centers. Surveys were administered to a sample of 54 degree credit and 46 continuing education students who withdrew from classes at Hawthorne Center (HC) in fall 1981, and to 56 degree credit and 44 continuing education…