Presents findings from Johnson County Community College follow-up surveys of nonreturning students. Indicates that most nonreturning students had achieved their educational goals, had improved various cognitive and noncognitive behaviors because of their college experiences, and planned to reenroll in college eventually. Describes reasons for…

A study was conducted at St. Louis (Missouri) Community College (SLCC) to assess the extent to which data on nonreturning students represent retention problems, the achievement of non-degree goals, or the process of temporarily stopping out. Study findings, based on a 27% response to a summer 1986 survey of 1,706 fall 1985 students who did not…

In spring 1987, a study was conducted at Monroe Community College (MCC) to determine the factors which influence attrition and retention, with particular focus on the reasons why students who have not graduated fail to return for succeeding semesters. Questionnaires were mailed to 452 former students, requesting information on students' rankings…

As the entering-college population dwindles and competition to attract this population increases among colleges, student retention has become a primary concern for community colleges. Assessing the extent of the dropout problem is particularly problematic for community colleges, as they are institutions geared to the facilitation of ease of…

In spring 1995, Westchester Community College (WCC), in New York, surveyed all 1,208 students who attended WCC for the first time in fall 1993 but did not return the following spring semester to determine their reasons for not returning. Study findings, based on an analysis of responses from 241 (20%) of the students and demographic…

Each year, 14,500 to 16,500 students begin at a Washington technical or community college with the goal of completing a degree at that college. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has developed a longitudinal reporting system to track the progress of these students. In the system, students are tracked even if they stop out and…

Examines the dropout/stopout patterns of community college developmental education students. Finds that student success is associated with enrollment patterns, initial skill deficiencies, and age, and that community college students who enrolled for consecutive semesters outperformed students with other types of enrollment patterns. (Contains 26…

A research project investigated 2,313 persons who attended Del Mar College (Texas) during fall 1990 but did not enroll for spring 1991. Four sets of data were collected: (1) limited demographic information on the total student body; (2) demographic information drawn from school records to describe all nonreturnees; (3) demographic information…

A study was conducted at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) to examine student enrollment and retention patterns; quarter-to-quarter retention; retention rates by full-time/part-time status, sex, race, and age; cumulative graduation rates; and the relationship between first-quarter academic performance and subsequent quarter enrollment.…

Describes a study conducted at Del Mar College (Texas) to provide the college with baseline data on its nonreturnees and to test the feasibility of gathering interview information over the phone. Defines relevant terms, outlines the data-gathering process, and presents study findings and recommendations regarding data collection and the focus of…

In February 1994, a study was conducted at Macomb Community College (MCC), in Warren, Michigan, to determine the reasons that students failed to return to MCC. A computer-generated random sample of 1,585 names was drawn from a population of more than 13,000 students identified as non-returning students (NRS's), i.e., who had not enrolled in any…

In 1986, a study was conducted at Rancho Santiago College (RSC) to determine the reasons that students whose educational goal was to transfer to a four-year college did not complete their objective. In fall 1983, 6,030 of the students enrolled at RSC indicated on their application for admission that they planned to transfer to a four-year college.…

In July 1988, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) initiated the Systematic Assessment of Leavers (SAL), a 2-year, 2-phase research activity to develop and implement a monitoring process to identify the personal, demographic, institutional, and environmental factors associated with leaving the college. The target populations of the study were…

A study was conducted at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) to examine student retention in two ways. First, the percentage of fall 1987 students who returned for classes the following spring was calculated for several student groups. Second, students entering PGCC for the first time in 1980 were tracked in terms of attendance and degree…

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.…