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…

This fall 1999 survey of new Salt Lake Community College (SLCC, Utah) students compared the clarity of career and educational goals expressed by General Studies majors with other students, and considered implications with respect to student success. General Studies majors, representing 35% of the student population, include students with…

Two contrasting hypotheses about the effects of community colleges--the view that these institutions "cool out" those who might attend four-year colleges, and the view that they increase schooling for students who would otherwise have no access to higher education--are presented. A model of educational attainment is discussed. (Author/MLW)

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…

This paper presents a status report on efforts to assess institutional effectiveness at the Community College of Pennsylvania (CCP). Part I provides a description of the methodological and procedural considerations which have guided efforts to understand institutional effectiveness. First, a description is provided of the conceptual foundation for…

This presentation examines Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), Wisconsin, students' goals and how those goals relate to academic persistence. Students who registered for Spring 2003 classes via the Internet were funneled through a brief survey. Survey results indicate that 59% of students aimed to complete a program, 23% aimed to complete 1…

The importance of considering the students's goal for attending community college in examining attrition is addressed. A total of 282 new students (18% of all new students) entering a community college in fall 1990 were tracked. Four items from the Entering Student Information Survey were examined: the degree the student plans to work toward at…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Since 1988, South Carolina's Piedmont Technical College (PTC) has been engaged in a process to develop a functional model for calculating student retention. The college has defined retention as a series of levels at which students and the college persist and work to fulfill goals. This definition is based on the ideas that there is no single…

In March 1996, California's Cabrillo College (CC) conducted a survey of students who were enrolled in spring 1995 or fall 1995 but did not return the following semesters. Questionnaires were mailed to 1,207 students, requesting information on whether they had achieved their educational goals, factors at CC that had influenced their decision not to…

This paper analyzes changes in educational aspirations and related constructs as an approach to understanding student careers. It explores the effects of beginning postsecondary education in a two-year college versus a four-year college/university, after controlling for background characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and…

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)