Describing outcomes related to student retention and graduation in the University System of Georgia, this six-part report discusses definitions and assumptions pertaining to retention and compares success rates for black, white, developmental studies, and regularly-admitted freshmen students in USG senior and two-year colleges. Section 1 provides…

A study of nearly 100 freshman community college students' perceptions of their educational experiences and motivations through focus group interviews found that, despite high dropout rates, community college students can become successful students. The study concluded that students will be more likely to persist if institutions help them to be…

This report presents data on the effectiveness of the California Community Colleges as of fall 1994 in the areas of student access (measured by student enrollment and participation rates); student success (measured by student goals, persistence, completion rates, and employment information); staff composition (measured by workload and gender and…

This report analyzes patterns of undergraduate transfer behavior of students who entered postsecondary education during the academic year 1989-90. Data were derived from the spring 1994 follow-up of the 1990 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. The report notes that attendance at multiple institutions is widespread: at 4-year…

This study examined the characteristics of part-time students at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) and Athabasca University (Alberta, Canada), an open admissions undergraduate distance education university. Also called adult students or non-traditional students, part-time students have been viewed as a homogenous group despite marked…

This report presents data on the plans and expectations, preparation and course-taking patterns, college enrollment rates, and college persistence and completion of minorities in comparison with the majority, white population. The data reported show the following: (1) that while almost all high school seniors expect to complete at least some…

A two-phase study examined the incidence and nature of dropout and progression from basic skills programs in England and Wales. During the first (retrospective) phase, data about 1,920 students' attendance/dropout patterns and reasons' for finishing/leaving their basic skills programs were obtained from 82 tutors (of more than 300 contacted) in 8…

This report provides fall 1993 data on the demographic makeup of the student body at College of the Canyons, in California, as well as course completion, persistence, graduation, and transfer rates for students by gender and ethnic group. The report's six sections focus on the indicators of access, course completion, persistence, degree and…

Fifty-five tables, 31 figures, and text examine enrollment, student characteristics, and student financial aid in Oklahoma public and independent institutions of higher education. The data are organized in the following categories: introduction, student inflow, enrollments, distribution, student progression, transfer of students, enrollment…

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…

This report presents selected performance measures of California's community colleges during the 1993-94 academic year in the areas of student access (measured by student enrollment and participation rates), student success (measured by student goals, persistence, completion rates, and employment information), staff composition (measured by…

To help new students clarify goals, understand the demands of college, and successfully adjust to college life, Queensborough Community College (QCC), in Bayside, New York, developed the "Introduction to College" program. The program combines a 4-week orientation seminar with a writing-accross-the-curriculum approach to help QCC's…

The ALANA (Asian, Latin, African, and Native American) Mentoring Program was established at Saint Clair County Community College, in Port Huron, Michigan, to address the identity issues facing ALANA freshmen through peer mentoring. Mentors provide social and academic support, support students in thinking critically and role playing, and directly…

This paper explores the practical implications of the distributional perspective on dropping out of school--a perspective that says that the concentration of student exodus from certain schools may reflect the impact of contextual or organizational factors as opposed to those that operate simply at the individual level. Based on data from the…

Reasons why some students complete further education (FE) and others drop-out were examined in a study involving a sample of 9,000 students and staff from 31 inner city, urban, and rural FE colleges throughout the United Kingdom. Data were collected from the following sources: interviews with FE college managers, staff, and students; review of…