A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to assess the extent to which the college's computerized academic alert and advisement system, which advises students of their academic progress halfway into the term, affected the students' academic achievement. The study sought to determine the effects of the system on students' grade…

This paper describes trends in and causes of minority and female representation among holders of advanced science and math degrees. The minority groups studied are Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and Asian Americans, all of whom are compared with Whites. The degrees looked at include those in math, the computer sciences, physical…

The use of arbitration to resolve faculty appointment, retention, promotion, and tenure disputes is addressed, based on a review of specific university arbitration decisions. The arbitration literature reveals that faculty employment status decisions are made almost exclusively with reference to academic judgment. Attributes that are frequently…

For over 15 years, the Dean for Educational Services at Jefferson Community College (New York) has regularly identified and written to students whose mid-term grades indicated that they were in potential academic jeopardy. During fall 1988, a study was conducted to measure the effect of this intervention strategy on grades and persistence. Of the…

Basic principles and techniques for constructing a student tracking system, either at the institutional or system level, are presented and illustrated. The design, development, and utilization of the LONESTAR (Longitudinal Student Tracking and Reporting) system are described. The system, which provides information on student achievement, program…

In the late fall of 1988, a study was undertaken of retention efforts focusing on minority students enrolled in occupational education programs in New York two-year colleges. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent to which the state's colleges had programs or services to facilitate the persistence and retention of minority students…

Topics and trends in literature providing a context for the present crisis in minority student retention are explored, noting a need for data-driven institutional research. Parts of a case study at a major public institution are presented. The study examined Black and Hispanic undergraduate student attrition at a White research institute to:…

Information from the National Longitudinal Study (1972 seniors), the High School and Beyond Study (1980 seniors and sophomores) and the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (1984) is analyzed to compare the patterns of enrollment, persistence, and attainment among these groups from their high school graduation until 1986. Subgroups by sex,…

A study sponsored by the Bureau of Adult and Community Education, Florida Department of Education, was conducted by the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning at Florida State University to compare the success of General Educational Development (GED) and traditional high school graduates at Florida's community colleges. Registrars at each of…

Mexican American college students' views about the context influencing their decision to persist or leave the university were studied. Two sociologies of everyday life, symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology, guided the inquiry. Perceptions of college-going behavior before and during the freshman year were obtained from 18 students and…

A causal model based on Tinto's work was employed to explain the long-term persistence/withdrawal of students who began their postsecondary education in two-year institutions. Persistence was defined as completing the bachelor's degree within a 9-year period, or actively working toward the degree as of 1980. The model was estimated on a national…

In 1981, a study was conducted at three rural community colleges in Maryland to determine whether there was a difference between the college grade point averages (GPAs) of first-time, full-time students who applied early for admissions and the GPAs of students who applied late. The study analyzed applications and GPA data for a total of 700…

The impact of working on academic performance and persistence of a sample of full-time undergraduates enrolled in Washington State's public and private institutions during fall 1983 through spring 1985 was studied. Data sources included: student records for the State Work Study, College Work Study, and nonworking financial aid recipients; and…

A study was conducted at William Rainey Harper college (WRHC) in Illinois to provide basic institutional data about student performance over time. Data were obtained on performance and achievement at WRHC by following samples of 200 full-time and 200 part-time students in successive classes between 1974 and 1984. Study findings revealed: (1) the…

This report, comprised of five separate reports, presents a set of statistical benchmarks for gauging the growth and development of corporate training and education over the last decade. "Summary Findings" (Robert Zemsky) presents in capsule form the technical analyses of the findings of the other four reports. It considers these…