A sample of students who withdrew from Mesa (Arizona) Community College (MCC) during spring 1986 was surveyed to determine reasons for withdrawal and dropout characteristics. Study findings included the following: (1) the primary reason for withdrawing was conflicting job hours, with 52% of the students who were employed working over 40 hours per…

The development and current status of "special-action" admissions at the undergraduate level are considered for the University of California and California State University, and recommendations are offered for strengthening the special-action admissions process. Special-action admissions provides some flexibility in admitting students…

A study was conducted to compare the academic progress of two-year college transfers, four-year college transfers, and continuing sophomores and juniors (natives) at the University of Illinois at Chicago as measured by mean grade point average (GPA), academic status, and continued enrollment through 2 years after transfer. Student data for each…

Ten predictors of academic performance and persistence for adult college students were studied with 100 college juniors and seniors at Mercy College. The 10 variables are: time spent at work/employment, ability to pay for education, time spent at study, place of study, ability to get to school, ability to get course of choice, ability to get a…

The hierarchical clustering technique was used to differentiate college dropouts from persisters, and to determine how student clusters differ from one another on relevant outcome variables. Subjects were 618 freshmen who entered a community college with the intention of completing a two-year associate degree. There were 432 persisters who…

The effects of receiving scholarships on female students age 25 or older was studied at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). Questionnaire responses were received from 21 recipients of Newcombe Scholarships, which are awarded to mature, second career, and/or disabled female students at UMCP. The respondents received awards in 1981…

In response to a request by the Anchorage Native Caucus and the Anchorage Native Education Coalition, this study by the Anchorage School District Community Relations Department focuses on the Alaskan Native dropout problem. The study indicates that between September 1976 and March 1981, Native Alaskans, who compose approximately 4% of the total…

In response to charges that the transfer programs of California's community colleges are not functioning well, this report examines the role and operation of baccalaureate-level courses at Bakersfield College (BC). Introductory material outlines the multiple purposes served by baccalaureate-level courses in California's community colleges and…

Beginning in 1978, Fullerton College implemented a mandatory assessment/placement program designed to assess student skills, ameliorate skill deficiencies through basic instruction, and place students in classes appropriate to their level of competency. A study was conducted to determine the impact of the skills prerequisite system on the progress…

A study, examining why some students in a credentials program chose not to become teachers, had three purposes: (1) to describe processes involved in becoming a "statistical dropout"; (2) to describe unsuccessful recruitment and socialization processes to improve the knowledge base and to understand where future interventions could be made; and…

In 1989, a study was conducted of the transfer rates achieved by the University of Minnesota's General College (GC) students. In order to collect a body of comparative statistics, a literature review was conducted on the accuracy of transfer rate calculations, national data on transfer rates, variables believed to affect transfer, and indicators…

A study was conducted at a rural community college to explore the process by which adult women who had returned to college decided whether to persist or drop out. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women who had been identified as exceptional in that they either persisted and graduated even though they had been initially identified as…

Results of a 1984 needs survey for 11,540 students at 16 campuses of The California State University (CSU) are presented, along with comparisons to a 1981 survey. Information is included on student characteristics, life and educational goals, levels of satisfaction with campus academic and social experiences; and obstacles to student retention.…

This report presents a discussion of articulation and transfer between community colleges and four-year institutions and points to future directions for transfer education. Chapter I examines the current situation regarding transfer education including background information on transfer enrollments; a summary of the literature on transfer…

A study examined the attitudes and learning strategies, and their relationships to achievement, of university students enrolled in elementary Spanish (n=88) and elementary Japanese (n=121) for one academic year. For both groups of students, the classroom was seen as the most relevant context for language learning. Specific classroom behaviors…