Increasingly, a majority of postsecondary students are following nonlinear paths in the pursuit of educational and career goals. Practical steps are described that can be taken to track and evaluate the success of such students. A particularly promising practice involves data sharing and exchanges with state agencies and other higher education…

The "Guided Studies" program at a comprehensive community college was evaluated. The program was designed to restrict student course enrollment until academic deficiencies could be erased through successful completion of courses in developmental education. The persistence rates and academic performance of students placed in the program…

Increasing recent research on nontraditional students has uncovered anomalies and inconsistencies in Tinto's model of student persistence patterns, especially with regard to academic and social integration. It is hypothesized that these inconsistencies are a product of the heterogeneous nature of nontraditional student populations, combined with…

This case study of a student retention program for at-risk students at Mount Hood Community College (Oregon) contends that student retention programs are seldom as holistic and comprehensive as intended. The study analyzed three areas: the design and implementation of a comprehensive program to improve student retention; the organizational…