This study provides a comprehensive review of the phenomenon of students dropping out from tertiary education. Student withdrawal is the result of a long decision-making process and complex interaction between several determinants. We first provide an overview of definitions, theoretical models and perspectives of dropping out. Referring to…

High dropout rates constitute a major concern for higher education institutions, due to their economic and academic impact. The problem is particularly relevant for institutions offering online courses, where withdrawal ratios are reported to be higher. Both the impact and these high rates motivate the implementation of interventions oriented to…

Research suggests that student engagement is a multi-faceted construct yet remains essential for student success in higher education. College students' actions, attitudes, and thoughts may serve as indicators for various levels of learning and development. Since online learning slowly emerged as a viable option in higher education, research has…

Second-term general chemistry is a key gateway course at our institution for a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. Herein, we examine data on DFW% (i.e., % of D and F grades and withdrawals) in our general chemistry courses over roughly a quarter-century period, focusing on sections taught by the authors.…

Limited research exists relating to the development and initial implementation of new higher education policies during a crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise, and higher education leaders found themselves adjusting traditional roles and services to help students and staff navigate the crisis. Multiple streams policy theory,…

Online education is fast growing due to its accessibility and scalability, but engineering has fallen behind other fields in adopting and researching the online educational format. Student course-level attrition is a significant issue in online courses. The goal of this dissertation is to better understand the factors that impact course level…

This research rigorously examines the determinants shaping undergraduate student outcomes within two small private Thai universities, specifically Asia-Pacific International University and Krirk University. The emphasis on small private universities is deliberate, given their heightened vulnerability to institutional instability. This…

In January of 2023, Georgia State University proposed a policy stating that, if graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) taught courses that reported grades of Ds, Fs, or withdrawals (DFW) at a rate of twenty percent or higher, GTAs would be required to complete a course on how to teach college students before they could resume their job as a teaching…

We compare student performance before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using three course outcome measures: grades, scores on standardized course-specific assessment tests, and the incidence of dropping, withdrawing, or earning a grade of F. Across 10,000 observations and all business disciplines, grades trended higher throughout pandemic,…

Student support practitioners, who provide personal counseling and academic advising to non-traditional students, play a key role in widening participation efforts, but their perspectives are rarely researched. To address this gap, this study draws on the practice perspective on knowledge and learning, and explores the practice-based knowledge…

Purpose: The extant research on student attrition and retention has relied on models that focus on factors over which universities may have limited control and thus not lead to actionable practices. To address this shortcoming, the authors applied organizational support theory (OST) to test the association between students' perceptions of justice,…

Few studies have examined the contribution of individual psychological factors to long-term indicators of academic success. This study examines the influence of personality and individual difference factors in relation to retention. In this study, 290 Canadian undergraduate students completed measures of personality, resiliency, perfectionism, and…

The Australian higher education sector has promoted internationalisation opportunities for students, including through international studies (IS) courses that entail language and culture study and international exchange. Educators promote internationalisation for many reasons, including enhanced employability, and international studies degrees are…

Higher education leaders align their goals to meet accreditation requirements to achieve a level of quality for their programs. Educational leaders are also committed to expanding their education services and offering an education according to students' preferences and needs. Leaders have attempted to achieve these goals with the integration of…

This study addressed the higher reported failure rates and motivation of college students with ADHD. The problem addressed in this study was that ADHD students withdrew from or failed courses more frequently than non-ADHD students. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative design study was to examine why college students with ADHD were more…