Understanding student engagement with the institution from the first day of classes to the end of the semester would help inform the institution of the potential risk that a student will drop out of a class or of the school. Learning Management Systems (LMS) record student interactions with the system and might be able to be used to identify…

In the United States, doctoral students have a fifty percent chance of graduating from their institutions with a doctoral degree (Berelson, 1960; Bowen & Rudenstein, 1992; Lovitts, 2001; Sowell et al., 2015); however, this percentage decreases when race and ethnicity are included (Lovitts, 2001; Nettles & Millett, 2006). Research indicates…

At a community college in the state of Florida, student retention has become a critical concern because more than half of the first-year first-generation students fail to graduate. That rate is four times higher than for other first-year students. Guided by Tinto's Student Integration Model as the conceptual framework, this intrinsic qualitative…

To ensure the successful academic progress and enjoyment of postsecondary education students, it is crucial for both instructors and students to make every effort to eliminate or reduce boredom and complacency in the classroom. This factor is particularly important, given the numerous challenges that students currently face, which can hinder their…

Mentorship-based interventions have been found to have positive effects for youth at-risk of negative academic and behavioral outcomes. Implementation studies of school-based mentorship programs, such as the Check & Connect (C&C) program, have mixed results with some studies supporting positive academic and behavioral outcomes for students…

Predicting students' performance to identify which students are at risk of receiving a D/Fail/Withdraw (DFW) grade and ensuring their timely graduation is not just desirable but also necessary in most educational entities. In the US, not only is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) major becoming less popular among…

While the value of mentoring has long been presumed in the literature as well as in practices, little is known about the success of formal, and informal mentoring practices (Crisp, 2010; Crisp & Cruz, 2009; & Ward & Ball, 2016). In addition, there is a lack of research on community college student mentoring in higher education…

On average, college retention and completion rates are lower for Black students than their White peers at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). PWIs that utilize Early Alert/Warning Systems without inclusive processes may alienate African American/Black students, which could lead to attrition if these students ascribe negative meanings to the…

This qualitative phenomenological study sought answers about how first-year Tennessee Promise students viewed their experiences with the scholarship program. The Tennessee Promise scholarship was designed to allow more high school graduates to attend community college or technical school tuition-free. This statewide program was the first of its…

First-generation students comprise nearly half of the college going population, but are also disproportionately more likely to drop out of college before their third year (RTI International, 2019). Scholars tend to argue that first-generation college students lack the social capital, or access to resource rich networks that can provide information…

The purpose of this proposed study was to address the issue of the effectiveness of community college retention programs, particularly their impact on poor or low-income students. Indeed, this study sought to identify actions and events that contributed to students choosing to drop out and the positive impact that college retention programs did or…

This dissertation examined the decision-making experience of students receiving an early alert notification at a community college and what influenced students' responses to the alert. Early alert programs are identified as a high impact persistence practice and may involve significant financial, technology, and personnel investments. Examining…

The attrition of Black males in higher education has garnered much attention within recent years. Subsequently, programming specific to this issue has been developed to intervene; however, there is very little research that has captured the impact of such initiatives. The current study employed a mixed methods approach to evaluate the effect a…

This generic qualitative research study was designed to explain the benefits associated with applying self-regulation skills such as time management, being organized, staying focused, and prioritization, to avoid dropping out of an online college program. The theoretical framework for this study is social cognitive theory and self-regulation…

Many community college students in the U.S. do not complete a credential or degree, thus facing dramatically reduced earning potential (Levesque, 2018). The purpose of this study was to understand and examine why students drop out with the intent of developing practical and feasible solutions to prevent them from dropping out. This Action Research…