Graduates and nongraduates of higher educational institutions have long been a focus of widespread research over the last two decades. Research findings reveal that graduating from a school of higher education is a bridge to better personal status, institutional progress, and national well being. (SSH)

Compared characteristics of students (N=180) who withdrew from a university after completing two years of a baccalaureate program. Dropouts, stopouts, and transfers reported that four factors were related to withdrawal decisions: academic environment, financial demands, career focus, and social/personal environment. Discusses implications of…

Presents the findings of a study investigating student and teacher perceptions of the academic abilities of students enrolled in liberal arts courses; students' need for and use of support services; and course attrition rates. Suggests alternatives to promote student success. (WL)

Glass' (1976) meta-analytic techniques were used to integrate findings from 59 independent evaluations of computer-based college teaching. The meta-analysis found little relationship among study findings and design features of the experiments, settings for the studies, or manner and date of publication of the findings. (Author/GK)

Cites references from the ERIC junior college collection which relate to retention and persistence in the community college and includes a bibliography of doctoral dissertations on the subject. (AYC)

A study of 2,100 freshmen at a public university examined the relationship of financial aid at 3 levels (receipt of any aid, total amount of aid, type/amount of aid), grade point average, and full- versus part-time attendance to persistence from the first to the second semester. With the exception of scholarships, financial aid did not affect…

This paper reviews a study of persistence patterns of first-time first-year students during 1986-90 in all public senior institutions (n=35) in Texas. The study provides data to assist student affairs practitioners to evaluate their own attrition problem and to compare and delineate their patterns from a statewide perspective. (GLR)

A study used theory elaboration to help revise Tinto's interactionalist theory of individual student departure from college to include the effects of organizational attributes on student withdrawal. Results provide strong support for including concepts from organizational theory and suggest future research should use theory elaboration to look for…

Describes a study that analyzes variables affecting students' decisions to withdraw from liberal arts and science courses. Findings indicated that students with higher GPAs were more likely to withdraw from class than students with low GPAs, perhaps to preserve their averages and repeat the course with higher grades. Contains five data tables and…

Examines whether students who enroll in courses that receive poor average class ratings are more likely to leave their university. Finds that enrollment in both poorly rated and top-rated courses, in contrast to mid-rated courses, reduces the probability of retention in the university. (CMK)

Discusses the focus of this special issue on college student retention and describes the issue's articles, which advance recommendations for institutional action that emanate from theory and research rooted in several different theoretical orientations: organizational, sociological, and psychological. (EV)

Although self-initiative is recognized as instrumental to success in college, some students do not take responsibility for their academic development and fail to make the transition from high school to college. This problem is exacerbated when bright, highly skilled students drop courses or quit college entirely. Research into this paradox of…

The withdrawal policies of many universities are based on the supposition that being able to withdraw without grade point repercussions will encourage students to return to the institution at a later date. This study focused on withdrawing students and examined the differences between those who re-enroll after a withdrawal and those who do not.…

This study was carried out with students and staff from a college of further education in south London. The college has a mix of male and female students from a range of ethnic groups, the largest of which is white British. A study undertaken by the college in 2003 indicated that there may be significant differences in achievement and completion…

Results of a study of the relationship between students' propensities to withdraw from a course and the faculty member's grading in that course show that students do use the option to withdraw from courses when grades tend to be low in order to protect their grade point averages. (JMD)