This paper reported results from a qualitative analysis of assets and supports disclosed in the narratives of adult basic education students. These students were identified as exemplary by their instructors for academic achievement, hours of program attendance, or community service. Themes were identified using the "Four Pillars"…

A retention taskforce was established at Sinclair Community College (SCC) in Ohio to develop a plan to increase student retention. The 24-member taskforce, representing key areas within the college, worked for 15 months to prepare the plan. The plan was designed to be comprehensive, touching upon all points where the students interact with the…

Ten-year trends in the retention, transfer, and graduation of first-time, full-time Maryland public community college students are presented in this report. Tables track students two, three, and four years after matriculation and are broken down by gender and ethnic categories. When considering this data, it must be remembered that retention,…

Many institutions are taking freshman orientation more seriously by challenging students before they start classes and giving them a more thorough introduction to campus life than ever before. The biggest changes in orientation are occurring among community colleges. Some of the experiences at Georgia Tech are described. (MLW)