One half of all students who begin college fail to complete their degrees, resulting in wasted talents, time, and resources. Through use of mixed methods, but primarily qualitative, comparative case studies, this research reveals ways a 3-week course in study strategies improved the performance of students placed on academic probation. The…

This study provides results regarding the effectiveness of the Bounce Back Retention Program (BBRP), a semester-long voluntary course for students on academic probation (AP). This is the first phase of a longitudinal study of spring 2007 freshmen at San Diego State University (SDSU). Results were analyzed for three samples: 1) "AP…

Administrators at a large, public university launched a mandatory success course for freshmen placed on academic probation at the end of their first semester. We compared the rates of course participant and nonparticipant return to good academic standing; persistence to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years; and graduation (within 4 to 5 years). The…

Academic advisors need to be knowledgeable of the ways students learn. To aid advisors in their exploration of learning theories, I provide an overview of the attribution theory of learning, including recent applications of the theory to research in college student learning. An understanding of this theory may help advisors understand student…

Background: There is increased need for a college educated workforce that is prepared to enter high-demand, technical fields (e.g., science, technology, engineering, math, medicine). Universities continue to be held accountable for improving student retention and degree completion. This study sought to understand the cognitive and noncognitive…

In this descriptive study, the use of a midsemester Success Workshop is evaluated within the context of the persistence and motivation of students placed on academic probation in a state university between 2005 and 2010. Elements of the Success Workshop are described. The self-assessments, workshop evaluation results, and other institutional data…

This study was undertaken to replicate prior findings in which a test-anxiety control training produced substantial test gains among students on academic probation. Twelve first semester students with marginal achievement were identified, screened for test anxiety, and found to have substantially higher anxiety than other students. Ten of the…

To assist campuses with accurately forecasting student retention, and to help with increasing it, this report identifies early indicators of students' progress toward completing a degree and establishes benchmarks that campuses can use to evaluate their performance. The report is based on a Web-based survey of college and university officials in…

The Federal Pell Grant Program is the nation's largest need-based grant program. While students' initial eligibility for the Pell is based on financial need, renewal of the award is contingent on their making satisfactory academic progress (SAP)--meeting minimum academic standards similar to those proposed in models of performance-based…

Academic dismissal resulting from poor scholastic achievement is an unfortunate reality at American universities, and one that involves students, faculty, and academic advisers. This chapter analyzes learning outcomes of the academic dismissal process for first-generation college students (FGS) resulting from a year-long study conducted at a…

Retaining and aiding students on academic probation is a concern for all institutions of higher education. Students placed on academic probation by Rockingham Community College (RCC) have been encouraged to participate in an intervention program since the summer of 2006. When treated as an aggregate, the data regarding the program indicates that…

Project Success is designed to help students on academic probation improve their performance so that they can return to good academic standing at their university. This article describes the program so institutions can consider its use in their efforts to address retention issues on their campus. Research that studies the program's effectiveness…

Purpose: Despite medical schools having some system in place to review student progress and promote students (referred to hereafter as academic review and promotions; ARP), little research has been done with the purpose of understanding personality characteristics of the students who appear before an ARP committee or governing body. A recent study…

Cohorts of entering freshmen were tracked over time to determine whether the suspension policy at Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman was having the intended effect on academic success, defined as degree completion. The university's current policy requires students to be suspended after receiving grade point averages (GPAs) of lower than 2.00…

Students on varying degrees of academic probation were randomly assigned to one of three intervention strategies that incorporated controlled content but divergent levels of intrusiveness. The most intrusive intervention resulted in higher cumulative grade point averages and higher retention rates. Students with the highest risk of dismissal were…