The purpose of this study was to test a model for conceptualizing the socialization experiences of new professionals in student affairs, particularly in light of the high attrition rates commonly documented in the literature. Whereas past research has examined individuals as the locus of socialization, this study analyzed organizations as the…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study was to discover how to improve student attrition rates of today's students attending four-year, large, public institutions by examining the Guided Pathways approach through Living Learning Communities upon academic major persistence. This research study was designed to find answers…

This Executive Leadership Portfolio (ELP) is the story of my journey through the Ed.D. program that begins with me focusing my work on trying to reverse my school's attrition woes, then changes course as I try to make my project reverse my own failed head of school candidacies, and ends with me discovering that, along the way, I had learned to…

This quantitative correlational study included an investigation of potential factors effecting high attrition rates in postsecondary online courses. Online learner-instructor interaction was examined by assessing instructor response times (RTs), student satisfaction, and final course grades at an online two-year postsecondary institution. A sample…

One purpose of this study was to add insight to help Small Business Development Center (SBDC) entrepreneurial educators understand why over 40% of their adult learners discontinue their learning program prematurely. In addition, this study explored how the comprehensive Self-Directed Learning (SDL) model might inform our understanding of attrition…

New professionals in student affairs enter the field motivated and ready to start their new careers (Olyha, 2004), though 50-60% of new professionals end up leaving the field before they complete their fifth year of employment (Renn & Hodges, 2007). Mentoring is a suggested strategy to help with retaining professionals in the workplace…

The purpose of this dissertation was to identify factors that contribute to the attrition of new professionals in the field of student affairs. Student affairs professionals report low levels of commitment to the field and depart from the field at rates ranging from 32% to 61% (Holmes, Verrier, & Chrisholm, 1983; Rosen et al., 1980; Rosser…

Recruiting and retaining special educators has been a major concern for the department of education, school administration, and parents across the United States. Attrition, defined as the exit of teachers from their positions, has been a contributing factor to the shortage of teachers. The theoretical foundation for this study was based on the…

This research is a qualitative case study exploring the factors that influence the attrition of mentors in rural areas. Mentoring initiatives and programs have proliferated throughout schools in an effort to provide students with positive role models, increase graduation rates and improve overall performance Mentoring programs are an increasingly…

College student persistence is examined. The unique nature of the students and environment of the two-year college setting warrant concentrated research effort. The purpose of the study is to examine student variables associated with persistence and program completion to develop a pre-entrance risk assessment in the two-year college setting.…

The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to find the relationship between the level of perceived servant leadership and the school leader job satisfaction in the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventists P-12 schools. This quantitative correlation study utilized Laub's (1999) Organizational Leadership Assessment…

Attrition rates, completion rates, and time to degree are the key areas researchers have sought to examine influencing factors and patterns of behavior that describe the departure process of students in doctoral study. Through the lens of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was…

Teacher attrition is a threat to public education in the United States. However, little information exists regarding teacher attrition and its root causes in international schools. Research, such as Barnett and McCormick's (2004) "Leadership and Individual Principal-Teacher Relationships in Schools" and Rockoff's (2004) "The Impact…

The author wrote this dissertation on the effects of mentoring intervention on student retention in community colleges in May 2002. The goal of the longitudinal study was to inspect the effects of a mentoring intervention program on retention and grade point averages of students at a two-year community college. The data used in the study came from…

This study examined research from 1980 to 1992 that addressed characteristics of high school dropouts. Data from 32 empirical studies were synthesized into an integrative review. A list of the most common characteristics of high school dropouts was generated and the major policy issues related to dropping out were identified and addressed. Four…