This study, conducted by the Office of Institutional Research began with an examination of the incident of attrition among first-time freshmen who enrolled in the College during the fall semesters of the years 1967-72. Included in this document is: (1) attrition rates for the period covering 1967 to 1972; (2) a profile of the withdrawing Spring…

This report presents retention rates of the 1964 through 1969 Hofstra freshman classes 5 years after entry. Data indicates: (1) Hofstra's persistence rate for the 1966 freshmen was comparable to the national retention rate. (2) There has been a downward trend in Hofstra's persistence rate as demonstrated by the figures for the 1964 throught 1969…

This report describes a unique institutional approach to study the causes of student attrition recently completed at Nasson College, Maine. The population of the study included all students who had been enrolled during the preceeding seven semesters and who subsequently withdrew or were dismissed for academic reasons. A questionnaire survey…

A dropout and flunk-out rate of 50% during the freshman year is occurring in many large municipal institutions of higher education, especially those operating under an open admission policy. This high rate of attrition is felt to be due, in part, to the fact that students entering college under open admissions policies often do not have the basic…

In discussing federal policies of full disclosure to students of pertinent information about institutional policies the author concludes that full disclosure of completion and placement data may create more problems for consumer protection than it resolves and recommends steps colleges take in obtaining necessary and reliable data guidelines.…

The college charter" is defined as the structural linkages to occupational and economic groups, linkages that allow the college to allocate its graduates to major social statuses. It was found that larger schools have lower dropout rates and greater effects on occupational decisions than smaller colleges. (DB)

A profile of exit prone students evolved from the application of a model of dropout among liberal arts college women. Findings indicate family responsibilities make women more likely to leave; college's perceived practical value makes women less likely to leave. (Author)

Discusses problems with distance education, focusing on the higher dropout rate in online, Web-based courses compared to traditional campus-based education. Topics include feelings of isolation; frustrations with the technology; anxiety; confusion; course design; helping establish a collaborative community of learners; virtual office hours; and…

Presents a study that examined aspects of the social behavior of young people in the sphere of education, focusing on external factors. Focuses on the increasing drop-out rates, the competitive situation in higher educational institutions, the dynamics in secondary specialized education, and the demographic factor. Includes references. (CMK)

Describes a study that examined student attributes and achievements in previous Open University courses to determine what effect they had on the drop-out rate and achievement in a project work course. The use of partial order structuple (scalogram) analysis (POSA) is explained, and the results for occupation and previous course performance are…

Despite the spread of distance education, research on its effectiveness is inadequate. The debate on distance education must be based on accurate and adequate information. Studies are needed to assess effectiveness of entire academic programs taught at a distance; on dropout rates; to address different learning styles; to establish a theoretical…

Discusses an online distance education program at Boise State University that used Keller's ARCS model, Kaufman's Organizational Elements Model, and Kirkpatrick's evaluation model to improve motivational appeal for the adult learners and reduce the attrition rate. Describes the interventions implemented and presents results of evaluations that…

In this paper, absorbing markov chains are used to analyse the flows of higher degree by research candidates (doctoral and master) within an Australian faculty of business. The candidates are analysed according to whether they are full time or part time. The need for such analysis stemmed from what appeared to be a rather poor completion rate (as…

A questionnaire survey sought to determine the characteristics of part-time university students in Great Britain, the reasons why they choose part-time study, the difficulties they encounter, the extent and incidence of non-completion, and to identify examples of "good practice" in the provision and management of part-time degree…

It is argued that because the term "dropout" has different meanings in different systems of distance education, it is difficult to compare dropout rates of two or more distance education universities. Two very different European distance education systems, the FernUniversitat in West Germany and the Swedish system, are examined.…