This report presents the Academic Retention and Talent Retrieval components of the Special Services Program at Northern Illinois University. The support structures are described in detail, including: CHANCE counseling, which assists students with academic and financial planning, personal growth, peer tutoring, and career counseling; and the Talent…

The interrelation of enrollment, marketing, and retention, and implications for enrollment management planning at the postsecondary level are considered. Factors that will likely affect enrollment in the 1980s include sources of support for private institutions; increased federal controls, including legislation for veterans and financial aid; and…

More than 50 college students participated in an investigation of the extent to which content area study skills programs influenced the attrition rates and grade point averages of health science students whose performance was marginal. Two experimental study skills programs were developed. In the first, 11 students were placed in a "how to study…

The relationship between academic advising and student attrition was examined at a private liberal arts college. A cohort analysis of students entering the college between 1971 and 1975 indicated that faculty members in the first year of their contracts had relatively more of their new student advisees subsequently withdraw than did the same…

Since the National Defense Education Act of 1958, a primary objective of federal higher education policy has been to increase access to higher education for those who would not otherwise attend, especially those from low income backgrounds. Increasing attention is now being paid to enhancing student retention and graduation, making sure that…

The GEAR UP Austin: Impacting Lives program serves a cohort of approximately 3,369 seventh graders from 10 Austin Independent School District (AISD) middle schools and 28 seventh graders from the Texas Empowerment Academy charter school. More than half of these students come from low-income households, and many are considered at risk. This…

The greatest factor affecting retention of minority students is the degree of institutional commitment. Recruiters must be more creative; orientation programs must be relevant to minorities. Minority staff members must be visibly involved. Student participation in peer groups and academic commitment also aid retention. (JAC)

An alternative method for social problem solving is proposed involving increased collaboration between university researchers and school personnel. Academicians can assume the role of external change agents in addressing such educational equity issues as student dropouts. Collaboration should include a humanitarian basis, a problem focus, and a…

In most cases, an optometry student's academic difficulty can be traced to some underlying cause other than academic preparation. Preventive measures should include admission restricted to students meeting selection criteria, pre-enrollment academic enrichment, appropriate support services and remedial programs as needed. (MSE)

This article examines trends in the education of adults with learning disabilities, focusing on dropout prevention, postdropout education, disability self-awareness, transition, Adult Basic Education, higher education, vocational education, employment, and psychosocial issues. Organizational sources of further information and a table listing…

Advocates an intrusive advising stance and proactive teaching approach on the part of selected African-American and white faculty members as part of programs to retain disadvantaged African-American students in college. Meeting the political and organizational challenges of retaining disadvantaged African-American students is discussed. (SLD)

The trend toward increasing numbers of poorly prepared, high-risk college students requires a variety of strategies, including strengthened school-college collaboration and networking, taking a holistic approach to retention, attention to the effectiveness of traditional teaching methods, and hiring faculty committed to great teaching. (MSE)

Suggests that banning all racially sensitive programs and practices in higher education is unacceptable, presenting a history of black admission to higher education and examining: minority student recruiting; athletic departments; race sensitive programs sponsored by foundations; reducing black student dropout rates; race sensitive faculty…

A study of a continuous quality improvement effort at Auburn University (Alabama) is reported. The study investigated variables predicting which students are at risk of failure. Data were drawn from the records of pre-engineering students enrolling at the university in fall terms of 1991 and 1993-95 (n=2,505). Data sources included achievement…

Although attrition is repeatedly described as the number one problem in adult basic education (ABE), the raw numbers of attrition rates do not tell the whole story. Studies show noncompleters in both ABE and higher education sometimes leave when they feel their goals have been realized. Counting adults who "stop out" as dropouts is also…