A group of college presidents has decided to expand campus public-service programs by encouraging college students to tutor disadvantaged young people, mentoring fourth through ninth graders in danger of not graduating from high school. (MSE)

Discusses general decline in commitment to and financial support for equal educational opportunity in last five years and effect on minority students. Analyzes financial considerations in college attendance, problems with "college persistence" assessment measures, college characteristics affecting minority student persistence, and…

Patterns of attrition at a midwestern research university were examined through telephone interviews of 622 students who had left the institution prematurely and through analysis of institutional data to compare school leavers with those who stayed. This comparison found that school leavers were more likely to have lower college admission test…

Although data may be limited due to types of questionnaires employed (self reporting), it appears that favorable counselor client ratios are related to favorable rates of completion. Need for study on evening students is indicated. (Author)

Use of diagnostic testing (for mathematics skills) and multiple-choice, computer-graded homework in reducing dropout from general physics is discussed. Indicates that these strategies were successful without sacrificing academic or grading standards. Includes list of topics on the diagnostic math test and sample homework problem set (in…

Lowering class dropout rates is the goal of the physics department at the University of Houston (Texas). Microcomputers, videotapes, and tutors are available to assist students. (Author/MLF)

Of the prospective students, 16 percent cited costs as the major reason for not attending and 30 percent said that tuition was an important factor in their decision not to enroll. Of those who cited costs as their primary reason, 60 percent did not apply for financial aid. (Author)

Recent research on college student attrition is examined for trends, and it is suggested that the common perspective on retention and attrition is too narrow; it should be viewed from three perspectives: within-course retention; program retention; and institutional retention rate. Recommended for retention (R) is early (E) identification (Id) plus…

This study refined and applied an integrated model of undergraduate persistence (accounting for both behavioral and perceptual components) to examine first-year retention at a private, highly selective research university. Results suggest that including behaviorally based measures of involvement improves the model's explanatory power concerning…

This document comprises the proceedings of a conference that brought together administrators, researchers, and faculty from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to address the growing problem of retaining black students. Activities were structured into 5 general sessions, 16 concurrent sessions, and 2 special sessions. Principal…

The problem of ill prepared college freshmen in remedial/developmental classes across the nation has significantly increased. At the same time, colleges and universities are increasingly concerned about college student retention. The study compared the belief structures of two groups: those enrolled in two remedial reading classes, and those…

While the national study reported here reveals recent medical school attrition rates to be lower than for 1949-58 entrants, the rate for women and underrepresented minorities is still less than for white males, although the gap appears to be narrowing. Recommendations for optimum retention are included. (Editor/JT)

Attrition at Empire State College (ECS) is calculated in terms of three types of counts: temporal, activity, and degree progress. The strategy for assessing attrition using these three quantitative techniques is discussed as are qualitative phone interviews. The attrition rate in terms of a temporal count was 28 percent. Phone interviews with 93…

If administrators are to reduce the rate of discontinuation by changing their selection, teaching, guidance, and support facilities, they must be guided by proper data. This study reports such data based on an investigation at Macquarie University. (Editor/LBH)