Retention at university matters. It matters morally, as we know the life chances of people who complete a degree are dramatically improved. It matters financially, as students who leave a university before graduation take their fees with them. And it matters nationally, as the higher the education level of the population, the greater the nation's…

This paper describes the three-year evolution of an online Economics I course, reports on student outcomes and evaluations, and discusses the lessons learned. Results show that, as the course evolved from an instructor-led to a student-centered learning pedagogical model, several indicators of completing students' learning and satisfaction with…

Presents a model for studying the process by which students decide to continue with, or to terminate, their second language studies. Previous research in the area is discussed. (MSE)

A survey at Edge Hill College of Higher Education in Canada, designed to be part of the mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the student experience, revealed that key factors influencing withdrawal were: course not as expected, traveling difficulties, institution not as expected, domestic difficulties, and financial difficulties.…

In the light of low completion rates in the basic mathematics course, MTH 100, at Brookdale Community College, a study was conducted to ascertain the factors associated with success and failure in the course. A questionnaire, designed to obtain demographic data and weighted information on students' attitudes to mathematics, was distributed to 937…

This article explores some of the issues surrounding student retention at two contrasting universities in Scotland. It is based on a relatively small-scale quantitative survey of students who withdrew or continued, in order that direct comparisons may be made between the two groups. This comparison allows analysis of the constraints and…

The purpose of this study was to identify alternatives to a comprehensive investigation of the factors which significantly influence the rate of dropout or withdrawal from adult education programs. Previous research concerning withdrawal has been concerned chiefly with factual data about participants. An assumption underlying this study is that…

Since the number of students taking advantage of Roane State Community College's policy of allowing withdrawal from courses ("W" grade) up to the last day of class has increased from 14 percent of all grades given in fall 1972 to 23 percent of all grades given in fall 1974, an effort was made to determine some of the factors involved in…

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…

Offers suggestions for teachers of adult basic education and GED classes to help students feel comfortable in class. (FL)

This study examines student perspectives on their deferral and withdrawal from arts courses at Monash University during 2000. The research highlights a commonly unacknowledged difference between students in first semester and in second semester: it suggests that temporary and even permanent withdrawal in the early part of the academic year is most…

This paper presents a report on students who decided to drop out of the BSc program offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). This study was designed to determine the reasons leading to students' decisions to withdraw from the program. Identified and reported in this study are nine major reasons leading to drop out. Results of…

Examined factors related to suicidal behavior and relationships between institutional response to such behavior and the behavior itself. Students (N=838) responding to a questionnaire indicated they believed social and family problems account for three-fourths of suicide threats and attempts. Depression was most commonly viewed as related to…

Two theories concerning students' decisions to leave college are compared, and the convergence and discriminant validity of the two theories are examined empirically. The extent to which the theories could be merged to help researchers understand the role of institutional and noninstitutional variables in student persistence is discussed. (MSE)

A study was conducted to assess the impact of a career-planning course in terms of time taken to graduate, graduation rate, credit hours taken, number of course withdrawals, and cumulative GPAs. Student course participants (N = 544) were compared to a matched sample of non-course participants (N = 544) after 5 years. Results showed that the 2…