Fluctuations in financial and enrollment conditions have caused the faculty at Cerritos College (California) to be periodically subjected to intense pressure and to be held responsible for high student withdrawal rates, alternating with periods of administrative indifference. Concomitantly, college policy on non-punitive student course withdrawal…

A study was conducted at South Carolina's Technical College of the Lowcountry to compare the success rates of students enrolled in distance education courses to those of students in traditional courses. Average grades, completion rates, and withdrawal rates were analyzed for students in 11 courses, with outcomes compared for students enrolled in…

Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) conducted a student survey to identify causes of first-time student attrition between fall 1999 semester and the following spring semester. A Non-Returning Student Survey was mailed to 2,026 such students, 185 of whom responded by mail, and 494 more of whom were contacted for telephone interviews. Reasons…

Assessed frequency and nature of mandatory psychiatric withdrawal policies at Kansas colleges and universities. Forty-five of 52 colleges and universities responded to survey; of those, only 5 had specific policy for dismissing students for psychological reasons. Most respondents relied exclusively on their behavioral codes of conduct and their…

As part of a student retention project conducted at Spoon River College (SRC), specific populations served by SRC were identified; strategies to increase retention of particular student populations were developed; students in need of assistance were identified; and a transfer graduate follow-up study and two cohort tracking studies involving all…

An analysis of spring 1983 retention rates and grade distributions within the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) revealed: (1) College of Alameda had the highest successful retention rate in the PCCD, defined as the total of all students who completed the term with a grade of A, B, C, D, or CR (credit); (2) the PCCD's successful retention…

In spring 1984, a three-part withdrawal study was conducted at Glendale (Arizona) Community College (GCC) to investigate reasons for course withdrawal, and official and unofficial college withdrawal. Study findings, based on responses from 138 students who withdrew from courses, 282 students who officially withdrew from GCC, and 9 students who…

The results of a computerized tracking system and followup studies of nonreturning students indicate that the nonreturning student statistic at Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) has been due to intermittent enrollment, changes in personal plans, and completion of individual student objectives, rather than to the failure of the student…

A study involving 42 randomly selected students enrolled in a developmental course at Trident Technical College in Spring 1979 was conducted to determine the impact of career information on students' career awareness, motivation, and academic achievement. Two sections of the course were designated as the control group and received only regularly…

Comparative statistics on course attrition in the Maricopa County Community College District are presented for Fall 1971 through Fall 1980. After plotting high point enrollment (final number of students enrolled in a course plus withdrawals and audits), end of semester enrollment (the final number of students enrolled in a course), and percentage…

This report, part three of a long-range study of persistence and performance in California's community colleges, presents rates of non-persistence for the sample of 35,000 students during 1972-73, their first year of enrollment. About 18 percent of the new students enrolled for credit withdrew from all classes before the end of the fall term. An…

This report, the fourth part of a long-range study of persistence and performance in California's community colleges, deals with the performance of the 82 percent of the 35,000 student sample who entered the California community college system in fall 1972 and completed at least one term. Sixty percent of the total sample continued beyond one…

This paper provides a brief analysis of enrollment and withdrawal data for Mexican-American and non-Mexican-American students at Reedley College. The study was conducted subsequent to an expressed concern that perhaps the college could do more toward recruitment and retention of minority students. Results of an analysis of enrollment and…

Since telecourses were first offered in the Dallas County Community College District in the fall of 1972, consistent efforts have been made to evaluate their instructional effectiveness and the degree to which they satisfy the needs of enrolled students. This report presents a summary of the evaluation projects which were conducted during the…

Presents results of a survey of course withdrawal policies at two-year colleges in Iowa, focusing on deadlines, grades given for dropped courses, drop initiation procedures, and recent policy changes. Finds that most schools permit students to drop classes late in the term with a nonpunitive grade. Discusses practical implications. (DMM)