
ERIC Number: ED305123
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1986-Jun
Pages: 35
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Student Success at Miami-Dade Community College: Issues and Data. Research Report No. 86-22.
Morris, Cathy; Losak, John
Females, minorities, and older students are entering higher education at an increasing rate. The influx of these "nontraditional" students has led to quite different enrollment patterns, in which stopping out of college and part-time enrollment are common. Most students have objectives that are not synonymous with earning a baccalaureate degree within four years. Such factors suggest a need to redefine student "success." At Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC), a study was conducted using criteria of success based on student goals, possible outcomes, and academic standing. Six categories of student outcomes emerged, including three defined as "success": graduating, remaining enrolled in good academic standing, and leaving college in good standing. Using these criteria, the MDCC student success rate for full-time, first-time-in-college, degree-seeking students was 70% after four years, including 31% who graduated, 9% who were still enrolled, and 30% who left MDCC in good standing. The two-year success rate for this same group was only 13%, emphasizing the need to consider protracted attendance patterns when examining graduation as a component of success. A further grouping of student outcomes based on entry-level basic skills reveals that academically talented students were not necessarily "at risk" by beginning their enrollment at a community college. Their three-year success rate was 86%, including a 40% graduation rate. A limited follow-up of full-time degree seekers who left in good standing revealed that 14% of those located had enrolled in the state university system within one year of leaving MDCC. The study report includes a review of the literature on two-year college student attrition, retention, and success, and a 32-item bibliography. (AAC)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Academic Persistence, Associate Degrees, Attendance Patterns, College Freshmen, Community Colleges, Dropout Rate, Full Time Students, Graduation, Nontraditional Students, Outcomes of Education, Stopouts, Student Attrition, Student Educational Objectives, Success, Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Miami-Dade Community Coll., FL. Office of Institutional Research.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A