ERIC Number: ED319431
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1989-Apr
Pages: 37
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Retention and Attrition of Declared Part-Time Associate Freshmen. Discussion and Decision Items.
Indiana State Commission for Higher Education, Indianapolis.
Beginning in 1985, freshmen enrolled on a part-time basis in associate degree programs in Indiana postsecondary institutions were tracked for eight semesters to determine rates of retention and attrition. In 1985, associate degree-seeking freshmen with a declared major constituted 12% of the total undergraduate population in the state, and 74% of these students attended part-time. By 1988, 8% of the part-time associate students had completed degrees, 50% had dropped out, and the continuing students had completed less than half of their course requirements. Over half (53%) of the students were over 24 years of age, and they outperformed their younger counterparts in terms of degree completion rate (9% vs. 7%), grade point average (3.09 vs. 2.59), and dropout rate (50% vs. 53%). Breaking the older students down by sex demonstrated only minor differences. In comparison to part-time students, full-time associate degree-seeking students had higher retention, graduation, and transfer rates, with only 12% dropping out and nearly 50% achieving a degree. On the other hand, cumulative grade point average for part-time students was slightly higher than that for full-time students. At both two- and four-year campuses, many persisting students completed more than enough credit hours for a degree without attaining one. Among baccalaureate students, 61% attended full time, 31% completed a degree program within four years, 61% were still in school, and nearly 40% of the part-time baccalaureate students dropped out. A summary of staff responses to the retention study is also included. (JMC)
Descriptors: Academic Persistence, Associate Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, College Freshmen, College Students, Colleges, Community Colleges, Comparative Analysis, Full Time Students, Grade Point Average, Higher Education, Part Time Students, School Statistics, State Surveys, Student Attrition, Student Educational Objectives, Tables (Data), Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges, Universities
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Indiana State Commission for Higher Education, Indianapolis.
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A