The purpose of this study was to identify current institutional practices at two Hispanic-serving community colleges that may have caused attrition and affected retention among first-year Hispanic students. The objective was to determine which programs and services have been most effective at the respective community college campuses in assisting first-year Hispanic students in completing their degree programs. While there have been many retention initiatives implemented, little evidence exists as to whether those efforts are effective. To gain a better understanding of how effective or ineffective each practice has been, an exploration of the views of Hispanics in 2-year colleges was conducted. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]