Retention is a continuing concern for institutions of higher education, especially rural community colleges. Students are often not prepared for the rigor of college-level coursework, encounter academic and/or life obstacles, or do not possess the soft skills needed to succeed in college life. Research has shown that college-preparation courses prior to college entrance or student development courses in their first semester leads to decreased attrition rates. Community colleges in the Virginia Community College System host a student development course for students to take in their first semester of college. This course covers topics such as college policies, student resources, and soft skills such as time management, note-taking skills, learning styles, study techniques, and academic planning. The project develops a plan to assess the learning objectives of the student development (SDV101) course at one rural Virginia community college. The project is delimited to one course at one rural community college in the Commonwealth of Virginia. An executive summary is included. [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.]