A study investigated why students who entered the college of education at Ohio University voluntarily withdrew from teacher education later to pursue a different major. The effects of teacher education curriculum and other factors in their decision to leave were explored. (PP)

This investigation focused on factors related to students' decisions to withdraw from college courses. An open-ended survey was used to construct questionnaires for assessing student, instructor, course, and situational variables. Implications for advisors and instructors, relationship of withdrawal to course selection, and suggestions for…

A number of factors that might have been thought to be important in contributing to student dropout appear to have had little effect on variations in the dropout rate at Flinders. Two factors do appear to be important: the relatively open entry system to Australian universities, and the higher failure rate of part-time students. (LBH)

A study compared the performance of financial management students from 1986-1995 in classes that met 1, 2, or 3 days per week. Measures of average course grades, withdrawal rates, and nonpassing grade rates showed that students had a better chance of passing if classes meet more than once per week. (SK)

Tracked the college careers of 378 students who entered college through a special program for academically underprepared students. Results indicated that students' academic self-concept and achievement expectancies were related to their subsequent school withdrawal. Found differences in the relationship between attitudes and school withdrawal of…

An analysis of student decisions to withdraw from specific courses before assignment of grades but after the "add-drop" period at the University of Minnesota is presented. In a probit model, withdrawals appear to occur randomly, with notable exceptions. Student, class, and teacher characteristics are considered as variables related to…

Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, this study examined the influence of finance-related reasons for college choice on persistence decisions. Finance-related choices were found to have direct and indirect influences on college persistence, and market-based, monetary measures of financial aid, tuition, housing costs, and…

Describes the outcome of a National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS), which found that two-year students were 0.18% less likely to persist for each $100 increase in tuition, more likely to persist if they received subsidies, and 15.96% more likely to persist for every $1,000 in student loan debt outstanding. (Contains 68 references.) (PGS)

The Open University's experiences provide the following recommendations for student retention: specialized advisory and guidance staff, accurate and relevant information, establishment of relationships with students, design of courses well suited to students' needs, ownership by the university community of student support services, a sense of…

This article explores some of the issues surrounding student retention at two contrasting universities in Scotland. It is based on a relatively small-scale quantitative survey of students who withdrew or continued, in order that direct comparisons may be made between the two groups. This comparison allows analysis of the constraints and…

This article discusses the pros and cons of "involuntary withdrawals" in cases of students who are at risk of suicide. A June, 2005, Massachusetts Superior Court summary judgment ruling in the case of "Shin v. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)" concluded that MIT administrators owed a duty of care to suicide victim,…

The "conscience clause" allows parents to withdraw their children from religious education and collective worship; however, the reasons why parents might wish so to do are not stated in the legislation. This article looks briefly at the legal issues to do with the place of religious education in the school curriculum, the type of…

This chapter discusses how Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) has used data from the National Community College Benchmark Project. Analysis of project benchmark data led to a review of high course-withdrawal rates and CPCC withdrawal policies as well as their effects on student program completion and within-term retention. As a result, the…

Provision of Further Education (FE) colleges is becoming more important to the nation's education strategy. Much of this provision is in National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ); in 2003/04 almost half a million of these qualifications were awarded. However, in contrast to the situation in Higher Education (HE), there has been comparatively little…

Serious concerns are being raised by the poor and uneducated underclass in the United States. Four main points are given which expand upon these concerns. (1) The affluent and middle class white U.S. population does not have enough interest and commitment to the poor and undereducated population to pay the price it will take to educate the U.S.…