Predictors of First-Year Student Retention in the Community College

Abstract

This study analyzed predictors of fall-to-spring and fall-to-fall retention for 9,200 first-time-in-college students who enrolled in a community college over a four-year period. Findings highlight the impact of developmental education programs and internet-based courses on student persistence. Additional predictors include financial aid, parents' education, the number of semester hours enrolled in and dropped during the first fall semester, and participation in the Student Support Services program.

The effect of an academic dismissal policy on dropout, graduation rates and student satisfaction. Evidence from the Netherlands

“…First, stakeholders of higher education institutes are increasingly focusing on student graduation rates as it is considered as a measure of institutional effectiveness (Fike & Fike, 2008). 2 Since the introduction of cost-sharing, parents and students benefit from students who graduate 'on time' as no extra tuition has to be paid (Johnstone, 2004).…”

Co-Curricular Learning and Assessment in New Student Orientation at a Community College

“…Based on previous research that community college student programs that were not mandatory did not achieve satisfactory results (Fike & Fike, 2008), we recommended that the orientation be mandatory for all new, first time to college students. Implementing mandatory orientation for all new students was the number one retention recommendation made by the taskforce, and included in the college's three-year enrollment management plan.…”

The Role of Academic Student Services in the Retention of American Indian Students at a Sub-Baccalaureate Technical College

“…They further recommended that students maintain "academic momentum" once classes have begun, meaning that they set academic goals and try to reach them through planning their schedules more than one semester ahead of time and earning credits as quickly as possible. In fact, the number of first-semester credit hours earned appears to be correlated with long-term persistence (Fike & Fike, 2008;Law, 2014). Additional services that help maintain momentum include tutoring, online course offerings for students with transportation problems, short-term classes, and opportunities for students to retake exams for classes they narrowly failed (McClenny & Waiwaiole, 2005).…”

“…Part of such "intrusive" support (Kolenovic, Linderman, & Karp, 2013, p. 276) is a so-called "Early Alert" system where faculty members send electronic updates about student progress to academic services (Fike & Fike, 2008). Such intensive and proactive advising should include career exploration and be continued throughout a student's stay in college.…”