Push Vs Pull: Factors Influence Student Retention

Abstract

<b>Problem statement:</b> Student retention becomes one of the most significant issues that administrators of colleges and universities must deal with in today’s highly competitive market. <b>Approach:</b> In fact retaining a student is fundamental to the ability of an institution to carry out its mission. A high rate of attrition is not only a fiscal problem for schools, but a symbolic failure of an institution to achieve its purpose. <b>Results:</b> There are many ways to keep students retain at the same college until graduation, some easier than people may think but great changes will have to be made in order for schools to complete these transformations. This study is a descriptive study about the factors that influence student retention rate at a higher educational institution. <b>Conclusion/Recommendations:</b> Based on the previous studies of the similar topic and a random sample survey, this study identifies the possible push and pull factors that promote student leave from a specific college and transfer to other colleges to continue their college studies, it probes the implementable solutions to help the college to maintain and increase the student retention rate

Factors Affecting Peer Tutoring Programs in Higher Education As Perceived by Administrators

“…Declining student enrollment, decreased state and federal funding, and competition for students with other institutions, paired with increased pressure on college presidents from parents, students, and faculty to provide programs to ensure academic success, has lead to an increase in student support services (Leone & Tian, 2009). A study by Thomas (2002) reported that university support services, such as peer tutoring, are one of the main factors in student retention.…”

“…Bushong (2009) reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education that retention rates are down in all institutions except two-year colleges. Pressure from college presidents to increase retention and grade point averages (GPAs) has caused retention in higher education to become one of the most significant issues that college administrators must deal with in today's competitive market (Lau, 2003;Leone & Tian, 2009) and has called for an increase in student support services (Adams, 2011) and the centralization of programs (Pina, 2008b). "In fact retaining a student is fundamental to the ability of an institution to carry out its mission.…”

“…There is currently much interest in not only access to higher education, but also student success (Thomas, 2002). Declining student enrollment, decreased state and federal funding, and competition for students with other institutions, paired with increased pressure on college presidents from parents, students, and faculty to provide programs to ensure academic success, has lead to an increase in student support services, such as peer tutoring (Leone & Tian, 2009). Lau (2003) reported that one of the main reasons students leave an institution is that the institution has not provided programs that meet the students' learning and educational needs.…”

Synchronous Online Peer Tutoring via Video Conferencing Technology: An Exploratory Case Study

“…When institutions are not able to retain and graduate students, the consequences are two-fold. Lower retention rates have been shown to negatively impact the institutions reputation and financials (Leone & Tian, 2009). …”

“…Due to decreases in student enrollment and state and federal funding, increased competition between institutions for student enrollment, along with the pressure from college administrators, faculty, and students to ensure academic success, many institutions have turned to offering a variety of tutoring services (Leone & Tian, 2009). …”