During 1977-78 Pierce College undertook a study to (1) examine major reasons for attrition; (2) determine reasons for student attendance at Pierce; (3) determine the long-range effects of academic residence at Pierce for its students; and (4) experimentally determine the effects on retention of special treatment, through a "caring ombudsman." Each student in the study sample, representing approximately 1.9% of the total student population, was considered as belonging to one of six "productivity" subsets: admitted but never enrolled; enrolled but never attended classes; withdrew from school before census week; dropped all classes after census week; finished the semester with some passed classes; and finished with all passed classes. Of the total number of students admitted in fall 1977, 48% did not acquire any college units that semester. Significantly more vocational students (62%) completed some class units than non-vocational students (45%). Other variables considered were age, sex, and time of class meetings. The "caring ombudsman" treatment received by half of the sample, seemed to have no effect on the majority; dropout and persistence patterns were approximately the same for both groups. Reasons for not enrolling after admission, were "accepted to another college" and "job"; "poor instructor-student relationship" was a major reason for dropping classes; reasons students gave for intra-semester withdrawal included "transfer" and "met objectives." (MB)