Undergraduate student persistence has been widely studied over the past several decades; however, the majority of this research focuses on predominantly White institutions and fails to consider retention in a diverse context. To address this need, this exploratory study examined 3rd and 5th semester persistence of White and Hispanic students at a…

This qualitative study sought to discern the applicability of Tinto's theory of the importance of academic and social integration to students' persistence by interviewing community college transfer students who had persisted for several semesters in a large, public, research extensive university. Twelve students who participated in a 2004 study…

Higher education institutions in the United States commonly offer first-year seminars to assist students with their transition to college. Seminars are one of several types of first-year interventions based on findings from persistence research identifying variables affecting student success. Diverse student populations such as international…

This qualitative study examined the personal experiences of scholarship recipients from the first cohort of the Washington State Achievers Program to determine the influence of the scholarship on students' lives. Focus groups were conducted with students and recent graduates at 7 undergraduate institutions and life history interviews were…

Learning communities, designed primarily to increase student persistence and academic achievement, are a common first-year initiative on university campuses. Assessments of learning communities frequently examine indicators that are easily quantifiable such as student persistence and academic achievement, but also examine factors thought to affect…

This research examined: a) the extent of diversity that exists among entering college freshmen's learning styles; b) whether, and the extent to which, learning style is influenced by gender; and c) whether high school grade point average (HS/GPA) is a determining factor in academic success. The "Productivity Environmental Preference Survey" (PEPS)…

Research indicates that programs designed to target first year students increase their likelihood of success during that year and their chances of completing an undergraduate education (Bureau & Rromrey, 1994; Conner & Colton, 1999). Theoretically, such programs should help in part because they foster integration into campus communities and help…

In this study, Nancy Schlossberg's (1989) theory of college students' mattering to others was revisited. Mattering is the experience of others depending on us, being interested in us, and being concerned with our fate. The relationships of gender, mattering to college friends and the college environment, and friend and family social support with…

We identify "tenacious persisters" as returning students who have stopped out of college or who delayed their entry into college for more than three years after high school. Using a mixed method approach, we compare the experiences of tenacious persisters enrolled in a community college to students who followed more standard persistence paths.…

To promote the academic success of and to retain adult students of color, the Academic Services Unit at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), an urban Catholic university, in Detroit Michigan, has designed and implemented the Professional Mentor Program Plus, funded by the State of Michigan's King-Chavez-Parks (KCP) higher education initiative,…

Academic departments have expanded the typical persistence agenda of First-Year Seminars to use them specifically as tools for in-major retention. This article reports the empirical results of a four-year longitudinal study assessing the successful efforts to improve the persistence-to-graduation-within-major of business students. The pedagogy can…

Little empirical work exists which tests theories of doctoral student persistence. Among these studies, there is limited representation of minority students. To counter this state of affairs, this study uses a sample of four doctoral cohorts enrolled at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Focusing on the earlier stages of graduate study, I adapt…

There has been increased interest in retention and completion with regard to tertiary student outcomes in relation to students' successful completion of their study and what influences this. In New Zealand, the government through the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has made it clear that it expects institutions to meet retention and completion…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differences in world-views between academic advisors and their advisees (both traditional and non-traditional students) impact students' use of and satisfaction with the advising process. This study surveyed 115 students and 5 advisors from a four-year liberal arts university in southeastern…

Relationship marketing, a concept that focuses on attracting, maintaining, and building business relationships, has enhanced the profitability of businesses. The core of the relationship marketing approach in business is that resources are directed toward strengthening ties to existing customers on the proven premise that maintaining existing…