An analysis is provided of student retention and attrition at Gainesville Junior College (GJC). Section I presents background information on the college's service area and the characteristics of its students. Section II presents results of a study of 1,590 of 1,762 students enrolled at GJC in fall 1983. This section examines: (1) retention rates among first-time freshmen, including a breakdown by race, full- or part-time status, and developmental studies or regular freshman status; (2) undergraduate student retention, including a breakdown by level, race, and full- or part-time status; (3) supplementary analyses and studies of the characteristics of students who returned and who did not return; and (4) results of a fall-winter-spring retention study of 481 students who did not enroll in the winter quarter after being enrolled in fall 1984. Section III discusses the causes of student attrition and includes a review of the literature; observations drawn from institutional studies; and observations regarding attrition among black students. Section IV presents strategies for improving the retention rate, focusing on the improvement of the advisement process, the development of a method of rating students in terms of their likelihood of persisting, retention strategies for "other race" students, and plans for improving retention in coming years. A student request for withdrawal form is appended. (HB)