This study examined retention at Christopher Newport University (CNU) in Newport News, Virginia, focusing on the demographic characteristics of those students who left the university as well as the reasons why they left. A total of 159 students who had attended CNU during the 1994-95 academic year but who did not re-enroll in the fall of 1995 were surveyed via telephone. Attempts were made to reach 100 percent of non-returning minority students and approximately 50 percent of non-returning white students. It was found that the average Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) verbal score was 480 and the math score was 465 for the non-returnees, and that 92 percent indicated that they worked 10-40 hours per week. Most of the non-returnees initially came to CNU because of its convenient location and low tuition. Important in the respondents' decision not to return to CNU were financial problems (46 percent), family complications (30 percent), work/schedule conflicts (29 percent), and poor academic performance (24 percent). Sixty-one percent of the non-returnees indicated that they planned to eventually return to CNU. The results are discussed in light of the development of more effective retention policies for the university. (Contains 10 references.) (MDM)