Student retention has become the most significant issue facing American colleges and universities. For the student, retention has everything to do with academic success and the completion of the most lofty of educational goals--the acquiring of a degree. For the educational institution, college, or university, retention impacts federal funding, fiduciary trust, academic status, and outright institutional survival. This paper explores the importance of interrogating reality through surveys designed to measure retention and attrition factors as they pertain to a South Texas institution, namely Texas A&M University-Kingsville. A review of proactive decisions by the university administration will be considered from a preemptive and initial perspective. These decisions will be reviewed in light of their intended impact on student success and degree completion. Both quantitative and qualitative factors related to student retention and attrition will be reviewed. For any institution serious about positive change, an honest and forthright interrogation of reality must be considered.