Students are most likely to leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors during their first year of college. We developed an analytic approach using random forests to identify at-risk students. This method is deployable midway through the first semester and accounts for academic preparation, early engagement in university…

This study investigated at-risk freshmen's "future-oriented motivation" (motivation for developing and pursuing academic future goals) and "future-oriented self-regulated learning" (commitment to utilizing self-regulatory strategies to achieve those goals) using the Persistent Academic Possible Selves Scale (PAPSS). Study goals…

This study examined graduation and persistence among social and behavioral science students at a regional comprehensive university. Hazard analyses identified predictors of student trajectories, times at which predictors were more or less impactful, and interactions between predictors such that particular risk factors were more detrimental for…

This study concerns students in an internationally accredited undergraduate mechanical engineering program who due to consistent poor grades are academically dismissed and, by existing policy, required to take a 1-year leave of absence. The purpose was to determine whether the policy could be improved to offer more proactive solutions to address…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among academic entitlement, life satisfaction, and academic performance as measured by cumulative grade point average. When comparing academically at-risk versus non-at-risk college students, academically at-risk students scored significantly lower on satisfaction with life than their…

A plethora of research spanning several decades has attempted to understand predictors of retention and graduation in undergraduate bachelor's degree programs. The topic is no less important today, as larger and larger swaths of the American population attend college each year. Studies have demonstrated that key demographic variables, indicators…

Colleges and universities employ conditional admission policies to identify students with subpar academic qualifications, who may need additional support to succeed. Using institutional data of more than 2,000 students, the study applies labeling theory to a quasi-experimental design (difference-in-differences testing), measuring the effects of a…

This study assessed the feasibility of using precollege success indicators to identify at-risk students at a large 4-year public research university in the Midwest. Retention data from students who participated in an established student success program were examined. The findings affirm that the initial admissions assessment identifying at-risk…

Given low rates of student retention in community colleges, there has been growing interest in understanding characteristics that put students at-risk and that serve to buffer against academic difficulty. In particular, research on student success has focused on demographic predictors that are difficult to change, whereas motivational…

Current observations from the National Center for Education Statistics demonstrate the dramatic increase in college student employment over the past few decades. Not only are more students employed than in previous decades, students are working more hours. This could lead to declines in academic performance as hours worked increase, resulting in…

Violence against university students has significant impact on their mental health. The impact of violence on students' academic performance has received little attention. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the impact of sexual and physical/verbal violence on the academic performance of college students. Data from 74 case files of…

This study utilized an experimental pretest-posttest control group design to determine if changing the way academically high-risk college students view intelligence affected their academic effort and achievement when compared to students in a control intervention. Results indicated that students taught to view intelligence as malleable reported…

Traditionally at Mississippi State University (MSU), students who are placed on academic suspension are required to stay out of school one regular semester. As an alternative, the university designed a program for early readmission for suspended students who agree to follow the requirements outlined in the "Learning Skills Support…

Several early studies and subsequent reviews suggested that written emotional disclosure (WED)--writing repeatedly about personal stressful experiences--leads to improved academic performance of college students. A critical review of available studies casts some doubt on this conclusion, so we conducted three randomized, controlled experiments of…

This study explored the outcome of academically dismissed students reinstated the semester following academic dismissal at a medium-size Midwestern University. Logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors that may assist academic administrators in making decisions regarding future reinstatement activities. The overall model correctly…