Student retention and persistence rates

Developmental education incorporates a wide range of interventions designed to help under prepared students be successful in higher education.  These interventions include tutoring programs, special academic advising and counseling programs, learning laboratories, and comprehensive learning centers.  They also include remedial and developmental courses which represent the developmental intervention most commonly used in higher education.

This dissertation examined the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences surrounding thesis completion at Western Institute, a federally funded graduate institution offering an 18-month Master of Arts curriculum delivered in a blended-learning format.  The impetus for the study centered on providing direction for achieving the institutions goal of 100% thesis completion within one-year of curriculum completion.  The study utilized the Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytical Framework and review of literature to identify seven factors effecting thesis completion from the student stakeholder perspective including three surrounding knowledge (graduate writing, help seeking, and self-regulation), two involving student motivation (self-efficacy and goal orientation), and two organizational influences (chair-committee-student interaction and feedback and student access to university resources).
The research methodology adopted a longitudinal, explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to include a quantitative survey, qualitative interviews, and document analysis conducted in two phases.  Phase I occurred at the end of the fifth quarter of instruction with Phase II occurring at the end of the sixth quarter (graduation).  Fifty of 58 students participated in each phase of the quantitative survey (86.2%), 12 students participated in qualitative interviews, and 10 of the 12 qualitative interviewees provided completed theses for subjective and objective analysis.
Data analysis suggests fundamental elements of graduate writing confound student performance.  Critical behaviors associated with help-seeking and self-regulatory processes appeared skills essential for completing a thesis.  The influence of self-efficacy with the variety of component tasks required to complete a thesis and the manner in which a student’s goal orientation, specifically a mastery-approach orientation, assisted in providing the persistence for the rigor and independent nature of thesis writing was apparent.  Organizationally, the ability of the chair, through omission or commission to influence student behaviors is undeniable.  Levels of student self-efficacy rise and fall based upon feedback and positive and clear feed-forward direction.  Finally, university resources easily accessible online or utilizing face-to-face interactive technologies provide a means of support for students in the DL environment.
Students possessing graduate and recent academic experience are more apt to engage in effective help-seeking and self-regulatory behaviors.  More importantly, differences between students completing and failing to complete the thesis requirement highlight the importance of all knowledge and motivation influencers on performance.
Change recommendations follow the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).  The integrated program centers on developing two critical behaviors, student help-seeking and self-regulation, through increased knowledge in areas essential to thesis completion, increased faculty awareness and intervention strategies, and detailed evaluations of thesis-specific training and student performance.  By understanding and identifying critical behaviors and leading indicators effecting student performance, intervention strategies can recognize the potential for student disengagement and provide corrective actions for sustaining student motivation and engagement through the thesis writing process.

Developmental education is an essential part of the community college mission; McCabe and Day (1998) estimated that more than two million students each year would drop out of postsecondary education without participation in one or more developmental education activities. To educate these students effectively, community colleges should implement best practices that have been proven effective via rigorous research and evaluation based on strong theoretical foundations. This chapter discusses the major theoretical perspectives that have shaped the profession in the past and provide the foundation for today’s professional practice. The chapter then presents findings from current research from both student and institutional perspectives evaluating a wide array of developmental education models. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research.

The Supplemental Instruction (SI) program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City addresses attrition by providing academic support in courses that are high risk for students. The program contains a number of innovative features, for example, high-risk courses are identified instead of high-risk students, and everyone in those courses is offered assistance; student participation in small group sessions is voluntary, and evaluation goes beyond student and faculty satisfaction surveys and includes actual rates of institutional change. Small group sessions incorporate such features as informal quizzes, group discussion, test question prediction, review of previous examinations, restructuring of classroom lecture notes, and other activities. The key people in the program are the SI leaders, who are presented as students of the subject of the course. As such, they present an appropriate model of thinking, organization, and mastery of the discipline. SI leaders attend all class sessions, take notes, read all assigned material, and conduct small group sessions. The SI program has been certified as an Exemplary Educational Program by the United States Department of Education, and has received National Diffusion Network funding. This paper describes program development, specific goals and objectives, results and outcomes for students and/or the institution, and potential for adaption by other institutions.

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a student academic assistance program that increases academic performance and retention through its use of collaborative learning strategies. The SI program targets traditionally difficulty academic courses, those that typically have 30 percent or higher rate of D or F final course grades or withdrawals, and provides regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer-facilitated sessions that offer students an opportunity to discuss and process course information (Martin, Lorton, Blanc, and Evans, 1977).

Secondary school education is very critical in any education system because of the crucial role it plays in catalyzing national development. Consequently, maintaining a high student enrolment at this level should be a priority for all countries. The Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF) was established by the government of Kenya through an act of parliament in 2003 to ensure that the needy students have access to secondary education. This fund provides for the involvement of community members in identifying the bursary recipients. With the communal involvement in decision-making, it was anticipated that there would be fairness and efficiency in the bursary allocation process. Contrary to the high expectations however, cases of complaints about the implementation of the constituency bursary fund are many. The purpose of the study was to determine adherence to the established criteria in allocating bursaries influences retention in secondary school. This study was guided by the following objectives namely: To examine the criteria used by the constituency bursary fund committee to allocate bursaries to the recipients in the constituency; To determine the level of inequality in the allocation of bursaries to recipients in the constituency.; To establish how constituency bursary fund influenced students’ retention in secondary school, To find out the problems encountered by the bursary allocation committee when allocating bursaries to the recipients. This study adopted descriptive survey design using mixed approach methodology. This study was guided by the theory of socialist economics of education. The target population for this study comprised of the 1 DEO, 30 school principals, 120 class teachers, 14 CBF committee members and 1500 form three students. The study adopted both probability and non-probability samplings design to determine sample size. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaire and qualitative data through interview and document analysis. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. (Pearson Correlation Coefficient) Qualitative data was thematically classified and arranged before they were reported in narrations and quotations. Constituency Bursary Committee officials indicated that the total amount of bursary is distributed equally between the 19 wards in the constituency. There is a significant relationship between Adequacy of CBF and Retention in Secondary Schools. Among the challenges faced in the provision of CDF bursaries is the high geographical mobility of urban dwellers which lead to lack of detailed information about them.

The chapters in this book reflect a situated analysis of the General College (GC), which is a flexible set of models that co-exist programmatically to support learners from diverse backgrounds who enter college with a variety of academic achievements,social skills,and workforce talents.This book essentially provides a historical look at the college’s foundation with a more contemporary “snapshot”of the college’s theoretical and curricular frameworks from the vantage point of faculty and staff members who write directly about their own classrooms and experiences. The goal of the chapters and ultimately the book collectively is to demonstrate how,as a group,the individual members of the GC professional community work together to provide an educational model that supports the widest range of students possible. This is a highly developed, sophisticated, and somewhat complex approach to undergraduate education as the end goal of all individuals in the college is to move students successfully from GC to their desired major at the University of Minnesota. This includes not only providing success in academic skill development but also success in the social and economic purposes of education, such as developing engaged citizens, socially and culturally aware people, and skilled workforce employees. The notion of the General College presented at this time demonstrates a set of activities and ideas that support student learning in higher education,with an emphasis on drawing upon the expertise of recent theoretical and curricular approaches that provide the best means for transitioning undergraduates,specifically including those who were formerly underserved by their social contexts and educational institutions. The General College includes curricular approaches and theoretical frameworks that reflect a type of programmatic coexistence,a “loosely coupled” system, where various disciplines of the college interact and design
3
approaches for their academic content area to embed skill development into their core areas.The educators all share concepts,such as supporting transitions, providing skill development, and preparing student learners for future academic courses and social activities such as work or civic engagement.GC educators address student motivation,skills,cultural awareness, social and academic literacies,and mastery of content areas.They may vary in their theoretical frameworks in terms of how their own courses, outcomes,and assignments are implemented and conceived.As the frameworks are diverse across the GC program, they may overlap or present divergent models for engaging students in the day-to-day activities of GC courses. However,in this diversity,they also complement each other to provide the widest range of supports for students who take the sequence of courses to prepare for their transition to a future major at the university. In other words, the GC model as presented in the examples in this book presents a variety of activities and approaches that,when operating together across the disciplines toward a central mission, complement each other as students move through the program.This is the most innovative approach possible, and the GC program has a historic legacy of providing flexibility and a comprehensive set of courses that best fulfill this mission and GC’s role within the greater university community.

(Purpose) This 2018 annotated bibliography reviews seven postsecondary peer cooperative learning programs that have been implemented nationally to increase student achievement. (Methodology) An extensive literature search was conducted of published journal articles, newspaper accounts, book chapters, books, ERIC documents, thesis and dissertations, online documents, and unpublished reports. Peer learning programs in this bibliography meet the following characteristics: (a) program must have been implemented at the postsecondary or tertiary level, (b) program has a clear set of systematic procedures for its implementation at an institution, (c) program evaluation studies have been conducted and are available for review, (d) program intentionally embeds learning strategy practice along with review of the academic content material, (e) program outcomes include both increased content knowledge with higher persistence rates, and (f) program has been replicated at another institution with similar positive student outcomes. (Results) From a review of the professional literature, nearly 1,500 citations emerged concerning seven programs that met the previously mentioned selection criteria: Accelerated Learning Groups (ALGs), Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), Peer Assisted Learning (PAL), Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), Structured Learning Assistance (SLA), Supplemental Instruction (SI), and Video-based Supplemental Instruction (VSI). Nearly one fourth of the entries in this bibliography are from authors and researchers outside of United States. (Conclusions) The professional literature of peer learning programs has grown significantly in recent years.  The literature reports not only positive outcomes for the student participants of such programs, but now includes outcomes for the student peer leaders of these academic support programs such as skill improvement with leadership, public speaking, and other employment skills along with an impact of their future vocational choices including a career in teaching at the secondary or postsecondary level. (Recommendations) Educators need to investigate these peer learning programs to discover effective learning practices that can be adapted and adopted for use in supporting higher student achievement for students of diverse backgrounds. Updated versions of this bibliography are available at http://www.arendale.org/peer-learning-bib/

Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL No.2 July, 2015     
                                                                                                                                                                      Pp. 68 –80





Online Tutorials on Advanced Writing Skills Course:
A Case Study of Distance Learning1




Karnedi
English Language and Literature Department
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia




Abstract

Writing in English at the advanced level often refers to the process of writing. As a process, it normally goes through a series of stages such as prewriting, outlining, writing, and revising. However, teaching writing within the context of distance higher education is mostly delivered through the Internet. This paper explores an online tutorial package that is specially designed for advanced level students to improve their proficiency in writing essays. For this purpose, a research question was developed: To what extent can the technology-based online tutorial help both the tutors and the students in the teaching and learning process? A critical analysis of this practice in association with the notion of admission test to an undergraduate degree programme in translation, in particular, was then followed by a detailed discussion. Conclusions drawn from this case study are in two folds; on one hand, online advanced writing course tutorials can be considered as an alternative strategy for students to their competency in writing essays which have been achieved by learning through printed self-instructional modular packages (i.e., Writing 4 course module), and on the other, the findings are closely linked to some students’ poor writing performance prior to pursuing translation core courses could have a possible impact on retention rates in the long run.

Keywords: Aadmission test advanced writing skills course, retention rate, students’ performance, online tutorial.

The goals of developmental education include promoting educational opportunity through efforts that enhance both access and retention. Although the measures taken and the issues related to access and retention may overlap, they are not synonymous and must be addressed separately. Defining access is more complicated than it might appear. Traditionally, access has been viewed as opening the door to postsecondary education. With the proliferation of public community colleges and technical institutions in many states, some educators and legislators alike have assumed that the problem of access has been addressed because relatively low-cost programs are available to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, numerous other issues related to access are overlooked.

This paper provides a basic overview of Supplemental Instruction and a new application of it named Video-Based Supplemental Instruction. In order to retain the at-risk student population, we have developed an information delivery system called Video-based Supplemental Instruction or VSI© (Martin and Blanc, 1994).  VSI differs from SI in several respects.  The students enroll in required, core curriculum courses.  The course professor records all didactic presentations on videotape for use with underprepared students as well as other students who opt for this highly interactive way of learning.  Instead of attending the professor’s regular lecture classes, students enroll in the video section of the professor’s course.  Students in both sections are held to the same performance standards.  Specially designed facilitator and student manuals support the video sections.

This research investigated variables that may influence effectiveness of the Supplemental Instruction learning assistance and enrichment program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and other U.S. postsecondary institutions.  Study number one analyzed variables related to academic performance of University of Missouri-Kansas City students (mean final course grades, rate of course withdrawal, and rate of persistence).  Study number two investigated variables at 735 U.S. postsecondary institutions related to academic performance of students and satisfaction level with the campus Supplemental Instruction program.  Independent variables included:  administrative placement of the SI program unit (academic affairs, student affairs, or other), age of the SI program, fidelity of the program to SI program activity constructs (SI Supervisor involvement, SI Leader involvement, SI Leader training, institutional involvement), and four dependent variables (mean final course grades, mean percent of D and F final course grades and course withdrawals, mean percent of students who participate in the program, and satisfaction level with the program).
Besides the quantitative studies, an extensive review of the literature regarding the history of developmental education and learning assistance programs in the United States produced six discernable historical phases.  Supplemental Instruction was placed within this social context in American history.  The appendix includes an extensive annotated bibliography of 450 publications and other media types published by authors worldwide related to Supplemental Instruction.
Study number one found positive correlation between higher academic achievement and persistence rates with the independent variables of SI attendance and measures of precollegiate academic achievement.
The entire known population of 735 Supplemental Instruction programs within the United States was selected for study number two.  There were statistically significant positive correlations with three of the four program activity constructs (SI Supervisor Involvement, SI Leader Involvement, and SI Leader training) and the effectiveness of the program regarding improved student outcomes and higher satisfaction ratings by the campus administrators who supervised the program.  There were no statistically significant differences between the different program administrative placement locations and the dependent variables.  Implications from this research include identification of key activities within the program that should be observed to maximize program effectiveness for the institution and participating students.

Peer collaborative learning has been historically embedded into education. As both pedagogy and learning strategy, it has been adopted and adapted for a wide range of academic content areas at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels due to its benefits. The professional literature is filled with reports of individual instructors integrating this approach into postsecondary classrooms in diverse ways. This is due to claims by some programs that following their specific protocols increase student academic performance, persistence rates, and bolstering institutional revenues as a result. Rather than attempting to cover the entire range of collaborative learning practices, this section is focused on four national peer learning models. The four student peer learning programs selected for this chapter were the only ones that met the following characteristics: (a) implemented at the postsecondary or tertiary level; (b) clear set of systematic procedures for implementation to replicate by another institution; (c) evaluation studies have been conducted and available for review; (d) intentionally embeds learning strategy practice along with review of academic content material; (e) outcomes include increased content knowledge, higher final course grades, higher course pass rates, and higher college persistence rates; and (f) replicated at another institution with similar positive student outcomes. The following programs met these seven characteristics: (a) Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), (b) Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), (c) Structured Learning Assistance (SLA), and (d) Supplemental Instruction (SI).

The Supplemental Instruction (SI) model of student academic assistance helps students in historically difficult classes master content while they develop and integrate learning and study strategies.  Goals of SI include: (1) improve student grades in targeted courses; (2) reduce the attrition rate within those courses; and (3) increase the eventual graduation rates of students.  All students in a targeted course are urged to attend SI sessions, and students with varying ability levels and ethnicities participate.  There is no remedial stigma attached to SI since historically difficult courses rather than high risk students are targeted. Some educational researchers (Dimon, 1988; Keimig, 1983) have concluded that it is difficult to teach transferable study skills in isolation from content material, and SI offers an alternative. Experts in higher education have recognized that there is a need for increased emphasis on student retention, particularly for first-generation and economically-disadvantaged students.  American society cannot afford the economic and social cost of college drop outs who are not able to fulfill their potential.

In 1972, the TRIO program leaders at the University of Minnesota (UMN) developed the Integrated Learning (IL) course to meet academic and cultural transition needs of their Upward Bound (UB) secondary school students.  These courses were offered during the UB summer bridge program for students who were concurrently enrolled in academically-challenging tertiary courses following graduation from secondary school.  Later, use of the IL course shifted from the UB program to the tertiary-level TRIO Student Support Services program.  An academically-challenging course like introductory psychology is linked with an IL course.  The IL course is customized to use content of its companion class as context for mastering learning strategies and orienting students to the rigor of the tertiary learning environment.  The IL course approach has assisted TRIO students improve their academic success in the rigorous academic environment as well as acclimate to the social climate of UMN, one of the largest universities in the United States.  The primary purpose of this article is providing an overview of the IL course approach with sufficient information so other institutions could replicate it.  Two quasi-experimental studies examined the possible benefits of the IL course.  One was in connection with an introductory psychology course.  The IL course students earned statistically significantly higher final course grades than nonparticipants.  Another study with an introductory biology course replicated results of higher final course grades for IL course students.  The IL course fostered higher final course grades and expanded positive study behaviors and their metacognitive skills necessary for academic success.

A retenção no ensino superior foi definida como a condição em que o estudante demanda um tempo maior do que o previsto na matriz curricular para conclusão do curso. Esse fenômeno atua contrariamente a finalidade da instituição comprometendo a taxa de sucesso, gerando ociosidade de recursos humanos e materiais e pode provocar a evasão. Os principais objetivos desta pesquisa foram identificar os fatores associados a retenção dos estudantes dos cursos de graduação presenciais da Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo e propor ações institucionais visando a redução desses índices. Para tanto foi realizada uma pesquisa aplicada, de abordagem quantitativa, utilizando dados secundários. Informações obtidas da revisão da literatura articuladas com recursos de estatística descritiva, tabelas de contingencia, testes Qui-quadrado de Pearson e Regressão Logística foram utilizados para analise dos dados. A área de Linguística, Letras e Artes apresentou o maior percentual de retenção discente, enquanto o menor nível foi observado na área de Ciências da Saúde. Os principais fatores intervenientes no processo de retenção foram coeficiente de rendimento acumulado, numero de reprovações, relação candidato/vaga do vestibular, área do conhecimento, desempenho na segunda etapa do vestibular e trancamento de curso. Assim foi confirmado que o desempenho acadêmico e o componente vital para o sucesso do estudante. O indicador Nível de retenção baseado no ritmo do aluno se mostrou como boa alternativa para monitoramento da retenção. As ações institucionais propostas foram a realização de pesquisas sobre desempenho acadêmico e trancamentos de curso, a estruturação de programas de apoio acadêmico, a aproximação entre a universidade e escolas de nível médio, a utilização do indicador testado e a criação de um banco de dados acadêmico unificado.

Students entering college face many obstacles to success. Students who received a General Education Development (GED) face additional barriers that must be addressed in order for success in higher education. The Successful Transitions and Retention Track Program employs a holistic approach to addressing the needs of GED holders entering college.

Peer collaborative learning has been popular in education for decades. As both a pedagogy and learning strategy, it has been frequently adopted and adapted for a wide range of academic content areas throughout education at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels due to its benefits. The professional literature is filled with reports of individual professors integrating this approach into postsecondary classrooms in diverse ways. Increased attention has been placed on this practice due to claims by some programs that carefully coordinated and managed learning programs with specific protocols can increase student persistence rates towards graduation, supporting both student goal aspirations as well as bolstering institutional revenues. Much of the narrative from this overview to the bibliography is drawn from a recent article published by me on peer cooperative learning groups (Arendale, 2004). This annotated bibliography does not attempt to be inclusive of this broad fiel...

This report focuses on two aspects of risk, administrative risk groups based on demographic, course, admission and prior education information and early academic risk. This is whether a student had failed (and how badly) their commencing semester. The outcomes reported in this study include completion and attrition rates, and broad outcomes, that is, whether a student had completed or was still in study at the end of the time frame of interest. This study compares them for the undergraduate cohorts commencing in summer/semester one of 2008, 2009 and 2010, and includes three year outcomes for the 2008 and 2009 cohorts. In addition, the cohorts are compared to see whether the risk group composition of cohorts and early failure are consistent. The study also examines the major outcomes of the individual risk groups across the three cohorts.  These results show that risk is a relatively stable phenomenon, both in terms of the composition of cohorts and in the outcomes of students. The certainty of risk and the relative stability of outcomes have implications for strategies to improve retention and completion rates.

This action research study, supported by a quantitative data analysis, presents a counternarrative to the deficit discourse regarding Latino/a First Time in Any College (FTIAC) departure during the first year of college. It argues that an intentional learning community model, that is culturally and linguistically responsive to Latino/a student needs, can produce significant gains in first- to second-year retention rates and better predicts retention than either high school grade point average or standardized test scores.

Developmental educators have a historic opportunity to reinvent themselves as resources for the entire campus -students and faculty alike -in partnering with the new enriched learning environment. The learning process must be expanded beyond the traditional classroom walls. Additional partners must be added to the learning environment. The Supplemental Instruction (SI) program serves as a catalyst for an improved and effective learning environment. SI is flexible to meet the learning needs of students and compliment an enriched learning environment managed by the classroom professor. Through its use, the efficiency and effectiveness of learning can be improved. A New Emphasis for Higher Education Some educational leaders proclaim a new emphasis is taking root in higher education. They expose the time honored myth that teaching and learning are two sides of the same coin. How can we be teaching if students are not learning, as the old saying goes? The answer is simple: Some students ...

This practice report shares practices from a successful Latinx Studies learning community model at an urban research-intensive university in the Midwestern United States. The learning community model offers a tiered developmental curriculum to support the three different stages of a student’s journey, from enrollment to graduation. The three distinct phases of the learning community model are: a pre-college summer enrichment program, a first- and second-year college scholars program and a third and fourth-year college-to-career component. The model also integrates 10 out of 11 of Kuh’s (2008) high impact practices demonstrated to support student engagement and success for students making a direct transition from high school to university. The authors share gains in student retention and five-year graduation rates as evidence of effectiveness.

In recent years, our society has seen a proliferation of online courses, virtual universities, and open course initiatives.  However, not everything done in the name of online education is necessarily an improvement, and in many cases the quality of education received online is inferior to traditional classroom-based instruction.

This presentation’s authors, a technology maven and an innovative instructor, contend that applying the University General Education (UGE) program’s core criteria – active learning, experiential context, and cross-disciplinary connection – to online courses would dramatically improve the learning received, whereas a proliferation of online courses which lack these essentials diminishes the quality of online education and weakens the College’s image. 

Further, contemporary research suggests that this problem bears a direct correlation to retention in online courses and programs.  As more of our departments and faculty strive to develop online courses, and particularly as the UGE system evolves toward a whole-university mandate, it is vital that online course offerings that faculty prepare are not merely convenience-driven but actually enhance the quality of instruction we offer. 

This presentation will discuss the pedagogical challenges inherent in moving courses to an online format in light of the three UGE core criteria; highlight relevant educational psychology research from Richard E. Mayer and Ruth Colvin Clark regarding applications of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, which demonstrates that online instruction can enhance these vital UGE core components if done correctly and intentionally; and survey some best practices currently being utilized by Kansas State University instructors which make effective use of these components in online courses.

This research investigated variables that may influence effectiveness of the Supplemental Instruction (SI) learning assistance and enrichment program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and other U.S. postsecondary institutions. The first study analyzed variables related to academic performance of students from the university (mean final course grades, rate of course withdrawal, and rate of persistence) . Study two investigated variables at 735 U.S. postsecondary institutions related to academic performance of students and satisfaction level with the campus SI program. Independent variables included: administrative placement of the SI program unit (academic affairs, student affairs, or other); age of the SI program, fidelity of the program to SI program activity constructs (SI Supervisor involvement, SI Leader involvement, SI Leader training, institutional involvement), and four dependent variables (mean final course grades, mean percent of "D" and "F" fina...

Editor's Note: This article is the third in a series of three articles by R. J. Multari on the subject of technology in advising. The first article, Technology in Higher Education Academic Advisement, was published in The Mentor on January 7, 2004. The second article, Integrating Technology into Advisement Services, was published in The Mentor on May 26, 2004.

The administration and management of advisement services, as well as the larger organization of an enrollment division, are quite reactive when considered in light of changing student needs, institutional administrative and educational practices, and societal expectations for higher education. Every college and university stakeholder wants efficiency, accountability, and assurance of a return on an investment as tuition payers, donors, and taxpayers (Gose, 1996). Academic advisement administrators—including senior academic officers, unit heads, mid- and entry-level professionals, and faculty in higher education administration—are responsible for meeting these demands.

Developmental educators have a historic opportunity to reinvent themselves as resources for the entire campus -- students and faculty alike -- in partnering with the new enriched learning environment.  The learning process must be expanded beyond the traditional classroom walls.  Additional partners must be added to the learning environment. The Supplemental Instruction (SI) program serves as a catalyst for an improved and effective learning environment.  SI is flexible to meet the learning needs of students and compliment an enriched learning environment managed by the classroom professor.  Through its use, the efficiency and effectiveness of learning can be improved.

Het onderzoek bestaat uit drie luiken. Het eerste luik past kwalitatieve onderzoeksmethoden toe. Naast documentenanalyse, worden verantwoordelijken en docenten uit het hoger onderwijs bevraagd aan de hand van diepte-interviews. In het laatste luik worden afgestudeerden uit het hoger onderwijs bevraagd aan de hand van diepte-interviews + arbeidsmarkt. Op basis van de diepte-interviews bij docenten en het literatuuronderzoek is er een gestructureerde vragenlijst ontwikkeld waarin de volgende topics aan bod komen: het studentenprofiel (2.4.1.1), hun perceptie van de opleiding (2.4.1.2) en hun perceptie over hun toekomstige professionele carrière (2.4.1.3). De bedoeling van deze kwantitatieve benadering is overwegend beschrijvend. Op basis van de bekomen informatie is het eveneens de bedoeling om bepaalde hypothesen te toetsen (2.4.1.4). In het laatste luik worden afgestudeerden uit het hoger onderwijs bevraagd aan de hand van diepte-interviews + arbeidsmarkt

This research was designed with regard to make a psychological measuring instrument with a variable academic persistence on high school students (SMA) named The Academic Persistence Scale (APS). By knowing the students' academic persistence, the educational institution is able to measure students' opportunities on difficult goals, maintain a sense of comfort towards success, improve students' skills, understanding and confidence. A set of questionnaires was given to 75 participants selected from various schools from schools in Java, Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara and Celebes on May 2018. Participants consisted of 58.3% of students in class X, 29.3% of students in class XI, and 17, 3% of students in class XII. The research method used is a method of construction of psychology (psychometric) measuring instruments. Item scale is constructed by 4 item constructors by making each scale. The initial item is then recapitulated and an internal elimination of the constructor is done with...

Editor's Note: This article is the second in a series of three articles by R. J. Multari on the subject of technology in advising. The first article, “Technology in Higher Education Academic Advisement,” was published in The Mentor on January 7, 2004. The third article, The Economics of Technology in Advisement Services, was published on August 26, 2004.

Fundamental to the future of academic advisement services is the incorporation of technology. Forces outside as well as inside the academy are driving administrators toward technical solutions to advisement and retention challenges. During a time when service improvement is a goal, the incorporation of technology causes dilemmas for administrative staff, as the extensive use of technology in a service industry such as academic advisement and counseling is viewed by some as too cold and impersonal (Stedman, 1995). The challenge then is to incorporate technology to achieve efficiency while controlling it so it does not become intrusive in processes where student interaction is at stake. Likewise, advisement and retention staff must also take into account that today's student is used to doing things electronically. For example, students already interact electronically with advisement and student support services staff and save their campus interface time for the classroom setting. Academic advisement staff, therefore, can use new tools to enhance their capacity to provide better student services and even to improve human interaction. Clear thinking about the possibilities of technology, careful revamping of business functions, and finding the right mix of technologies for an institution are essential (Stedman, 1995).

Although substantial attention has been given to doctoral students, the attention given to master’s students writing dissertations is limited. This article outlines a transactional model of stress that conceptualises dissertation writing as a stressor consisting of a series of phases that tend to increase the risk of negative outcomes. A mixed-method design was used to address the aim of the study. An adapted version of the Stress and Support Questionnaire for University Students was used to measure the stress that master’s students experienced. Open-ended questions were employed to measure students’ evaluations of the stress experienced when writing a dissertation. The model proposed that the phases of dissertation writing moderate the relationship between stressor factors and the stress experienced. In an empirical study making use of the model, the moderation analyses revealed that Phase 1 of dissertation writing significantly moderated the relationship between the stress experienced, stressor factors of relationships, financial and transport problems and health related problems. The qualitative data suggested that stress is evaluated either positively or negatively depending on time-management styles and support
systems. The results obtained underscore the importance of support structures in alleviating the stress experienced when writing dissertations in order to improve students’ retention and graduation rates.

American community colleges have become important component in the pursuit of four-year degrees. These institutions often serve as an entry gateway for those wishing to continue on to achieve an undergraduate degree. For administrators concerned with retention and completion rates, knowing how transfer options between community colleges and four-year institutions aid or impede degree completion is critical. This literature review examines institutionally controlled factors that influence time to completion for groups of students enrolled in degree programs.

... Authors: Billson, Janet Mancini; Terry, Margaret Brooks. Descriptors: Academic Persistence; Admission Criteria; College Attendance; College Students; Dropout Prevention; Enrollment; Higher Education; Models; School Holding Power; Student Attrition; Student Recruitment. ...

Many developmental educators have been assigned increased responsibilities for campus-wide enrollment management activities. A new system is needed for educators to more accurately sort through the rapidly growing database of information related to student retention. This will enable the reader to more quickly identify promising practices for further investigation. This article provides a scale to evaluate the likelihood of success among potential programs and identify them for further research. Scrutiny of potential retention programs must be increased by asking more questions early in the investigation process regarding: essential components of a program, research evaluation studies, barriers to successful implementation, and the availability of technical assistance to enable other institutions to successfully adapt and adopt the student retention practice.