A Text and Reconceptualization of a Theoretical Model of College Withdrawal in a Commuter Institution Setting

Abstract

This study tests Tinto's (1975) theoretical model of college withdrawal in a non-residential university setting and offers a reconceptualization of the model based on the results. Path analysis was used to test the predictive validity of the model on a sample offreshmen in a large, urban, commuter institution. The results afforded less support for the person-environmentfit aspects of the model than have been found in residential settings. Similarly, the influence of such concepts in the model as social integration and institutional commitment was found to be different from theoretical expectations or previous research in residential institutions. The findings have implications for the efficacy of person-environmentfit theory as it relates to the prediction of persistencelwithdrawal behavior in non-residential postsecondary institutions. A reconceptualized model for explaining persistencelwithdrawal decisions in commuter institutions is presented and discussed.