DUI Arrests and Academic Attrition

Abstract

A sobering 2002 study reported that over 2 million college students drove under the influence of alcohol (DUI) in 1999 (Hingson, Heeren, Zakocs, Kopstein, & Wechsler, 2002). Among those driving while intoxicated, approximately 1.7% or roughly 34,000 students reported being arrested on DUI charges (Engs, 1977; Presley, Meilman, & Cashin, 1996). Regrettably, a significant proportion of the 1,400 college student deaths and 500,000 injuries are implicated in these drunk driving statistics (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2002). Even as deaths and injuries from drinking and driving have captured the attention of university officials, special interests, and the public (Thompson, Deneen, Bierck, Locher, & Tower, 1998; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2005), one consequence of drunk driving has gone unnoticed. Little has been written about the possible impact of a DUI arrest on college student attrition. Nevertheless, retention issues have created concern among university and college presidents who may be worried about lost tuition revenue (Anderson, 1992; “U.S. Colleges Falling Short,” 2004). This concern is justified by research indicating that 28% of students entering a 4-year institution leave at the end of their first year (Tinto, 1993), and that only 45% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within 6 years (Astin, Tsui, & Avalos, 1996). Because only about 15% of students leave an institution due to academic issues (Cambiano, Denny, & DeVore, 2000; Kalsner, 1991), it is important to identify correlates of attrition DUI Arrests and Academic Attrition