Should I Stay or Should I Go? Examining Persistence Factors Among Rural First-Year Community College Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT College completion is an important focus for policy and practice and is impacted by student academic and non-academic factors. Participation in non-classroom activities is well documented to extend positive intellectual, social, and psychosocial outcomes associated with college completion, yet this association is understudied for community college students. The purpose of this study was to determine whether rural community college full-time first-year students who participate in non-classroom activities differ from nonparticipants. An adapted form of the College Persistence Questionnaire Version 2 (CPQ-V2) was utilized to examine five factors previously demonstrated to influence student persistence including academic integration, social integration, degree commitment, collegiate stress, and institutional commitment. The CPQ-V2 was administered using an electronic instrument during the Fall 2021 semester wherein respondents provided details about their pre-college background and involvement in non-classroom activities. Data analysis consisted of the chi-square test of independence and one-way ANOVA to identify significant associations or relationships between variables. Results demonstrated variation among student groups in non-classroom involvement and the outcomes correlated to such involvement. The findings offer insights for community colleges considering supports to increase persistence (and completion) through student engagement and recommendations for monitoring the effectiveness of non-classroom opportunities to meet residential and nonresidential students’ needs.