Freshman Retention Research Articles

Exploring the spatial dimensions of college retention within the context of inequality

Exploring the spatial dimensions of college student retention is critical in order to fully understand the motivation of students dropping out; yet, the literature lacks a comprehensive spatial analysis. This study aims to assess the impact of a combination of spatial and institutional predictors on college student retention. A key finding of this research is that the geo-spatial location of a public four-year university in the US is an important determinant of student persistence. Distance to the closest metropolitan area, number of universities within close proximity and local unemployment rate where an institution is located not only impact freshman retention but also reveal important implications for barriers to equal access in higher education. We suggest that administrators and policy makers consider the spatial factors while determining the best management practices and policy tools to address problems pertaining not only to retention but also the accessibility issues in higher education. student retention, spatial, inequality, affordability, selectivity

Assessing library instruction: A study of the relationship between attendance, retention, and student success

Libraries must find ways to collaborate with university-wide assessment efforts to demonstrate how library resources and services support student-centered outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between attending library instruction, first-time, full-time freshman retention, and grade point average (GPA). This study also tests the feasibility of collecting personally identifiable library use data and integrating these data with the university's data warehouse. Results of Chi-square and binomial logistic regression predicting retention indicate that students who attend library instruction are more likely to be retained. Results of multiple linear regression prediction GPA indicate that students who attend library instruction are more likely to have a higher GPA. However, results indicate that attending more than one library instruction session did not have any additional effect on retention. Result of binomial logistic regression predicting retention indicate that students with a higher GPA are more likely to be retained.

Providing Opportunities for Retention, Progression, and Graduation of Special Populations

Columbus State University’s (CSU) first-time full-time freshman six-year graduation rate has improved from 32.4% for cohort 2011 to 39.5% for cohort 2013. However, the one-year freshman retention rate has declined from 74% for cohort 2016 to 72% for cohort 2018. Many students are unable to progress to graduation because they end up on academic probation, academic exclusion or unsatisfactory academic progress status for receiving any financial aid. CSU will explain strategies used to improve academic success for these under prepared students.

Association of Freshman Retention Rates with Instructional Expenditure and Residential Status : A Case Study for Large Public Colleges

Retention is a key indicator of institutional effectiveness in education research. Retaining full-time freshman students has been a long-standing problem for institutions of higher education. Overall, 40% of U.S. college students leave college among which the majority are freshman students. About 30% of freshman students drop out before their sophomore year of college. The primary causes for leaving college include financial pressure, falling behind in classwork, lack of social connections, and loss of family support. Higher educational institutions need to understand the dynamic between different expenditures and freshman retention rates to responsibly and strategically allocate funds to what will best support institutional success. This study investigates how freshman retention rates at large public colleges are associated with instructional expenditures and residential status. Findings of this study indicate that regarding freshman retention at large public colleges, spending more money on instruction goes further for residential colleges compared to non-residential ones. In other words, for most levels of instructional expenditure, residential colleges have higher freshman retention rates than non-residential colleges. Findings of this study can assist higher education institutions in directing their efforts toward what will best support institutional success.

A controlled intervention to improve freshman retention in a STEM-based physiology major.

Using a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning lens, this study systematically examined if a targeted intervention in at-risk students within a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based physiology program would elicit positive student perceptions and higher retention rates into the second year. Those students who were considered at risk for attrition (retention; n = 82) were compared against a control group (non-retention; n = 165), and outcomes were evaluated with an End-of-Semester Survey and university enrollment data. Students in the retention group reported more favorable responses to questions pertaining to a first-year seminar course and academic advising. By the start of the following (spring 2019) semester, 48 students transferred out of the program (20%) with little difference between groups (non-retention 19%; retention 22%). At the start of fall 2019 term, 55% of the 2018 freshman class were retained within the program (non-retention 66%; retention 39%), and 85% were retained within the university (non-retention 91%, retention 74%). The intervention was successful in eliciting positive student perceptions of the major, but did not improve retention of at-risk students within the physiology major.

Academic Reality Check: A Fast, Free, Practical Tool for Freshmen Retention

With limited budgets and increasing enrollment demands, colleges need fast, free, and practical solutions supporting academic success and retention. The Academic Reality Check (ARC) tool helps to predict traditional freshmen awareness of their own academic expectations in college quickly, supporting the financial investment being made by all stakeholders. Similar inventories exist but they are costly, complicated, or both. The ARC tool is a valid, reliable, fast, free, and practical option. The ARC tool is available on a free website, so students, advisors, and faculty can access it easily. Students can complete the ARC tool in approximately 10 minutes and get an immediate academic success indicator score related to class attendance, attention, and note taking; time management and organization; study expectations and learning strategies; resources; and reading, writing, and homework.

Investigating the Predictability of Academic Participation and Performance on First-Year Retention of College Freshmen

First-year retention of freshmen has been one of the most important indicators contributing to university education quality. This study seeks to investigate the specific predictive capacity of academic integration on college students' first-year retention for the purpose of understanding the specific probability impact and predictability of academic participation and performance by applying the statistical models to analyze the freshmen data. We analyzed data of a cohort consisting of 738 full-time freshmen to examine the predictability of students' academic participation and performance on their first-year retention at a Midwest state university. The academic factors including students' participation and performance were combined with the other factors of students' demographics and financial aid as the predictive variables on first-year retention in a logistic regression model. Results of the logistic regression show that students' academic participation indicated by credit hours completed and academic performance measured by cumulative GPA significantly predict first-year retention. As a student's earned credit hour per semester increases by one, the probability of returning to the university increases by 6.6%. An increase of 0.1 GPA for a student increases the odds of returning by 2.9%. These two predictor variables explain 41.4% of outcome variation of first-year retention. The specific probability prediction revealed by this study offers university administrators and faculty more measurable and accurate information to their decision makings for improving freshman student retention. Other implications were also discussed including the suggestion that broad efforts be enhanced in creating a more supportive environment that focuses primarily on student academic success.

Using peer effects to explain retention rates in a private university

AbstractThis study identifies factors associated with freshmen retention rates at a mid‐size private university. A key finding from our analysis is that roommates' academic efforts, residing on an honours floor and membership in co‐curricular groups increase retention. We also confirm many standard results in the literature regarding the impact on retention rates, such as student motivation and ability, and financial aid. We show that a timely housing application, closer proximity to home, a higher number of schools on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid and peer effects impact freshman retention. Our results suggest that a more sophisticated dormroom assignment algorithm matching students' abilities and interests could be considered to increase freshman retention rates among private institutions.

Effects of Hierarchical Mentoring on Freshman Retention in a Biology First-Year Experience Course

Higher education must improve student retention and graduation rates to meet increased demand for STEM degrees in the workforce projected for the next ten years. The high rate of attrition among STEM students entering college compels institutions to implement strategies that improve student retention because more states now employ performance-based funding models with increased pressures to improve student outcomes, such as first- and second-year retention rates. We piloted a two-year hierarchical mentoring model as part of a first-year experience course developed for biology students (BioSkills) to increase retention rates among first-time-in-college (FTIC) students. We describe the mentoring structure we adopted and how the design of BioSkills supports and educates future biology professionals. Our findings show that FTIC students who participated in this program earned significantly higher first-year GPAs and were retained at higher rates than students who did not participate, which documents the impact of BioSkills as a successful first-year intervention. However, we were surprised that the benefit of BioSkills was not replicated among under-represented minority (URM) students. We briefly speculate on explanations for this finding. Lastly, we offer best practice suggestions for future implementation.

Campus score: Measuring university campus qualities

This research proposes an index, called Campus Score, which measures the main physical qualities of university campuses. Campus Score is composed of three latent variables representing Urbanism, Greenness, and On-Campus Living, with 10 indicators. This index has been calculated for 103 research-intensive universities in the United States of America. Two linear regressions show that Campus Score has significant associations with freshman retention and 6-year graduation rates. It is also interesting to note that, compared to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking), Campus Score has stronger associations with freshman retention and graduation rates. The one-way ANOVA test and post-hoc analysis reveal that private universities, on average, have significantly higher Campus Scores than public universities, Research I universities have significantly higher mean scores than Research II universities, and universities in the Northeast census region have significantly higher mean scores than universities in other census regions. Exploring the relationships between Campus Score and university objectives, such as student satisfaction, safety, and campus sustainability, can give campus planners fresh insight into the impacts of campus form.

The Retention Challenge—Should We Include Parents?

AbstractUniversity campuses continue to see an increase in the number of helicopter parents, those parents who are hovering about the campus, ready to swoop down and rescue their children at the first sign of distress (Cartmell and McCullough 2014). Retention personnel on campus questioned whether it would be possible to develop initiatives that would intentionally guide parents in ways that help increase freshman retention rates. Research has been done and shown that students’ parents can serve as a safety net for their freshmen, increasing the students’ willingness to take on greater academic and social challenges (Kalsner and Pistole 2003). The difficulty for college campuses is how to capitalize on the untapped resource and determine whether it aids in greater retention and success of freshman students.Attachment theory is the basis for an innovative retention initiative that was developed at The University of Tennessee at Martin, which seeks to provide a landing pad for helicopter parents who want to be involved during their students’ first year. Incoming freshman parents are encouraged to take advantage of an online parent portal that contains academic resources and information about their child's college performance. The information provided on the portal is intended to help parents begin conversations with their students about how to succeed in the college arena. To measure the effectiveness of the initiative, a sample of 300 first‐time, full‐time freshmen from the fall 2012 entering freshman class was analyzed. Data were evaluated looking for student retention differences, as well as differences in the end‐of‐first‐year grade point averages. Correlations were found between parent involvement and freshman retention, as well as grade point averages. Interestingly, the research also showed that there appears to be a point of diminishing returns associated to the amount of parental involvement.

The Effects of Counseling on the Retention and Academic Performance of Underprepared Freshmen

Higher education administrators, faculty, and staff expend great effort to increase the academic success and retention of college freshmen. Underprepared college freshmen are of particular concern given their high risk for dropping out. While interventions such as specific orientation programs, remedial/developmental coursework, and special advisement are utilized to increase retention of these students, one area that appears promising is the provision of counseling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of individual counseling, grade point average (GPA), and failing remedial and other courses on underprepared freshmen's retention rates. Analysis of variance and logistic regression analyses revealed that counseling for 3 to 4 hours in the fall had a positive impact on fall GPA, and failing fall remedial courses was the most significant predictor of whether a student was retained or not. However, in the spring, GPA, the number of credits completed, and the number of remedial courses taken were the best predictors.

An Integrated Approach To Recruiting And Retaining Appalachian Engineering Students

Recruiting and retaining Appalachian engineering students is difficult for a variety of ecological and cultural reasons. At West Virginia University an NSF STEP grant1* has allowed the development specific interventions to evolve from an ecological model we describe here. The interventions include web-based, realistic engineering design exercises linked to state and federal content standards and objectives; a week-long residential summer camp addressing social and academic challenges for rural and minority students; a full set of retention efforts including "rescue courses" targeting struggling college freshmen in early stages of academic difficulty coupled with required study labs to underscore time management and persistence skills early in a freshman's academic career. Process and impact measures suggest that this package of interventions is effective in building interest in engineering not only in high school teachers but in the high school students themselves. While freshman retention has improved remarkably to an all time high of 84%, we conclude that it may take longer than five years to establish among youth in Appalachia an "engineering identity" as a cultural norm. We discuss the key aspects of our 5 year NSF project along with findings and conclusions.

Are Math Readiness and Personality Predictive of First-Year Retention in Engineering?

ABSTRACT On the basis of J. G. Borkowski, L. K. Chan, and N. Muthukrishna's model of academic success (2000), the present authors hypothesized that freshman retention in an engineering program would be related to not only basic aptitude but also affective factors. Participants were 129 college freshmen with engineering as their stated major. Aptitude was measured by SAT verbal and math scores, high school grade-point average (GPA), and an assessment of calculus readiness. Affective factors were assessed by the NEO–Five Factor Inventory (FFI; P. I. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 2007), and the Nowicki–Duke Locus of Control (LOC) scale (S. Nowicki & M. Duke, 1974). A binary logistic regression analysis found that calculus readiness and high school GPA were predictive of retention. Scores on the Neuroticism and Openness subscales from the NEO-FFI and LOC were correlated with retention status, but Openness was the only affective factor with a significant unique effect in the binary logistic regression. Results of the study lend modest support to Borkowski's model.

Do bans on affirmative action hurt minority students? Evidence from the Texas Top 10% Plan

In light of the recent bans on affirmative action in higher education, this paper provides new evidence on the effects of alternative admissions policies on the persistence and college completion of minority students. I find that the change from affirmative action to the Top 10% Plan in Texas decreased both retention and graduation rates of lower-ranked minority students. Results show that both fall-to-fall freshmen retention and six-year college graduation of second-decile minority students decreased, respectively, by 2.4 and 3.3 percentage points. The effect of the change in admissions policy was slightly larger for minority students in the third and lower deciles: fall-to-fall freshmen retention and six-year college graduation decreased, respectively, by 4.9 and 4.2 percentage points. Moreover, I find no evidence in support of the minority “mismatch” hypothesis. These results suggest that most of the increase in the graduation gap between minorities and non-minorities in Texas, a staggering 90%, was driven by the elimination of affirmative action in the 1990s.

Football and Freshmen Retention: Examining the Impact of College Football on Institutional Retention Rates

Student retention has been one of the more researched topics in the study of American higher education over the past 20 years (Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Very little of this research, however, has attempted to examine the impact of college athletics on an institution's ability to retain students. This study examined the relationship between institutional support of college football (as measured by attendance at home football games) and freshmen retention at NCAA Division 1A and 1AA colleges and universities. Findings indicated that, after controlling for various factors associated with student retention, attendance at home football games was positively and significantly related to an institution's freshmen retention rate. Football game attendance was more significant, however, at Division 1A institutions as compared to Division 1AA institutions.

Do Bans on Affirmative Action Hurt Minority Students? Evidence from the Texas Top 10% Plan

In light of the recent bans on affirmative action in higher education, this paper provides new evidence on the effects of alternative admissions policies on the persistence and college completion of minority students. I find that the change from affirmative action to the Top 10% Plan in Texas decreased both retention and graduation rates of lower-ranked minority students. Results show that both fall-to-fall freshmen retention and six-year college graduation of second-decile minority students decreased, respectively, by 2.4 and 3.3 percentage points. The effect of the change in admissions policy was slightly larger for minority students in the third and lower deciles: fall-to-fall freshmen retention and six-year college graduation decreased, respectively, by 4.9 and 4.2 percentage points. Moreover, I find no evidence in support of the minority mismatch hypothesis. These results suggest that most of the increase in the graduation gap between minorities and non-minorities in Texas, a staggering 90 percent, was driven by the elimination of affirmative action in the 1990s.

Is Modeling of Freshman Engineering Success Different from Modeling of Non‐Engineering Success?

AbstractThe engineering community has recognized the need for a higher retention rate in freshman engineering. If we are to increase the freshman retention rate, we need to better understand the characteristics of academic success for engineering students. One approach is to compare academic performance of engineering students to that of non‐engineering students. This study explores the differences in predicting academic success (defined as the first year GPA) for freshman engineering students compared to three non‐engineering student sectors (Pre‐Med, STEM, and non‐STEM disciplines) within a university. Academic success is predicted with pre‐college variables from the UCLA/CIRP survey using factor analysis and regression analysis. Except for the factor related to the high school GPA and rank, the predictors for each student sector were discipline specific. Predictors unique to the engineering sector included the factors related to quantitative skills (ACT Math and Science test scores and placement test scores) and confidence in quantitative skills.

Validating NSSE Against Student Outcomes: Are They Related?

While there exist many examples of institutional use of the results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), there is a relative paucity of research explicitly linking student outcomes to responses on the survey. A major Doctoral-Extensive institution in the Southeast recently conducted a large-scale implementation of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). We have linked multiple years of NSSE responses to several student outcomes: freshman retention, GPA, pursuit of graduate education, and employment outcome upon commencement/degree conferral. Our research finds minimal explanatory power in the NSSE benchmarks for these outcomes. A statistically derived model from the individual NSSE items shows greater promise, although there are difficulties in replicating the model for previous student cohorts.

From kickoff to commencement: the positive role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education

This study examines the relationship between a university's football heritage and its freshman retention and graduation rates. Our findings of a positive and significant relationship between a university's football success and both of these educational measures supports the hypothesis that athletics serve the institution's academic mission and provides students with a respite from the psychic costs associated with college life.