Student Departure Research Articles

Institutional Climate and Student Departure: A Multinomial Multilevel Modeling Approach

This study applied a multinomial HGLM technique to examine the extent to which the institutional climate for diversity influences the different types of college student withdrawal, such as stop out, drop out, and transfer. Based on a reformulation of Tinto's model along with the conceptualization of institutional climate for diversity by Hurtado et al. (1999), this study found that institutional climate for diversity had significant but differential effects on the different types of student withdrawal. This study reminds educators to take institutional climate for diversity more seriously and suggests a more sophisticated method for conducting research on college student withdrawal.

Transitional Experiences of First-Year College Students Who Were Homeschooled

This study examined transitional experiences of first-year college students who were homeschooled in high school. It sought to determine if experiences of such students corresponded with Tinto's (1988, 1993) theory of student departure. The qualitative study found that there was little distinction between the transitional experiences of homeschooled students and traditionally educated students. During their first year of college, students experienced transitional issues such as loneliness, meeting others with different values, and dealing with greater independence. Academic and student support services, such as orientation, resident assistants, and campus programming, were influential institutional interventions in their transition to college.

Institutional Aid and Student Persistence: An Analysis of the Effects of Institutional Financial Aid at Public Four-Year Institutions

This study examines the effects of institutional financial aid on year-to-year persistence for a cohort of first-time, first-year students at three large, doctorate-granting public universities. Though billions of dollars are spent each year on institutional aid, much of the research to date on student persistence does not consider its effects on student departure. Using data from a statewide student unit record database, the effects of institutional aid on persistence were modeled using logistic regression. Findings suggest that institutional financial aid has a positive but modest effect on persisting. Interestingly, the effects of aid were greater for men than for women, all else being equal.

Dreams Deferred but Not Deterred: A Qualitative Study on Undergraduate Nursing Student Attrition

A qualitative study using grounded theory was conducted to examine the reasons that a sample of undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students withdrew from their nursing programs. The sample consisted of 11 nursing students who left generic baccalaureate nursing programs located in an urban area of a southeastern state. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct taped telephone interviews with study participants. Thematic data analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method. The findings showed that nursing student departure was the result of a cumulative effect of multiple stressors in the academic, social, and/or external environments. Any combination of two or more stressors can result in the departure decision; or if allowed to persist, these stressors may become manifested in academic failure, which also results in student departure from the institution. The findings from this research support the need for early intervention strategies to identify and address student stressors before they lead to voluntary or involuntary institutional departure.

Multiple Choices, Multiple Chances: Fostering Re-entry Pathways for First Generation College Students

Student or program deficiencies are the classic explanation for student departure from community college partners of career technical education programs. However, a complex set of factors impact college attendance, persistence, and departure decision-making. Participants' experiences both within and outside program structures can reshape long-term goals. Based on a 7-year study of a population of 256 students, this article examines detailed case studies of 2 students' experiences leaving and reentering community college. It reveals how one program supported multiple exit and entry points. Interconnected educational and career pathways were made visible with the creation of a visual model that situated program experiences in a broader educational and career pathway. Additionally, both the use of creative solutions and adherence to rigid program parameters impacted students' career and educational trajectories. For more effective results, programs should support parallel career planning and encourage participants to question program structures in relation to their needs.

Cataloging institutional efforts to understand and reduce college student departure

AbstractIn spite of substantial investment in retention in Indiana higher education, there have been only a few well‐designed studies that evaluate the effects of these interventions.

INSTITUTIONAL SELECTIVITY AND INSTITUTIONAL EXPENDITURES: Examining Organizational Factors that Contribute to Retention and Graduation

Many institutions of higher education increasingly are concerned with retention and graduation rates. Focusing on private Baccalaureate Liberal and General colleges and universities, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between institutional selectivity and institutional expenditures and retention and graduation rates. Framed by Berger’s (2001–2002) view that organizational behavior can impact student departure, this inquiry examined if expenditures for instruction, academic support, student services, facilities, institutional support, and institutional grants (i.e. student financial aid) could predict retention and graduation rates at baccalaureate-granting institutions. Institutional selectivity and institutional expenditures, specifically those that directly contributed to students’ academic integration, were found to contribute significantly to retention and graduation rates. Recommendations are suggested, including using the results to inform resource allocation strategies that can enhance retention and graduation rates.

Determining the Extent to Which Program Structure Features and Integration Mechanisms Facilitate or Impede Doctoral Student Persistence in Mathematics

Introduction Mathematics, as a discipline, is faced with a number of concerns. Over the last twenty years, academic commentators have voiced disquiet over, 'the supply, quality, and composition of the U.S. talent pool in scientific and mathematics fields' (Stage & Maple, 1996, p. 24). A recent survey indicates that throughout the 90s the number of full-time mathematics doctoral students decreased and looks set to continue declining albeit at a slower rate (American Mathematical Society [AMS], 2003). In addition, women and some ethnic minority groups remain under-represented at doctoral level (Herzig, 2002), despite initiatives and resources aimed at recruiting minorities into mathematics. Moreover, the number of doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens is declining (Herzig, 2002). Finally, studies show that as many as fifty percent of all doctoral students depart from their studies (Lovitts, 2001) and mathematics is no exception; attrition rate estimates vary from 30% to 70% (Bowen & Rudenstine, 2002). Attrition is not only a cause for concern in terms of faculty time expended, institutional costs and public resource investment (MLA Committee, 1998), but the individual cost to the student is staggering in terms of financial, personal and professional consequences (Lovitts, 2001). Past research has identified a constellation of factors leading to attrition and, while the following section outlines a number of these factors, it is by no means exhaustive. Some faculty and administrators view doctoral departure as a function of the idiosyncrasies of individual students, such as lack of academic ability, motivation, or commitment. This discourse tends to place responsibility on the shoulders of the student, the so-called 'drop-out'. Yet research indicates that students who withdraw from their doctoral studies and students who persist share a similar grade point average (Lovitts, 2001). In addition, evidence suggests that several pre-entry factors are associated with high attrition such as delayed entrance into a doctoral program, a change of institution and/or discipline of study (Baird, 1993). Other external factors that may impede Ph.D. completion include marriage, having children or caring for elderly parents (Lovitts, 2001). Nonetheless, there are those who argue that the rationale underpinning student departure is partly a function of what occurs post entry to a graduate program (Tinto, 1987) and, as such, high attrition cannot be understood independent of institution context. It is suggested, for instance, that the greater the extent to which students are integrated into the academic and social life of an institution, the more likely doctoral persistence (Lovitts, 2001; Tinto, 1993). As such, there are a number of mechanisms that serve to facilitate integration into a department such as availability of office space, effective mentoring schemes, type of financial support, teaching opportunities, and a good working relationship with advisor (Golde, 2000; Herzig, 2002). In addition, department features such program structure may also assist participation in the social and professional life of the department. Program Structure Features: the Preliminary and Qualifying Examinations A mathematics doctoral program in the U.S. takes the form of two stages. The first stage typically extends over a period of about three years and involves the student taking a number of courses culminating at the University of California with the sitting of a preliminary examination. The preliminary examination is a six hour written examination predominantly covering undergraduate material (UC Berkeley Mathematics website, 2004). The examination is sat before the start of each semester and doctoral students are required to pass it within their first three semesters of entering the mathematics program. The second stage of the doctoral program commences with the qualifying examination which is a three hour oral examination that places emphasis on the students' area of specialization (UC Berkeley Mathematics website, 2004) and this must be attempted within the first two years of entry. …

Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure (review)

Reviewed by: Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure Jillian Kinzie Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure John M. Braxton, Amy S. Hirschy, and Shederick A. McClendon San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 30, Number 3, 2003, 140 pages, $26 (softcover) Nationally, about 63% of high school graduates enroll in postsecondary education the fall after completing high school (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002). The enrollment of traditional college-age students continues at record high levels. However, far too many students who enter the higher education system fail to earn degrees. More than a quarter of students who enter four-year institutions and half of those who enter two-year schools depart at the end of their first years (Adelman, 2004). Moreover, there is a wide gap in graduation rates between low and high income students and among different racial-ethnic groups (The Education Trust, 2004). These statistics have elevated concerns about college completion rates. Although student retention has received considerable attention in higher education literature and research, the completion rate problem remains a central challenge carrying serious implications for the development of human potential, educational equity, and institutional accountability. In Understanding and Reducing College [End Page 213] Student Departure, Braxton, Hirschy and McClendon seek to further understand the completion rate problem by reviewing findings of empirical research on college student departure. They focus attention on the most widely cited student departure theory: Tinto's interactionalist theory. Through a review of empirical evidence, the authors critique Tinto's theory, formulate new models to account for student departure, and make recommendations for further scholarship on the topic. The authors also move beyond theory and into an examination of practice by reviewing exemplary institutional student retention programs. This dual focus on theory and practice is intended to further the use of research-based approaches to understanding and reducing college student departure. Chapter one introduces Tinto's theory, and then dedicates considerable attention to reviewing empirical appraisals of the validity of the theory. The robustness of the theory is first examined by institutional type, including residential commuter and liberal arts institutions, and two-year colleges. After discussing the mixed patterns of support for the theory across institutional types, the authors conclude that a serious revision to Tinto's theory is needed. In chapters two and three, the authors discuss new theoretical frameworks for residential and commuter institutions. Although the revised theory for residential colleges and universities maintains the original thrust of Tinto's concepts, the authors enhance the theory by identifying major factors that influence departure and specify six forces that foster or impede social integration in residential institutions. Because Tinto's theory lacks explanatory power in commuter institutions, the authors propose a new conceptual model of student departure for commuter colleges and universities. Sixteen propositions are advanced to form the foundation of this new theory. These chapters specify the unique contextual conditions at these institutional types, such as student entry characteristics, the external environment, the campus environment, and academic communities, and how these elements directly influence subsequent commitment to the institution or the departure decisions of students. In addition, both chapters discuss implications for racial and ethnic minority students at these institutional types. The formulation of new theories of student departure has immediate implications for practice. In chapters four and five, the authors discuss these implications and put forth recommendations for implementation. Brief descriptions of exemplary student retention programs are provided to demonstrate the promise of using research-based approaches to reduce institutional rates of departure. The final chapter returns to a discussion of research and offers specific recommendations for further scholarship on the topic. This publication offers a novel and practical approach to understanding the complex and ill-structured problem of college student departure. By providing concise reviews of the research findings that give rise to their theoretical propositions and new models, the authors present a well-organized case. Greater specification of student departure theory for residential colleges is helpful, but the generation of a new model for commuter institutions is particularly valuable given the paucity of empirical evidence for Tinto's theory at this institutional type. These new models demonstrate greater sensitivity to the unique characteristics of students...

Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure (review)

Reviewed by: Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure MaryBeth Walpole (bio) John M. Braxton, Amy S. Hirschy, and Shedrick A. McClendon. Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, Vol. 30, No. 3. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. 128 pp. Paper: $26. ISBN: 0-7879-7282-7. Increasing student retention continues to be a pressing concern for higher education researchers, administrators, and policymakers. During the last century, nearly half of all students who enter two- and four-year colleges leave higher education without earning a degree. Moreover, students who attend community colleges or four-year commuter institutions, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and students of color are particularly vulnerable to attrition. Raising persistence levels is clearly a critical issue, and a commendable focus for the monograph Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure. Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon build on Braxton's earlier works with several colleagues examining and critiquing Vincent Tinto's (1993) foundational theory on retention. The authors argue that Tinto's model is not well supported empirically and that, to substantially reduce attrition rates, the theory should be revised. To support their argument and build the theoretical revisions, Braxton and his colleagues draw upon quantitative research literature utilizing Tinto's model. Following a brief introduction, the authors describe Tinto's model and then review the quantitative research on retention, using the model for both residential and commuter schools. In general, they find empirical support for Tinto's concept of social integration but only modest support for his academic integration concept on residential campuses and only modest support for either social or academic integration on community college or commuter campuses. They do, however, find strong but indirect effects of academic integration in commuter institutions. Braxton and his colleagues propose revisions of Tinto's theory in two chapters (one for residential and the other for commuter students), incorporating a contextual aspect into their retention [End Page 453]theories and paying particular attention to students of color at both types of institutions. For students on residential campuses, social integration is related empirically to retention; and the authors posit that the relationship is influenced by six factors. The first two are institutional commitment to student welfare and institutional integrity. Communal potential, a student's ability to identify and form social bonds with a particular group of students, is the third factor. The fourth is a student's ability to anticipate social situations. Student involvement, termed psychosocial engagement, is the fifth factor. The sixth is the financial wherewithal students possess, referred to as ability to pay. The authors believe that two factors present potential challenges for students of color on residential campuses: ability to pay and communal potential. These students may experience difficulty in affording college and may encounter more difficulty forming social bonds with students, decreasing retention. The authors then revise Tinto's theory of retention for community colleges and commuter four-year institutions, which they combine conceptually. Braxton and his colleagues utilize 16 propositions in the revised theory for commuter institutions, incorporating aspects of Tinto's original theory, the revised residential college theory, and elements derived from research literature. These propositions are categorized according to whether the effect is generated from student entry characteristics, the student's external environment, or the campus environment. Although I commend the authors for their work in untangling the multiple influences on commuter campuses because attrition rates at these institutions are so high, the findings regarding the effects of locus of control and self-efficacy need further explanation. I also question the repeated characterization of commuter campuses as "confusing" because the authors fail to support this characterization with empirical data, as they do their other assertions. The last two sections on commuter institutions are focused on the role of academics on these campuses and implications for students of color. Retention research findings support utilizing learning communities and nontraditional pedagogical approaches because they provide increased learning opportunities and may also provide vital outlets for students to form bonds with one another. Finally, Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon posit that students of color attending commuter institutions may be particularly vulnerable to attrition because of external environmental pressures, such as family or financial commitments. Following these theoretical revisions...

UCLA Community College Review: Campus Environment: A Missing Link in Studies of Community College Attrition

These are challenging times for community colleges. Enrollment is up, funding is unreliable, and colleges are increasingly held responsible for learning outcomes of an ever more diverse student population. Community colleges serve 53% of all first-time students enrolled in public higher education, including disproportionate numbers of working, first-generation, adult, and other traditionally underrepresented students (Snyder, Tan, & Hoffman, 2004). Nine of ten first-time community students intend to earn a certificate or associate's degree or to transfer and earn a bachelor's degree. However, only 36% achieve a formal credential within 6 years, although an additional 8% are still enrolled at that time. Of remaining, 11% never intended to earn a certificate or degree, and 45 % leave without achieving their original educational objectives (Hoachlander, Sikora, & Horn, 2003).High levels of first-year attrition are a longstanding problem. About half of all first-year community students leave higher education before beginning of their second year-a rate that has held steady for over 40 years. Although many scholars have examined forces that contribute to student attrition throughout experience, Tinto (1988) noted that the forces that shape departure during first year of college, especially during first six weeks of first semester, are qualitatively different than those that mold departure in latter years of college (p. 439).Community attrition-especially early attrition-deserves serious attention, since access to higher education and resulting private and public benefits are undermined when students do not achieve their educational objectives (Bowen & others, 1977; Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Attrition interferes with individual, institutional, and social well-being, depleting future pool of skilled workers and educated citizens needed to participate in an increasingly sophisticated economy and complex civic life (Merisotis, 2005). Children of students who drop out are less likely to complete high school or than are children of graduates, which suggests that harmful effects of attrition are intergenerational (Astone & McLanahan, 1991; Kojuku & Nunez, 1998). Moreover, institutional planning, budgeting, and economic stability become less manageable in colleges with excessive attrition (Ansalone, 2002).Economic, societal, psychological, organizational, and interactionalist perspectives have shaped most studies of student persistence (Braxton, 2000). Tinto's (1975, 1988, 1993) interactionalist model of student departure is probably best known, modeling attrition as a lack of fit between student characteristics and requirements of college. In this person-environment fit model, student characteristics such as poor academic preparation, part-time enrollment, full-time employment, and delay in beginning after high school graduation predict lower levels of academic and social involvement or integration and, therefore, higher levels of attrition (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1998; Tinto, 1975, 1988, 1993).Four-year models of attrition have been applied to community colleges with mixed results. The majority of these studies account for 8% to 25 % of total variance in attrition, suggesting that we do not yet understand why most students depart before completing their educational objectives. In addition, low predictive power of models suggests one or more of following problems: guiding conceptual framework may be distorting or limiting analysis, model may lack variables that are powerful predictors of attrition (such as those having to do with community environment), or variables may be improperly operationalized (Brower, 1992; Gates & Creamer, 1984). Although it has often been treated as a trivial component in attrition models, influence of community environment might be key to understanding student attrition. …

The Student-Initiated Retention Project: Theoretical Contributions and the Role of Self-Empowerment

Despite the many studies of student departure, colleges and universities continue to face difficulties in retaining underrepresented student populations. The authors argue that contemporary social integration and multicultural theories of student retention theory do not adequately address the academic needs of underrepresented students of color. Relying on case studies of student-initiated retention projects (SIRPs) at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the authors develop insights into how student retention theory might be reconsidered for students of color. Three key components of SIRPs are discussed: developing knowledge, skills, and social networks; building community ties and commitments; and challenging social and institutional norms. Findings are then synthesized with theoretical constructs largely deriving from the work of Pierre Bourdieu, Frantz Fanon, and Paulo Freire. The result is a theoretical framework grounded in the concepts of cultural and social capital, collectivism, and social praxis.

Examining Student/Institution Fit at a Christian University: The Role of Spiritual Integration

THE PURPOSE OF this study was to test three core constructs of Tinto's (1993) Model of Student Departure and a Spiritual Integration construct in a Christian university of higher education. This was done in order to examine the relationship between a student's spiritual integration and Tinto's constructs of academic integration, social integration, and goal and institutional commitment. In addition, this study attempted to determine the level of importance of spiritual integration and Tinto's constructs in accessing student persistence. Survey research and quantitative data analysis were utilized. This study found that spiritual integration functioned in isolation as a significant and robust predictor of retention with the population of students tested.

Challenge and Changes to Tinto's Persistence Theory: A Historical Review

In an effort to demonstrate the complexities of accountability issues and institutional effectiveness, a 30-year review of persistence literature provides evidence of the numerous studies and emerging research on student persistence. Although Astin's (1975) groundbreaking research of access and persistence provides a framework for future researchers, Tinto is most often cited and associated with student persistence research. The origins of Tinto's student departure theory began with his collaboration with Cullen (1973) which produced a theoretical model of attrition and persistence. Through subsequent analyses and critiques by researchers, Tinto's work evolved to include persistence research at the two-year college level and the inclusion of minority groups and non-traditional students. A re-examination and revision to his research also included added to his theory that student involvement has distinct layers, in particular its relationship to institutional research and student development.

Friends from Home: Asset and Liability to African American Students Attending a Predominantly White Institution

The importance of connections with peers to student development and retention has been highlighted in Astin's (1984) Theory of Student Involvement and Tinto's (1993) Theory of Student Departure, which are two of the most widely referenced and validated models in student affairs literature. However, recent research has questioned the applicability of these models to African American students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Although prior research has indicated that the models should be modified to recognize the importance of students’ relationships with their families, research has failed to understand the impact of relationships with friends from home. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the conditions under which friends from home were perceived as assets or liabilities to 99 African American undergraduates who attended a PWI. The results provide a link for broadening the applicability of Astin’s and Tinto's models and offer student affairs practitioners deeper insight into African American students' experiences at PWIs.

Assessing students' changing perceptions higher education

A major contribution of higher education institutions towards benefitting societies, is their potential to assist students in their academic progress as well as their progress in other spheres. To be able to assess how students change progressively, particularly in respect of change in perceptions during their undergraduate studies, relevant pre-entry data is needed. If a transformational approach to quality assurance and development is desirable in higher education, strategies and instrumentation for assessing student change and progress need to be continuously investigated. This article reports research directed at the adaptation and implementation of relevant assessment models, including Astin's comprehensive approach to student talent development, Kuh's model of student engagement and Tinto's longitudinal model of factors influencing student departure. It explores new possibilities of generating data on student change that might be potentially valuable to students, learning facilitators and researchers in higher education institutions. The article also proposes instrumentation that might assist higher education institutions in rethinking ways and means of determining students' perceptual change. (South African Journal of Higher Education: 2003 17 (3): 164-177)

Friends from Home: Asset and Liability to African American Students Attending a Predominantly White Institution

The importance of connections with peers to student development and retention has been highlighted in Astin's (1984) Theory of Student Involvement and Tinto's (1993) Theory of Student Departure, which are two of the most widely referenced and validated models in student affairs literature. However, recent research has questioned the applicability of these models to African American students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Although prior research has indicated that the models should be modified to recognize the importance of students’ relationships with their families, research has failed to understand the impact of relationships with friends from home. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the conditions under which friends from home were perceived as assets or liabilities to 99 African American undergraduates who attended a PWI. The results provide a link for broadening the applicability of Astin’s and Tinto's models and offer student affairs practitioners deeper insight into African American students' experiences at PWIs.

SPIRITUAL INTEGRATION AS A PREDICTOR OF PERSISTENCE AT A CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The research reported in this paper tested three core constructs in Tinto’s (1993) Model of Student Departure within the context of Christian higher education. In addition, the research added a spiritual integration variable to Tinto’s model that could potentially help to better explain retention and attrition at Christian institutions of higher education. The findings related to the spiritual integration variable are reported here. The sample for this study consisted of the students who completed the Student Information Form, the Institutional Integration Scales, and the spiritual integration measure. These students were tracked for one year, from their initial enrollment in the fall semester of 2000 through the fall semester of 2001. Students were then placed into one of two groups. One group consisted of persisters, students who reenrolled for the fall semester of 2001. The second group consisted of withdrawers, students who did not return for the fall 2001 semester. Survey research and quantitative data analysis were utilized to gather information and answer four research questions. The surveys used in this study include the Student Information Form (2000), the Institutional Integration Scales (Pascarella and Terenzini 1980), and a spiritual integration measure (Schreiner 2000). The integration surveys were distributed in the spring 2001 semester, during the twelfth week of classes, to first-year students enrolled in a required Bible course. This study found that the construct of spiritual integration was a significant predictor of student persistence.

African American Student Organizations As Agents of Social Integration

In this qualitative study, 88 African American undergraduates were interviewed to understand the role of African American student organizations in facilitating social integration at a predominantly White institution. The conditions under which participation in these organizations aided students' social integration are presented. Results largely support Tinto's (1993) theory of student departure but indicate limitations of the theory when applying it to African Americans from predominantly White home communities.

Increasing One-Year Retention Rates by Focusing on Academic Competence: An Empirical Odyssey

This article chronicles the 5-year effort of a comprehensive student development and advising center to identify the most effective support programs for increasing one-year retention rates for first-time freshmen at an urban metropolitan university. An initial analysis of student satisfaction data suggested that the institution had neglected the potential role of learning skills in promoting the academic integration that leads to institutional conmitment and persistence in Tinto's (1993) student departure model. Focusing on students admitted in good academic standing, successive program development and evaluation efforts made it clear that the route to improving retention rates lay in increasing student learning skills and academic efficacy. The progression from intrusive advising programs to integrated and systematic learning skills instruction resulted in substantial gains in first-year retention rates for program participants. Such gains depended upon the development of a system of highly focused interventions and a commitment to the objective assessment of the retention impact of each intervention. In keeping with the injunctions of the Student Learning Imperative (Kuh et al., 1996), student affairs offices are urged to play a fundamental role in student retention by helping students acquire the active learning skills that facilitate academic integration and institutional commitment.