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Honors In Action Project – Phi Theta Kappa BCC 2011/2012 i. NorthernVirginia Community College ii. SeattleCommunity College iii. StLouis Community College iv. SuffolkCounty Community College i. HopelandSchool, Nigeria ii. GBHSchool, Cameroon i. Literacy ii. Mentoring iii. Scholarships
 * 1) Issuessurrounding retention of students at community colleges:
 * Financial reasons
 * Family issues including parenting, lack ofsupport (academically and financially)
 * Conflict with employment
 * Unpreparedness
 * Peer support
 * Involvement in institution’s life
 * Admissions
 * Quality and amount of faculty-studentinteraction
 * Emotionally overwhelmed
 * Adult students
 * 1) Do these issues vary depending upon race, age, gender?
 * 2) Theories
 * 3) VincentTinto – “Colleges as Communities”
 * 4) LearningCommunities
 * 5) AlanSeidman – “Recruitment Begins with Retention”(http://www.cscsr.org/retention_issues.htm)
 * 6) AmauryNora – study of Hispanic students
 * 7) Whatare the retention/attrition rates at BCC?
 * 8) Genderbased
 * 9) Agebased
 * 10) Racebased
 * 11) How does one define success within a community college?
 * 12) Completionof 2 year degree
 * 13) Transferto 4 year college
 * 14) What are the retention policies at BCC?
 * 15) Success101 course
 * 16) TitleV program
 * 17) Advising/Pods
 * 18) Disseminationof information – timely communication
 * 19) StudentOrientation
 * 20) Tutoring
 * 21) Workprograms
 * 22) Atrisk intervention
 * 23) Whatare national goals for retention?
 * 24) GatesFoundation
 * 25) Obama’sCommunity College Initiative
 * 26) BestPractices at other Community Colleges
 * 1) Service projects
 * 2) Peermentoring
 * 3) Classroompresentations in ISTE classes throughout Fall semester
 * 4) Dumpthe Digital Divide
 * 5) Globalissues in student retention
 * 6) Africa(in conjunction with W.R.I.T.E Educational Foundation)
 * 1) Outreachprogram
 * 1) Books
 * 2) Readingonline

Resources: Below are the majortheories/models/concepts over the years which attempt to explain collegestudent retention/attrition. Astin's (1977, 1985)Theory of Involvement The more involved astudent is with the college, the higher likelihood of student retention. Bean's (1980, 1983)Model of Work Turnover to Student Attrition Used concepts fromorganizational studies of worker turnover. Examines how organizationalattributes and reward structures affect student satisfaction and persistence. Bean and Metzner's(1985) Nontraditional Student Attrition Environmental factorshave a greater impact on departure decisions of adult students than academicvariables. Kamens (1971, 1974) Usedmulti-institutional data to demonstrate how colleges of greater size andcomplexity had lower attrition rates. McNeely (1937)"College Student Mortality" Examined many factorsin college student retention including time to degree, when attrition was mostprevalent in a student's education, impact of college size etc. Spady Model (1971) Interaction betweenstudent characteristics and campus environment Summerskill (1962) Personality attributesof students is the main reasons for persistence and leaving. Tinto Model (1975,1993) Academic and socialintegration with the formal and informal academic and social systems of acollege. Berger, J. B., &Lyons, S. (2005). Past to present: A historical look at retention. In Seidman,A. (Ed.). //College student retention: Formula for student success//.Praeger Press. Braxton, J. M. &Hirschy, A. S. (2005). Theoretical Developments in the study of college studentdeparture. In Seidman, A. (Ed.). //College student retention: Formula forstudent success.// Praeger Press. Astin, A. W. (1977). //Fourcritical years.// San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Astin, A. W. (1985). //Achievingacademic excellence.// San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bean, J. (1980).Dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a casual model of studentattrition. //Research in Higher Education, 12,// 155-187. Bean, J. (1983). Theapplication of a model of turnover in work organizations to the studentattrition process. //The Review of Higher Education, 6,// 129-148. Bean, J. P. &Metzner, B. S. (1985). A conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition. //Reviewof Educational Research, 55,// 485-540. Kamens, D. H. (1971).The college "charter" and college size: Effects on occupationalchoice and college attrition. //Sociology of Education, 44//(summer),270-296. Kamens, D. H. (1974).Colleges and elite formation: The case of prestigious American colleges. //Sociologyof Education, 47//(summer), 354-378. McNeely, J. H. (1937).//College student mortality.// U.S. Office of Education, Bulletin 1937, no.11. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Spady, W. (1971).Dropouts from higher education: An interdisciplinary review and synthesis. //Interchange,1,// 64-85. Summerskill, J.(1962). In N. Sanford (Ed.), //The American College.// New York: Wiley. Tinto, V. (1975).Dropouts from higher education: a theoretical synthesis of recent research. //Reviewof Educational Research, 45,// 89-125. Tinto, V. (1993). //Leavingcollege: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition.// Chicago: TheUniversity of Chicago Press. http://pas.indiana.edu/cb/index.cfm?tab=About#sccsss [] []
 * Retention Theories* **
 * * Most of thesetheories have been taken from: **
 * Other References **

January20, 2011 IOWACITY, Iowa—The first-to-second-year retention rate at U.S. two-year publiccolleges has risen to its highest level in 27 years of research, while theretention rate at four-year private colleges has dropped to its lowest level inthat time, according to data from ACT, Inc. Overall[|college retention rates]—the percentage offirst-year, full-time students who return to the same institution for theirsecond year of college—remain relatively stable. Just two-thirds (67 percent)of all first-year students at U.S. two- and four-year colleges returned theirsecond year of school, compared to 68 percent in 2005 and 66 percent last year.The data were gathered in ACT’s annual survey of more than 2,500 two-year andbaccalaureate colleges and universities across the country. “Collegeretention is a very challenging problem facing our nation,” said Jon Whitmore,ACT’s chief executive officer and former president of San Jose State Universityand Texas Tech University. “If we are to meet the goal set forth by PresidentObama to increase the number of young adults who earn a college degree, we mustnot only ensure that more students have access to college, but also makecertain that they are well prepared to succeed once they get there.” Retentionrates continue to be substantially lower at two-year than at four-yearinstitutions overall. The gap, however, has narrowed in recent years. Thepercentage of students at two-year colleges who returned to the same institutionfor their second year of school has been trending up, from 53 percent in 2005to a record high of 56 percent currently. The retention rate at four-yearprivate colleges, in contrast, has been trending down, from 75 percent in 2005to 72 percent currently. Thereasons for this shift may be related to problems in the economy, according toWes Habley, ACT’s principal associate, who has been conducting analyses ofretention data for the not-for-profit organization since 1985. “Withmany jobs gone and fewer new jobs available, high school graduates and newlyunemployed workers may be seeking the fastest, least expensive route to gainfulemployment,” said Habley. “Two-year colleges tend to be less costly thanfour-year schools and offer programs that provide entry into specific jobs.Those factors may increase students’ motivation and incentive to come back fortheir second year.” Two-yearpublic colleges, according to Habley, also tend to be more responsive to themarketplace than four-year institutions. “Communitycolleges are typically more driven by local economic factors and employmentneeds than are four-year colleges and universities,” he said. “As a result,students can often see a more direct link from the program to a job.” Thedecline in retention at four-year private colleges was also evident in anotherfinding of the research. This year, retention rates at four-year privatecolleges (72 percent) fell behind those at four-year public colleges (74percent) for the first time ever. This outcome may also be related to theeconomy, suggested Habley. “Studentsare better able to afford to return to public colleges than to private schoolsdue to their lower costs,” said Habley. “That can play a huge role in a pooreconomy.” Themost recent (2010) version of ACT’s periodic research report, [|//WhatWorks in Student Retention//], suggested that retention practiceshave changed in the U.S. over the past several years. Colleges are increasinglyusing learning assistance measures (such as remedial courses, study groups andtutoring) to help students stay in school. Those measures have moved ahead ofacademic advising and first-year transition programs to become the top-rankedcluster of retention practices used at four- and two-year colleges. Itwas the fourth study of its kind conducted by ACT since 1980. The projectsurveyed college officials across the U.S. regarding their institution’sefforts to retain first-year students. “Unfortunately,the themes of this periodic study haven’t changed much since 1980,” saidHabley. “Many students still enter college unprepared to succeed, and retentionand completion rates haven’t changed a lot over the years.”
 * College Retention Rates Improving atTwo-Year Schools, Declining at Four-Year Schools **

At the Executive Board meeting on July 28th Professor Feig presented an outline for the HIA project and assigned research topics to each E Board member, see list below. Please submit a one paragraph synopsis of your topic to Professor Feig by email by August 15th. Stefani-Issues Surrounding Retention Kari- Servce Yeny-Theories Jan- What are the retention/attrition rates at BCC? What are the retention policies at BCC? Michelle-Global issues in student retention Daniel-What are national goals for retention? Amanda-How does one define success within a community college? Sara-Best Practices at other colleges