An August 29, 2007 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education features findings from a new report by the U.S. Department of Education that revealed lower degree attainment among part-time postsecondary students. Reporter Elyse Ashburn writes:

Thomas R. Bailey, director of the Community College Research Center at Columbia University's Teachers College, said that colleges should encourage students to attend full time if at all possible. Many students have family or work obligations that preclude full-time attendance, he said, but they should still be advised to move quickly through their academic program.

That said, both Mr. Bailey and Ms. McClenney cautioned against viewing all students who leave the higher-education system without a degree as dropouts…

--The full-length article in The Chronicle of Higher Education is available at http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/08/2007082904n.htm (subscription may be required to access)