This study examined students’ persistence and leaving processes at two urban community colleges. Researchers interviewed a random sample of students over two semesters to understand how they make use of student services and other institutional features and to discover if their use of those services is related to their persistence. Researchers also observed classes typically taken by first-year students and interviewed faculty and staff about the colleges’ student retention efforts. The study aimed to help colleges understand what factors are related to student retention in order to develop programs and resources encouraging student persistence to graduation.
This project was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.