Successful higher education systems are student centered and constantly improving. They also are committed to addressing long-standing policies, perspectives, and practices that--intentionally or not--marginalize Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or People of Color (BILPOC) students, students from under-resourced families, and others who were not…

Argues that student success should be the foundation for college student retention efforts. Using a "black box" approach and theoretical framework derived from expert systems and quantitative research methods, it is shown that successful students' knowledge base and behavioral repertoire can be identified systematically and used to help students…

This document comprises the proceedings of a conference that brought together administrators, researchers, and faculty from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to address the growing problem of retaining black students. Activities were structured into 5 general sessions, 16 concurrent sessions, and 2 special sessions. Principal…

To assist integration of incoming freshman into the academic environment, improve social acclimation, and increase student retention, Northern Michigan University created a first-year experience program with community as its central focus. Its key to success is the use of block scheduling, combining a freshman seminar with other classes. Pilot…

A Ball State University (Indiana) program to strengthen student retention involves a Freshman-Year Experience Committee of 40 professionals representing key units in academic and student affairs who collaborate to respond to the needs of first-year students. The committee has designed policies for freshman dismissal and midterm evaluation that are…

Mount Ida College (Massachusetts) has found the use of college administrators as mentors to students, complementing academic advising and faculty mentoring, to be an effective approach to strengthening the tie between first-year college students and their institutions. The impact has been noticeable in the campus culture as well as in student…

Urban and metropolitan college students often experience a traditionally organized curriculum as a series of disconnected course requirements. Portland State University (Oregon) has found that integrating attention to community-building as a central element of the core curriculum strengthened student and faculty affiliations and improved…

Strategies used by Ramapo College of New Jersey for internationalizing its campus and programs are described in 6 broad areas: faculty development; curriculum development, including about 70 new courses or major revisions of existing courses; enhancement of language, computing, and telecommunications skills; experiential learning; multicultural…

DePaul University (Illinois) has addressed the problem of delays in employer reimbursement of tuition costs by extending payment due dates and treating reimbursement as pending financial assistance. Since implementation, enrollment in courses designed specifically for adult students have increased, and withdrawals have decreased. One-third of…

After studying national literature and local needs, Kutztown University (Pennsylvania) created the Student Support Services Freshman Year Program to help at-risk freshmen acclimate to the campus environment and succeed in college. The program consists of five components: academic advising/counseling; a freshman colloquium; a student-mentor…

This book provides over 300 summaries of joint-venture programs between secondary and postsecondary schools. The overall purpose of the partnership programs is to improve the chances for at-risk students to graduate from high school and have a successful college experience. The main portion of the book is divided into four parts, each focusing on…

Partnerships among elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educators in San Antonio (Texas) aim at improving high school and college retention, particularly for Hispanic students. Programs include curriculum development as early as kindergarten, high school junior and senior enrollment in college courses, minority achievement supports, and…

This report describes the key elements of an alternative access program at Mount St. Mary's College (California), from the recruitment and orientation of culturally diverse students to those ongoing academic and support services necessary to student persistence to graduation. The model is outlined in chapter II. Chapters III and IV describe how…

The collection of articles addresses current issues in adult and adult basic education in Virginia communities. Titles include: "Goal-Setting in the New River Valley: Teachers' Perceptions and Strategies" (Sue Barton); "What Happens When ESL Students Experience Authentic Work Situations?" (Pat Bowyer); "Orientation to…