This study investigated and analyzed how lateral transfer students who commute to college made sense of their transition and belonging between four-year institutions. Based on student mobility patterns, the lateral transfer population exceeds the number of community college transfers within the landscape of higher education. Colleges need to…

Australian university students who are the first in their family to attend university are more likely to encounter challenges in their transition to university, and programs to support students are important for success and retention. Fifteen first-in-family (FiF) students participated in an Australian-first pilot orientation program. Program…

This case study used a revision of Tinto's theory of student departure and self-efficacy as frameworks, to explore the experiences of seven students of color who transferred to a small, private, and predominately White residential institution in the rural Midwest. All of the participants in this study faced challenges socially integrating…

The retention and attrition after the freshman year among economically and academically disadvantaged students admitted through a special program to an urban, primarily non-residential university is investigated. This paper tests the predictive validity of major constructs in Tinto's explanatory model of college student withdrawal. (Author/BS)

Argues that freshman seminar class reunions increase the benefits of freshman seminars for urban commuter college students, and reports results of a study testing effectiveness of class reunions in reducing attrition for high-risk students (n=40). Findings support hypothesis that freshmen seminar groups with class reunions show greater student…

Studies by task forces of the University of Pittsburgh's Retention Committee, which identified problem areas and offered suggestions to increase student retention, are described. The Task Force on Student/Faculty Relationships studied existing files of complaints from students and surveyed students on their experiences with faculty members.…