The prevailing view of student retention has been shaped by theories that view student attrition through the lens of institutional action or inaction and less on the student's situation or college experiences. Students seek to persist and graduate, however obstacles get in their way. More than half of all student attrition takes place in the first…

The study looked back on the one-year experience of the first group of peer mentors of a university at northern Taiwan. Twelve peer mentors (six males and six females; with an average age of 21.45) took part in the study. A qualitative phenomenological approach and in-depth interviews were adopted. The results showed that participants deemed the…

Parents of college students are an important partner in higher education today. Students maintain close relationships with their parents and consider them their top advisors. Parents can provide support and influence to help their students succeed. However, little empirical research on parents of college students exists. Much of the information in…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of university housing construction type on psychosocial development of first-year students. Data were collected at a large, four-year, public, research university in the Southeast using the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Assessment. The population considered for this study consisted of…

Discusses three concurrent life crises--social puberty, advancement to a higher class, and occupational specialization--that are faced by college students and that are reflected in the freshman English experience. (MB)

A study examined the rate of college students' perceived social and actual academic development during the freshman and sophomore years and the influences on that development. (Author/MSE)

Advances in theory and practice make it possible to measure moral reasoning empirically and offer college-level educational programs enhancing moral understanding. Bases for these advances are reviewed, a longitudinal study and curriculum development effort is described, and the next research frontier, the relationship of moral reasoning to moral…

Two studies using the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyles Inventory are presented. The impact of resident assistant (RA) selection, training, and experience was compared in veteran and freshman applicant RAs, and development of intimacy and identity was compared in males and females. A third factor related to relationships is discussed.…

Students at a midsized public university in the southeast completed the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Inventory at the beginning of their first year, beginning of their sophomore year, and end of their senior year. More involved students reported greater development in moving through autonomy toward interdependence and establishing and…

This paper reports on research that examined longitudinal data on students entering Tennessee Board of Regents institutions of higher education after the implementation of a state-mandated developmental studies program. The program identifies and helps at-risk students to persist in college to graduation. Data analysis is presented from a 1986…

The personal developmental levels of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds were studied; and the hypothesis that students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds would be less mature than other students in the developmental levels of autonomy, purpose, and interpersonal relationships was assessed. The effects of participation in…

During the first two years of college, students are experiencing two tempestuous explorations: advanced intellectual development and establishment of adult identities. If colleges and universities understand that today's students are arriving with a heavier burden of self-definition, they can design academic programs and extracurricular activities…

Examined psychosocial development of Asian international and American freshmen (n=69) using the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory. Differences occurred on the following issues: Establishing and Clarifying Purpose, Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships, and Intimacy. No gender differences were found. (JBJ)

An overview is given of the Sierra Project, a developmental intervention designed and undertaken at the University of California, Irvine during 1974-75 to facilitate and study dimensions associated with character development in college students. The developmental status of resident freshmen was assessed and their growth and development over the…