According to The College Board (2009), many institutions express concern with their retention rates, but few allocate the necessary resources to affect long-term change at the institution. Retention initiatives are often carried out across many departments and units in an institution, and many institutions lack a full-time coordinator for these programs (Handover, 2014). Six-year completion rates at four-year institutions reveal that African American students were the least likely to graduate within four years (45.9%), followed by Hispanic students (55%) (Shapiro et al., 2017). White students had a graduation rate of 67.2%, and Asian students had the highest at 71.7% (Shapiro et al., 2017). First-generation students make up about half of all college students, but only 27% complete a bachelor's degree in four years (Hanover, 2014). This dissertation examined initiatives focused on retention of Black and Brown students identified as at risk for college dropout at an urban university and outline the methodology that was used to answer the research questions. The primary findings indicated that Living Learning Communities are supportive of student retention. Chapter one, provides an overview of post-secondary education in the United States, a description of the relevant variables, the purpose of the research, and the research questions the study aims to answer. Chapter two, explores and synthesizes the literature surrounding the study's variables of interest. Chapter three, describes and analyzes the hypotheses, the study design, the research plan, and the hypothesized models. Chapter four presents the results of this study and chapter five discusses the findings in relation to opportunity gaps, reviews future research and implications for practice. This study was conducted at an urban university in Northeast Ohio. The results of this study provide insights into the practices and policies that increase the likelihood of college success for traditionally marginalized students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]