Date of Award
11-12-2021
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Amany Saleh
Committee Members
Amy Pearce; Frances Malpezzi; Jill Simons; Wayne Narey
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2021 K43
Abstract
This study compared and examined a myriad of retention policies that many universities and community colleges in the United States adopted and implemented. The study also analyzed how these policies impact institutional enrollment and students’ success rates. The purpose of this study was to compare retention policies at four-year universities with those embraced at two-year community colleges to show the efficacy of these retention initiatives and to determine best practices of student retention. While many retention policies exist, this research study only focused on ten retention practices—including financial assistance initiatives, first-year programs, advising, student support services, the flexibility of class schedules, the seamless transferring of course credits, the offering of a wide range of courses, remediation, recreational services, and career services. The rationale was that these above-mentioned practices are the most common ones at the institutions that are selected for this study. The results indicated that funding opportunities remain a top priority for students. Even from the perspectives of retention officers, scholarship packages remain a powerful force that impacts student success rates. This dynamic should shape the strategies of policy makers to increase student graduation and retention rates. Furthermore, the results indicated that student support services is an essential high-impact retention practice. Therefore, dedicating the necessary resources for these services can be a boon for students’ retention rates.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Khalil, Ali, "A Comparative Study of Retention Policies in American Community Colleges and Four-Year Universities" (2021). Student Theses and Dissertations. 302.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/302
