Troubled Transitions into College and the Effects of a Small Intervention Course

David T. Mellor, Wesley R. Brooks, Steven A. Gray, Rebecca C. Jordan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Student attrition from colleges in the United States is a widespread phenomenon, posing real stresses to students, their families, and to universities. We examined the causes of poor academic performance in students' first semester through interviews and questionnaires and administered a small intervention course to freshmen on academic probation the following semester. This intervention had a modest positive effect on retention and academic self-efficacy but not on locus of control or grade point average. Finally, the 10% lower attrition rate among the students in our Portals to Academic Student Success courses suggests that small-scale interventions can mitigate attrition among students who later prove an ability to continue matriculating.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)44-63
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education

Keywords

  • Undergraduates
  • at-risk
  • retention

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