Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition
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As enrollments continue to decline, student retention is increasingly vital to the survival of most colleges and universities. In the new edition of his widely acclaimed Leaving College, Vincent Tinto synthesizes far-ranging research on student attrition and on actions institutions can and should take to reduce it. The key to effective retention, Tinto demonstrates, is in a strong commitment to quality education and the building of a strong sense of inclusive educational and social community on campus. This completely revised and expanded edition incorporates the explosion of recent research and policy reports on why students leave higher education. Incorporating data only now available, Tinto applies his theory of student departure to the experiences of minority, adult, and graduate students, and to the situation facing commuting institutions and two-year colleges. He has revised his theory as well, giving new emphasis to the central importance of the classroom experience and to the role of multiple college communities. "This book appears to be the best compilation of ideas about understanding student departure from college written to date. . . . Tinto has pulled together a lavish variety of facts, findings based on empirical studies, theories, and institutional savvy to provide readers with valuable information that should help concerned members of the academic community better understand student departure."—John P. Bean, The Journal of Higher Education "This book is an excellent summary of previous research, a soundly sociological volume, and a very practical guide for action. It is an excellent blend of theory, research, and policy implications. It is also incredibly well written."—Theodore C. Wagenaar, Contemporary Sociology Booknews From a rare undertaking of a few "enlightened" institutions, enhanced student retention has become a common part of institutional and state planning. In this second edition, the author revises and extends the theory and exposition of the first edition (1988) in light of an explosion of research on the subject and in light of current statistical data that can be fruitfully compared with older data. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Preface to Second EditionAcknowledgments1Introduction12The Scope and Patterning of Student Departure from Higher Education73Roots of Individual Departure from Institutions of Higher Education344A Theory of Individual Departure from Institutions of Higher Education845The Dimensions of Institutional Action1386Conclusions204Appendix A: The Assessment of Student Departure from Institutions of Higher Education213Appendix B: Toward a Theory of Doctoral Persistence230Notes244References257Index283
