COURSE ATTRITION: A 5‐YEAR PERSPECTIVE ON WHY STUDENTS DROP CLASSES

Abstract

This article describes results of an ongoing course attrition study conducted at 1 large, suburban community college. The study was designed to determine which classes were most often dropped, reasons students cited for deciding to drop classes, and other factors that may have impacted decisions to drop. The findings that indicate factors over which the college had little control were the most frequently cited reasons for dropping classes — work conflicts and personal problems. However, factors over which the college may have some control also appeared to contribute to decisions to drop classes in a substantial number ofinstances. The impact of findings from these studies and changes in methodology and survey design over time will provide institutional researchers with helpful suggestions for implementing similar studies at their institutions.