Community College and Technical Institute Follow-Up Study of Students Enrolled During One or More Quarters. Fall, 1970 to Fall, 1971

A followup study was conducted by Wilkes Community College of its attrition population. The purposes were to: (1) determine factors contributing to student withdrawal; (2) create a profile of conditions concerning students who withdrew; and (3) ascertain what students did during the first quarter after leaving. One hundred questionnaires, representing 19 percent of the attrition population, were mailed to students who had been enrolled for 12 or more credit hours in degree or diploma programs. Ninety-two forms were returned. Results showed that: (1) 37 percent found employment or entered the military, 17 percent were attending other schools, and 46 percent had no marketable skills (including 8 percent who were housewives and 4 percent looking for jobs); (2) many reasons were identified as factors contributing to withdrawal, but family or personal reasons were cited most often as the most important reason, with employment and dissatisfaction following in frequency; and (3) median beginning weekly salaries for attrition students were $10 lower than those for alumni, and median current weekly salaries were more than $20 lower. Background information on the study, the attrition study questionnaire, and a list of consortium personnel are provided in appendices. (KM)