A test and reconceptualization of a theoretical model of college withdrawal in a commuter institution setting

A test of V. Tinto's theoretical model of Coll withdrawal in a nonresidential U setting ("Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research," Review of Educational Research, 1975, 45, 89-125), with a reconceptualization of the model based on the results. Path analysis was used to test the model's predictive validity on a sample of freshmen in a large, Ur, commuter institution (N = 269 usable questionnaire responses in a longitudinal design that began with a sample of 569 Rs). The results afforded less support for the person-environment fit aspects of the model than has been found in residential settings. Similarly, the influence of such concepts in the model as social integration & institutional commitment was found to differ from theoretical expectations or previous research in residential institutions. The findings have implications for the efficacy of person-environment fit theory as it relates to the prediction of persistence/withdrawal behavior in nonresidential postsecondary institutions. A reconceptualized model for explaining persistence/withdrawal decisions in commuter institutions is presented & discussed. 2 Tables, 4 Figures. Modified HA.