George Mason University, with the support of the Virginia State Council of Higher Education, implemented a program in 1983 designed to assist African-American students with their transition from high school to college. The students enrolled in the Virginia Student Transition Program (VSTP) had either low high school GPAs, low Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, or insufficient academic units completed in high school. These students would not have been admitted to the university without participating in the VSTP. Retention rates for students enrolled in the program failed to reach the level anticipated by the university. The program was redesigned in 1987 to reflect both a developmental and academic focus by adding academic courses for credit to the developmental program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in VSTP that were implemented in the VSTP in 1987, and continued to the present. Data collected from the 1986 program participants provided a baseline for understanding the experience of students participating in 1990. Data for the study were collected from four separate sources: (1) student transcripts, (2) student retention data from George Mason University Institutional Research Office, (3) structured interviews with 1990 VSTP participants, and (4) structured interviews with five peer counselors. The data were analyzed using a t-test to determine the differences in the mean for first year academic performance and grades earned in mathematic and freshman English for both the 1986 and 1990 program participants. The Pearson Chi Square was used to determine the difference in the means for the persistence rate between the 1986 and 1990 participants. The interview data were analyzed and summarized by coding responses. The findings indicated no significant differences for academic performance, grades earned in mathematics, and the first year persistence rate. There was a significant difference found in the grades earned in English 101. The interview data suggested that the 1990 VSTP program met its objectives and made a significant contribution to the students' transition to college, their educational development, and ability to persist to graduation. / Ed. D.

Ninety-nine African-American undergraduates, at a historically Black college, completed the African American Acculturation Scale to compare fraternity/sorority members with independents' participation in Black cultural traditions versus dominant White society. Greek members were hypothesized to be more traditional, because these organizations represent ethnic enclaves, have duplicate institutions, and communicate ethnic socialization; findings did not support this, but reasons for joining did. They were more superstitious in their beliefs than nonmembers, likely related to pledgeship and initiation rituals. Validity data on the new measure were provided. Why participants join fraternities, why they like/dislike them, and what purposes they serve was also examined.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Family Studies and Social Work, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-36).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 294-311).

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-136). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1942.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1942.

Retention, attrition, persistence, dropout literature.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Dawn Person. Dissertation Committee: Raechele L. Pope. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-171).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Oregon State University, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-174). Also available on the World Wide Web.