This quantitative study examined relationships of attending a new student orientation program related to student retention and academic success. A research group of 464 students of Tarrant County College Northwest, a community college campus in Fort Worth, Texas, who voluntarily attended a 2-hour pre-semester new student orientation program was compared to a group of 464 students on the same campus who did not attend the program. Comparisons were made with regard to retention and GPA. Ethnic ratios of both groups are 4% Black, 26% Hispanic, 66% White, and 4% other ethnicities. Chi square data analysis was utilized to determine if statistically significant differences relating to student retention existed between the groups. The independent t-test was used to compare means of calculated GPAs between groups. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare the means of GPAs for ethnic sub-groups. The total group and the Black sub-group showed statistically significant higher levels of second-semester retention (total group p = .018; Black sub-group p = .008) and higher calculated GPAs (total group p = .016; Black sub-group p = .019). No statistically significant results were found among Hispanic students.

The technical and vocational education and training, (TVET) sector has shown a rapid growth since 1998 in South Africa. This sector aimed to provide education and training to empower the youth of South Africa. Policies were established and put in place to manage students’ attendance, however, absenteeism seemed to be on the rise. This study aimed to explore factors influencing students’ absenteeism and recommend strategies to address the factors influencing students’ absenteeism at a TVET College in Nelson Mandela Bay District. In an attempt to address the aim of this study, a qualitative research approach was employed and a case study method was used. Data were collected by means of focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings of this study revealed that student absenteeism was caused by students’ factors, college-related factors and socio-economic factors. This study revealed that National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was the major contributing factor in students’ absenteeism due to delayed payments. With respect to the negative impacts of students’ absenteeism, the findings of the study further revealed that lecturers are experiencing hardships in completing the syllabi on schedule time. The result revealed that student attendance policy was ineffective to manage student attendance. This study recommended that the TVET college should exercise discipline to students and establish a disciplinary committee. This will ensure that the students adhere to the attendance policy and improve students’ attendance. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Despite declining community college funding being allocated increasingly on the basis of student success, U.S. community college student retention and completion rates over the past decade have either remained steady or decreased, especially for Latino students. Using descriptive statistics and multiple regression models with secondary data procured from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), I analyzed student success rates—full time student retention and completion rates—based on community college financial allocations and Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) status. To equitably analyze community colleges in the sample (n = 909), I separated them into four groups based on institutional size as defined by the Carnegie Classification. Descriptive results indicated that instructional divisions spent an average of 43% of the college's total allocated budget—often more than three times the allocated budget of any other division. Regression results indicated that instructional expenditures had the most consistent impact on student success regardless of college size and that scholarship expenditures and academic support expenditures generally had a negative impact on student retention and completion rates. Regarding Latino student success in particular, findings indicated that the manner in which colleges allocated their funds impacted only small and medium-sized community colleges. Of the nine different types of institutional expenditures, only student services expenditures and public services expenditures had a statistically significant impact on Latino student success. Additionally regression analysis indicated that community college HSI status did not have a large impact on overall full-time student retention and completion rates but did have a significant impact on full-time Hispanic student retention and completion rates for all institution sizes. Findings of this study confirmed that HSI status does impact Latino student success in public community colleges. This finding is consistent with prior studies on the positive impact of instructional expenditures on student success rates. Further research on the specific elements within these expenditure areas is needed to capture how or why they are having this impact on student success. Current and prospective Latino students and their parents seeking to identify higher education institutions conducive to students' academic success should be aware of such findings as they conduct the college search process.

Student non-attendance is a main challenge in TVET Colleges, especially in teaching and learning and the academic functioning of students. Various studies on student absenteeism and absenteeism in schools were reviewed in the literature. However, not much has been written about the challenges in TVET colleges. The focus of this research is on the three TVET College campuses in the Bojanala District in the North West Province. The qualitative method was used. Semi-structured interviews and non-participative observation were employed to gather information and the views of the participants about student absenteeism. The researcher selected the participants purposefully, as they have experienced the problem of absenteeism. Students and lecturers were selected as participants in the study. Lecturers acknowledged that the poor background of students was a contributing factor to poor attendance. The study concludes with recommendations on how to reduce the challenge of student non-attendance. The lack of transport money is a socioeconomic factor that contributes to student absenteeism in TVET colleges. It is recommended that NSFAS pays the transport money directly to the service provider. When students apply for a NSFAS bursary, they should provide proof of the transport that they use to help the bursary office in terms of transport arrangements. It is further recommended that all campuses should have student accommodation, and that bursary money should be paid directly to the accommodation services. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)