Effectiveness of the Student Success Course for Persistence, Retention, Academic Achievement, and Student Engagement

• In Event: Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Instructional, Programmatic, and Student Service Support for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a Student Success Course (SSC) influences persistence, retention, academic achievement, and engagement on a middle sized community college campus in southeast Texas. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 197 SSC participants and compared to a matched sample of 235 non-SSC participants. Results of this study indicate that a relationship exists between participation in the SSC and persistence, retention, and academic achievement. Additionally, participants claim that taking the SSC not only altered their perceptions of the importance of the course, but their social and study skills as well.

Authors

• Michelle L. Peters, University of Houston - Clear Lake

• Kris Kimbark, College of the Mainland

• Tim Richardson, University of Houston - Clear Lake