Trust as a Feature of College Student Retention Decisions

• In Event: Different Factors Impacting Student Success

Abstract

This study examined how trust perceptions were related to intentions to persist for 3,745 college students at 29 US institutions nationwide. Trust is an expression of expectation encapsulated by predictability, reliance/dependability, and faith . In the context of college, trust reflects a student's belief that their institution has their best interests in mind, that institutional decisions are rendered in alignment with those interests, as well as the degree to which they feel comfortable, connected, and supported despite the potential ambiguities of college life. Study findings indicate that trust factors substantively into whether students are likely to stay or leave, providing important implications for institutional retention and persistence efforts and particularly so in the case of students of color.

Authors

• Kevin Fosnacht, Indiana University

• Shannon M. Calderone, Washington State University - Tri Cities