Persistence of Adult Women in a Community College Re-Entry Program.

A two-phase study was conducted to gather data on the persistence of adult women enrolled in a 1-semester re-entry program at a community college. Specifically, the study sought to develop a model of persistence that took into account the effect of student characteristics, initial goals, academic and social integration, goal changes, and external commitments on persistence. In the first phase, questionnaires were sent to 612 women who had enrolled in the program from fall 1987 to fall 1993, while in the second phase qualitative data were obtained through interviews conducted with six persisting and four non-persisting women from the sample. Study findings, based on the interviews and completed questionnaires received from 306 women, included the following: (1) for the women who were still enrolled at the college or another school or had graduated, only financial aid status, grade point average, and final goal were significantly related to persistence; (2) while non-persisters did not share any particular set of qualifications, they differed from persisters in their reasons for attending, lack of integration into the college, and lack of commitment to obtaining a degree; and (3) as a result, a new persistence model for adult women was developed incorporating an intention to change one's life, an ability to integrate academic and personal spheres, and the goal of getting a degree. Contains 29 references. Data tables are appended. (BCY) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Persistence of Adult Women in A Community College Re-Entry Program U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) y, This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating if. j Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. C PY AYALA E Diane J. Goldsmith Manchester Community-Technical College Francis X. Archambault University of Connecticut