The effect of freshmen orientation as a student retention strategy in South Texas public community college

College orientation programs help new students in the transitional process between high school and college. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of freshman orientation as a retention strategy in South Texas Public Community Colleges.;The sample population consisted of six Community Colleges in South Texas. The sample was divided into two parts (1) three colleges with the highest retention rates, (2) three colleges with lower retention rates. The methodology included developing a questionnaire used to collect additional information through on-site interviews at the six Community Colleges. The questionnaire was used in one-on-one interviews at the six campuses to examine the program, setting, policies, and procedures used to provide measures, strategies, and techniques to improve freshman retention.;Six years of retention data were retrieved from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on yearly retention rates as reported by all Texas Colleges.;All six Community Colleges taught Freshman Orientation. Four of the six colleges had volunteer one or two-day orientation programs and two of the colleges offered semester orientation programs. The results of the quantitative data done on ethnicity, enrollment and retention trends indicated larger numbers of students enroll each year with alternating drops in enrollment that would also relate to retention. The qualitative data indicated that although all of the six colleges offered freshmen orientation each college had its own unique retention trend. The findings of this study concluded that orientation does relate positively to student retention.;The study was significant in that it provides valuable data to community colleges in general but provides information to South Texas Community Colleges in particular. The study provides enrollment and retention data that could help community colleges prepare a better-prepared workforce for the year 2020 and beyond.