| The problem of this study was to find quantitative data regarding the institutional factors that affect minority student retention. In 1995-1996, The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Inc. (OFIC) contracted with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to conduct a minority student retention study for OFIC's 35 member colleges. The mean rate of retention for first-time, full-time Black students was 64%.; Building on the NCHEMS study, a review of the literature and theory-to-practice tests were conducted to define 12 institutional "best practice" factors for minority student retention. The 12 factors are: (a) academic support/student services; (b) admissions practices; (c) board/administrative policy; (d) collaboration; (e) data collection/progress tracking; (f) faculty involvement; (g) faculty/staff development; (h) financial aid packaging; (i) multicultural affairs/diversity officer; (j) parent/relative involvement; (k) social/cultural programing; and (l) welcoming campus climate.; The definitions and examples of "best practice" programs/actions were placed on index cards. The president, chief academic officer, chief student affairs officer, and multicultural affairs/diversity officer at each of the 35 member colleges completed a Q-Sort of the 12 factor cards into a normal distribution for importance and rated each factor on a Likert Scale for perception of institutional performance.; Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether a difference existed between the importance and perceived performance of a given factor and high retention ({dollar}>{dollar}64%). Factor analysis was used to cluster the factors.; The ANOVA produced eight significant differences. Seven were between or among campus officers, and one was between colleges above and below the 64% mean rate of retention. The factor analyses for the above 64% colleges were the most concentrated, indicating the most campus agreement on "best practice."; Differences most often occurred between the presidents or chief academic officers and the multicultural affairs/diversity officers, indicating that greater communication may be necessary. Significant differences occurred on five of the factors, (a) admissions practices, (b) board/administrative policy, (c) data collection/progress tracking, (d) financial aid packaging, and (e) welcoming campus climate. |
