College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success

College student retention continues to be a top priority among colleges, universities, educators, federal and state legislatures, parents and students. While access to higher education is virtually universally available, many students who start in a higher education program do not complete the program or achieve their academic and personal goals. In spite of the programs and services colleges and universities have devoted to this issue, student retention and graduation rates have not improved considerably over time.

College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success, Third Edition offers a solution to this vexing problem. It provides background information about college student retention issues and offers the educational community pertinent information to help all types of students succeed. The book lays out the financial implications and trends of retention. Current theories of retention, retention of online students, and retention in community colleges are also thoroughly discussed. Completely new to this edition are chapters that examine retention of minority and international students. Additionally, a formula for student success is provided which if colleges and universities implement student academic and personal goals may be attained.

Alan Seidman is Professor Emeritus in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University. He is also the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of College Student Retention. The Center provides retention resources to individuals and educational institutions including the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, a Sage publication, which Dr. Seidman founded and edits. It is the only scholarly journal devoted exclusively to college student retention issues.

Dr. Seidman’s book titles include: Crossing the finish line: How to retain and graduate your students was published in 2018. His book, College student retention: Formula for student success, 2nd edition was published by ACE/Rowman & Littlefield in 2012. His book chapter, Minority student retention: Resources for practitioners in Minority retention: What works? was published in 2005 while his book, Minority student retention-the best of the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice was published by Baywood Publishing Company, Inc in 2007. He has also published articles in scholarly journals in the area of retention and attrition, student services, enrollment management and has given presentations on these topics at local, state, regional, national and international conferences and presentations/workshops to college and university administrators, faculty and staff. Dr. Seidman appeared on Fox News Live Weekend to talk about college student retention.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Dr. Seidman is a member of the NH Judicial Council, appointed by the Governor of NH, confirmed by the Executive Council; was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as an Examiner, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) program; served as the NH Alternate to the Taxpayers Advocacy Panel, IRS, U.S. Department of the Treasury; has been a grant reader for the U.S. Department of Education, has been an Instructor Trainer, American Red Cross, and AARP Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program volunteer. He is also vice president of a non-profit, Global Education Support, which raises money to help students in Costa Rica attend high school.

Dr. Seidman is the recipient of the State University of New Your Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service and the Walden University Richard W. Riley College of Education & Leadership Extraordinary Faculty award.