1997 Factors Related to Academic Achievement: An Analysis of First-Term Community College Students

Abstract

In the Fall 1994 semester, a series of discussions occurred within the Counseling Department at the Orchard Ridge Campus of Oakland Community College which focused on academically at-risk students enrolled at the Campus for their first term. These were students who appeared to be academically unmotivated, had developmental educational needs, or exhibited other characteristics which threatened their academic success. The Counseling Department concluded that if these students could be identified prior to enrollment, at the beginning of, or during their first term, intervention strategies might be designed to assist them to be more successful academically. With this purpose in mind, the counseling department's Research Committee analyzed the Fall 1995 academic performance of all new students enrolled at the Orchard Ridge campus. The objective was to determine the specific characteristics that could differentiate students earning above 2.0 and below 2.0 first-term grade point averages.