Reasons given by 320 students for not returning in the 1994 fall quarter to a southern university were examined through analysis of school records, phone interviews, and mailed surveys. School records show that the demographic characteristics of students who left the university are similar to those of students who returned. Telephone interviews and mail surveys suggest that students left the university most often to be closer to home or to resolve family or personal problems. Implications and ways to retain students are proposed.
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