A Review of Retention Research as it Applies to College Counseling Brian Van Brunt, Ed'D'

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A Review of Retention Research as it Applies to
College CounselingBrian Van Brunt, Ed.D.
Counseling and Testing Center Potter Hall
409 1906 College Heights Blvd 11024 Bowling
Green, Kentucky 42101 270-745-3159 (phone)
270-745-6976 (fax) www.wku.edu/heretohelp
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College Retention

• Patti (1993) suggests that students who perceive
  a personal concern for them in the university
  community are more likely to return to that
  community.
• Rummel (1999) examined the reasons why students
  left their small, upstate private New York
  University. Out of 729 students, she found

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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College Retention
Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Students with social and emotional problems are
at risk for dropping out.

• Turner and Berry (2000) found that one in five of
  those students attending counseling was
  considering withdrawing from the university as a
  result of personal problems.
• They found that 70 of the students who attended
  counseling reported that their personal problems
  had an impact on their academic performance.
• Socio-emotional adjustment problems predicted as
  well or better than academic difficulties for
  students dropping out of school (Gerdes
  Mallinckrodt,, 1994 Bray, Braxton, Sullivan,
  1999).

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Students in counseling have a higher retention
rate than those who are not.

• Turner and Berry (2000) report a retention rate
  of 85 percent for students involved in counseling
  compared to 74 percent for the general student
  body.
• Wilson, Mason, and Ewing (1997) found a 14
  percent retention advantage for students who
  received counseling over a control group of
  students who were either placed on a waitlist or
  did not attend their counseling appointment.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Students in counseling have a higher retention
rate than those who are not.

• Illovsky (1997) examined freshmen students during
  their first semester and then again two semesters
  later. Students who attended counseling had a
  retention rate of 75 percent compared to 68
  percent of the general student population
  (including career and academic).
• Frank and Kirk (1975) conducted a five-year study
  with 2,400 Berkeley students in which they found
  higher graduation rates for students who received
  counseling or psychiatric services.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Students in counseling have a higher retention
rate than those who are not.

• New psychotropic medications are enabling
  students who might not have previously been able
  to attend college to do so (Blom Beckley,
  2005).

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Counseling helps students address their
difficulties and remain in school.

• Several studies (Bishop Walker, 1990 Campbell,
  1965 Weiss Giddan,1986 ) identify the positive
  impact of counseling services for students
  identified as retention risks.
• Bishop and Brenneman (1986) examined college
  students who sought counseling because they were
  considering dropping out of school or worried
  about failing. They found that 86 of these
  students enrolled for at least another semester.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Counseling helps students address their
difficulties and remain in school.

• Clark, Wettersten, and Mason (1999) reported that
  students who participated in counseling had
  positive changes measured in their quality of
  life satisfactiona more predictive measure of
  student retention than GPA alone.
• Campbell (1965) found a direct relationship
  between academic success and counseling
  participation.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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College Retention

• Patton (2006) found many student programs are
  being asked to assess and improve retention. Some
  examples are
• Counseling
• Mentoring
• Learning Communities/Structured Academic
  Experiences
• Student Faculty Interactions
• Orientation / Transition Programs

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Campus-Based Retention Initiatives meta-study by
Patton (2006)

• The evidence supporting the effectiveness of
  counseling as a means to reduce dropout rates of
  undergraduate students is weak.
• The evidence to support the efficacy of mentoring
  programs as a means to reduce dropout rates is
  weak.
• There are small to moderate levels of positive
  evidence that learning communities have a
  positive effect on student persistence.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Campus-Based Retention Initiatives meta-study by
Patton (2006)

• There are small to moderate levels of evidence
  that programmatic interventions designed to
  enhance student-faculty interaction can improve
  student persistence.
• There is moderate to strong positive evidence
  that transition or orientation programs can
  improve student retention rates.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Directions

• Smith (2007) at LMU stresses the importance of
  assessing what impacts retention at your campus.
  They suggest a goal of being data informed, not
  data driven. At LMU, they stress
• Friendship and connection as a retention
  indicator
• Lack of engagement to be a key factor in
  attrition
• Shared class identity and experiences as factors
  which improved retention

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Directions

• Counseling centers, unfortunately, often neglect
  to demonstrate such an outcome to their
  administrative superiors (Bishop, 2006, p.11).
• There is an increased awareness among upper
  level administrators that students face difficult
  emotional and psychological issues while in
  college and that the response of the institution
  to such matters can affect both recruitment and
  retention (Bishop, 2006, p.12-13).

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Directions

• The goal of counseling is not, and should not,
  be to keep a student in school (Sharkin, 2004,
  p. 104).
• Retention cannot be the only goal of a college
  counseling center.
• Dual relationships and conflicts are created when
  looking at the needs of the student vs. the needs
  of the institutions (e.g. transferring, threat
  assessment, impact on community).

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Research Suggestions

• Retention studies in looking at college
  counseling need to clearly define our terms. Are
  we looking at
• Psychological Counseling (DSM-IV students)?
• Academic Counseling/tutoring?
• Career Counseling?
• Students referred specifically for academic
  issues to a counseling center?

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Research Suggestions

• What Retention/Attrition figures do we use?
• Freshman to Sophomore year?
• Freshman to Graduation?
• F to S S to J J to S S to graduate
• Average overall?
• What do we do with transfer students?

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Research Suggestions

• Counseling Centers are different. How do these
  differences impact our research?
• Combined Health and Counseling
• State vs. Private
• 4 year, 2 year, community?
• Session limits
• Type of therapy offered?
• Charge vs. no Charge?
• Mandated vs. Voluntary students?

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Research Suggestions

• One starting point to looking at how retention
  may or may not impact students using counseling
  services is to include questions on outcome
  surveys to begin looking at this issue.
• I would suggest the following wording of the
  question. Also, realize this data is likely to be
  used in annual reports and memos to the Deans,
  not statistical studies.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Future Research Suggestions

• I came to counseling to help improve my academic
  coursework.
• My counselor helped me be able to stay enrolled
  in school.
• Im not sure I would still be here in school
  without the support of my counselor.
• Counseling has helped me better organize my
  academic priorities.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Current WKU study

• In exploring the role of retention and college
  counseling, we examined counseling students who
  used our center during the 2007-2008 school year.
• We examined 420 students who utilized counseling
  services and compared their retention rates to
  those expected for the overall student
  population.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Current WKU study (n420)

• Retained schedule following semester or graduated

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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Current WKU study

• Retained schedule following semester or graduated

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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References

• Bishop, J. (2006). College and University
  Counseling Centers Questions in Search of
  Answers. Journal of College Counseling, 9, 6-19.
• Bishop, J. B., Walker, S. K. (1990). What role
  does counseling play in decisions relating to
  retention? Journal of College Student
  Development, 31, 8889. 
• Bishop, J. Brenneman, K. (1986). An initial
  assessment of a counseling centers role in
  retention. Journal of College Student Personnel,
  27, 416-462.
• Blom, S, D,, Beckley, S, L, (2005, January 28),
  6 major challenges facing student health
  programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education, p,
  B25.
•  
• Bray, N. J., Braxton, J. M., Sullivan, A. S.
  (1999). The influence of stress-related coping
  strategies on college student departure
  decisions. Journal of College Student
  Development, 40, 645657.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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References

• Campbell, D. P. (1965). The results of
  counseling Twenty-five years later.
  Philadelphia Saunders.
•  
• Clark, M. P., Wettersten, K. B., Mason, T. W.
  (1999). The Quality of Life inventory (QOLI) as a
  measure of therapeutic outcome and predictor of
  academic retention. Paper presented at the
  meeting of the American Psychological
  Association, Boston, MA.
• Frank, A., Kirk, B. (1975).Differences in
  outcome for users and nonusers of university
  counseling and psychiatric services A five-year
  accountability study. Journal of Counseling
  Psychology, 22, 252258.
•  
• Gerdes, H., Mallinckrodt, B. (1994). Emotional,
  social, and academic adjustment of college
  students A longitudinal study of retention.
  Journal of Counseling and Development, 72,
  281288.
•  
• Illovsky, M. E. (1997). Effects of counseling on
  grades and retention. Journal of College Student
  Psychotherapy, 12(1), 2944.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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References

• Kitzrow, M. A. (2003). The mental health needs of
  todays college students Challenges and
  recommendations. NASPA Journal, 41, 165173.
• Patti, M. Tarpley, R., Goree, C., Tice, G.
  (1993). The relationship of college facilities
  and services to student retention. Paper
  presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-South
  Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
  ED368312).
• Patton, L., Morelon, C., Whitehead, D. Hossler,
  D. (2006). Campus-Based Retention Initiatives
  Does the Emperor Have Clothes? New Directions of
  Institutional Research, 130, 9-24.
• Rummel, A., Acton, D., Costello, S., Pielow, G.
  (1999). Is all retention good? An empirical
  study. College Student Journal, 33, 241246.
• Sharkin, B. (2004). College counseling and
  student retention Research findings and the
  implications for counseling centers. Journal of
  College Counseling, 7, 99108.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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References

• Smith, J. (2007). Loyola Marymount Universitys
  three part retention strategy pays off.
  Recruitment and Retention in Higher Education,
  21(11), 1-6.
• Turner, A., Berry, T. R., (2000). Counseling
  center contributions to student retention and
  graduation A longitudinal assessment. Journal of
  College Student Development, 41(6), 627635.
•  
• Weiss, S. J., Giddan, N. S. (1986).
  Applications of cost effectiveness to counseling
  center retention programs. Journal of College
  Student Personnel, 27, 260268.
• Wilson, S. B., Mason, T. W., Ewing, M. J. M.
  (1997). Evaluating the impact of receiving
  university-based counseling services on student
  retention. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 44,
  316320.

Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC Western Kentucky
University
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A Review of Retention Research as it Applies to
College CounselingBrian Van Brunt, Ed.D.
Counseling and Testing Center Potter Hall
409 1906 College Heights Blvd 11024 Bowling
Green, Kentucky 42101 270-745-3159 (phone)
270-745-6976 (fax) www.wku.edu/heretohelp