Abstract
In the United States, research into the relationship between racial origin and university attrition has a relatively long history. In such research it has usually been found that particularly Black students and those of Hispanic origin have far lower retention rates than White students and those of Asian origin. In Canada, however, it has only been in recent years that large numbers of non-Whites from primarily British Commonwealth countries have immigrated to Canadian cities. As a result, there has been no investigation of race and student retention in Canadian universities.
In this article, attention will focus on the first year voluntary and involuntary withdrawal of students of various racial origins enrolled full-time at York University, Canada's third largest university, located in Toronto. Students who withdraw involuntarily are those who because of low academic standing are debarred from continuing for a second year. Information for the study was obtained through end-of-year surveys carried out in 1993, 1994, and 1995 and from administrative records.
In general it was found that differences in overall retention rates for Blacks and students of South Asian, Chinese, ‘other’ non-European, and European origins are small. Moreover, a logistic regression analysis indicated that while racial origin is not a predictor of voluntary withdrawal from university at the end of first year, it has a slight effect on involuntary withdrawal.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) (1996). Trends. Ottawa: AUCC.
Astin, A., Tsui L. and Avalos, J. (1996). Degree Attainment Rates at American Colleges and Universities: Effects of Race, Gender, and Institutional Type. Los Angeles: HERI.
Bean, J. (1990). ‘Why students leave: Insights from research’, in Hossler, D. (ed.), The Management of College Enrollments. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Bean, J. (1983). ‘The application of a model of turnover in work organizations to the student attrition process’, Review of Higher Education 6(2), 129–148.
Benjamin, M. (1994). Educational Equity: A Profile of Designated Groups (Draft). Guelph: Student-Environment Study Group, University of Guelph.
Braxton, J. and Brier, E. (1989). ‘Melding organizational and interactional theories of student attrition’, Review of Higher Education 13(1), 47–61.
Corman, J., Barr, L. and Caputo, T. (1992). ‘Unpacking attrition: A change in emphasis’, The Canadian Journal of Higher Education 22(3), 14–27.
Dey, E. and Astin, A. (1993). ‘Statistical alternatives for studying college student retention: A comparative analysis of logit, probit, and linear regression’, Research in Higher Education 34(5), 569–581.
Dietsche, P. (1990). ‘Freshman attrition in a college of applied arts and technology of Ontario’, Canadian Journal of Higher Education 20(3), 65–84.
Ekstrom, R. (1991). Attitudes Toward Borrowing and Participation in Post-Secondary Education. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Boston.
Fox, R. (1986). ‘Application of a conceptual model of college withdrawal to disadvantaged students’, American Educational Research Journal 23(3), 415–424.
Gilbert, S., Chapman, J., Dietsche, P., Grayson, P. and Gardner, J. (1997). From Best Intentions to Best Practices: The First Year Experience in Canadian Post-Secondary Education. South Carolina: University of South Carolina, National Resource Centre for the Freshman Year Experience and Students in Transition.
Gilbert, S. (1991). Attrition in Canadian Universities. Prepared for the Commission of Inquiry on Canadian University Education.
Gilbert, S., Evers, F. and Auger, M. (1989). University Attrition Differentiated: Rates and Institutional Influences. Presented to the Annual Meetings of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, Quebec City.
Gloria, A. and Robinson, S. (1994). Factors Influencing the Academic Persistence of Chicano(a) Undergraduates. Presented to the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles.
Grayson, J. (1996). Race and First Year Retention on a Canadian Campus. Toronto: Institute for Social Research, York University.
Grayson, J. (1995). ‘Does race matter? – Outcomes of the first year experience in a Canadian university’, Canadian Journal of Higher Education 25(2), 79–109.
Henry, F. and Tator, C. (1994). ‘Racism and the university’, Canadian Ethnic Studies 26(3), 74–90.
Jackson, K. and Swan, L. (1991). ‘Institutional and individual factors affecting black undergraduate student performance: Campus race and student gender’, in Allen, W., Epps, E. and Haniff, N. (eds.), College in Black and White. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Johnson, G. and Buck, G. (1995). ‘Students' personal and academic attributions of university withdrawal’, The Canadian Journal of Higher Education 25(2), 53–77.
Kelly, K. (1995). ‘Visible minorities: A diverse group’, Social Trends (Summer).
Loo, C. and Rolison, G. (1986). ‘Alienation of ethnic minority students at a predominantly white university’, Journal of Higher Education 57(1), 58–77.
Mortenson, T., and Wu, Z. (1990). High School Graduation and College Participation of Young Adults by Family Income Backgrounds: 1970–1989. Iowa City IA: American College Testing Program.
Nettles, M. (1991). ‘Racial similarities and differences in the prediction of college student achievement’, in Allen, W. Epps, E. and Haniff, N. (eds.), College in Black and White. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Nora, A. and Cabrera A. (1996). ‘The role of perceptions of prejudice and discrimination on the adjustment of minority students to college’, The Journal of Higher Education 67(2), 119–148.
Nora, A., Cabrera A., Hagedorn, L. and Pascarella, E. (1996). ‘Differential impacts of academic and social experiences on college-related behavioural outcomes across different ethnic and gender groups at four-year institutions’, Research in Higher Education 37(4), 427–451.
Olivas, M. (1985). ‘Financial aid packaging policies: access and ideology’, Journal of Higher Education 56(4), 462–475.
Ornstein, M. (1996). Ethno-Racial Inequality in Metropolitan Toronto: Analysis of the 1991 Census. Metropolitan Toronto: Access and Equity Centre.
Pascarella, E. and Chapman, D. (1983). ‘A multi-institutional, path analytic validation of Tinto's model of college withdrawal’, American Educational Research Journal 20(1), 87–102.
Pascarella, E., Duby, P. and Iverson, B. (1983). “A test and reconceptualization of a theoretical model of college withdrawal in a commuter institution setting’, Sociology of Education 56(2), 88–100.
Pascarella, E., Duby, P., Miller, V. and Rasher, S. (1981). ‘Pre-enrollment variables and academic performance as predictors of freshman year persistence, early withdrawal, and stopout behaviour in an urban, nonresidential university’, Research in Higher Education 15(4), 329–349.
Patterson Jr., A., Sedlacek, W. and Perry, F. (1984). ‘Perceptions of Blacks and Hispanics in two campus environments’, Journal of College Student Personnel 25(6), 513–518.
Porter, O. (1990). Undergraduate Completion and Persistence at Four Year Colleges and Universities. Washington D.C.: The National Institute of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Samuel, T. (1992). Visible Minorities in Canada: A Projection. Toronto: CAF.
Sedlacek, W. (1987). ‘Black students on white campuses: 20 years of research’, Journal of College Student Personnel 28(6), 484–495.
Smedley, B., Myles, H. and Harrell, S. (1993) ‘Minority status stresses and the college adjustment of ethnic minority freshmen’, Journal of Higher Education 64(4), 434–452.
Smith, S. (1991). Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Canadian University Education. Ottawa: Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
Smith, T. (1995). The Retention Status of Under-represented Minority Students: An Analysis of Survey Results from Sixty-Seven U.S. Colleges and Universities. Presented to the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Boston.
St. John, E., Kirshstein, R. and Noell, J. (1991). ‘The effects of financial aid on persistence: A sequential analysis’, Review of Higher Education 14(3), 383–406.
Stith, P. (1994). Faculty/Student Interaction: Impact on Student Retention. Presented to the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, New Orleans.
Student Environment Study Group (1992). Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity: A Discussion Paper. Guelph: University of Guelph.
Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving College. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Tracey, T. and Sedlacek, W. (1987). ‘A comparison of white and black student academic success using noncognitive variables: A Lisrel analysis’, Research in Higher Education 27(4), 333–348.
Tracey, T. and Sedlacek, W. (1984). ‘Noncognitive variables in predicting academic success by race’, Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance 16(4), 171–178.
University of Toronto (1992). University of Toronto Bulletin March 23.
Weidman, J. (1989). ‘The world of higher education: A socialization theoretical perspective’, in Hurrelmann, K. and Engel, U. (eds.), The Social World of Adolescents: International Perspectives. New York: Aldine.
Weidman, J. (1984). ‘Impacts of campus experiences and parental socialization on undergraduates’ career choices’, Research in Higher Education 20(4), 445–476.
Weidman, J. and Friedman, R. (1984). ‘The school-to-work transition for high school dropouts’, Urban Review 16(1), 25–42.
Weidman, J. and White, R. (1985). ‘Postsecondary ‘High-tech’ training for women on welfare’, Journal of Higher Education 56(5), 555–568.
White III, J. and W. Sedlacek (1987). ‘White student attitudes toward Blacks and Hispanics: Programming implications’, Journal of Multicultural Counselling Development 15(4), 171–183.
Wong, P. (1994). Student Retention/Attrition at Trent: A Preliminary Report. Peterborough: Trent University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grayson, J.P. Racial origin and student retention in a Canadian University. Higher Education 36, 323–352 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003229631240
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003229631240