Vincent Tinto

There has been much public discussion of the value of a college education, the cost of that education, and student persistence to completion as of late. The author argues that the road to persistence is not the sole responsibility of the student, however. Tinto argues that policies (campus, state, and federal) foster success for those whose parents: completed at least some college; are higher income earners; are not from selected minority ethnicities. Also, students who earned higher grades in high school have higher completion rates than those who earned average grades. Early chapters encourage institutions to help students manage expectations and provide the types of support that those who might be of greater risk on non-completion need. Tinto argues that invovlement (also called engagement) is the most important aspect - and especially engagement with a faculty member.… (mais)