Study of drop out rates by students in the Catalan university system

Students leaving their courses at university before they have completed their degrees is of major concern to the institutions of higher education; partly because a stable intake and retention of students is important to maintain the university budget; and partly because the satisfaction of learning and student success rates have an effect on their ability to find jobs and demonstrate their professional worth.

This study was carried out at the request of the AQU Catalunya through a public call for applications which was launched  during the first quarter of 2008 and has as its general objective to offer a diagnosis of drop-out  rates and types in the Catalan university system. Specifically, it aims to identify the causes for university students abandoning their courses (personal  reasons, psychopedagogic, academic, orientation, information), compare them with those forother international studies and make some global proposals that may be adaptable to the needs of each university qualification. The study concludes with a series of strategies for retaining students at university.

The design of this study is basically descriptive-interpretative. The data analysed are references to the student population that has dropped out of the Catalan university system and they are provided byAQU Catalunya. This information is complemented by that obtained from a telephone survey of students who have left their courses. The sample is selected taking into consideration that they are form different universities, qualifications and courses. There is also an interview with a group of students who have returned.

The results of this research should serve to:

1. Describe the situation of dropping out in Catalan universities with the aim of identifying those degrees that are most affected.
2. Propose a set of measures or general and specific strategies that contribute to improving the retention of students.
3. Plan, implement and evaluate specific action for a degree course with a high drop-out rate.
4. Draw up a Global Plan for the Retention of University Students, with a section dedicated to the retention of first year students.
5. Organise a national and/or international conference on drop out rates and the retention of students at university.
6. Disseminate the results in high impact journals.