The Impact of the Student Support Services Program on the Retention of Students at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College

As retention becomes more of a key issue for community colleges, it is important that these institutions create an environment that is easy to navigate if they are to retain a greater percentage of their students. This study investigates the impact of the Student Support Services (SSS) program on the retention of students at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. Moreover, the study will look at and compare the performance of both SSS students and non-SSS students who entered the college during 2003-2007. A total of 250 students were involved in the quantitative analysis. Utilizing a mixed methods approach to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed between participation in the SSS program and non-participation semester hours, credit hours, GPA, and graduation. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate whether significant relationships existed between the independent variable(s) and the dependent variable(s). The implications of a relationship or lack thereof were considered as to their impact on future research, policy and practice pertaining to SSS. Findings and recommendations would therefore ultimately benefit the students at the college