Title: The Influence of Participating in a Mandatory Mixed-Format Student Success Seminar on Persistence in an Urban Community College

Over the past twenty years, the national three-year graduation rate for community college students has ranged from 44 % to roughly 31 % in 2013 (NCES, 2013). As a way to address such low graduation rates, colleges have implemented a myriad of services and programs (i.e., tutoring, mentoring, etc.). Another intervention is the student success seminar. Student success seminars are courses that teach basic college success skills, transitioning to college, and campus resources. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of participating in a student success seminar on academic performance, persistence, and graduation rates in a community college