Hispanic, and Native American students havealways lagged behind white and Asian students, as have those forlow-income students and students with disabilities. Becausestudents of color often make up a much smaller percentage ofstudents in studies, their experiences and needs are often lost andgo undetected. As the authors note, the United States will become significantlyless white over the next fifty years, so these issues are becomingmore urgent. We must have institution-wide programs to improve thegraduation rates of minority students. Pre-college preparation,admission policies, affirmative action, and financial aid areimportant factors, but campus-wide support, from the chancellor'soffice to the classroom, is critical to success.This ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report is intendedas a reference for key stakeholders regarding the realities of andstrategies for student retention. It is our hope that it will serveas a compass for those with the complex task of improvingretention.

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