Dropout Proneness score of 65 or higher who are identified as “Students with High Dropout Proneness.” As indicated on Table 7, the average score for the 456 males at KSU who completed either version of the CS/ between Fall 04 and Spring 08 is over 65 – which means that these young men have a greater risk of dropping out of college than 65% of the other young men who completed the CS/ across the U.S. during that same period. (The scores for young women at KSU were near the national average of 50%, indicating no significant risk, and were not included in the table.) Not surprisingly, these young men also report greater Educational Stress than approximately 62% of similar young men across the nation

The good news is that this challenge might be mitigated by the KSU students' scores of about 63 on the fourth "Summary Observations" factor, Receptivity to Institutional Help, which is well above the national average. That these students have a greater interest in receiving help from the University than about 63% of similar students across the nation has positive implications. If (1) these students indeed have a strong interest in receiving help with their academic situations, and (2) the University provides sufficient and effective academic support programs to these students, some of them should take advantage of the support programs to improve their academic performance and continue toward graduation.

As indicated previously, there are several facets of the Academic Motivation category of the CSI. As indicated on Table 7, over a three-year period the KSU freshmen men's scores for the factors "Desire to Finish College" (30.9) are well below the national norm. That almost 70% of male students across the U.S. who completed the CSI expressed a stronger "commitment to complete a degree/program" (CSI's definition of this factor) as compared to the 456 men at KSU who completed the survey should be of great concern to the University. Furthermore, while the freshmen men and women had percentile scores well below the national norm in only two of the other Academic Motivation factors, most of the freshmen scores on the remaining factors are only in the 40s, which is still below the national norm of the 50th percentile, and this pattern holds whether the respondents were male or female. These scores reflect (1) the challenge facing University faculty and staff members to help students carefully examine their true motives for enrolling at the University, and (2) the impact that a low motivation level has on any student's ability to make steady and effective academic progress at the University.

The KSU men's average score of about 38 on the "Family Emotional Support" factor indicates that they feel less satisfaction with the communication that occurs within their families than about 62 percent of students nationwide. Therefore, these young men must attempt to navigate their first semester in college (a major life transition) while worrying about the stresses common to all families. Unfortunately, they must do this (1) without adequate communication systems with family members still at home, and (2) without the benefit of adequate social relationships within their new campus community.

The factor on which the scores of the 1100 KSU freshmen consistently exceeded the national norm is Receptivity to Personal Counseling. These students are more interested in receiving counseling in personal matters than about 63 percent of the 93,000 students nationwide who completed the CSI—with the men's scores exceeding those of the women. This implies that many of the young men and women who enter the University come with the realization that they have stressful issues and that someone

18