College Student's Thoughts About Leaving the University: The Impact of Faculty Attitudes and Behaviors

College students at a large Western university (N = 729) were surveyed about 19 potential faculty attitude and behavior items and the items relative impact on student's thoughts about leaving the university. Three issues have a significant impact on predicting student thoughts about leaving the university: faculty members being supportive of student needs, returning telephone calls and e-mails in a timely fashion, and being approachable. The magnitude of the impact of these items on student retention also varies as a function of gender and year in school. Faculty members need to be aware of the impact their attitudes and behaviors have in students' decisions to leave the university.