MAIN FEATURES OF THE RETAINED STUDENTS FROM PRESENTIAL GRADUATION COURSES FROM UNIVERSIDADE FERERAL DO ESPÍRITO SANTO

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify the main features of the retained students from the presential graduation courses of the Federal University of Espírito Santo. Thus  statistical Person chi-square tests were performed and indicated the existence of significant association between the situation of the student by the end of the course (graduated or retained) and other 40 different variables. Eight of these associations were considered the most important, indicating that the main features of the retained students are: two or more failures; Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) lower than 8.00; enrolled in the courses from the Centers of Arts, Exact Sciences or Humanities and Natural Sciences; enrolled in courses suggested duration varying from six to eight periods; relation applicant /opening   in the entrance examination (vestibular) lower than 4.85; Courses in the areas of Biological Sciences, Exact and Earth, Social and Applied Linguistics, Letters and Arts; average grades in the 2nd stage of the entrance examination (vestibular) lower  or equal to 6.00 points; and locking course for one semester or more. According to the complexity of student retention phenomenon in higher education, indicated by the number of variables involved, this study contributed to increase the understanding of the process, since it identified typical features who students prolong their staying at the university.