In contrast, 66 percent of students surveyed said it is “extremely or very important to have access to academic advisors and to establish relationships with professors” in order to succeed in college.

The Community College Student Survey — which the Pearson Foundation calls the first-ever national survey of its kind — asked 1,434 community college students about their ability to access classes, retention rates, and what they saw as essential to success at a junior college.

The respondents’ emphasis on internet access is somewhat unsurprising, as 61 percent of those questioned said they had taken at least one course on the internet and around 75 reported having been required to complete class assignments online.

But the report also shows that this proclivity towards web-based learning is problematic — of those students who reported struggling, 25 percent said they did not seek help from an academic advisor and 74 percent of students who dropped out of the program said that they did not speak with an instructor or advisor before making their decision.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/09/community-college-student_n_820936.html