How Drop Down Box values can be retained

Following is the code i have written in JSP and is working fine when javascript is turned on.
Now i have done Java validation also. Now it work perfectly fine showing the error. The only thing i need here is that i want to retain the value which will be selected by user when javascript is turned off.
I am able to retain the value when javascript is on. So how can i do that.
Following is the code which i have written

<li>
            <label for="Designation:">Designation: <em><img src="images/required_star.gif" alt="required"/></em></label>
            <select name="designation" tabindex='7' onchange="setDesignation(this.value)">
                <option value="-1"> - Select Designation -</option>
                 <option value="HOD">Head of the Department  </option>
                 <option value="Professor">Professor  </option>
                 <option value="reader">Reader</option>
                 <option value="Associate Professor">Associate Professor</option>
                 <option value="Assistant Professor">Assistant Professor</option>
                 <option value="Lecturer">Lecturer</option>
                 <option value="Senior Lecturer">Senior Lecturer</option>
                 <option value="Junior Lecturer">Junior Lecturer</option>
                 <option value="Teaching Fellow">Teaching Fellow</option>
                 <option value="Teaching Assistant">Teaching Assistant</option>
            </select>
            <p id="fdes" style="display: none">Please select Designation </p>
            <%-- Java Validation Designation Error Display Field --%>
            <%
                if(error != null && error.matches(".*,des,.*")) {
            %>
            <p>Please select Designation </p>
            <%
                }
            %>
            </li>

There are in all 10 values with their respective values so how can i do that. Please help me. How can i retain the selected value even after the form is refreshed.

What I understand is, you want to display the selected value for list.

you can use the selected attribute of the option tag, and display the selected option based on what user has selected.

When form is submitted, you can check for the selected designation and based on that put selected on an option

No i want to retain value that will be selected by user.
Right now i m able to retain the "Select Designation" value as i have set it.
But i need to retain value that will be selected by the user from the list i.e HOD, Assistant Professor etc

hi,
You have to put the selected value in the HttpSession.
And while rendering the screen again , within that JSP add the SELECTED attribute to it based on the match between session value and the one of the values in the dropdown.

Regards,
amit

thanks Amit,

Ya was able to do it.
What i have done is stored all the values in an 2D array and called those value in for loop and in if condition i checked whether that value is selected.