Choosing To Improveannotated

A Report by The Education Trust • January 2005
Choosing to Improve:
Voices from Colleges and Universities with Better Graduation Rates

By Kevin Carey
A
pproximately one million new students start the institutions themselves. Looked at this way, some
out in four-year colleges every year. Virtually colleges and universities simply stand out from the crowd,
all of them enter with great hopes. Six years consistently graduating more students than their peers,
later, though, barely six in 10 will emerge year after year. Some, too, stand out for their success with
with a baccalaureate degree. Among low-income and all groups of students: Unlike most colleges, they don’t
minority freshmen, the numbers are closer to five in 10. have a graduation-rate gap between White and minority
If America’s high schools did a better job of making students. And some stand out for the progress they are
sure their students were prepared for further study, these making in improving their graduation rates over time.
numbers could be a lot higher. They’d be higher still if
federal and state policymakers had kept faith with low- Learning from the leaders
income families by making sure financial-aid dollars for
their children kept pace with the escalating costs of higher Often, the graduation rates for these institutions aren’t
education. high in an absolute sense. In fact, many within these
But it turns out that practices within colleges and leading institutions are still dissatisfied with their results,
universities also have a big impact on student success. and working hard to improve them. But they are doing
Some institutions, year in and year out, manage to better – often much, much better – than institutions that
graduate significantly more of their students than other are otherwise a lot like them.
institutions that are otherwise quite similar. Similar The existence of these high performers raises an obvious
students, similar mission, but very different results. set of questions: What makes them so successful? What
To help identify unusually high-performing colleges and have they done that others might do too?
universities, the Education Trust created College Results The answers are not at all simple. Universities are big,
Online (www.CollegeResults.org), an interactive Web complicated organizations with a lot of moving parts,
tool that allows users to select any four-year college or not easy to change quickly. Students themselves, and
university in the nation, and compare its graduation rates their reasons for staying or not staying in college, vary
to other, similar institutions. tremendously. There is no one solution to the graduation-
By putting institutional graduation rates in context, rate problem, and there are many things yet to be learned.
comparing a given university only to other institutions Nobody should pretend otherwise.
with similar students, funding, size, academic mission, Over the past several decades, some scholars have
etc.,1 we can help control for outside factors that influence studied these issues in depth. Their findings are highly
graduation rates, and better understand the impact of useful for institutions that choose to take them to heart.
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Copyright(C) by Foxit Software Company,2005-2008
CHOOSING TO IMPROVE: VOICES FROM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITH BETTER
For Evaluation GRADUATION RATES
Only.
ourselves if these principles identify problem areas and

What does that research are borne out in actual monitor the effectiveness of
say? Basically, it says that practice. In the latter half of policy changes.
three things matter a lot: 2004, Education Trust staff But what really stuck with
spoke with administrators us, and yet isn’t discussed
• It matters whether and leaders at a number of as often, is how important
institutions focus on getting the colleges and universities campus leadership was in
their students engaged and identified by College Results turning around graduation
connected to the campus, Online as having particularly rates. The successful
particularly in the critical high graduation rates campuses, it turns out, don’t
freshman year; compared to their peers. We just add a “Freshman Year
visited some of the campuses Experience” here or a retention
• It matters whether there is
and interviewed senior initiative there, checking
a genuine emphasis on the
institutional leaders, working off another box on the “best
quality of undergraduate
to understand why, from their practices” list. Rather, they
teaching and learning, because
perspective, they’ve been so raise increasing student
academic success and degree
successful. success to a high institutional
completion go hand in hand;
Each institution had its priority, infuse that focus into
and,
own story to tell, no two almost everything they do,
• It matters whether exactly alike. But some and regularly monitor key
administrators and faculty common themes emerged, indicators to see whether they
monitor student progress, very much along the same are making progress.
taking advantage of new data lines as in the research. So we will, in effect, add
systems to tease out patterns The unusually successful a fourth bullet to the list of
of student success. Successful colleges worked especially what matters:
schools use that information hard at connecting students,
particularly those from low- • It matters a lot whether
not only to help individual
income families, with the campus leaders make student
students but also to make
campus. They cared enough success a top institution-wide
needed changes in policies and
about the quality of teaching priority—and when they
practice.
and learning that they did stick with that priority over
These things, of course, things like identify ineffective multiple years.
just plain make sense. But teachers and get them help.
In the sections that follow,
we wanted to find out for They constantly used data to
we describe what some of the
2
CHOOSING TO IMPROVE: VOICES FROM CFor
OLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Evaluation Only. WITH BETTER GRADUATION RATES
most successful institutions connecting with the institution. institutions, graduation rates for
have told us about their success. That’s why College Results African-American and White
Their voices are a powerful Online takes into account students are virtually the same.
reminder of what is possible factors including students’ Administrators there believe this
when institutions really focus age, financial aid, and part- success is in part a function of
on what matters most. time status, as well as whether how they engage their students.
institutions classify themselves For example, the university
Engagement: as a “commuter campus.”
But even when you factor
began employing professional
full-time advisers in 1995, with
Strong Connections all of these things out, some the expectation that advisers
between Students institutions still do much better would contact every student at
than others when it comes to least three times a semester –
and Institutions graduation rates. either face-to-face, by telephone
Why? Because engagement or by email.
Most students who don’t isn’t just a product of what “We put advisers wherever
graduate are not kicked out institutions are, it’s also a students are – in the library,
for academic or other reasons; function of what they do. in the student union, in the
they just leave – sometimes Researchers like Vincent residence halls,” Provost
quite close to a degree. High- Tinto of Syracuse University Lawrence Abele told us. “We
performing institutions have have studied student tried in the gyms but that
found that when they build engagement in great detail, turned out to be a bust. This
strong ties to their students, studying why undergraduates year, we will have as much
engaging students with the do, or don’t, leave college contact from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.,
institution, their graduation before graduating. Among his in the off-hours, as we will have
rates improve. Simply put, the many publications is Leaving in the traditional hours.”
more students are connected, College: Rethinking the Causes “We aren’t expected to be
the less likely they are to and Cures of Student Attrition, parents,” Abele said, “but we
disconnect. 1993. Arthur Chickering and can do a lot of other things.
Student engagement comes Zelda Gamson, in publications Simply contacting students
in many forms, from the way including Applying the Seven makes a difference.”
students connect socially to Principles for Good Practice in Quality advising is part of
each other and the university Undergraduate Education, 1991, a strategy of making sure that
community at large, to the have also explored the things students have a clear sense of
way they connect academically institutions can and should what’s expected of them and
with their chosen discipline do to help their students learn what it takes to stay on course.
and academic studies. For and succeed. These resources Effective institutions try to help
traditional residential campuses and others like them are students avoid wrong turns or
with a long history of highly useful to educators and unexpected obstacles on the
institutional rites and traditions, policymakers working to help road to graduation.
deep student engagement often students succeed. As we describe in more
occurs as a matter of course. Institutions that take these detail on page 4, St. Mary’s
For newer commuter campuses, lessons to heart, implementing University, a private college in
by contrast, connecting with them in a serious, coordinated, San Antonio that has higher
students can be much harder. and concerted fashion, can graduation rates than its peers,
The makeup of the student make a real difference for helps its predominantly Latino
body is important too. Part-time their students. Florida State population by immediately
students, older “non-traditional” University, for example, is familiarizing new freshmen with
students, low-income and first- an institution that has a very every required class and activity
generation college students small graduation gap for from their freshman to senior
often have a harder time minority students – unlike most years. This includes everything
3
Only.
St. Mary’s University : Quality Teaching Yields Latino Success

assigns new faculty members a senior
faculty member as a mentor who visits and
observes classes. Those observations, along
with observations by the department chair
and carefully crafted student surveys are
used to identify those faculty members who
need additional support. Those who do are
directed to the university’s teaching and
learning center.
This careful focus on teaching and
learning, along with the sense that both
new students and new faculty need
S
t. Mary’s University, where 75 so that they are immediately connected support contributes to an intense feeling
percent of students are Latino, has with faculty members and their advisers. of community that is reflected in the
an overall six-year graduation rate “But even before that,” says David P. comments of students. “This is a place
of 63.3 percent -- greater than most Manuel, vice president of academic affairs, where they really care about you,” says
similar institutions and far above that of “they have seen the advising handbook Michelle Gonzales, the president of St.
most other Hispanic Serving Institutions. which clearly tells them what is expected of Mary’s student body and a senior scheduled
And its Latino graduation rate is virtually them and what they can expect from their to graduate in May 2005. “You get this
the same as its White graduation rate. advisors.” feeling of community – that everyone, your
Anthony J. Kaufmann, dean of the The handbook is a 75-page booklet that professors, the staff, everybody – wants you
School of Science, Engineering and outlines every required class and activity to succeed and will help in every way they
Technology (SET), attributes that success for students from their freshman to senior can.”
to a concentrated focus on quality teaching. years, covering everything from submitting
“We are known for our teaching, both on a resume to the career office to
campus and off of it,” says Kaufmann. “We completing a service-learning
want to make sure that our students are
well-prepared for whatever their goals are.”
project. Its core curriculum checklist
helps students keep track of which
St. Mary’s University
SET is the university’s largest program, classes they have to take and when. San Antonio, TX
and it can boast that about 50 percent of Faculty advisors track students’
Undergrad enrollment 2,441
St. Mary’s students who apply to medical completion of the requirements on
or dental schools are admitted. In fact, St. line to make sure they are on track.
Mary’s ranks in the top 10 nationally for “It does seem kind of pedantic,” Pell Grant recipients 37%
the number of Mexican-American students says Manuel. “But the reality is that
accepted into medical schools. college is a new experience. Our Median SAT 1065
One of the things that accounts for that students need that kind of guidance
success is that SET has established learning if they are going to be successful.” Gender
objectives for each of its courses as well as Faculty members are alerted
standards of learning for each major the to students who need additional Men 41.1%
school offers. Both outline what students support. Students who miss class Women 58.9%
are expected to learn and know, giving often receive a call from the
students a clear academic roadmap. faculty member asking the reason.
As a result, Kaufmann says, SET has If students struggle in writing, Race/Ethnicity
been able to be very focused about what computation or even a personal White 21.1%
their students learn prior to graduation. issue, says Manuel, “we contact that
“Graduation is the key,” says Kaufmann. student and get them the assistance Latino 68.5%
“It’s not just about retention; the goal they need. We try to isolate the
Other 10.4%
has to be graduating students who are problem and get them going in the
well-prepared for graduate school or the right direction.” Manuel calls this
work world.” The school checks on how approach “watchful attentiveness Overall 6-year grad rate 63.3%
successful it has been by sending a follow- aimed at improving student success.”
up survey three years after graduation to That kind of guidance is extended Latino grad rate 63.1%
employers and graduates themselves. to faculty, as well. Each department Source: College Results Online
Immediately after students arrive on works slightly differently. For
campus they meet with their departments, example, the engineering department
from course planning to service institutions paying particular of college, as students make
learning to submitting a resume attention to incoming freshmen. what is sometimes a wrenching
to the university career services Another, Alcorn State, is transition to a new environment
office and updating it regularly. described in more detail on and way of life. To make
Faculty advisers track students’ page 5. These institutions this change more successful,
completion of requirements know that engagement is often many institutions have created
online to ensure progress. at its most tenuous in the first “freshman seminars” that
St. Mary’s is one of many year, months, or even weeks focus on study skills, money
4
CHOOSING TO IMPROVE: VOICES FROM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITH BETTER GRADUATION RATES
Alcorn State : Extra Attention for Freshman and Sophomores Pays Off
Because most freshmen come into Alcorn State needing at
least one developmental course, the College for Excellence
puts great care into making sure that students get the most
out of those courses. “If we have done what we were supposed
to up front – taking care of their deficiencies – they should
be able to move through their program without repeating
courses,” says Williams.
Developmental math is taught by math faculty, but the
dean of the College for Excellence helps set the standards and
curriculum for the course. “And together they put in an exit
exam to see how those students in that developmental math
course would perform in the upper level curriculum,” says
A
Williams. “It was a way to centralize our efforts around the
bout 20 years ago, Alcorn State University, a
first two years of college.”
historically Black college in Mississippi, took a hard
All this effort means that Alcorn State now retains
look at its retention rates. “We were losing about 50
approximately 75 percent of its freshmen through the
percent of our freshmen,” says Dr. Malvin Williams,
sophomore year. The university’s six-year graduation rate is
provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We decided
better than the median of its peer institutions by about 10
that was unacceptable.”
percentage points.
A study team was sent to colleges and universities all over the
One area Williams is working on is improving student-
country to find what programs seemed to help institutions
faculty engagement. Since the campus is fairly isolated (17
retain and promote their students. From that research
miles from the nearest stop light), and 90 percent of students
emerged a two-year program, the College for Excellence,
live on campus, Alcorn State has an opportunity for intense
that college officials credit with improving retention and
interaction. “We need to take advantage of that time and
graduation rates.
get our faculty working with [students] outside of class and
The College for Excellence is a concentrated program for
after hours,” says Williams. “We try and make sure that each
freshmen and sophomores that students must successfully
department has seminars and events once or twice a month
complete before being admitted to a major program.
that bring
“We pulled all of the services that dealt with freshmen
students and
or sophomores – advising, counseling, developmental and
faculty together Alcorn State
the core curriculum – under one umbrella, the College for
outside of class. Alcorn State, MS
Excellence,” says Williams. “That included all of the social,
It is essential
support and academic programs that involved the first two
that in the Undergrad enrollment 2,459
years of college.”
first two years
“For example, an entering student is assigned a College for Pell Grant recipients 79.9%
they have
Excellence adviser in addition to a faculty adviser in his or
interaction
her major. “The faculty advisers will often focus on the issues Median SAT 865
with professors,
of course selection,” says Williams. “But after registration,
that they are Gender
students will most often deal with their more general advisors.
able to see
We have found that after students have left the College for Men 39.9%
them as people
Excellence, they will still return to that freshman advisor for
beyond the Women 60.1%
support and guidance.”
ones who give
The faculty academic advisers are carefully selected by their Race/Ethnicity
them all this
departments based on their ability to work with freshmen and
work.” White 5.2%
then are trained by the College for Excellence. “There were
This is part
a few turf battles in the beginning,” says Williams. “Some African American 92.4%
of – what
faculty felt they had a God-given right to advise majors,
Williams sees as Other 2.4%
whether they were good at it or not. But I think most feel
continuing the
pretty good about it when they see that they have students
improvements Increase in 6-Year Grad Rates Over Time:
who are much better prepared for upper-level work.”
of the past. 50 44.7
47.9
One change all faculty immediately supported was the
“The College
lowering of class size in the courses designed for freshmen and 40 33.4
for Excellence
sophomores. Most classes now have fewer than 25 students 30
was the first
– particularly the English composition classes. “That is where 20
step. We must
we are putting a heavy emphasis,” says Williams, in order to
now continue 10
make sure students are ready for upper-level classes.
to evaluate and 0
Every full-time faculty member is expected to teach at least
improve this
97
00
03
one freshman-level class, which means that at least master’s

19
20
20
process,” he
level faculty are teaching freshmen – no adjuncts or graduate
says.
students.
5
Only.
management, test preparation,

health, career management,
etc. While such courses are
now fairly common in higher
education, some are better than
others. Organizations like
the Policy Center on the First
Year of College have assembled
research-based guidelines,
sample surveys, and publications
designed to help institutions
create first-year experiences that
maximize student success.2
Some institutions, Florida
State among them, don’t even
wait for the freshman year can do to better engage survey results indicate that the
to begin, bringing in under- their students. To measure institutions that have better
prepared students over the institutional success in making graduation rates do a better
summer to give them a head those connections, the National job than other campuses of
start. These, too, are important Survey of Student Engagement creating a supportive campus
opportunities to create (NSSE) has surveyed tens environment, promoting
connections between students of thousands of students at student-faculty interaction,
and institutions. hundreds of colleges and creating engaging learning
In the end, there are a whole universities in recent years (see experiences, and generally
host of things institutions below.) Not surprisingly, NSSE connecting to students.
The National Survey of Student Engagement
O
ne of the more prominent recent efforts to build on with students of diverse economic, social, and racial
the engagement model of higher education success backgrounds, community service and volunteer work,
is the National Survey of Student Engagement learning communities, internships, practicum, field work,
(NSSE), located at the Center for Postsecondary Research independent study, and culminating senior experiences.
at Indiana University–Bloomington. For the past five years,
students from more than 850 colleges and universities have •Supportive campus environment – including how campuses
answered questions on the NSSE survey that gauge the help students cope with non-academic responsibilities like
nature and frequency of participation in a range of academic work and family, the quality of relationships with faculty,
and social activities that are related to student success. The administration, and other students, and the presence of social
carefully designed survey gathers data from students about: supports.
• Academic challenge – including the number and length NSSE researchers have analyzed the relationship between
of written reports, hours spent studying and preparing for these survey results and institutional graduation rates as
class, reading requirements, and the need to synthesize and reported to U.S. Department of Education. They found
organize ideas. statistically significant correlations between first-year student
and senior engagement levels and institutional graduation
• Active and collaborative learning – including working with rates at the p<.001 level for all five dimensions of student
other students inside and outside class, participating in class engagement.3 In other words, institutions that had higher
discussions, making presentations, tutoring, and community- student engagement scores tended to have higher graduation
based projects. rates. Colleges and universities that take care to connect with
their students both in and out of the classroom, those that are
• Student-faculty interaction – including faculty feedback, most successful in creating a university environment that is
working with faculty on research projects and other activities, academically rich and constructive, reap benefits in terms of
and discussing assignments and career plans with faculty. enhanced student completion. Good educational practices,
persistence, and graduation go hand in hand.
• Enriching educational experiences – including interaction
6
Improving Student Preparation
H
igher education can play an active role in the college-ready level, some colleges administer
improving preparation among entering their placement tests in high school to help
students. Indeed, around the country students know whether they are prepared. The
there is a good deal of activity underway aimed at California State University has recently taken an
doing just that. even bolder step by designing an add-on to the
Many institutions, for example, sponsor TRIO regular state “standards test” that will give students
programs--like Upward Bound--to assist low- information on their readiness for collegiate study
income students to learn about college and to take and serve as Cal State’s principal placement vehicle.
the right courses in secondary school. The City University of New York does something
Recognizing the central importance of a rigorous, similar with the state high school Regents
college-preparatory curriculum, some colleges have examination. By achieving a higher cut score
worked with nearby school systems to make the than the one required for high school graduation,
college-prep curriculum the “default” curriculum students can place out of remedial courses. In both
for all students. In Texas this movement has now instances, the universities also give students who
become statewide; Indiana is moving in the same don’t meet those standards assistance to meet them
direction. by the end of their senior year.
Because high school exams don’t always test at
degrees irrespective of whether

students have really earned
them.
This is a false choice. Of
course, students need to learn
and to finish, and we can’t
compromise one for the other.
If anything, some college
students suffer from a lack of
high academic expectations. As
Tinto has noted:
“Students are more likely
NSSE is also heavily focused on keeping students to persist and graduate in
focused on what happens in connected to the campus. settings that expect them to
the classroom, reflecting the They also devote a great deal succeed….Students, especially
fact that student success is a of attention to engagement those who have been historically
function of both social and with learning. When higher excluded from higher education,
academic engagement. Many of education institutions do are affected by the campus
the most important connections a better job of educating expectational climate and by
that students make to their undergraduates, those students their own perceptions of the
institution take place as a direct are more likely to succeed expectations that faculty and
result of how – and how well academically and finish college. staff hold for their individual
– they learn. Surprisingly, this idea is by performance. Unfortunately,
no means a given in discussions too many institutions do not
expect enough of their students,
More Learning, of graduation rates. Some in
higher education worry that a demand too little as regards
Better Teaching focus on graduation rates will student learning.”4
Both research and common
lead institutions to water down
Institutions like Alcorn State academic standards and just pass sense suggest that we don’t have
and St. Mary’s aren’t only everyone along, handing out to compromise academic quality
7
Only.
The University of Notre Dame : A Better Way of Teaching

to those students whose scores students are not permitted to declare a
on the math portion of the SAT major until the end of their first year.
or ACT tests were in the lowest “Clearly, students have an idea what
quartile at Notre Dame. The they may like to major in, and we
alternative course covered the help them select appropriate courses
same material as the traditional that will advance them in their
course, but Jacobs formed intended major, but we also want
mandatory study-group sections them to experience a diverse set of
where students worked together disciplinary courses that will broaden
weekly on creating solutions to their perspective,” says Jacobs.
challenging problems. Unlike many universities, students
“We’re asking students to do do not apply for or enroll in particular
much more difficult problems than colleges. Rather, all freshmen enter
students are given in the regular the same “first-year program” with
class, but they work on them in specific requirements (two semesters
teams,” says Jacobs. of philosophy, two of science, and so
Students who moved through on) that provide the basis for a classic
the redesigned course were 50 liberal arts education.
percent more likely to complete Freshmen are also required to take
two full years of chemistry than a “university seminar,” small classes
T
other students who also had math with about 17 students per section,
he University of Notre
scores in the lowest quartile and in which they write extensive papers
Dame has one of the
had been in the traditional general and are immersed in “an intimate
highest overall graduation
chemistry sequence. The students in academic environment where they
rates in the nation, greaer than similar
the new course were also 50 percent are expected to really engage with the
institutions. University officials
more likely to pursue majors in material,” says Jacobs. “Even in our
attribute that success to a close
science or in the health professions. larger courses we try to create smaller
attention to undergraduate teaching
As a reflection of the success of recitation sections where students can
and learning.
the alternative chemistry class, the work on class material together.”
This attention can be seen in
chemistry department has proposed
its reaction to student failure. For
adopting it as a model for
example, university officials noticed
all the freshman chemistry
that 15 percent of students in the
classes.
fall semester of freshman chemistry
The same kind of
University of Notre Dame
either dropped the class or received a Notre Dame, IN
entry-level course redesign
grade of D or F. Even more students
was undertaken by Undergrad enrollment 8,299
dropped out during the second
Notre Dame’s College
semester of the class. Although
of Engineering, which Pell Grant recipients 8%
university officials didn’t realize it
revamped its first-year
until later, students of color were two Median SAT 1365
engineering course to focus
to three times more likely to drop or
on hands-on projects.
fail the course as white students. Gender
Teams of students work
“The problem was that they were
on projects like launching Men 53.4%
not just dropping four credit hours,”
projectiles, designing and Women 46.6%
says Vice President and Associate
building data scanners, and
Provost Dennis Jacobs, who oversees
creating and programming Race/Ethnicity
the university’s undergraduate studies.
robots for specific jobs. The
“Chemistry is a gateway course for White 79.5%
course has led to a modest
a number of majors, so dropping it African American 3.6%
increase in the retention of
meant that they were abandoning
engineering majors, with Asian 4.9%
what they had planned for their
women showing the greatest
future – a potential career in science, Latino 7.8%
gains.
medicine, or engineering.”
This kind of close
Jacobs, a chemistry professor, Overall 6-year grad rate 94.6%
attention to the
redesigned Notre Dame’s general Source: College Results Online
undergraduate experience
chemistry course in 1997 to respond
is reflected elsewhere in the
to the high rate of failure. The new,
university. For example,
alternative chemistry class was offered
8
The University of Northern Iowa : No Silver Bullet to Solving Problems
A
t the University of Northern without realizing it.
Iowa, no one particular “We were creating the
program or strategy caused obstacles,” says Podolefsky.
University of Northern
increased graduation rates over the “We had to change.” Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
past seven years. “We don’t solve After that, university
problems for 14,000 students with officials examined each of Undergrad enrollment 10,959
one solution,” says Provost Aaron its degree programs and
Podolefsky. “It takes a lot of solutions what it took to complete a Pell Grant recipients 23.9%
to solve the problems.” degree from beginning to
One important strategy came about end. That helped answer the Median SAT 1045
when a senior student complained to puzzling question of why
Podolefsky that he hadn’t been able to many students graduated Gender
register for a required course. with more credit hours than Men 42.2%
“For about five seconds my first their program required.
instinct was to blame the student “In some cases, I found Women 57.8%
– that he just wasn’t paying attention that students weren’t able
Race/Ethnicity
to the classes he needed. So I decided to get in the classes they
to head over to the Registrar’s office, needed in a reasonable White 92.9%
check the records and get to the amount of time,” African American 2.7%
bottom of it,” Podolefsky says. “And Podolefsky says. “Sometimes
it turns out the student had tried to it was the first course in a Other 4.4%
register for the class four times and sequence of courses, and not
really couldn’t get into it.” Because getting that course meant Overall 6-year grad rate 65.1%
it was the first in a four-course that they couldn’t take any Source: College Results Online
sequence, the student’s graduation of the others. Sometimes
would be delayed at least a year. they weren’t able to get into
This experience began a careful look that course until their senior created a new online degree audit
at some of the ways the university year. Students need to be full-time to allow students to map out their
itself had been hampering graduation to keep financial aid, so that meant college careers, meaning that they can
taking more courses and another now determine which requirements
year of school.” they haven’t yet met, how their
That actually created odd, requirements would change if they
unexpected logjams because, for switch majors, and which credits will
example, a business major might carry over between programs.
fill in with sociology courses while “It has been overwhelmingly
waiting for his major courses, thus popular,” Podolefsky says.
blocking a freshman sociology In 2000, the university began
major from getting her needed a new online tool, which gives a
courses, creating a domino effect template of courses for each program.
across disciplines. Students can see how changes would
Podolefsky asked the deans affect their graduation. If they change
and program leaders to make sure what the university calls a “critical
there were enough opportunities path course”-- for example, the first
for students to take necessary of a three-course sequence that must
courses. “Once the problem was begin in the fall -- the program
pointed out to them, most of warns the student that it may delay
them were able to solve it,” says graduation. It provides similar
Podolefsky. “They all want to help warnings, if necessary, to students
students. Everybody jumped right considering a change in major.
on board.” “The moral of this story,” says
In many cases, simply offering Podolefsky, “is that when you get
one more section of a class per a complaint, don’t assume it’s the
semester substantially reduced the student’s fault. Investigate, and if you
backlog that had been built up. find it’s a real problem, try to solve it
But to prevent future problems, for that student and you will probably
the University of Northern Iowa solve it for a lot of students.”
9
Only.
Syracuse University: A Commitment to Teaching and Research
S
yracuse University has The shift in university culture, led researchers noticed was that Syracuse
seen a steady increase in its by former Chancellor Kenneth Shaw, had quite a number of students who
graduation rates for the past happened in part because Syracuse left in the fourth year, only a few
six years, an increase attributed by was facing a serious problem in the credits shy of graduation. Yonai and
many at the university to a subtle early 1990s: falling enrollment and others found that students either
but fundamental change in how the graduation rates, which led to reduced thought they had graduated or had
university sees itself. Rather than a revenues and a budget deficit of $38 been unable to get their transcripts
research institution that also teaches million. These trends were coupled to reflect transfer credits or to clear
undergraduates, it now defines itself, with the results of a 1989 campus up incomplete grades. The university
in the words of Provost Deborah survey that found that most faculty helped students cut through those
Freund, as “a university that is equally members thought the university
committed to excellence in both overemphasized research at the
teaching and research.” expense of teaching. Syracuse University
Although to outsiders that may Shaw “challenged the Syracuse, NY
seem a semantic distinction, it has university – every part of it – to
meant changes along a number of come up with a plan to become Undergrad enrollment 11,786
fronts, from reducing class size in more student-centered. He
all introductory-level classes in all said we should strive to be the Pell Grant recipients 20.1%
disciplines to paying attention to how nation’s best student-centered
students spend their time outside of research university,” Freund says. Median SAT 1225
class. Over the years, the university
But, perhaps most fundamental, has done a few things to make Gender
Freund says she made it clear that “I itself more “student-centered,” Men 42.9%
would only support tenure decisions including convening a retention
that reflect what we valued. We want council to study the data from Women 57.1%
to promote and tenure faculty who each college and program to see
have distinguished themselves both in who was leaving and why. Race/Ethnicity
their scholarship and in teaching.” Research done by the Center White 68.8%
At the customary third-year for Retention Services and
review of tenure-track faculty, the Center for the Support of African American 5.9%
faculty members are evaluated on Teaching has dispelled many of Asian 5.4%
their teaching with a combination the myths about why students
Latino 4.1%
of student evaluations and, in some left, according to the director
departments, observations and peer of the Center for Support of
Overall 6-year grad rate 81.0%
assessments. Those whose teaching is Teaching, Barbara Ann Yonai.
found wanting are told, “Here’s what “For many of the reasons that
you need to work on, where you have were raised, we were able to Increase in Grad Rates Over Time:
100
to improve, and how to get help,” says show they weren’t the only 81.0
Freund. reason,” Yonai says. For example, 80
68.8 71.2 71.9 74.0 75.3 77.0
When Freund denied tenure many thought that financial 60

recommendations on the basis of need was an issue. “That alone
the quality of teaching, that was is not why students leave,” 40
a powerful message that teaching Yonai says, although her center 20
was taken seriously, she says. “The – along with the university’s 0
Syracuse model has been that you Center for Retention Services
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
have to be great at both [research – is still investigating whether it

Source: College Results Online
and teaching]. People who come here plays a contributing role in some
believe that the two aren’t mutually students leaving.
exclusive.” One of the patterns the
10
Syracuse University, continued from previous page:

red tape problems which raised things are elements of retention, in the research mission of the
graduation rates 1 percent, Yonai although no one would think of university, rather than keep them
says. them as retention.” In a related peripheral to it.
When research found that many development, when students “The next question is, how do
students failed to feel connected to asked for more alternatives to we really engage students into the
the university, the university began spending time in the bars, the research process,” Cantor says. “To
dorm-based “learning communities” university agreed to keep the gym make sure the learning is really
based on students’ academic open for longer hours. “It worked collaborative and involved in the
interests. Yonai is now undertaking and we saw a decrease in alcohol scholarship that the university
research to see if that has actually violations,” says Barry Wells, senior must have.”
worked in making students feel vice president and dean of student The university has already taken
more connected and choosing to affairs. “It wasn’t done under one step in that direction: The
stay. the name of student success or laboratory space in the new life
In addition, the university began retention, but it is absolutely about sciences buildings was designed
offering an alcohol awareness that.” with the expectation that faculty
program, known as Alcohol 101, For newly appointed Chancellor would invite groups of students
as part of its first-year experience. Nancy Cantor, there is still work in. “We need to make that type
“If you put that program in, you to be done. She reflects the view of engagement very natural and
are building in reminders about of a growing number of people in very easy for the faculty and the
health, nutrition and exercise,” says higher education that one way to students,” Cantor says. “Those are
Ron Cavanagh, vice president for retain undergraduates is to make part of the cues we give about what
undergraduate studies. “All those sure they are included directly we value.”
or lower expectations – in fact, and outside of class. These still very common. But some
better academic practices and factors are also tied to a institutions are trying to do
better graduation rates go hand higher likelihood of college things differently – and are
in hand. completion. seeing better results.
For example, statistical NSSE results underscore Some, for example, have
analyses of results from the the fact that colleges and created “learning communities”
NSSE have found that the universities make choices in where groups of students take
greater the level of students’ how they organize and conduct multiple, thematically linked
academic challenge, the higher undergraduate education, courses together. Instead of
the graduation rates at given and some of those choices being isolated learners, these
institutions (See page 8.) NSSE work better than others. The students work together to
gathers data on factors such standard model of hundreds share knowledge, learning, and
as the number and length of of undergraduates packed into responsibility for success. Some
written reports, hours spent large lecture halls passively researchers have found a link
studying and preparing for class, listening to someone talk is between student participation
reading requirements, and the
need to synthesize and organize
ideas. The more students are
challenged, the more they
respond, stay engaged, and stay
in school.
NSSE also studies the
overall nature of the academic
experience, looking at factors
like student-faculty interaction,
community-based projects,
student participation in class
discussions, and students
working together both inside
11
Only.
At Elizabeth City State University : Everyone Helps
A
t Elizabeth City State University, everyone is is mandatory.
encouraged to feel responsible for helping students Students
graduate. Chancellor Mickey Burnim “has made generally are
Elizabeth City State
Elizabeth City, NC
it clear that we all have a role to play in our students’ success allowed only
– from the registrar to the groundskeepers,” says Dr. Carolyn two or three Undergrad enrollment 2,039
Mahoney, provost at this historically black, public university in unexcused
northeastern North Carolina. absences Pell Grant recipients 63.8%
“In some cases, it comes down to a housekeeper noticing that each semester
a student in their building hasn’t been going to class, and she before facing Median SAT 810
tells an RA, who checks in and finds out what is going on,” she consequences,
says. such as Gender
“Those things don’t seem like they make much of a difference, lowered Men 38.5%
but the accumulated impact is significant.” grades. “The
Women 61.5%
The university works to nurture success in other ways, too. goal is to get
Two task forces have been established designed to look at the them to class,”
Race/Ethnicity
big and small ways to improve graduation rates. Mahoney says.
Students are encouraged to take 15 units or less each “Our White 19.6%
semester so they won’t be overwhelmed by their course loads. students know African American 79%
To ensure that students feel connected to the university and its that their
faculty, classes are kept small: a ratio of about 20 students for professors Other* 1.4%
every professor. will call them
Overall 6-Year grad rate 50.5%
Students’ academic progress is monitored closely. Each when they
student’s faculty adviser works with the Registrar’s Office to miss class,
African-American grad rate 54.0%
track mid-term grades, and advisers are expected to meet with and when
any students who are having difficulty. necessary, tell *Source: College Results Online
The attention to detail pays off. A few years ago, the mid-term them to get
grade reports showed that some freshman students -- several out of bed and
of whom had been honors students in high school – were into class.”
dropping a first-year algebra class, although they had been The strategies are working. In 2003, this school of about 2,000
performing just fine in other classes. Mahoney, who reviews undergraduates had a six-year graduation rate of 50.5 percent, a
the mid-term reports and is a mathematician herself, traced much higher rate of success than at similar schools.
the problem to a single instructor, who was temporarily At Elizabeth City State, Mahoney says, “Everyone is aware of
reassigned to other classes and received additional professional what we have to be about -- helping students achieve.”
development.
And under a policy established in 1928, class attendance
in learning communities and one another and the college success. As a result, they’re
their likelihood of persisting in curricula at large. more likely to be among the
higher education.5 The whole issue of remedial 20 percent of all students
One university using learning education – teaching college starting at four-year colleges
communities is Tennessee State, students who are under- and universities who have
a historically Black institution prepared for college – is to take at least one remedial
whose graduation rate is higher especially critical at the less course in reading, writing or
than most of its peers. Students selective public institutions math.6 Studies indicate that
in the “Emerging Scholars that enroll a disproportionate students who need remedial
Program” at Tennessee State number of low-income, reading instruction, or who
take multiple courses together minority, and first-generation need remediation in multiple
in communities designed to students, and tend to have very subjects, are unlikely to
promote active and collaborative low graduation rates. These complete their degree on time.7
learning. The program also students are more likely to have In many institutions,
focuses on integrating remedial been given a substandard K-12 remedial classes are stand-alone
students into the university education, and are more likely courses, separate from regular
community, and integrating to face additional financial and academic departments. This
various remedial curricula with academic barriers to college approach can marginalize and
12
stigmatize students who are after administrators noticed teaching quality a strong focus
already at risk of dropping out unusually high failure rates in of the tenure-review process.
for a variety of other reasons. those courses, particularly for Professors who fall short in this
Schools like Tennessee State minority students. As a result area are given guidance on how
are trying to provide help of the changes, more students to improve. Failure to improve
differently. are succeeding and moving can lead to denial of tenure (See
Developmental courses are forward. page 10.)
not the only target for closer Similarly, researchers like
examination of data, though.
Some high- performing colleges
Uri Treisman at the University
of Texas have shown how
Using Data to
and universities have found institutions can improve Understand and
that they can make important student success rates in tough
progress by tackling high “gatekeeper” courses like Improve Student
failure rates in so-called “weed- calculus, not by watering down Success
out” courses, especially in the standards, but by deliberately
sciences. Instead of seeing it structuring those courses to One of the main challenges
as a strange mark of pride that promote more intensive and for institutions newly focused
many new college students collaborative learning among on improving graduation rates
are unable to succeed in their students. These reforms have is deciding where to begin.
courses, these institutions are improved success rates in Fortunately, there are new tools
beginning to ask themselves those courses, particularly for available to help make such
whether they – not just minority students.8 decisions that haven’t existed in
the students – could stand Institutions should also the past. Changes in the cost,
improvement. keep student learning front and speed, and power of information
For example, the University center when they decide who technology have vastly increased
of Notre Dame (See page 8.) gets to teach in the first place. the potential for colleges
whose 94.6 percent graduation Hiring and promotion policies and universities to use data
rate is higher than its peers and can and should reflect the to better understand how to
one of the highest in country, central importance of quality improve graduation rates. Most
has taken steps to change the undergraduate instruction. institutions have been gathering
way introductory chemistry Syracuse University, for large amounts of data for a long
and engineering courses are example, an institution that time, mostly for administrative
organized and taught. has improved graduation rates or regulatory purposes. But
These improvements came for six years running, makes until recent years, those
13
Only.
processes were narrowly focused rate is higher than most of “The data,” said Evanovich,
and unconnected to one its peers. UConn also has an “moves you beyond the
another, producing raw data unusually small graduation rate anecdotes and personal
that was difficult to access and gap for minority students. In understanding – the ‘my
analyze. 1999, the university created a neighbors’ kid’ stories. We can
Things are different now. Retention and Student Success show the real picture of what
Many institutions now maintain Task Force, a university-wide happens to our students. Using
accessible, detailed, student- initiative, composed of students, the data, we were able to make
level records containing a wealth faculty and staff, designed to the case for the resources, to
of information about things determine the best strategies to add seven additional academic
like course-taking patterns, help more students persist and advisers to give our students
demographics, student aid receive their degrees. Dolan more guidance.
amounts, residency, transfers, Evanovich, a university vice “There are dozens of
and much more. president and leader of the initiatives – we have created an
It’s really no longer a project, said the natural starting early warning system based on
question of whether institutions place was the data: mid-semester grades to notify
can get the data they need “When we were able to stack students that they are falling
– it’s whether they invest in years of data together and were behind. But it all started with
analyzing the data they already able to see the trends, we felt the data – knowing more about
have. Using information a greater comfort level about what was happening with our
to drive improvement was what our students were doing students,” he said.
a consistent theme among during their college careers Another institution using
the various high-performing and what we could do to affect data to drive improvement is
institutions we contacted. them. We’ve sliced the data in the University of Northern
Many university leaders nearly every way imaginable Iowa, which has one of the
described how a thorough, – in-state vs. out-of-state highest graduation rates of any
careful examination of data students, students who were public Masters I institution
detailing various dimensions dismissed vs. those who left in the nation. Borrowing a
of university practice and voluntarily, students who came tool from the corporate world,
student success brought them in performing at high levels vs. UNI conducted a “critical path
a new understanding of how to those who were low-performing. analysis” to determine exactly
improve. We have begun to see the what it takes for students to
One example is the trends emerge and have begun complete a degree in various
University of Connecticut, to fix some of the problems majors from beginning to end,
a public doctoral/research with targeted as well as broader and then mapped that process
institution whose graduation programs.” back against its database of
14
student coursetaking patterns. some students only a handful – all of these efforts share the
In doing so, it learned that of credits short of a degree. common trait of being driven by
a number of students had to After contacting those students, careful analysis of information.
delay graduation because they Syracuse discovered that some of High-performing institutions
couldn’t enroll in the courses them mistakenly believed they are always striving to learn more
they needed for their degree. had already graduated, while about their students, to develop
(See page 9 for more detail.) others simply needed to resolve new ways to help them succeed.
Careful internal data analyses bureaucratic issues related to
can help institutions uncover incomplete courses or transfer Putting it All
hidden opportunities to help
more students finish college.
credits (See page 10.)
The University of New Together:
The prevalence of “first-year” Mexico has a program to target Leadership and
programs like those discussed students who left college after
above reflects the fact that earning more than 98 credits, Organizational
students are more likely to
drop out in their first year in
tracking them down and
pledging to work with them to
Culture
college than in any other year. find a way for them to complete The examples above provide
But it’s also true that a large their degree (See page 18.) As just a hint of what’s possible
number of students leave with a a result, more than a thousand when it comes to helping more
year or more of college already additional students have students succeed. There are
under their belt. In many ways graduated from college. many things that universities
these are the “low hanging The process of analyzing data can do to get better. Few can
fruit” of the graduation rate and acting on information runs plausibly say that they have no
problem.9 They have a proven throughout much of what high- room to improve.
ability to succeed in college, performing institutions have At the same time, institutions
but for a variety of reasons lost told us about their success. shouldn’t treat these individual
momentum to graduation – in Identifying students who success stories simply as discrete
some cases, just short of the need more advising, targeting programs to be copied, and
academic finish line. under-prepared students nothing more.
For example, an internal for first-year programs, re- The danger is that attempts
analysis of non-graduates at engineering courses with to improve graduation rates
Syracuse University found unacceptable failure rates become nothing more than
15
Only.
conversations, institutional
leaders told us again and again
that their success was rooted
in long-standing, deeply-held
commitment to understanding
their students and helping
them succeed. Some high
performing institutions actually
had a difficult time singling out
specific practices that promote
graduation, because they’d been
in place for so long. More than
one told us, “That’s just who we
are.”
Ultimately, leadership drives
a laundry list of dutifully learn, adapt, improve and
everything else: close attention
adopted “best practices,” succeed comes straight from
to student engagement, strong
untailored to the institution’s the top. Each institution’s
commitment to undergraduate
individual mission and unique organizational culture
learning, pervasive use of
students, uncoordinated with – the values and norms that
data to improve, and many
one another, and below the guide people’s thinking day in
others. By making improved
high standards of quality that and day out – must become
graduation rates a fundamental
students need. As Vincent overwhelmingly student-
and enduring priority, higher
Tinto, the Syracuse University focused. Everyone needs to
education leaders can truly
researcher, has noted: “While it know that when push comes to
change things for the better.
is true that retention programs shove, students matter most.
abound on our campuses, most
institutions have not taken
Nobody believes this is easily or
painlessly accomplished.
Conclusion
student retention seriously. Colleges and universities as The voices of high
“They have done little to a rule don’t respond readily to performing institutions
change the essential character simple command and control. presented in this paper should
of college, little to alter the Smart leaders know they be taken for what they are,
prevailing character of student need to carefully build shared and no more: a beginning
educational experience, and commitments to key goals, sense of why some colleges
therefore little to address create the right incentives for and universities believe they’ve
the deeper roots of student faculty, and coordinate activities been successful. There may
attrition. As a result, most across systems to transform very well be other reasons we’ve
efforts to enhance student the aspiration of more student not captured, and there are
retention, though successful to success into reality. It takes a surely many more voices that
some degree, have had more lot of time and work to do well. need to be heard. As large,
limited impact than they could But change is definitely expensive, and important as
or should.”10 possible. We find examples higher education is, many
The difference between of how leadership matters at important facets are strangely
merely emulating the practice places like Syracuse University, under-examined. Far more
of high performers and truly where a top-down commitment extensive and rigorous research
emulating their success is to improving graduation rates on graduation rates, both
leadership. Colleges and and other outcomes led to qualitative and quantitative, will
universities can’t ultimately reforms at many different be needed in the future.
do right by their students levels of the organization. But we also surely have
unless the urgent need to Over the course of many enough knowledge and
16
evidence to get started on institution-wide priority, driven low-income families and have
making real improvements from the top and pursued over success graduating students.
right now. The basic contours the long term. And entire university
of what institutions can do There is reason, we think, systems, including California
are clear. They need to work to be encouraged about State University and the
hard on connecting with their growing attention to student university systems of Georgia
students, particularly in the sucess. After our first report and Louisiana, have made
freshman year. They need to on this issue, for example the improving graduation rates a
make a genuine commitment American Association of State priority.
to improving the quality of Colleges and Universities and The ideas and practices
undergraduate teaching and the National Association of outlined in this paper reflect
learning, because success in System Heads agreed to join the decades of research and
the classroom and finishing a Education Trust in an initiative undeniable real-world successes.
degree go hand in hand. They to understand more about Institutions that take these
need to carefully monitor unusually high-performing results seriously can make a
student progress, using institutions. huge difference in the lives of
their new capacity to collect The Pell Institute for the their students. Given the huge
and analyze data to better Study of Opportunity in Higher number of students who fail to
understand student success. Education is conducting a study graduate every year, there’s no
And they need to make student of institutions that serve high time to wait.
success an unambiguous, concentrations of students from
Endnotes:
1 For a detailed description of the factors and methodology used by College Results Online in identifying “similar”
institutions, see the following: One Step from the Finish Line: Higher College-Graduation Rates are Within Our Reach. www.edtrust.org
2 http://www.brevard.edu/fyc/
3 National Survey of Student Engagement, unpublished analysis, 2002.
4 Vincent Tinto, “Taking Student Retention Seriously,” Syracuse University. Among the academic studies the author
cites with respect to the impact of expectations are J. Fleming, “Blacks in College,” 1984; L. Rendon, “Validating
culturally diverse students: Toward a new model of learning and student development,” Innovation in Higher Education
19:33-52, 1994; and S. Hurtado and D. Faye Carter, “Latino students’ sense of belonging in the college community:
Rethinking the concept of integration on campus,” in Colleges Students: The Evolving Nature of Research, 1996.
5 Vincent Tinto, “Linking Learning and Leaving: Exploring the Role of the College Classroom in Student Departure,”
Reworking the Student Departure Puzzle, John M. Braxton ed., 2000.
6 Basmate Parsand and Laurie Lewis, Remedial Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall 2000, U.S.
Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003. The rate is higher in public schools – 21%
--than in private institution, 12%.
7 For example, only 36% of 4-year students who have to take remedial reading courses earn a B.A. within eight years
of high school graduation, compared to 76% of students who need no remedial coursework – National Educational
Longitudinal Survey (NELS:88), calculations by Clifford Adelman, U.S. Department of Education, 2004.
8 Uri Treisman, “Studying students studying calculus: A look at the lives of minority mathematicians” College
MathematicsJournal, 23, 1992.
9 As noted by researchers including Clifford Adelman, who found that the Bachelor’s degree attainment rate of
African-American and Latino students could be increased by at least one-third if we could graduate all of the students
who entered post-secondary education and earned at least 60 post-secondary credits but didn’t earn a degree within
8.5 years of graduating. (Clifford Adelman, Principal Indicators of Student Academic Histories in Postsecondary Education,
1972-2000, U.S. Department of Education, 2004, Table 3.1).
10 Vincent Tinto, “Taking Student Retention Seriously,” Syracuse University.
17
Bringing “Dropouts” Back to College

By Robert A. Jones
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Photo courtesy of University of New Mexico
Arellana Cordero
A
n honors student in high school, Arellana unfortunate losers in the Darwinian struggle for a
Cordero entered the University of New higher education.
Mexico in 1993 with high expectations But recent surveys here and elsewhere suggest that a
of becoming a college graduate. Five surprisingly large percentage of dropouts more closely
years later, with only 15 credits remaining to receive resemble Cordero. These students - especially those
her baccalaureate degree, she abandoned her goal and who leave in their junior or senior years-maintain
dropped out. at least decent grades and lead otherwise productive
Cordero’s problem was not low grades or a lack of lives while in college. They depart because something
money. Rather, she left because, after five years, her more subtle goes wrong: They get lost on the path
college career had gone astray. She lived at home, felt to a degree, can’t reconcile competing pressures from
disconnected from the university and had begun to jobs and families, and eventually surrender to the
doubt she would ever receive a degree, however close accumulated difficulties. The unraveling takes place
it might be. So when outside pressures of a job and slowly, ending not with a bang but a whimper.
marriage began to tug at her life, she walked away from Across the nation, little is done to rescue these
college. students once they’ve left college. But an innovative
At the University of New Mexico and many other project here at UNM is proving that many such
public universities, more than half of each freshman dropouts can be enticed into returning for a second
class will fail to graduate. Traditionally, these departures shot at a degree. And these students, once returned, are
have been attributed to academic failure or personal graduating at startling rates.
problems, and dropouts have been regarded as the The Graduation Project, as it is called, is the
18
he explained. “They were an average GPA of 2.8, so clearly

thinking, the students were not leaving for
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM ‘Here’s Dave Stuart academic reasons.”
being himself again, The trick of locating long-gone
Undergrad enrollment 15,397 so we’ll play along. students turned out to be simpler
The program won’t be than expected. The university
Pell Grant recipients 31.4%
successful, and we’ll let contracted with TransUnion Inc.,
Median SAT 1010 Dave find that out for a credit reporting company, to run
himself.’” their student names through the
Gender That skepticism has company’s database.
Men 42.9% long since evaporated. Because of the potential credit
Women 57.1% The university’s regents impact of such searches, the
recently asked Stuart university required the company
Race/Ethnicity to expand his efforts, to construct a firewall that would
White 49.8% applying the techniques of separate the student search
African American 2.8%
the Graduation Project to operations from its normal activity.
current students who are The approach worked. Soon
Latino 33.6%
in danger of dropping out. the university had addresses and
Native American 6.6% And university President phone numbers for virtually all of
Louis Caldera says that its targeted walkaways at a cost of
Overall 6-year grad rate 41.6%
the Graduation Project’s $1.90 each.
Source: College Results Online
practice of forging Then came the delicate business
personal relationships with of approaching the former students.
its student participants, The university decided the first
brainchild of David E. Stuart,
a key feature of the program, is communication would be made via
the university’s former associate
“something that we need to clone letter. But what should the letter
provost. Founded in 1996 with
in other areas.” say?
a tiny budget and tinier staff, the
The Graduation Project has Stuart decided to offer a re-
program has systematically tracked
attracted attention not only because entry that would be as hassle-
down nearly 1,800 departed
of its success but because it appears free and low-cost as possible.
students and lured them back to
to be the first of its kind among the The strategy was based on his
campus. Thus far, 64 percent – or
nation’s public universities. In fact, interpretation of university surveys
more than 1,100 students – have
when Stuart first began organizing of departing students taken in the
earned their bachelor’s degrees. In
the project in 1996 he searched mid-’90s. Those surveys showed
addition, 59 of the participants
for similar programs that could be some surprising results. Many
have gone on to graduate school or
used as models. He found none and students walked away because
have earned a graduate degree.
soon realized he would be forced to they felt defeated by the university
Stuart, a burly 37-year veteran
invent the program piece by piece. bureaucracy and its complex, often
of the university who is also a
Stuart and senior program shifting graduation requirements.
professor of anthropology, says the
manager Danita Gomez decided Many of these respondents fell
high graduation rates prove that
they would seek only those into the “non-traditional” category,
many of the myths about college
dropouts who had earned 98 meaning they worked full-time,
dropouts are simply false.
credit hours (128 are needed for were married or had children, and
“We find that many of these
graduation) and maintained a usually lived off-campus. On many
people are good students and
grade point average of 2.0 or better. state university campuses such
motivated,” he said. “They want
The target group, in other words, students are now the norm rather
that degree, and they will get it if
would be composed of former than the exception. It was these
given a decent chance.”
students who were reasonably close students, Stuart found, who were
Because of those myths, Stuart
to graduation and had left in good being defeated by the university
says many of his colleagues were
academic standing. bureaucracy.
dubious when he first proposed
“Even with these cutoffs, we Incredibly, said Stuart, many
the program eight years ago.
identified about 3,000 students that reported they often could not
“I’m sure the administration was
fit the model,” said Stuart. “We identify which courses they needed
humoring me when they said OK,”
were surprised to see the group had to graduate. And, even if the
19
courses could be identified, the possible. One of the returnees was lying when she was contacted,
students frequently could not get Linda Marmon. coincidentally, by the Graduation
into those classes because they She had left the university Project. Staff members arranged for
were oversubscribed. “They were after getting married with only her to re-take the course and helped
befuddled, rudderless,” Stuart said. 24 credit hours remaining for a to smooth things over with the
“They were saying, ‘I don’t know degree. Financial problems had boss. She got her degree and kept
what it takes to get out of here and dictated the departure, but she her job.
I’m tired of trying.’ And maybe also felt stymied at the university. In other cases -about 300, in
they’d been offered a raise at their “Those 24 more hours had begun fact - project participants have
job and decided, ‘That’s what I’m to seem huge,” she said. “You not actually attended classes at all.
doing, I’m outta here.’” know, this is a big university and it After entering the program, they
So Stuart sat down to write his can be overwhelming. There is an discovered they had already satisfied
letter, in the belief that he had a intimidating quality about it. You’re all the requirements for a degree.
fair understanding of the problems almost afraid to ask questions, Project staff members helped them
of the walkaway students. They and you don’t know who to ask, move the paperwork through the
needed to see a simple, direct path anyway. So you get frustrated and bureaucracy, and they graduated.
to a degree, and they needed a little you quit.” The benefits of the program
help in getting there. He decided to For Marmon, the Graduation extend not only to the returned
offer them just that. Project made good on its promise students but to the state as a whole,
“We at the University of New to ease those frustrations. The says university President Caldera.
Mexico care about the academic atmosphere of the project office was The difference in earning power
success of our students,” the letter personal rather than bureaucratic, between a high school graduate
began. “If you are still interested in and it was oriented toward and a college graduate is dramatic,
pursuing that dream, we would like problem-solving. and higher wage earners pay higher
to help.” “They showed an interest in me,” taxes. In addition, he said, the
The letter then detailed the Marmon said. “They called me, state legislature in New Mexico
enticements: a shortened re-admit they sent letters. Their message was, is showing a renewed interest in
application with no fee; a “degree ‘You can do this, and we will help getting the biggest bang for its
summary” that would state exactly you.’” education buck.
which courses were needed for Marmon graduated in May 2003 “The legislature wants to see
graduation; priority enrollment and is so enthusiastic about the a systematic increase in our six-
in classes; and personal assistance Graduation Project that she has year graduation rate. They’ve
when problems arose. become an informal recruiter with given us benchmarks, and some
Then came the financial kicker. friends who have dropped out. “I of our funding will be contingent
If returning students had an old tell them, ‘If you need me to take on meeting those benchmarks,”
GPA of at least 2.5, or achieved you by the hand and introduce he said. “A program like the
it after returning, they would you to the people in the office, Graduation Project helps us along
be eligible for a special Tuition I’ll do it.’ That piece of paper (the the road to meeting those goals.”
Assistance Program whereby the diploma) is really important to me, Many public universities have
university would pay half their and I’ve learned how much it can initiated programs encouraging
tuition per year, up to $800, over a mean to someone’s self-confidence.” students to remain in school.
two-year period. Several of the Graduation Those attempts range from the
The letter touched the right Project participants have especially creation of cohort groups among
buttons, and in the weeks poignant stories. One young freshmen, to mentor programs
following, about 800 inquiries woman believed she had actually and special advisers for students in
poured into the project office. graduated when, in fact, she had trouble.
Eventually 180 of those enrolled as received an “incomplete” in a single But few, if any, universities have
returned students. course necessary for a degree. When imitated New Mexico’s program
The project did not attempt to she applied for a job she listed of retrieving dropouts from the
create a “class” of returnee students. herself as a UNM graduate. Her larger community. Nor have they
Rather, the strategy was to help boss checked and could find no adopted the Graduation Project’s
each student individually and speed record of a degree. strategy of helping students cope
them towards a degree as fast as She was about to be fired for with jobs, marriages and children
20
while they struggle their way described the results. of Phoenix (a commercial
towards a degree. “You see a gradual process,” she institution that offers degrees
Stuart admits his frustration. said. “It’s not like you’re looking through correspondence courses)
“The problem of these kids trying at the transcript of a great student and then thought, ‘Naah, I can’t
to cope is national, and that is and then suddenly-boom-he’s do that.’”
evident from the graduation rates,” gone. You see the student taking When Cordero learned about
he said. “But I haven’t been able to some incompletes, cutting back the Graduation Project she was
sell the idea. The conversation isn’t his hours, the grades falling a startled to learn that it seemed
being taken up at the large publics notch. The student is reducing his designed to solve the problems she
who are having versions of the involvement in the university. He was facing at UNM. She quickly
same problem.” is giving these signals long before enrolled and began taking the
Stuart attributes the lack he finally leaves, which means classes she needed for a degree. She
of interest to several factors, there’s an opportunity to take graduated this summer.
including the increasing focus corrective action.” What’s next? “I plan to
on research at large public If the early warning system get my master’s in business
universities and the resulting lack succeeds, Cynthia Stuart says, the administration,” she said, and
of exposure among senior faculty student’s adviser could be notified laughed. “And right away, this
to undergraduates. In addition, he in time to take that action and time.”
says, there is “convenient denial” perhaps forestall the departure.
of the reality that many departing In the meantime, the
students are high-performing. Graduation Project itself continues This article first appeared in Spring
“If you don’t admit that they can to feed returned students back 2004 edition of National CrossTalk, a
be good students, you don’t have into the system. A recent group publication of the National Center for
to take them seriously,” he said. included Arellana Cordero, the Public Policy and Higher Education, and
Another factor may be the honors student who dropped is reprinted here with permission. Robert
traditional mindset of college out needing only 15 credits to A. Jones is a former reporter and columnist
administrators. “Universities tend graduate. for the Los Angeles Times.
to focus on recruitment of good After she left
students as a way of ensuring the university,
academic success,” said Jack Kay, Cordero began
associate provost at Wayne State raising a family
University. “They’re not in the and built a real
habit of thinking about stop- estate business
outs or dropouts as a source of in Albuquerque.
graduates.” By any standard
But at UNM the enthusiasm for measure, her life
Stuart’s approach remains high. At was successful.
the request of the UNM regents, But the lack of a
his office has begun to investigate degree nagged at
whether its dropout strategy can her.
be expanded to include current “I have
students who are in danger of always been an
leaving. overachiever type,
As the first stage, Stuart has and the idea that
proposed an analysis of hundreds I never finished
of dropout transcripts to search college just
for telltale academic patterns that bothered me,” she
preceded the decision to drop out. said. “But re-
Already, an informal survey of applying to UNM
transcripts has suggested that such presented so
patterns exist. Cynthia Stuart, many obstacles.
David Stuart’s wife and the dean Once I even
of admissions at New Mexico, thought of trying
joined in the informal survey and the University
21
Contributors:
Holly Stepp, Karin Chenoweth, and Fredreka Schouten
Photographs provided by Alcorn State University, Elizabeth City
State University, Florida State University, St. Mary’s University,
University of Northern Iowa, University of New Mexico, and
University of Notre Dame
© The Education Trust, 2005

About The Education Trust
The Education Trust, Inc. was created to promote high academic achievement for all students, at all levels—
kindergarten through college. While we know that all schools and colleges could better serve their students, our
work focuses on the schools and colleges most often left behind in plans to improve education: those serving
African American, Latino, Native American and low-income students.
The Education Trust works side-by-side with policy makers, parents, education professionals, community and
business leaders—in cities and towns across the country—who are trying to transform their schools and colleges
into institutions that genuinely serve all students. We also bring lessons learned in local communities back to
Washington to help inform national policy debates.
202-293-1217 • 1250 H Street, NW • Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20005 • www.edtrust.org
22

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A Report by The Education Trust • January 2005

Voices from Colleges and Universities with Better Graduation Rates

ourselves if these principles identify problem areas and

St. Mary’s University : Quality Teaching Yields Latino Success

one freshman-level class, which means that at least master’s

management, test preparation,

The National Survey of Student Engagement

Improving Student Preparation

degrees irrespective of whether

The University of Notre Dame : A Better Way of Teaching

The University of Northern Iowa : No Silver Bullet to Solving Problems

Syracuse University: A Commitment to Teaching and Research

When Freund denied tenure many thought that financial 60

a powerful message that teaching Yonai says, although her center 20

have to be great at both [research – is still investigating whether it

Syracuse University, continued from previous page:

At Elizabeth City State University : Everyone Helps

Bringing “Dropouts” Back to College

he explained. “They were an average GPA of 2.8, so clearly

© The Education Trust, 2005

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