The Path to 50%: Improving Student Success at a Regional Public University Webinar

Led by Nicole T. Carr of University of South Alabama.  Since the 2010 academic year, we have focused on improving student success and persistence. Our goal is a year one retention rate of 80% and a six year graduation rate of 50%. Over three cohorts (2011-2013) we improved institutional retention by six percent (from 65% to 71%). With little attention to completion, our graduation rate was generally in the mid-upper 30s. However, beginning with the 2011 cohort, we have seen small annual increases in persistence for four years, and anticipate upward trending six-year graduation rates. Initiative development, implementation, and assessment, coupled with policy adjustments, resulted in normative changes at our institution and appear to be shifting culture. Our multipronged approach makes it difficult to tease out the specific contribution of any one change; however it also enables us to quickly make improvements in many areas related to student academic success. In this presentation, I will describe our course of action and present data related to specific elements, discuss items that appear to be “game changers,” and share what appear to be key elements in the change process and how to capitalize on those for quick wins in the student success arena.