Report of the Working Group on

RETENTION

Members

Eli Peña, Director Advising Center (Chair)

Hilda Silva, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs

Jay Phillips, Dean of General & Developmental Education

Ruth Ann Ragland, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jesus Galvan, Chair, Industrial Technology

Kathy Dougherty, Director, BSN Completion Program

Eldon Nelson, Dean, School of Health Sciences

Dianna Blankenship, Assistant Professor, Business Technology

Deloria Nanze-Davis, Assoc. Professor and Chair, Dept. of Math.

Report of the Task Force on Enrollment Planning

Working Group on Retention

Introduction

A set of educational objectives flow from the mission established by the partnership of The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC). Mission objectives include: promoting the personal growth of students; providing a setting in which students will be able to enrich and expand their knowledge, and refine their skills, understanding, and values; broaden and deepen students' understanding of themselves and of the society in which they live; and encourage students to develop their own sense of values, allowing them to become more mature and self-directed individuals who will be responsible participants in local and global communities.

The success of an institution and the success of its students are inseparable. Student persistence to completion of educational goals is a key indicator of student satisfaction and success. Persistence is an individual performance indicator, whereas retention is an institutional performance indicator, which reflects the objectives of the mission of this institution.

This report profiles UTB/TSC retention data, strengths, and weaknesses. It also provides recommendations for reinforcing current retention efforts and establishing additional ones designed to have short-term and long-term positive impacts for students.

UTB/TSC PROFILE-RETENTION DATA

Freshman to sophomore persistence rates and graduation rates are the most common indicators of retention. The freshman to sophomore retention rate identifies the percentage of students who persist through the freshman year to the beginning of the sophomore year. This transition is important if a student is to get a college degree. Freshman retention rates for UTB/TSC freshman cohorts from Fall 1992 to Fall 1999 indicate rates from 55 % to 62 % as shown in TABLE 2.

Freshman Retention Rates

TABLE 2 Fall 1992 to Fall 1999 Entering Classes

Cohort Class	First To Second Semester Retention Rate	First To Second Year Retention Rate
1992	NA	NA
1993	NA	NA
1994	79.6 %	57.7 %
1995	82.4 %	59.2 %
1996	80.2 %	57.7 %
1997	85.1 %	56.2 %
1998	86.0 %	62.3 %
1999	NA	NA

Source: The UTB/TSC Retention Plan, Steingass, 2000.

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College data are also reported indicating percentages of entering freshmen students who attained certificate, associate, and bachelor degrees.

TABLE 3 Certificate, Associates, & Bachelor Degree Attainment

1992 Entering Cohort

Certificate Attainment………………..2 % by May 1994 (2 years)

Associate Degree Attainment………...3 % by May 1995 (3 years)

Bachelor Degree Attainment…………7 % by May 1998 (6 years)

1993 Entering Cohort

Certificate Attainment……………….2 % by May 1995 (2 years)

Associate Degree Attainment………..2 % by May 1996 (3 years)

Bachelor Degree Attainment………...8 % by May 1999 (6 years)

1994 Entering Cohort

Certificate Attainment……………….3 % by May 1996 (2 years)

Associate Degree Attainment………..2 % by May 1997 (3 years)

Bachelor Degree Attainment………...5 % by May 2000 (6 years)

It should be noted that these graduation rates do not consider students' educational goals. Some students entering UTB/TSC are only considering a certificate program of study as their educational goal. In fact, some students in certificate programs of study only completed program courses and did not apply for graduation. Other students in certificate programs of study may not have applied for graduation for the certificate and may have just continued in the program's associate degree requirements.

Data on degree attainment should be looked at with greater detail to account for students' educational goals, degree versus non-degree seeking students, students' intentions to transfer after completing basic requirements, and other factors affecting certificate and degree attainment.

RETENTION STRENGTHS

1. Both UTB/TSC and national data are available documenting reasons why students withdraw voluntarily (UTB/TSC Retention Report, Steingass, Fall 2000)

Reference: Levitz, R., Noel, L., Richter, B. "Strategic Moves for Retention

Success." In Gaither, G. H. (ed.), Promising Practices in

Recruitment, Remediation, and Retention. San Francisco:

Jossey - Bass Publishers, 1999.

Our data indicate that many students depart from UTB/TSC voluntarily despite adequate academic performance. In fact, such withdrawals include individuals whose grade point averages often exceed those of the average persister.

Students who drop out voluntarily do so for a number of reasons. Data are regularly collected in an exit interview to identify students' reasons for withdrawing from the institution during the semester. According to the data compiled over the past three semesters, the following are the most common reasons cited by students for dropping out of UTB/TSC before completing the semester.

• Job conflicts - includes inflexible or unrealistic work schedule that conflicts with classes, change in work schedule, new job obtained, and challenges of working full time while taking classes.
• Personal problems - includes a wide range of reasons such as lack of family support, childcare issues, emotional factors, stress, and other reasons not disclosed by students.
• Relocation - individual or family moving or intending to move out of the Brownsville area.
• Health problems - personal or a health-related problem of a family member that student must attend to.
• Academic problems - difficulty with classes and basic skills requirements or lack of study skills and habits required for college work.
• Dissatisfaction with instruction or classes - conflicts with instructors, perceived lack of student-centeredness, and unfulfilled expectation from classes and professors.
• Financial difficulty - students unable to afford to attend college, expectations of continuing to contribute to family finances while enrolled in college, problems with personal finances, and lack of financial aid availability to offset tuition and fees.

2. Data has been collected describing the characteristics of UTB/TSC students who voluntarily withdraw. (UTB/TSC Retention Report, Steingass, Fall 2000)

Extensive data on the characteristics of students who persisted versus those who dropped out were examined. Data from the one-year retention/attrition rates of the first-time fall 1998 freshmen cohort were analyzed and we found that:

• Males dropped out at higher rates than females.
• Traditional-aged students (25 years or younger) persisted at higher rates than adult learners (over 25 years of age).
• There was little difference in persistence rates between students living in district versus those out-of-district.
• High school graduates were retained at higher rates than students who obtained a GED or entered with under the Individual Approval status.
• Students with a declared major returned at higher rates than undecided and occupational technology students.
• Students who registered late returned at lower rates than students who register early.
• Students required to take one or more developmental courses were retained at lower rates than students not required to take any developmental courses.
• Full-time students returned at higher rates than part-time students.
• Students who withdrew from one or more classes during their first semester returned at lower rates than students who did not withdraw from any classes.
• Persisters earned higher average grade point averages than non-persisters.

3. Campus data are available prioritizing potential barriers that may prevent students from returning. (UTB/TSC Retention Report, Steingass, Fall 2000)

During the Spring 2000 semester, all students enrolled in lower-division classes were surveyed regarding their registration plans for Fall 2000. The data provide information about potential barriers that may prevent students from re-enrolling in the Fall semester. Almost 2,300 surveys were analyzed, and 90% of the students indicated that they would return in the Fall semester. However, of the students who had plans to re-enroll in the Fall 2000 semester, several barriers were indicated as possibly preventing them from doing so. The following table summarizes these potential threats to persistence.

Potential Barriers That May Prevent Students

From Returning During Fall 2000 Semester

(N = 2,294)

TABLE 4

BARRIER	N	PERCENT
Financial difficulties	889	38.8
Problems with financial aid	557	24.3
Job conflicts	327	14.3
Problems passing TASP	245	10.7
Family obligations	239	10.4
Transferring to another college	156	6.8
Moving out of Brownsville area	125	5.4
Transportation problems	107	4.7
Academic difficulties	104	4.5
Unsure about major or career goals	104	4.5
Daycare problems	82	3.6

4. Campus data are available that identify ways students say the institution (UTB/TSC) could help them in continuing. (UTB/TSC Retention Report, Steingass, Fall 2000)

Students were asked to identify ways in which the institution could help them to continue with their education. The top six ways identified by students (in descending order of frequency) included:

• Help with financial aid - help with financial aid processes, assistance in identifying scholarships, assistance with obtaining loans.

• Designing a more flexible course schedule - offer more courses and services during the evening and at a variety of different times throughout the day.
• Improve parking - increase number of convenient parking spaces and lower or eliminate the cost of the parking permit.
• Offer a wider variety of courses/majors - expand the number of majors offered and increase the number of types of courses offered in specific disciplines.
• Assistance with advising - help with understanding basic degree requirements and assistance with scheduling. Lower the cost of tuition, fees, and textbooks.

In addition, a senior-level student survey conducted in the Fall of 1999 indicated that the following factors (in descending order of frequency) are perceived as influential toward success in college. The factors most frequently mentioned included:

-mentoring and support from faculty

-self-determination and motivation

-well-defined goal orientation

-good study skills

-adequate levels of financial aid

5. A number of retention efforts are currently in place at UTB/TSC. Our review of these efforts include the following inventory.

System-wide K-16 Initiative

Intervention Programs

• Learning Assistance Center

• Outreach

Upward Bound

Talent Search

South Texas Engineers Math and Science

• Veterans' Program
• ASPIRE

Grants

• Gear-Up - designed to build collaborative relationships with six area public school districts and focuses on (1) informing students and parents about college options and financial aid; (2) promoting vigorous academic course work based on college entrance requirements; (3) making families aware of what it takes to help a student prepare for and succeed in college; and (4) improving the abilities of teachers to teach.
• Title V - designed to improve UTB/TSC students' success and persistence through enhancing teaching and learning in developmental and gatekeeper courses and focuses on (1) expanding orientation; (2) establishing learning communities; (3) implementing directive advising; and (4) extending learner-centered instruction.

Additional efforts

• Retention plans in place in campus department and other components
• Supplemental Instruction
• Sting Success Lab Courses
• Early Alert
• Academic advising of majors included in Orientation
• Faculty Development - training to redesign developmental and gate-keeper courses that promote a more learning centered environment and to integrate technology to enhance instruction.
• Web-based registration

RETENTION CONCERNS

The following areas pertaining to UTB/TSC’s retention efforts were identified as needing improvement.

1. Retention on the UTB/TSC campus needs to be defined in terms of student persistence, completion rates and by the levels of certificate and/or degree attainment.

[See Recommendation # 2 Institutional Issues – Operations]

2. Retention efforts across campus must be coordinated, followed thru and evaluated.

[See Recommendations # 1, # 3, # 4, # 5, # 6, Institutional Issues – Operations]

3. Campus retention efforts must include an organized plan with follow-up and evaluation that addresses the following:

· Student customer service areas:

(1) Enrollment Services offices

(2) Campus-wide offices and services

· Developmental education

· Publications (e.g., catalog, course schedules, etc.)

· Financial aid

· Recruitment

· Academic programs and course offerings

· Student services addressing satisfaction toward social, personal, health related, and academic issues in students' adjustments to college

[See Recommendations # 4 Institutional Issues - Operations

# 1, # 2, # 3; Institutional Issues - Publications

# 1 Academic Issues - Under-prepared Students

# 1 Life Issues - Financial Aid

# 1 Life Issues - Health Problems

# 1 Social/Personal Issues - Student Acculturation

to Campus]

RECOMMENDATIONS

Getting students started on the right path in college through to graduation begins with anticipating and meeting their transitional and adjustment needs when they enter. Intrusive, proactive strategies are necessary to reach freshmen before they have an opportunity to experience feelings of failure, disappointment, and confusion.

In surveys of UTB/TSC withdrawing students money, time, and personal issues are frequently given as reasons of why they leave college. Levitz and Hovland (1998) have identified types of issues facing students that ultimately have an impact on their decision to drop out. The categories include institutional, academic, life, social, and personal issues.

The working group’s opinion is that these categories fit the experience of UTB/TSC students; therefore, our recommendations for improving retention efforts at UTB/TSC are presented in this report in the context of these five categories.

I. Institutional Issues - Operations

1. Define retention for the UTB/TSC partnership

2. Develop a campus wide retention plan and connect it to UTB/TSC’s strategic plan, and the budgeting process.

3. Establish a permanent Retention Task Force Committee.

This committee will:

• Assist the Office of the Provost to prioritize retention improvement efforts for each academic year;
• Monitor institutional retention efforts (yearly retention plans by campus components);
• Receive and produce periodic updates (data) of campus retention efforts, and
• Evaluate retention efforts.

4. Establish the Office of Student Retention Services

The Office of Student Retention Services would be the primary retention center at UTB/TSC and report to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. Establishing an Office of Student Retention Services will focus retention efforts on students' satisfaction with retention services and their social, personal, and academic adjustment to college. Examples of retention services which need to be assessed include:

1. PREP - Priority Registration Experience Program as a summer registration program for fall classes in which incoming freshmen take placement test, register for classes with their academic advisors, obtain their student IDs, and learn more about the academic ins and out's of their new environment.
2. Freshman Success - Academic program for students who had below average scores and who may need a little extra help in their first semester in college. The Office of Student Retention Services can monitor these students while they are taking general education core courses in math, history, and English and study skills to begin their college careers.
3. Freshman Mentoring Program - Freshman success with upper-class students volunteering to act as student advisors to freshmen. Upper-class students help freshmen with academic study skills, social life, or any other adjustments needed by freshmen.
4. Parent Participation Program - This program keeps parents informed of important freshman issues and activities, and creates and maintains communication with parents
5. Faculty Feedback Program - Early Alert Program
6. Intervention Task Force - Incorporates a team approach to solutions of student problems in the academic, social, and financial areas. This group would meet at the end of the Spring semester
7. Student Course Load Assessment - Addresses students' course loads, job and school conflicts
8. Peer Support Program
9. Day care and evening care program

5. Hire a Director for Student Retention Services

The Director of Student Retention Services would be responsible for implementing and evaluating retention efforts and serving as an advocate to all undergraduate students, especially freshmen.

6. Establish a Student Courtesy Information Center

This center would provide readily accessible information for students regarding all campus services, especially frontline offices (Admissions, Academic Advising, Business, Financial Aid, New Students Relations, Registrar, and Testing) and other offices across campus.

II. Institutional Issues - Academic Advising

Revise academic advising to include retention efforts that assist students to establish greater connections with the institution.

Academic advising should be revised to achieve the following:

· Link developmental advising to students' needs for success in vocational-technical and academic programs of study

· Link academic advising with orientation of new students

· Define academic advising expectations for staff and faculty for workload documentation and seek recognition for academic advising caseloads

· Strengthen academic advising in specialty areas (pre-med, pre-law, etc.)

· Provide advising toward addressing students' course loads and job and school conflicts (also addressed by proposed Office of Student Retention Services)

· Hire staff to maintain up-to-date degree audit operations to function with current programs of study and changes in curriculum, graduation check, catalog updates, course pre-requisites, and transcript evaluations

· Establish on-going faculty development for academic advising issues

III. Institutional Issues - Classroom Teaching

Establish an organized campus-wide plan that documents classroom instructional strategies aimed at improving retention and includes follow-up, evaluation, and faculty development components.

IV. Institutional Issues - Publications

1. Establish campus-wide procedures that produce a student course schedule with minimal error and on a timely basis.

2. Establish campus-wide procedures that produce yearly catalogs (undergraduate and graduate) on a timely basis and with accurate information relating to programs of study offered, changes in curriculum and courses, course pre-requisites, and general student information.

Activities:

• Make free catalogs available to all incoming freshmen at Orientation
• Include programs of study (degree plans) in catalog
• Highlight all vocational-technical coursework for easy identification by all catalog users

3. Establish campus-wide procedures to guide the uniform development of publications that can be used for recruitment purposes and inform students of departmental programs of study.

V. Institutional Issues - Classroom Setting and Facilities

Establish a systematic review of classrooms as they relate to students and curricular needs.

Activities:

• Link the development of classroom size with goals and objective of future planning (building plans should be supported by statements addressing students' and curricular needs)
• Link development of classroom design to meet the technological trends of future education
• Link development of student study environment to the concept of small-group tutorials and mentoring
• Link classroom environment to student comfort, lighting, ergo-dynamic principles and to the varying modes of student learning and testing
• Link class scheduling to distance between standard classroom assignments
• Design to accommodate and identify classroom for the disabled or physically-impaired students
• Link campus planning to support student/faculty activities and enjoyment that permit and encourage outside exercise, intra- and extramural athletic activities, and healthy living

VI. Academic Issues - Under-Prepared Students

Establish a developmental studies plan for under-prepared students.

Activities:

• Identification of under-prepared students
• Redesigning remediation programs
• Support for students needing remedial assistance

VII. Life Issues - Financial Circumstances

Establish a financial aid retention plan.

Activities:

• Increase financial aid staff
• Cross-train financial aid advisors on basic financial aid requirements
• Expand on-campus work opportunities for students
• Increase and establish new scholarship opportunities for continuing students
• Expand emergency loan policy

VIII. Life Issues - Health Problems

Establish an institutional health care plan that informs students of the availability of health care services on campus, health care education, and health care referrals.

Activities:

• Promote primary and basic health care services on campus through the use of publications and presentations (Orientation, Sting Success, University Experience)
• Hire a full-time or part-time physician
• Hire a health care educator
• Hire a sports trainer
• Develop on campus the teaching clinic concept

IX. Social Issues - Student Acculturation to Campus

Incorporate into campus-wide retention efforts and/or plans greater efforts to acculturate students into campus life.

Activities:

• Promote social integration with opportunities for students to be involved with other students, with faculty and staff, and with clubs, organizations, sports, pre-professional organizations, work-study jobs, campus governance, and cultural events.
• Promote advising discussions (through various offices - academic advising, counseling, student retention office, career services and planning, etc.) with students regarding their interests, relationship of chosen academic majors to various career paths, lifestyle needs, and geographical preferences.