Retain a Freshman Today…
Produce a Graduate Tomorrow
UCCS Campus Forum on Retention, November, 2007
Barbara Gaddis and Robyn Marschke
RETENTION
The process of holding or keeping in
one’s possession.
Success –
Not Retention
What Retention Is and Is Not
 Retention is helping students reach high
academic standards
 Retention is NOT lowering academic
standards
 Retention is NOT keeping students who
should not be here
Student Persistence….
Student Engagement….
Student Success
Retention Rates 1993-2006
68%
67%
66%
67%
66%
64%
62%
63%
61%
61%
60%
'93
'94
61%
62%
59%
'95
'96
'97
'98
'99
'00
'01
'02
'03
'04
'05
'06
Highest Student
Retention Ever at
UCCS!
Thank you for all your
hard work
Realities of Student Retention
 We lose 1/3 of freshman
class each year
 Of 27 peers*, 21 have higher
retention, 6 have same or lower
 $7.5 million-plus at risk
Failure to progress = failure to
reach personal goal, failure of
human potential
* Data not available from 4 peers.
Comparisons with Colorado Institutions
90%
80%
84%
68%
83%
71%
70%
61%
56%
57%
62%
ADAMS
MESA
METRO
57%
% Freshman
Retention
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
UCCS
UCD
UC-B
CSU-FC
FT. LEWIS
CSU-P
Institution
The Retention Puzzle:
Who Do We Lose? And Why?
Factors Affecting Student Persistence
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Demographics
First Generation
Housing
Fall GPA
Credit Hours Attempted
College and Major
Freshman Seminar
Excel Centers
Financial Aid
Intention to Transfer
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Gender & Ethnicity
• Men (67%) and women
(68%) have similar retention
rates.
• Students of color (64%) are
less likely to be retained
than whites (69%).
• Among students of color,
mens’ rates are higher.
Ethnicity
86%
66%
58%
First
Nations
Asian
61%
Black
69%
64%
Latino/a Students White
of Color
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
First Generation
• About 40% of freshmen are
first generation
All
First Generation
77%
• Students of color are more
likely to be first-generation:
66%
58% 57%
50% of Asian students,
50% of Black students,
57% of Latino/a students,
36% of White students
73%
69%
61%
56%
• First Generation is beneficial
for some groups.
Asian
(N = 52)
Black
(N = 36)
Latino/a
(N = 100)
White
(N = 752)
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Housing
• Second cohort in which
students living on campus
have lower retention rate.
69%
66%
• Speculation:
– Expectations?
– Expenses?
Off campus
On campus
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Fall GPA
GPA < = 2
GPA > = 2
Retain
33%
Non
Retained
67%
Non
Retained
25%
Retain
75%
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Credit Hours Attempted
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Attempted Hours in First Semester
14
16
18
20
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Major Group
Retained
Undetermined (55%)
Not Retained
70
58
Education (61%) 11 7
Social Science (63%)
69
Engineering (64%)
40
85
Natural Science (66%)
47
59
Arts & Humanities (69%)
30
68
31
Business (73%)
185
Nursing & Health Sciences (75%)
127
0
50
67
42
100
150
200
250
300
Freshman Retention by College
• Declared major: 69%
• Undecided (LSUD): 55%
• Pre-college : 57%
(PRNU, PRBU, PREN,
PRED)
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Retention by Top 10 Majors
LSUD, 55%
BUUD, 66%
BIOL, 63%
PRNU, 63%
PSYC, 60%
MKTG, 81%
NUPR, 80%
ENGL, 77%
PREN, 50%
HIST, 68%
Freshman Seminar and Retention
Freshman Seminar and Retention
Retained
Not Retained
500
450
73%
Enrollment in ID101 Helps!
400
 In 2006, 66% of freshmen
enrolled
350
300
250
62%
200
 FS students have higher
retention (69%) versus 62%
of freshmen who didn’t enroll
Grade in FS predicative of
overall success.
150
100
50
44%
0
A and B
C to F
None, W
Excel Centers and Retention
The Impact of Financial Aid on Retention and
$tudent $ucce$$
In 2006-2007:
 73% freshmen got some
type of award
 40% freshmen took out
loans
 48% freshmen received
scholarships
 6% freshmen had workstudy awards
Financial Aid Affecting Retention
90%
82%
80%
76%
73%
69%
70%
67%
66%
65%
60%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Scholarships
No. Scholar.
Loans
No Loans
Work Study
Types of Aid
No WS
Unmet Need
No Unmet Need
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Where Did They Go?
Transferred
17%
Retained
68%
Unknown
15%
Fall 2006 Entering Cohort
Where Students Transferred
PIKES PEAK COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
AT DENVER HEALTH
SCIENCES
COLORADO STATE
UNIVERSITY
21%
47%
8%
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
AT BOULDER
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN
COLORADO
8%
METROPOLITAN STATE
COLLEGE OF DENVER
7%
4% 5%
ALL OTHER
Characteristics of Non-Retained
Students
Poor
Standing Exit
25%
Poor
Standing
Transfer
11%
Good
Standing Exit
22%
Good
Standing
Transfer
42%
Retention and Student Intentions
 77% of the freshmen intended to
earn degree from UCCS
 14% intended to transfer
 76% say UCCS is first-choice
Retention Rates:
Students intending to stay: 71%
Students Intending to transfer: 59%
Students we are first choice: 72%
Lower Student Engagement
UCCS students below peers in:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contributing to class discussions
Service learning
Discussing career plans with faculty or advisor
Study abroad
Relationships with other students
Relationships with faculty members
Participating in co-curricular activities
Understanding people of other racial and ethnic
backgrounds
• Developing a personal code of ethics
• Contributing to the welfare of the community
2006 National Survey of
Student Engagement Results
About Our 2007 Freshmen Class
 1013 freshmen (93% full-time)
 18-19 years old (96%)
 55% female, 23% minority
 40% first generation
 41% live on campus
 Average index score: 103
 Top Majors: LSUD, biology, preengineering, pre-nursing,
psychology, marketing, nursing
Ensuring Student Success: Past
Accomplishments, Current Efforts, Future Goals










Coaching
Freshman Seminar
Tutoring/Learning Workshops
Peer Mentoring
SWAT Team Mentoring
Early Alert/Early Intervention
Undecided/Pre-Major Workshops
Departmental Projects
Student Engagement Projects
Retention Research Projects
Early Alert System
 Coaching, advising, tutoring
 Decreased numbers of
freshmen getting below 2.0
 Increased retention
 LexNet web-based system
Undecided/Pre-Major Interventions
Business? English? Biology?
 Pre-Major Advisor Kate
Lane
 Undecided advising
workshops
 Career Center
 Future Selves
Sociology? Psychology?
 Internships
 Registration help site
Retention
and
Academics
Teaching and research interacts with student learning:
Chemistry, Engineering, Math, VAPA. and many more!
Student Engagement:
Linking Academics and Student Success
Learning Communities
Academic Orienteering
Engaging Pedagogies
Future Research: Finding a Key to Retention
 Multiyear analysis of factors
affecting retention
 Inventory of retention
activities
 Focus groups on students’
experiences
 Predictive modeling
Responsibility for Success: Whose is it?
 Student
 Student Success staff
 Faculty
 Staff
 Administration
We are ALL responsible for student success!
Retain A Freshman..Make A Difference!
UCCS Campus Forum on Retention, November , 2007
Barbara Gaddis and Robyn Marschke
– Mentor sign-up
– Student engagement sign-up
Index Scores and Freshman Retention
Retention Rate by Gender & Ethnicity
Female
100%
Male
100% 100%
75%
71%
68%
65%
64%
65%
61%
55%
55%
70%
67%
68% 67%
Retention and Fall GPA
Retention and Fall GPA
90%
81%
73%
80%
78%
72%
70%
60%
41%
50%
40%
30%
20%
6%
10%
0%
<1.00
1.00-1.99
2.00-2.499
2.50-2.99
3.00-3.49
3.50-4.00
25%
24%
Fall GPA Range
7%
11%
14%
19%