Degree Completion & Retention Plan
Eastern Michigan University
2013
Factor 1: Academic and Student Preparedness
We know that the transition to college can be difficult for students. Making the jump from the structure
of high school academics to being responsible for one’s learning can create challenges for students.
Failure to successfully navigate this transition can result in a significant increase in time to graduation,
academic probation, or even drop out. Many institutions provide curricular experiences for their firstyear students focused on assisting them with this transition.
Current or Recent Strategies:
At Eastern Michigan University, we offer UNIV 101L – Introduction to the University, and Living &
Learning Communities. We have also piloted first-year seminar and Reacting To The Past (RTTP) courses
taught by faculty and limited to first-year students. Additionally, our General Education program has
foundation courses in English, Speech and Math which are intended to be completed by students in
their first year.
Recommended Key Actions:
Assessment of first year courses: The University should conduct a thorough assessment of the success of
the UNIV courses and of the academically based first-year seminars. Consideration should be given to
expanding and/or more clearly promoting these opportunities to students. In addition, the University
should consider developing a series of workshops focused on first- year transition issues that could be
completed in lieu of the UNIV course. The University may also want to consider making a skill based
intervention a mandatory part of the General Education Program.
Four Year Career Readiness Plan: The University should consider an initiative that is connected to the
General Education Program that moves students through their undergraduate experience and is focused
on both college and career readiness. The first year focus could be on transitioning students to the
university; the second year on getting involved and making social connections; the third year on
opportunities for civic engagement and participation in the global community (e.g., through
volunteering, service learning, internships, study abroad, etc.); and the fourth year on preparation for
careers (e.g. through resume development, job search and interview support, and networking
opportunities).
Creation of a Co-Curricular Transcript: The University should develop strategies to encourage the early
practice of engagement that will help develop missing social aptitude. For example, consider the
development of co-curricular transcripts to encourage students to develop out-of-classroom
experiences. Students could set goals with their advisor to develop a co-curricular developmental plan
to help build soft skills which employers find desirable.
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We also know that students are entering college underprepared in Math and English. This is something
that colleges and universities are struggling with on a national level. Students and graduates need
strong analytical and writing skills to be successful in college and in their careers.
Recommended Key Action:
Review of need for development math and writing courses: Complete a comprehensive review of
institutional data (NSSE, CIRP, ACT, GPA, etc.) to get a clear picture of the situation/needs. The university
should consider providing opportunities for incoming students to take developmental math courses
and/or ENGL 120 prior to enrolling in their first full semester of course work. This will provide students
with an opportunity to prepare in advance for the General Education requirements in these areas.
In addition, we know the seeds for student success at EMU are planted once a student is accepted into
the university and then decides to enroll. The communication and activities leading up to students’ first
semester can set the tone for their college experience.
Recommended Key Action:
Communication of university-wide messages: The University should evaluate the current series of
communications and orientation programs (Fast Track and First Four) to assess if and how they should
be changed. Are our messages clear and sufficiently reinforced through all communications and
programs? The University should assess how we are helping students and their families understand and
navigate the intricacies of attending college.
Factor 2: Curriculum Structure and Service Delivery
Availability and delivery of courses as well as structure of our curriculum are major factors influencing
the time required for EMU students to complete their degrees. Students often have difficulty
scheduling needed courses (particularly prerequisites for higher-level courses) thus making it
challenging to sustain progress and momentum toward their intended degree. The structure of our
curriculum also plays a role in terms of how much flexibility we allow in providing alternative courses to
satisfy degree requirements as well as in course sequences. A lack of flexibility in either area can cause
unintended delays in students attaining their degrees.
Current or Recent Strategies:
EMU has made efforts in the past decade to address these issues - one of the largest being a new
general education program in fall 2007. The new general education program sought to streamline
general education requirements through outcomes-based course objectives and by reducing the
number of credits required from 50 to 40. In addition, the new general education program provides
students with greater clarity and flexibility in how they complete this portion of their degree
requirements. EMU also grew the number of credit hours earned through online service delivery by
nearly 40% in just the past five years.
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Recommended Key Actions:
Creation of a General Studies degree: Many factors play into the number of EMU students who get
stalled in the process of completing their degree. When looking at the available data, it is clear at least
one of the critical factors is the relatively high number of 2nd admit programs at EMU. In fall 2012,
nearly 22% of undergraduates were ‘intent’ majors for 2nd admit programs. Of these students (3,814),
45% were juniors and seniors (completed more than 60 credit hours) who likely didn’t make it into their
major of choice – and are now in a position of having many credits and no clear career path.
A Bachelor of Arts General Studies degree could be of assistance to many of these students in helping
them complete their college degree – and in a more timely manner. In addition, this type of degree
could assist students who are currently working yet need a bachelor’s degree in order to be considered
for advancement opportunities.
Questions to consider concerning a general studies degree:
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Do other Universities offer a similar degree option and how are they structured with
curriculum and other requirements to complete the Bachelor’s degree?
Are there names other than ‘General Studies’ which might be better for graduates?
Are there other student populations who would see this EMU degree as an attractive option
in meeting their educational goals?
Streamlined curriculum: In the past ten years the average number of years it takes a student, who
started EMU as a freshman (FTIAC), to complete their degree has increased by two semesters. In 2003
the average time to degree was 4.77 years while in 2012 that number had grown (consistently) to 5.25
years. A key strategy in achieving higher degree completion rates at Eastern Michigan University is to
provide a curriculum which is structured and delivered such that students progress seamlessly through
their programs of study. In order for this to happen, students need to be clear on what they need to
take (and when) in order to earn their degree in 4 years.
We propose academic departments consider their program curricula and ask themselves the following
questions:
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Is it possible for a freshman student, enrolled full time, to complete a degree in this major
within four years?
Can a full time transfer student with the MACRAO agreement, an identified major, and sixty
credits complete a degree within two years?
If the answer was ‘no’ to either question, then our curricula may very well be negatively impacting our
retention and degree completion rates. Steps we could take to improve and streamline EMU’s curricula
include:
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A comprehensive review of prerequisites to determine competencies necessary for success
in future courses from each
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Exploration of tools (online or other) which could be used to determine competency vs.
credit-bearing course(s)
Examination of course scheduling patterns (by major) to determine whether lack of course
availability may be hindering students’ progress toward degree completion. Any factors
affecting course availability should be identified and solutions, including innovative
scheduling models and alternative course delivery methods (online, hybrid, etc.) should be
considered.
A systematic review of courses transferred from partner community colleges with the goal
of increasing the number of identified equivalencies.
o Both equivalent courses and articulation agreements should be entered into EMU’s
automated degree audit system. This will provide transfer students with easily
accessible and accurate information about how courses will be applied at EMU and
allow them to develop plans of study before they transfer.
Preparing students for transition to the work force: Professional development institute: Increasingly,
employers are speaking out about a noticeable gap between college graduates’ applied skills and the
emotional intelligence needed to transition from student to professional. While EMU’s academic
programs are adequately preparing students with technical and practical aptitudes, a deficiency exists
(for many students) in the development and strengthening of “soft skills” for job preparedness. A 2012
study conducted by the Washtenaw County workforce development board’s technical committee, as
well as the nation-wide 2013 Job Outlook survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges &
Employers both cited a talent mismatch as a leading trend impacting workforce development,
specifically in identifying candidates with good soft skills.
This mismatch serves as a ‘call for action’ for the implementation of a program to close the gap.
According to the National Association of Colleges & Employers data, the top 10 skills and qualities
employers seek were:
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verbal communication
ability to work in teams
decision making/problem solving
ability to plan, organize, and prioritize
ability to obtain and process information
quantitative data analysis
technical knowledge
computer software proficiency
ability to write and edit written reports
sell and influence others
This data indicates the University could increase the marketability of our students by providing a vehicle
in which they can cultivate their soft skills and emotional intelligence. This program could be charged
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with assessing the various soft skills of each student, developing a personalized training plan based on
the areas of need and using competency-based assessment tools to prove mastery.
Community Immersion Courses: Academic Service-Learning embedded in multiple university programs
and departments is a teaching and learning strategy which integrates meaningful community service
with instruction and reflection as a means of helping students gain a deeper understanding of a
curriculum/discipline or course objectives, acquire new knowledge and engage in civic activity. AS-L can
provide students with a learning experience which connects them to the local community while rooting
them more strongly in the university community.
Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) is one of several civic pedagogies “whose impact has been widely
researched, has been shown in numerous studies to correlate with outcomes that contribute to
increased retention and completion rates (Astin and Sax 1998; Gallini and Moely 2003; Vogelgesang et
al. 2002; Nigro and Farnsworth 2009; Brownell and Swaner 2010).” (AACU’s Crucible Moment: College
Learning & Democracy’s Future). In addition, 70% of universities have first year courses, which orient
students to the local community, to a discipline or department and have been proven to increase firstyear student retention (Bringle & Hatcher 2010).
In order to utilize AS-L to increase first year student retention at EMU, academic departments would be
encouraged to develop two credit community immersion (AS-L) courses that
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meet a curriculum or programmatic outcome
meet an LBC requirement (Group 2)
are taught by faculty and/or full-time lecturer
engage the local community
also serve as a university oasis where faculty serve as university stewards assisting new
students in navigating university structures
Such courses can be designed in ways to provide faculty a unique pedagogical experience and provide
departments an opportunity to recruit and orient students’ to their department programs, culture and
identity.
Streamlining Math Placement Process: Many advisors at EMU find that issues related to satisfying the
University’s General Education requirement in Area II (Quantitative Reasoning) represent a significant
challenge to students’ persistence and graduation. Currently, an incoming EMU freshman with Level
One math placement (the lowest possible) is required to take MATH 110 to satisfy the Area II
requirement. However, this freshman may only take this course after earning a Level Three math
placement test score or taking multiple pre-college math courses (for credit that doesn’t count toward
graduation).
If this same student subsequently earns transfer credit for an Area II approved course that’s also
required for his/her major, this course counts automatically for the major but not for Area II. In this
case, the student would need to take MATH 104 or earn a specific math placement test score in order to
“validate” the course for Area II credit. In contrast, a student arriving at EMU as a transfer student with
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a course approved for Area II credit may use this course to satisfy that requirement and, if necessary,
also to satisfy a major or minor requirement.
Streamlining EMU’s math placement process, and applying the same standard to FTIAC admits and
transfer students alike, would likely decrease students’ stress related to satisfying the Area II
requirement and pre-requisite and course requirements for majors requiring math-intensive courses.
Factor 3: Advising and Student Support Services
Students have cited the need for improved academic advising and support services throughout the
institution to help improve their matriculation towards graduation within a timely manner. There is also
a greater need in the state of Michigan for higher education institutions to graduate more students
prepared for the workforce.
Current or Recent Strategies:
EMU recently adopted the “Graduate in Four” concept as a strategy to address this concern. The
Graduate in Four concept emphasizes what students need to accomplish each year to assist them in
staying on track. In addition, the University has made the following changes to address this factor:
hiring of additional academic advisors within the various colleges on campus, improved quality of
advising through professional development and metrics, monitoring of FTIAC first-year courses, creation
of new transfer student transition program, the development of a note taking system, earlier
streamlined advising on choice of major, improved online advising tools, and an early alert system to
help monitor student progress.
Recommended Key Actions:
University College: It is estimated that 20-50% of college students are undecided about a major.
Students within this group often find themselves frustrated and confused as they don’t have an
academic department to call home, don’t have a clear sense of direction, don’t know who to reach out
to with general questions, and don’t have an assigned advisor (academic or career). The result of this
confusion and general lack of support are lower retention and graduation rates.
In response, Eastern Michigan University needs to put in place proactive and intrusive strategies to
ensure undecided students are supported throughout the decision-making process and have the same
access to information and resources as declared majors. To address this issue, a University College
should be developed which will be comprised of all freshmen and undecided/undeclared students
(transfers included). Within the University College, students will be assigned an academic advisor as well
as a career coach. The University College will serve as a “home” for these students - where they can
explore majors and careers in a supported and holistic manner. The University College could consider
placing holds on accounts for all FTIACs until they have met with an advisor and/or consider additional
holds for those students who have not yet declare a major. Additional resources might include
streamlined access to tutors, study tables, job shadowing opportunities and mentors.
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Online Degree Audit System: Eastern Michigan University has implemented this strategy with U.Achieve
(Red Lantern), an online degree audit system which provides students, faculty and advisors with a
progress report and/or analysis of degree requirements for any particular degree, major and minor. This
system also allows for “what if” planning to assist students, faculty and advisors in monitoring the
student’s academic progress towards a degree. U.Achieve also includes a feature for seamless transfer
advising (U.Select) which allows students to plan more effectively and reduce the number of
unnecessary/duplicate courses (time & money).
This system is important because it allows students to check their progress toward degree completion
and also creates more efficient advising sessions. This system has been implemented for students
enrolled Fall 2011 and beyond. It is recommended that this system be utilized at the university’s FTIAC
orientation (Fast Track), a process not yet implemented because students need to be registered in order
to run an audit. A solution to this issue is pre-enrolling students in a mandatory FTIAC course and/or
registering them for a faux non-credit bearing course. In order for the system to reach its maximum
effectiveness, the university also needs to integrate each system (Banner, my.emich, catalog) to ensure
accurate information is being provided to students. The accessibility, accuracy and marketing of
U.Achieve to students must become a priority for the university. Full implementation of the system can
definitely move EMU forward in establishing better advising practices on our campus and helping
students graduate in a more timely manner.
Advising Quality: In Fall 2012, Eastern Michigan University began promoting the “Graduate in Four”
initiative. Strategies to promote that initiative include monthly advising meetings that included advisors
from each of the five academic colleges as well as advisors from UACDC. These meetings are designed to
discuss any current or new challenges faced, policy changes, and new practices within advising. Progress
is currently being made to create advising checklists to ensure all basics (degree requirements, academic
progress, etc.) are being covered during each advising session, regardless of where the advising takes
place. In conjunction, a recommendation of mandatory advising professional development for each
advisor and faculty member(s) who advise students within their department should be considered. A
second recommendation to ensure quality advising is to require all academic programs develop fouryear programs to ensure students and advisors can map out progress toward graduation. A third
recommendation is to implement note-taking software which is accessible to faculty and advisors. This
software would ensure consistent messages regarding the student’s advising sessions.
Enhanced Communication: Eastern Michigan University has a goal to shift the culture of academic
advising on the campus by providing a consistent and cohesive message to the campus community as it
refers to academic advising. Quite simply, the message must be communicated that EMU values
academic advising and that students should perceive it as a top priority while at EMU. We want
expectations to be held high as the institution moves forward in re-creating this culture. It is
recommended that these messages about the value of academic advising and student support be
communicated early and often. The message FTIAC students and their parents receive at Fast Track
orientation should be the same message students receive during new student orientation in the fall
from EMU faculty and staff. A full-scale communication plan should be immediately implemented,
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including multiple channels of communication in conjunction with staff and faculty professional
development initiatives.
Factor 4: Enrollment Policies and Incentives
Enrollment policies play a critical role in retention and degree completion as they set the tone in how
easy or difficult the student will find navigating the system in working toward their degree.
Communication about policies and key graduation requirements is absolutely essential for students to
seamlessly progress toward graduation. In addition, who we recruit and how we support those students
also play critical roles in retention and degree completion. It is essential we have policies which
maintain standards yet don’t unnecessarily burden students in order to positively impact our retention
and degree completion rates.
Current or Recent Strategies:
In recent years EMU has implemented several new policies which have helped us to be more consistent
across departmental and divisional lines. Changes were made to the undergraduate academic standing
policy which aligned it with the financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Students must now
meet the same criteria for both - which has helped to eliminate much confusion and frustration. In
addition, changes to the grading practices have been put in place to require last date of attendance for
Failing and Incomplete grades. This allows for adherence with federal financial aid policies. Forms
which document requirements for completion after an Incomplete grade is submitted are now in use as
well.
Recommended Key Actions:
Recruiting strategies: The committee recommends doing an evaluation of current recruiting practices.
After researching this area and reading about some of the best practices related to recruiting, ideas
which sparked the interest of the committee included:
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Possible increases in the recruitment/enrollment of international students as they tend to have
higher (and more timely) graduation rates, and also tend to live on campus
Currently our BOR policy 14.2.1 stipulates that first and second year students must live on
campus if their home address is outside a 50 mile radius of campus. We recommend removing
the second year requirement from this policy and keeping only the first year requirement. This
is a policy which hasn’t been enforced for many years and may be turning off potential
students/parents.
We also feel there is a need to increase services for students with transfer credit as they
apply/enroll at EMU. There are currently plans in place to have a Transfer Center in McKenny.
This center could take the lead on providing clear information about transfer equivalencies
(including those scheduled to occur) and ensure we clearly identify those transfer courses which
meet general education requirements or are direct equivalents to EMU courses. In addition, this
center could assist with the consolidation of international and domestic tabulation of credit.
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Lastly, we could explore deepening relationships with key community colleges by allowing
shared access to online portals to expedite the admission and advising processes
Limits for students returning to EMU after dismissal: Our committee recommends putting a policy in
place which would allow EMU the option of limiting the number of credit hours students may take per
semester for those who have been granted permission to return to EMU after dismissal.
Recommended advising-related policies: There are circumstances which seem to dictate students meet
with an advisor. Many times the circumstances are indicators of a bigger problem – yet if the student
chooses not to speak with a representative of the University, we aren’t aware of the problem(s) and
how we might assist the student. With this in mind, our committee recommends requiring students
meet with an academic advisor in the following situations:
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When a full time student earns less than 24 hours in a year, or is on academic probation (before
registering for the next semester)
When students who have earned more than 150 credits do not have a degree (before
registering for the next semester)
When a student changes their major two or more times in a single semester (either with an
academic advisor or career coach –before the change of major form is processed)
Graduation clearance: We recommend students only receive graduation clearance from Records and
Registration after registering for their last course(s). It is the opinion of this committee that all prior
contact should be with an academic advisor in terms of what degree requirements have been satisfied
and what they have yet to complete.
Require major declaration: We also believe it would help our time to graduation if students were
required to have a declared major (intent is acceptable) no later than the semester in which they have
earned 55 hours.
Academic programs: Lastly, our committee recommends a curricular review to ensure that all programs
are offered in a way that allows for 4-year graduation (also recommended by the Curriculum Structure
and Service Delivery work group).
Factor 5: Financial Aid Policies and Incentives
Students routinely cite financial issues and related demands as reasons they leave EMU. National data
also supports a lack of financial resources as one of the primary reasons students depart from college or
do not perform at their highest academic levels. A substantial proportion of EMU students are eligible
for Pell Grants and other incentives.
Current/Past Strategies: In recent years, EMU has increased financial aid investment in recognition that
this is one of the primary ways to assist students in managing and meeting their educational goals.
Along with these increases in total aid spending, the institution has begun to consider and offer aid
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packages in ways that are designed to incentivize full enrollment, successful course completion and
progress to degree. In terms of enhancing student services, Service EMU was created as a one stop
shop location within the student union to provide information and assistance with several types of
student business concerns (e.g. financial aid, records and registration, identification cards). To assist
students interested in minimizing debt accumulation, EMU instituted a limited program (CAP) that
allowed students to work at a subset of institutional jobs in exchange for free on-campus room and
board. This allowed students to direct other support and financial aid monies towards tuition, fees,
books and incidental living expenses.
Recommended Key Actions:
Better understand why students stop-out and depart from EMU: Anecdotal evidence about EMU
students suggest that individuals frequently give financial struggles as one of the primary reasons they
stop out from EMU or stop their education completely. We need to conduct a more comprehensive and
rigorous analysis to understand more fully the reasons students stop out and leave. This broad based
analysis ought to be supplemented and deepened with information from focus group and surveys
regarding the details and nuances for each factor provided. We should more fully understand the
nature and scope of what students mean when they indicate financial or other reasons for departing or
delaying their studies. Aid and scholarship policies and programs ought to be structured based on the
findings of these investigations as well as on published research studies on these topics.
Restructure Gift Aid to Scholarships in order to incentivize academic success and progress to degree: In
the past, students with institutional gift aid awards were simply required to file the FAFSA form each
year, meet EMU academic standing policies (e.g. not be dismissed) and meet federal Satisfactory
Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to continue receiving funding each year. Recently, gift aid
packages have been re-structured to mirror scholarship awards with a credit hour enrollment and
cumulative GPA minimum required (15 credits/semester, 2.75 GPA). Also, the awards are granted for a
limited number of semesters depending on when a student enters EMU (FTIAC, transfer, etc). We
recommend that EMU monitor these awards and carefully analyze the impact of this restructuring on
the enrollment, retention and graduation rates of students who receive these new packages. Decisions
about future aid packaging should be based, at least in part, on what this analysis finds about the impact
of award requirements on academic success, retention and graduation. We should also carefully
evaluate the aid packages provided to our most at-risk students- those who come in on the margins of
our admissions requirements who also present high levels of financial need (e.g. Pell eligible). Current
aid packages for these students may not provide enough support to allow for students to focus
sufficiently on academic performance and engagement early on in their academic careers. We ought to
carefully consider providing these students with performance based awards that would incentivize and
reward successful academic performance.
Appeal Process- Communication planning, analysis and possible expansion: A new scholarship appeal
process was implemented in May 2013 that allows students to appeal the withdrawal of scholarship
funds based on the criteria above. The appeal process provides students the opportunity to apply for
continuation of scholarship support if they can document short term, extenuating conditions that may
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have impacted their academic performance. If approved, conditions are established and in conjunction
with staff, they develop appropriate plans that allow them to continue on aid. This provides them an
opportunity to return to the performance levels required to continue their scholarship automatically.
Many students are not yet aware of this appeal process and a communications plan to increase visibility
and awareness should be undertaken to raise those levels across students and other campus groups.
The plan should also include how to link this policy and appeal process to efforts to support students
developing academic support plans through advising, Holman Success Center and other student support
areas.
Investigate Graduation and Academic Incentives: EMU should investigate and evaluate the effectiveness
of programs that provide students financial incentives to finish their degrees in a timely and
academically challenging fashion. These programs should include block tuition models (rather than
straight per credit hour charges for tuition and fees), differential program tuition based on cost and
market demand for program, reward payments for timely degree completion, unique study abroad
support models and institutional loan or savings programs that allow parents and students to pre-pay or
re-structure payments over differing time periods. Not all of these models will fit well with our student
profile or prove to be successful in pilot programs at other campuses, but we should systematically
analyze them and decide which, if any, might have value for EMU students and the institution.
Expand and publicize the CAP Program: EMU should consider expanding this program to work in
exchange for free room and board. As part of any expansion, we should more widely publicize its
existence both within and beyond the institution as has potential to demonstrate innovative and
responsible approach to funding costs of education. The initial program was limited in scope but there
is an opportunity to create a larger and more diverse group of jobs where students could work. A
program of this kind would provide students financial support that would allow them to graduate with
lower debt burdens and potential work experience that improves their job prospects at that time.
Enhance facilities and technology in order to deliver information and services to students in an effective
and accessible manner: Many offices on campus currently provide a good deal of material online for
student review and use including forms, explanatory materials and video clips and contact information.
These resources need to be enhanced to allow for a new, more comprehensive and individualized level
of service to students. These enhancements should include the ability to easily target communications
to particular groups of students at times and through means most likely to communicate messages
effectively. They should include easy access to social media tools and recognize the evolving nature of
modern technology and preferred modes of student communication (e.g. texting, mobile devices, real
time video chats, etc). How messages are sent can at times be as important as the content of the
messages themselves. Also, EMU should evaluate further opportunities to integrate services across
offices into single contact points (single office counter, web location, text address, etc). This should be
approached from a student friendly perspective, asking how students experience these services rather
than how we organize ourselves institutionally.
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Factor 6: Males of Color
Eastern Michigan University is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse institutions in the
Midwest. In the past 20 years, the cultural demographics of our student population have changed
dramatically, especially among Black and Latino students. From 1992 to 2012, the number of
Hispanic/Latino students increased almost 126% from 320 to 723. Black/African-American students
have increased almost 159% from 1,822 to 4,717. Unfortunately, despite this increase, we have not
learned how to ensure that these students earn degrees at the same rate as their White/Caucasian
counterparts. In fact, our retention and graduation rates provide evidence that disparities still persist
across student groups.
On average, males of color persist and complete college at much lower rates than the national average.
At EMU, first year retention rates for all students have decreased from 76.46% to 75.27% since Fall
2009. During that time, retention rates for White/Caucasian students overall and White males
specifically have increased slightly from 76.66% to 77.94% and from 75.37% to 76.73% respectively. On
the contrary, first year retention rates tell a different story for students of color at EMU. By far, first
year retention rates are the lowest for Native American students, but since their cohort numbers are so
low, this report will focus primarily on Hispanic/Latino and Black/African-American students.
Hispanic/Latino students have an overall first year retention rate of 72.1% since Fall 2009. Although
rates for Hispanic/Latino males increased by 13% (56% to 69%), they remain too low. Rates for all
Black/African-American students have decreased by 6% from 77% to 71% since 2009. Likewise, Black
male first year retention has decreased by 4% from 74% to 70% during the same period. The concern is
magnified by the steadily increasing proportion of Black freshmen among incoming students.
According to Cuyjet (2006), Harper (2006a) and Strayhorn (2010), Black male completion rates are the
lowest among both sexes and all racial and ethnic groups in U.S. higher education at 33.3% in 6 years.
Based on EMU IRIM data for the incoming classes of Fall 2004 - 2006, the 6-year graduation rate for
Black males is even lower (average 18.65%). In comparison, average rates for all males and White males
over that period of time are 33.23% and 38.16% respectively.
Current or Recent Strategies
EMU has a number of university and grant-funded programs designed to increase college access and
improve retention and degree completion for at-risk, low-income or culturally underrepresented
populations:
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Pre-College Preparation Programs
GEAR-UP – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
Upward Bound
Bright Futures/21st Century Community Learning Centers
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Incoming Freshmen
S.I.P. – Summer Incentive Program (conditionally admitted freshmen)
P.A.S.S. – Promoting Academic Survival and Success (conditionally admitted freshmen)
U.P.O.D. – University Preparatory Opening Doors (conditionally admitted freshmen)
Keys to Degrees (for students who are single parents)
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4-S Program/Academic Success Coaches (Select Student Support Services-Holman Success
Center)
Extended Support for Specified Groups
M.A.G.I.C. – Mentorship Access Guidance in College (students who were formerly in foster care)
McNair Scholars Program
M.A.R.S. – Minority Achievement, Retention and Success (College of Education)
D.R.E.A.M.S. – Developing Resilience and Education Achievement in Minority Students (College
of Education)
D.U.E.T.S. – Developing Urban Education Teachers in STEM (Partnership between College of
Education, Honors College, Creative Science & Inquiry Experience and Office of Urban Education
and Educational Equity)
Unfortunately, many of these programs can only accommodate small cohorts of students. For the most
part, there is little connection between these programs. Additionally, few serve or are utilized by
significant numbers of males of color.
EMU also has programming offices and student groups that engage and create a sense of community for
students of color:
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Center for Multicultural Affairs (Diversity and Community Involvement)
L.I.V.E. Welcome Week
Black Student Union
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association of Black Accountants
National Association of Black Social Workers
Y.B.B.W. – You Beautiful Black Woman
Swing Phi Swing Social Fellowship
Latino Student Association
Minority Women in Leadership
African Student Association
I Am P.I.N.K.
National Pan-Hellenic Fraternities and Sororities (9)
The only programs and student groups on campus specifically for males of color are:
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The BrotherHOOD Initiative (Helping Others Obtain Degrees)
National Pan-Hellenic Fraternities (5)
B.L.A.C.K. – Black Leaders Aspiring for Critical Knowledge
Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship
Out of this list, the BrotherHOOD Initiative is the only non-student organization. It is a university-wide,
grant-funded initiative designed to engage, empower, retain and graduate more first-generation, lowincome and culturally underrepresented male students at EMU. Through collaborative partnerships
with offices throughout the university, this program seeks to help male students better navigate the
collegiate environment and equip them with the tools to be successful when they leave.
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Among the body of research pertaining to males of color in higher education, most information focuses
on deficits rather than strategies to help them succeed. The following is a list of strategies which have
led to academic success, improved retention and degree completion for Black and Latino males in
college (Cuyjet, M., 2006; Saenz, V.B. and Ponjuan, L., 2009; Harper, S.R., 2012):
1. Removing financial barriers, helping students find alternatives to loans and off-campus work.
2. Developing programs that help Black males successfully transition to college, as well as into the
academic community of their major.
3. Assuming more institutional responsibility for Black male student engagement.
4. Effectively preparing faculty and administration to work with males of color in college.
5. Encouraging out-of-class involvement and providing appropriate funding, advising and advocacy
for cultural student organizations.
6. Fostering a greater sense of community and peer support for males of color on campus.
7. Addressing toxic campus racial climates and negative stereotypes of males of color.
8. Challenging problematic gender socialization by addressing issues of masculinity and negative
perspectives of women.
9. Creating affirming spaces for gay, bisexual, and questioning male students.
10. Assessing the academic climate for males of color and understanding their perception of the
university.
11. Establishing a systematic mentoring program for males of color that can serve to reduce feelings
of anxiety, inadequacy and low self-esteem that inhibit the ability to fully utilize existing support
services.
Recommended Key Actions:
Based on the research and our observations, these are key actions we recommend for implementation:
1. Establishing an office or department fully dedicated to assessing and addressing the academic,
personal development and social needs of students of color. Attention should be given to
providing the following services specifically for males of color, as well:
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Summer Transition Programs
New Student Orientation sessions
Freshman Seminar Course
Living Learning Residential Community
Block Courses and Curriculums
Early Alert Warning System and Referral Service
Academic Support Services
Tiered mentoring program
Graduation Ceremony
2. Finding ways to connect and possibly grow current programs that serve this population
3. Expanding upon the current programmatic focus of the Center for Multicultural Affairs
4. Focus more on transfer males of color
5. University-sponsored developmental and mentoring program for males of color
6. More on-campus work opportunities for males of color
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7. More effectively collecting, examining and utilizing data to drive program creation,
implementation and maximization of resources (disaggregate data)
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Effectiveness of current programs and services in helping males of color persist and
graduate and graduating males of color
Staffing and resources of current offices and programs that serve males of color
Males of color perception of the university and its campus climate
Academic profile of males of color who succeed and fail
The point at which in their academic career when males of color leave
Early indicators of when males of color begin to disengage from the academic challenge
Factor 7: Single Parent Support Services
An inclusive campus enhances the educational experiences of all members of the EMU community. To
that end, EMU recognizes that becoming a Michigan school of choice for non-traditional students,
particularly for ethnically diverse low-income single parents who struggle to pursue postsecondary
education, is a commitment worth pursuing. EMU understands that becoming a successful college
student can be a stressful and difficult transition. The transition for single parents is even more difficult.
They are a special population of students who need to be supported differently from traditional
students to insure timely progress to degree completion. Too many single parent students have been
forced to limit course loads, drop classes, miss classes or assignments, and leave school before
completion due to issues directly related to being a single parent.
In May 2012, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) published these findings:
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Twelve percent of students enrolled in post-secondary academic programs are single parents
(with one or more children depending on their income for survival). These parents have less
money to pay for their own educational development, have greater needs to meet when
financial aid does not cover the cost of living, and they accumulate more debt than students
without children
Single parents have ten times more debt after graduating than their childless classmates.
The 2012 U.S. Census Bureau statistics indicated that 84.1% of single parent families included mother
only with child(ren) under 18 and 15.9% represented father only with child(ren) under 18. Additionally,
the Single Mother Guide statistics showed that single mothers often spend over half of their income on
housing expenses and a third on child care, leaving them with less money for educational expenses.
Nearly two-thirds (62%) have an expected family contribution (EFC) of zero compared to 20% of
postsecondary students without children and 18% of married student parents.
Eastern Michigan University has a high proportion of non-traditional students, many of whom are single
parents raising children alone. While Eastern has not formally collected data to determine the number
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of students who are parents, especially single parents, two surveys conducted in 2002 provided some
insight into the status of single parent students. In a phone registration survey conducted in winter
2002, over one-third of the 7,000 respondents had children, with 1225 having children under 5 years of
age. In the EMU Child Care Needs Survey (February 2002), findings from the 479 respondents pointed to
child care as a major barrier:
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55% were hindered from completing their degrees
18% were forced to drop out of school for periods of time
15% had failed at least one class
Many of these students cited cost of child care to be their largest hurdle, an understandable fact when
one considers that 43% of the respondents had monthly incomes of under $1,100.
Challenges Single Parents Face in Pursuit of Education
In general, nontraditional students are more likely to have at-risk factors that make their path to
graduation more complicated. To invest in the retention of this diverse, predominantly female, nontraditional student constituency, EMU must address the barriers/challenges to academic progress and
degree completion. These challenges can be broken down into three major areas: financial constraints
(especially child care expenses), time management, and social pressures.
Financial Constraints
Financial issues have been the greatest concern for many single parent students because they are facing
the challenge of being the main source of income for their family, often without an extended supportive
family or outside resources. In addition to paying for tuition and fees, textbooks, transportation and
parking, these students must manage to pay for housing, groceries and child care. While student loans
are often available, they add to already existing financial burdens not experienced by other students.
Mounting debt sometimes causes the single parent student to leave school without completing their
education. Data supports the fact that the cost of child care is a major deterrent for students in their
pursuit of a college education. In the 2002 Child Care Needs Survey completed by 479 student parents,
child care emerged as a critical need with 74% reporting that they had difficulty finding affordable and
satisfactory child care; 74% needed care for children 5 and under; 44% needed care for infants and
toddlers; and 44% were in need of a child care subsidy. From 2010 – 2013, there has been a total of 69
student accounts sent to collect from the EMU Children’s Institute for lack of payment of child care
expenses. Of the 69 students referred to collection, 49 were single parents and over half of these
students have stopped out or left the university, with financial debt as a major factor.
Time Management
Managing time is a key challenge for single parent students. Because these students often carry more
responsibilities than traditional students, they have less time to devote to their education. They must
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balance school, children, work and their own well-being. Pressures to perform academically and achieve
satisfactory academic progress are added to those they already feel from their home and child rearing
responsibilities. In a study on the effect of sociological and psychological belief factors on the academic
success of single-mother college students, multiple participants were concerned about balancing their
time. “For participants [of the study], working hard not only meant compromising their family life to
meet their academic responsibilities, but compromising their social and personal needs as well” (Stone,
Nelson, & Niemann, 1994, p.579).
Social Pressures
There is often a stigma attached to being a single parent student. Peers may not interact with them by
choice, and don’t understand the pressures they face. Sometimes they are viewed as irresponsible,
assuming that the student parent made a poor choice to become a parent. This isolation can add to the
stress already felt by many single parent students.
Recent or Current Strategies:
1. Strategic Initiative Child Care Scholarship Pilot Program
Implemented in 2004, this Child Care Scholarship initiative sought to invest in a diverse, predominantly
female, non-traditional student constituency by addressing childcare barriers to academic progress and
degree completion, through the provision of $110,000 in child care scholarships awarded to
approximately 40 - 45 student parents per year. The pilot was scheduled to run for a three-year period.
Prior to the start of the program, the allocation of funds to the initiative was reduced to $55,000 due to
impending budget constraints.
A total of 29 student parents received initial scholarships in the first year of the pilot. The evaluation
report following the first year of the pilot indicated that participants reported that as a result of the child
care scholarship, they benefited in a variety of ways such as:
• Opportunity to take more credits (85%)
• Opportunity to spend more time in on-campus academic activities (85%)
• Increased amount and quality of study time (90%)
• Decreased off-campus work hours (95%)
• Improved GPA (68%)
• Reduced level of stress (95%)
Despite the positive outcomes, the initiative was eliminated after the first year due to budget cuts and
has never been reinstated.
2. EMU Children’s Institute
The EMU Children’s Institute (CI) is a nationally-recognized program providing high quality early
childhood education for children 18 months through six years. The Institute does not provide
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afterschool care or drop-in care. While the CI serves student families as its first priority, it does not have
the capacity to provide child care for all students who may request support, especially for those needing
infant care or afterschool care. In addition, the cost of care is difficult for student families, especially
single parents, to absorb after the costs associated with attending school and providing for the basic
needs of their family are addressed. The CI provides very limited scholarship funds, as there is no
university support specifically for child care scholarships, so only scholarships established by donors or
the CI itself are available. This also prohibits the CI from offering a sliding scale for child care tuition. The
CI has been successful in being awarded a ‘Great Start Readiness Grant’ each year for over 15 years by
the State of Michigan that provides free full-time child care to those families with four year-olds that
qualify under the grant requirements.
3. Students with Children Student Organization
A single parent student created the only EMU-recognized “Students with Children’ student organization
for the purpose of providing support to student’s with children through peer/child care support,
programming, fundraising and networking. Every member of the organization has since graduated
(along with its student leadership) and most have obtained graduate degrees. However, the student
organization became inactive when the initial participants completed their degrees.
4. Keys to Degrees Program
EMU is entering the third year of a grant partnership with Endicott College’s Keys to Degrees Program,
funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The initial grant was focused on starting a residential housing
program centered around coaching, academic support, and being an ongoing resource for single parents
ages 18 – 24 with no more than one child. Going into year three of the pilot program, we have retained
50% of the original 10 student participants. We have discovered that there are barriers that exist which
contribute to the attrition of students from the program, especially the lack of funding through the grant
and/or the university for licensed quality child care. These barriers will need to be addressed if the
program is to remain sustainable and serve as a national model.
Recommended Key Actions:
Student support and services need to be focused and specifically geared toward the single parent
student, not folded into what is already provided to our traditional student. To that end, there are four
key actions recommended:
1. Child Care Grants and Financial Assistance Programs
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Establish child care grants funded by EMU with maximum annual amounts or hours of care.
Include an incentivized program for renewal of grants and subsidies to families.
Investigate a school-age drop- in program for after-school and early evening support (exclusive
from the CI).
Design single parent on-campus housing opportunity with possible sliding scale rate structure
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Collaborate with the EMU Foundation on a campaign to establish a single student parent child
care scholarship.
2. Wrap Around Support Services (academic and personal)
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Family Resource Center - Create a Family Resource Center on the EMU campus. Locate a space
to accommodate a meeting room, activity room and child care/play space. A full-time
Coordinator would oversee the Center and focus on helping students overcome the obstacles
they encounter as single parent students. This is central to our educational mission, which seeks
to retain students and provide them with an environment and student experience conducive to
academic success. The Center will focus on helping students engage in effective problem solving,
ensuring proper access to care, academic assistance and other mechanisms of support. Student
retention will increase if there are more resources in place on the campus.
Special Academic Advising and Course Registration Assistance – Academic advisors play a
critical role in helping single parent students manage school in addition to their other
responsibilities. Training advisors to understand and support the unique needs of single parents
is essential. Advisors should recognize diversity within the single-parent group. Some of these
differences include degree of family emotional support, degree of financial support from outside
sources, the age of the student’s children, the student’s age, and whether the student has been
married or divorced. Encouraging students to develop relationships with faculty, as well as
making students aware of appropriate campus resources are important ways for academic
advisors to support single parents, along with asking students what services may be lacking for
single student parents and then advocating for those services.
Workshops: Academic support and personal development –The Family Resource Center and
EMU Children’s Institute will collaborate to offer workshops provided by campus and
community leaders with focus on family development, life skills training and academic success
strategies.
3. Mentoring/Coaching/Peer Support Program
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Mentoring through possible sponsors from the community
Partner with academic departments, such as Social Work, to create internships through the
Family Resource Center and provide interested students with a ‘success’ coach. Framed on the
Keys to Degrees coach concept, coaches would be available to aid and motivate single parents in
their quest to balance school, work, child-rearing, and personal growth.
4. Single Parent Student Organization – Leadership from the Family Resource Center and EMU
Children’s Institute will assist in the development of a parenting organization and website that
will focus on advocacy and program development for student parents.
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