Committee onUndergraduate Student Success

April 26, 2010

Focusing on UK’s War on Student Attrition

1997 Postsecondary Education Improvement Act:“A major comprehensive research institution ranked nationally in the Top 20 public universities at the University of Kentucky.”

UK’s Top 20 Business Plan and Recalibration:Key components for improving UK Undergraduate Education• ACT/SAT Score – increase average (converted) SAT score

from 1128 to at least 1193• Student to Faculty Ratio – increase teaching faculty by 625• Programs and Services – gen ed reform, targeted support• Graduation Rate – increase by 12% (retention rate of 90%)

Why Focus on Student Attrition?The Picture in 2007

Why Focus on Student Attrition?The Competition

Retention Rate:UK – Original Business Plan: 77.8 percent20th Institution: 92.0 percent

Graduation Rate:UK – Original Business Plan: 59.6 percent20th Institution: 77.5 percent

Guiding Principles for War on Attrition

Guiding Principles

A “Systems Approach” for Recruitment RETENTION GRADUATION

Results So Far

Budget Cuts MatterACT/SAT score:• Top 20 universities (average) 1248• 20th university 1186• University of Kentucky 1096• Kentucky statewide average 990

Student to Faculty Ratio:• UK 17 to 1• 20th university 15 to 1

• Faculty UK needs to get to 20th: 197• Faculty positions cut in 2008: 71

Retention Rates 2007

UK

Source: The Education Trust. College Results Online http://www.collegeresults.org

School Grad RateMedian

SAT%

URMUG

EnrollUC-Riverside 66 1075 32.4 14,452

U of AL 65 1105 13.5 18,346

U of KY 61 1125 6.6 18,081

A Comparison - 2007

Retention strategies

Alabama course redesign initiative in introductory mathematics Lowered DEW rate in college algebra from >50% to

~25% from 1998 to 2005, erasing differences between Afr-Am and White success

UC-Riverside learning communities in each college Retention rates in each LC measured centrally