The Business of Keeping Students: A Look at Retention at WSU

Presented to the SMART GroupNovember 16, 2007

First time full time freshmen 1 year rates

Persistence at WSU(continuing to enroll from year to year)

Persistence in any higher education institution

Time to graduationReaching the academic goals

School FY 2005 Cohort

FY 2004 Cohort

FY 2003 Cohort

FY 2002 Cohort

M4NR SL 71 73 74

L4NR SD 82 84 84 81

Peer 2 LV 70 72 73 72

Peer 3 (OU) 70 71 72 73

WSU L4NR

70 69 68 70

Peer 1 PS 68 65 65 65

School FY 2000 cohort

FY 1999 cohort

FY 1998

L4NR SD 58 53 47

Peer 3 O 44 45 47

M4NR –SL 42 43 45

Peer 2 LV 39 41 42

WSU L4NR

35 37 37

Peer 1 P 33 29 27

6 year graduation rate

Washburn 61

KU 59

KSU 56

PSU 51

FHSU 49

ESU 44

WSU 37

FTFT group represents about 1,000 to 1,100 students each year

Part timeNontraditional Graduate students Continuing education Transfer students

57.6% were in good academic standing

Of the Fall 2005 enrollees, 22.5% of freshmen

withdrew18.4 % of sophomores

withdrew 23.1 % of juniors withdrew

36. 5 % of seniors withdrew

2 year

3 year

4 year

5 year

6 year

L4NR SD

19 53 66 71 73

Peer 1 PS

26 48 62 68 69

Peer 3 (OU)

9 33 51 58 61

WSU L4NR

13 38 49 53 57

M4NR –SL

12 33 45 49 49

What are the steps to managing retention?

Help students reach their academic goals.

DegreeContinuing Ed

CertificatePersonal fulfillment

ENGAGEMENT

What is the one best thing we should

do to increase student engagement and success on our campus?

“Make it possible for every student to participate in at least two high impact activities, one in their first year, and one later in their major field.” Kuh

Student interaction with faculty/staff and peers

Early—freshmen seminars, learning communities, Service Learning

Later—Research with faculty, Study abroad, Senior Capstone

YOU

All the advertising in the world can be undone in a second when a student encounters someone who ignores them, gives them wrong information, or treats them badly.