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cademic Factors in 18 THE CAROLINA TIMES—SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2005 U.S. Colleges Falling Short on Helping Students Stay in S^ool IOWA CITY, lowa-U.S. colleges and universities are falling short when it comes to helping students stay in school an4 complete their de grees, according to two new reports from ACT. The ifeports urge colleges to make student retention a priority. They also poiril* to practices which have proven to be effective in reducing the number ofidropouts. "Retention of students remains a significant issue fir U.S. colleges and universities, with a substantial number of students n« returning for their second year of school," said Richard L. Ferguson, AflT’s chief executive officer. "Our findings suggest colleges can do mffle to reduce those dropout rates." View the reports: ’ j Research Report: What Works in Student Retentiorf Policy Report: The Role of Academic and Non-/j Improving College Retention (PDF: 41 pages; 615K^ The results of a new ACT survey of officials at mere than 1,(X)0 two- and four-year colleges and universities indicate an llarming number of schools have no specific plan or goals in place to imorove student reten tion and degree completion. The findings also suggea that colleges tend to put the blame for dropping out primarily on students, rather than on themselves. ^ "It's one thing to admit students to college: it’s quite another to retain them." said Ferguson. "Colleges spend a lot of monee and effort recruit ing students, but many need to do a better job of follpwing through after they get them on campus." 1 Data collected by ACT show that up to one-four# of all students at four-year colleges do not return for their second yeai].of school. The Na tional Center for Education Statistics indicates that dnppout rates are par ticularly high for African American and Hispanic stufents. Other student populations at greater risk of dropping out include those who are the first in their family to attend college, those who haV.e limited English proficiency, and nontraditional students such as returning adult students. "When a student drops out of college, everyone loses-the student, the college, and the greater society." said ACT's Ferguson. "Retention and persistence are impoitant issues that impact not only colleges, but our entire country and its future competitiveness in the global economy." Students* academic readiness is a key factor in college retention, as stu dents who are well prepared for college coursework more likely than those who aren’t to stay in school. A recent ACT rSporl. Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Worky, indicated that the ON'erwhelming majority (837r) of students who meet qj'l college readiness benchmarks in English, math, and science on the ACT college admis sions exam return for their second year of college. „ j .A new ACT Policy Report, however, indicates tfiat academic help •alone is not enough to keep many students in school'iThe report, an ex haustive revie\\ of existing research on retention ai^ persistence, sug gests students also need individual support to feeficonnected to the campus community. "Helping students succeed in the classroom is a vefj if students feel isolated or feel as if they don’t fit in said Ferguson. "It’s important for colleges to offer pr4 that integrate first-year students into the social fabric ; munit). so that they feel a part of campus life from th college experience." The two new ACT reports identify a number of sp appear to be highl\ effecti\e in increasing student dude social integration practices such as extended big brother/big sister and faculty mentor programs, anjj lers: academic advising practices such as advising centers and interven tions with potentially at-risk students: and learning su^ort practices such as learning assistance centers, supplemental instruc^n, and remedial coursework. • Students tend to drop out because their expeefitions of college- academically. socially, or both-don’i match up with tl« reality once they get there." said Ferguson. "Any practice that can [help students get through this adjustment period is likely to help increas®retention." Based on the findings of the tw'o reports, ACT rec^mends that col leges create a structured, comprehensive retention prol'ram geared to as sist students as they make the transition to college life.fepecifically, ACT suggests colleges should: | Designate a senior-level individual on campus to c^rdinate retention activities. j| Analyze student characteristics and needs and then implement a formal retention program that best meets those needs and th^ needs of the in stitution, M Take an integrated approach to retention efforts thal^corpprates both academic and non-academic factors. ^ Implement an early-alert assessment and monitoring,system to identify students at risk of dropping out. % "Student retention is everyone’s business on a college campus," said Eric White, executive director of the Division of Unddtfgraduate Studies at Penn State University and president of the Nationali;^Academic Advis ing Association. "A thoroughly integrated and coordinated approach ' positive step, but s'they won’t stay," ;rams and services cTf the college com- ! very start of their cific practices that Itention. These in dentation courses, nulticultural cen- needs to be taken to a.ssure success.’ Many colleges, according to the ACT survey results,ife'ave not yet made retention efforts a high priority. Fewer than half (47%)'pf all college offi cials responding to the survey say they have established a goal for im proved, retention of first-year students, and only a thifj (33%)'say they have established a goal for improved degree compl44on. In addition, only around half (52%) say they have an individual on staff who is responsible for coordinating retention strategies. $ "If we take the view that institutions appoint indiv|(luals to exercise clear-cut authority and leadership for the most valued organizational functions and tasks, then the fact that only half of ourfcolleges have ap pointed a retention coordinator is a disturbing indicato^of the low value that retention still claims," .said John Gardner, executiVe director of the Policy Center on the First Year of College and senior .fellow at the Na tional Resource Center on the First-Year Experience^and Students in Transition. ? The findings also suggest colleges are more likely than their own practices for high dropout rates. Collel given lists of both student and institution characteristic^ a student’s decision to drop out, identified 13 student ch lack of motivation, inadequate preparation. ina| resources and poor study skills) that they felt significantly contribute to student attrition. In contrast, respondents identified oi^ two institution characteristics (amount of financial aid available and iffudent-in.slitution fit) as having a significant impact on attrition. "It is quite troubling that, in spite of all we know frorh three decades of research on student retention, colleges are still incline|to hold students largely responsible for their retention, while dramatically minimizing the institutional role in this problem," said Gardner. The ACT research report, "What Works in Student R^ention," is ba.sed on surveys completed and returned by officials at nearly one-third of the colleges across the country, including 629 four-year colleges and 386 two-year public colleges;. V ' blame students : officials, when ^fhat might affect actcristics (e.g., huate financial Subscribe to The Carolina Times k Call Today! 682-2913 1^' MS. OLIVER NCCU Director of Scholarships and Student Financial Aid President OfNCASFAA Sharon Oliver, NCCU’s director of scholarships and student aid, has been elected president of the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NCASFAA). As President of the state organization, Oliver will lead an executive board that consists of about 25 members. Oliver also sits on a regional board of Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SASFAA) that serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentu^y, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennes see, and Virginia. Oliver was elected to the office at the 2003 NCASFAA Conference and will serve as president until 2005. Oliver has been director of scholarships and student aid at NCCU for eight years and was previously employed at Shaw University. "1 think one of the most valuable things we do in this organization and here irj^this office is we put the students fir?i," said Oliver. "When devel oping training sessions, decisions are ba.sed on what is best for our stu dents." NCASFAA’s three goals are to develop and strengthen the professional competency of student financial aid administrators employed by North Carolina postsecondary in.stitutions, agencies, and private and com munity organizations; to strengthen and enhance student financial aid programs so that no qualified person desirous of a postsecondary educa tion shall be denied that opportunity due to a lack of financial resources; and to facilitate communication among educational institutions, agencies, and sponsors of student assistance funds, through the exchange of ideas and information. Higlit Store. & Saitl Wednesdav - Saturday MORE Savings throughout the store! Aisle after aisle. We've added more yellow tag savings than ever before. 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