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July 2004

Recruitment & Retention July 2004 full issue PDF

Black Students Less Satisfied With College Experience
The national six-year graduation rate for African-American students is 38 percent, while the rate for Caucasian students is 56 percent. Disappointment and financial need account for a large part of this difference, according to research conducted by the student retention consulting firm Noel-Levitz.

Students and Parents Agree: Academics Beats Athletics
In weighing the risks of attending a particular religiously affiliated, private college, students and parents agree that academics comes first and athletics comes last, a Penn State researcher says.

Partnership With Academic Unit Increases Course Retention
By Jeri Thornton, Associate Dean for Student Retention, Quinsigamond Community College
Since its establishment in April 2001, the Office of Student Retention Services at Quinsigamond Community College in Massachusetts has created several successful campus-wide retention initiatives. In addition, it has teamed up with academic programs to create projects that increase retention in specific courses and disciplines.

Early Alert Initiative
By Jeri Thornton, Associate Dean for Student Retention, Quinsigamond Community College
In addition to creating program-specific retention initiatives, the Office of Student Retention Services at Quinsigamond Community College has created campus-wide retention programs.

Title V Grant Helps Latina Students Persist
Mount St. Mary’s College in California is in the midst of using a five-year, $2 million Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve the academic achievement of its Latina students.

Improving Mental Health Care on a Large State Campus
The University of Michigan has made several changes to its student mental health services and policies in response to a study completed in 2001. Among the changes are the creation of an emergency withdrawal policy for troubled students and better resources to help students navigate mental health resources on the large, decentralized campus.

New Student Orientation Trends
More new student orientation programs today stress intellectual as well as social connections through assigned readings, discussion groups, and closer interaction with faculty. Trends include summer reading assignments and community service projects. Whatever the approach, campuses are designing programs that reflect their individual characters. Here's a look at a handful of recent, creative approaches.

Survey: SEVIS Hasn’t Hurt Recruitment, But the Headaches Are Many
Most institutions say that the implementation of SEVIS in January 2003 has had no impact on their recruiting and enrollment efforts. However, implementation has created day-to-day logistical headaches for a majority of campuses, according to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Newswire
Parents and the Clery Act; Reinstated Race-Conscious Admissions; Need-Based State Aid Declines; Commuting Among Campuses; Promotional Photo Stirs Controversy; 21st Birthday Alternative; Increasing Course Evaluation Completion Rates

Resources
Challenges Facing Enrollment Managers; AODA Prevention Efforts: Getting Your President on Board; Primer on Evaluating Education Research; Addressing Depression Plus Substance Abuse; National Profile of Private Colleges