Retention, Persistence, Graduation Rates, & Grade Point Average
Students who participate in the FLC program have shown to be more at risk than the overall entering first-year students. FLC students will be retained, persist, and graduate at similar levels to the overall cohort. Their GPAs will be at similar levels.
Objective
One-Year Retention Rate
FLC students will be retained at similar level as the overall cohort.
Indicator
Institutional Research Report On First-Year Student Cohort & URRS Report
Institutional Research Report indicates one-year retention rates. The URRS Report uses the Risk-Adjusted Retention Indicator (RARI) to make adjustments in retention reflecting at-risk students.
Criterion
One-Year Retention Rates
The one-year retention rate of the current FLC cohort will be similar to the one-year retention rate of the overall first-year cohort.
Finding
One-Year Retention Rates
71% as compared to the overall freshman cohort's retention rate of 71%.
Action
One-Year Retention Rates
The URRS was not made available to us this year, so we do not have that data. We are pleased with the retention rate being the same as the overall freshman cohort, but it was down from previous years. We will research reasons as to why that decrease was made and make the appropriate changes.
Objective
2nd & 3rd Year Persistence Rates
FLC students will persist at similar level as the overall cohort.
Indicator
Institutional Research Report On First-Year Student Cohort & URRS Report
Institutional Research Report indicates persistence rates. The URRS Report uses the Risk-Adjusted Retention Indicator (RARI) to make adjustments in persistence reflecting at-risk students.
Criterion
Persistence Rates
The persistence rates for FLC cohorts will be similar to the persistence rates of the overall cohorts.
Finding
Persistence Rates
Fall 2008 - Two-Year Persistence Rate FLC - 51%
Overall Freshmen - 62%
Fall 2007 - Three-Year Persistence Rate
FLC - 62%
Overall Freshmen - 55%
Action
Persistence Rates
The FLC 2-Year persistence rates are disappointing. They are 11 percentage points below the overall cohort. Their one-year retention rate was the same their freshman cohort, but their GPA was lower. We need to look more at this cohort to determine what might have caused this huge dip in persistence. We will look at the number of those students who came in at-risk and look at the number of hours earned vs. attempted.
Objective
Graduation Rates
FLC students will graduate at similar levels as the overall cohort.
Indicator
Institutional Research Report On First-Year Student Cohort
Institutional Research Report indicates four, five, and six year graduation rates.
Criterion
Graduation Rates
The graduation rates for FLC cohorts will be similar to the graduation rates of the overall cohorts
Finding
Graduation Rates
Fall 2004 - Six-Year
FLC - 50%
Overall - 49%
Action
Graduation Rates
This is the first year to have 6-Year graduation rates, so we will continue to look at these rates for future years since this was a very small cohort of only 14 students.
Objective
Grade Point Average
FLC students will have similar GPAs as the overall cohort.
Indicator
Institutional Research Report Regarding First-Year Student Cohort
Institutional Research Report indicates four, five, and six year graduation rates. It also reports SHSU GPAs for one through six years.
Criterion
Grade Point Averages
The GPAs for FLC cohorts will be similar to the GPAs of the overall cohorts.
Finding
Grade Point Averages
Fall 2009
FLC - 2.65 Overall Freshman - 2.61
Action
Grade Point Averages
The FLC's GPA for the fall and spring semesters was higher than the overall freshman cohort which is good. We will continue to make strong connections between the instructors and major-based cohorts and the students. The academic major departments are playing a stronger role in these cohorts now.