 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
University student retention, sometimes referred to as persistence, is a process to improve student graduation rates and decrease a loss of tuition revenue via university programs. [1]
Transfer rates are very high in the United States with 60% of all bachelor's degrees being awarded to students that began their college at another institution. [2] Some transfers are planned; many community colleges have articulation agreements with four-year colleges. Other university systems are college-preparatory schools, which offer the first two years of the degree at a local campus with transfer into the flagship university in the junior year.
Grades earned in a student's first semester are a strong predictor of student persistence. In a Budny longitudinal study of Purdue engineering students, it was shown that first semester GPA was a better predictor of retention than SAT scores. In the study, first semester engineering students who earn an A grade in Precalculus have the same persistence after 6 semesters as students whose first semester mathematics course was Calculus I and who earned a B, and these levels of persistence are also equivalent to students whose first semester course was Calculus II, and who earned a grade of C. [3] A second study on the role of grades in first semester coursework supports the importance of first semester GPA, showing that the grade earned in English and mathematics courses are a strong predictor of persistence after one year, with the strongest predictor of returning corresponding to earning a grade of "A" in English, and the next strongest predictors corresponding to earning a "B" in English, or an "A" or "B" in mathematics. The level of course taken (for example, whether Calculus I or Precalculus) is less of a predictor of persistence at university than the grade earned in the mathematics class taken. [4] This consideration is important for students who might, for example, have earned a passing AP Calculus AB score of "3" (as opposed to a higher score). For STEM majors that rely on Calculus I as a prerequisite, (e.g. engineering, physics and chemistry majors), these students with an AP AB score of "3" might consider retaking Calculus I their first semester at university and earning a high grade while also solidifying their calculus knowledge, and then taking Calculus II in their second semester.
The economy also has a noticeable effect on retention rates. The cost of public and private institutions in the 1999–2000 school year, which includes tuition and on campus housing, averaged $7,302 and $20,277, respectively. After adjusting for inflation, this represented a 22% cost increase at public institutions and a 27% increase at private institutions for the 10-year period between the 1989–1990 and 1999–2000 academic years. [5]
According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, tuition at a 4-year college represented 12% of the total income for families that fell into the lowest income bracket in 1980, and rose drastically to encompass 25% of their income by 2000. [6] This has created an influx of part-time students and working students. In the undergraduate population, 50% of students describe themselves as working primarily to pay for their education at an average of 25 hours per week. [7] This leaves working-class students little time to become involved on campus and actively participate in university life. [8] According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics, only 50% of those who enter higher education actually earn a bachelor's degree. [9]
Depending on the university, there are resources in order to help those with financial issues, such as financial aid.
Universities have several programs for students to enjoy campus life and to help them get engage on campus. This includes campus funded tutoring, freshman seminar courses, and student clubs. [10]
Private corporations are looking into the business of student retention as a potential new field of revenue. This has led to problematic outsourcing strategies, such as the case of the University of Texas' system $10 million investment into the private company Myedu. [11] Data on the amount of corporate lobbying addressed to the Board of Regents of State Universities is not available.
The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) is a two-year residential early entrance college program serving approximately 375 high school juniors and seniors at the University of North Texas. Students are admitted from every region of the state through a selective admissions process. TAMS is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.
The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) is a two-year, public residential high school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Established by the Oklahoma state legislature in 1983, the school was designed to educate academically gifted high school juniors and seniors in advanced mathematics and science. OSSM opened doors to its inaugural class in 1990. It is a member of the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS).
A course credit is a measure of the size of an educational course, often used to determine whether the requirements for an award have been met, to facilitate transfer between institutions, or to enhance intercomparability of qualifications. Credit may be input-based – defined by the quantity of instruction given – or outcome-based – defined by the learning outcomes and a notional time to achieve those outcomes.
Miami Dade College is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida College System with more than 100,000 students. The college enrolls a significantly larger number of Hispanic students compared to other colleges and universities in the state of Florida. The college serves a higher number of minority students than any other college in the nation.
A dean's list is an academic award, or distinction, used to recognize the highest level scholarship demonstrated by students in a college or university. This system is most often used in North America, though institutions in Europe, Asia, and Australia may also employ similar measures. It is often synonymous with honor roll and honor list, but should not be confused with honours degrees.
Kuwait University is a public university located in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
The University of Potsdam is a public university in Potsdam, capital of the state of Brandenburg, northeastern Germany.
Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus is a set of two distinct Advanced Placement calculus courses and exams offered by the American nonprofit organization College Board. AP Calculus AB covers basic introductions to limits, derivatives, and integrals. AP Calculus BC covers all AP Calculus AB topics plus additional topics.
Amoud University is a comprehensive public university, located in the city of Borama in Somaliland.
The University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP) is an alternative secondary mathematics education program operated by the University of Minnesota's School of Mathematics Center for Educational Programs (MathCEP). Classes are offered in St. Cloud, Rochester, Duluth, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Program is supported by the Minnesota state legislature. The course structure, intensity, and workload are comparable to college-level classes in rigor.
A super senior is a student in a four-year educational institution who has more than four years in attendance or a surplus of credits required for a diploma and has not yet graduated. In certain cases these students are also known as postgraduates.
Bangladesh University of Business and Technology or BUBT is a private university in Bangladesh, located in Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Higher education in Norway is offered by a range of ten universities, nine specialised universities, 24 university colleges as well as a range of private university colleges. The national higher education system is in accordance with the Bologna process, with bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and doctoral degrees. Acceptance is offered after finishing upper secondary school and meeting general university admissions certification.
The A. Philip Randolph Campus High School is a four-year public high school in New York City. It is located in Harlem, adjacent to the City College of New York. It occupies a landmark building formerly occupied by The High School of Music & Art. The school was established in 1979 as an educational collaboration between the Board of Education and The City College of New York. The high school is open to all New York City residents, and more than 90% of its graduates attend college. Its daily attendance rate is 90 percent or better throughout the year. The students may take eleven advanced placement (AP) courses in five subject areas as well as college courses at Randolph, The City College, and Borough of Manhattan Community College. In doing so, many students earn college credits while attending high school.
Student athlete is a term used principally in universities in the United States and Canada to describe students enrolled at postsecondary educational institutions, principally colleges and universities, but also at secondary schools, who participate in an organized competitive sport sponsored by that educational institution or school. The term student-athlete was coined in 1964 by Walter Byers, the first executive director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The term is also interchangeable with the synonymous term “varsity athlete”.
Mathematics education in the United States varies considerably from one state to the next, and even within a single state. However, with the adoption of the Common Core Standards in most states and the District of Columbia beginning in 2010, mathematics content across the country has moved into closer agreement for each grade level. The SAT, a standardized university entrance exam, has been reformed to better reflect the contents of the Common Core. However, many students take alternatives to the traditional pathways, including accelerated tracks. As of 2023, twenty-seven states require students to pass three math courses before graduation from high school, while seventeen states and the District of Columbia require four. A typical sequence of secondary-school courses in mathematics reads: Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-calculus, and Calculus or Statistics. However, some students enroll in integrated programs while many complete high school without passing Calculus or Statistics. At the other end, counselors at competitive public or private high schools usually encourage talented and ambitious students to take Calculus regardless of future plans in order to increase their chances of getting admitted to a prestigious university and their parents enroll them in enrichment programs in mathematics.
Waxahachie Global High School is a high school in Waxahachie, Texas, founded in 2007 on the historic T.C. Wilemon campus. It is one of only 91 STEM academies in the state of Texas. It was additionally granted Early College High School status in 2009 through a partnership with Navarro College, allowing students to earn an associate degree along with their high school diploma. Recently, as of the start of the 2013-2014 school year, Global High made a partnership with UT Tyler for all the STEM-based college courses offered at Global. As a public charter school, students from Ellis County and surrounding areas can attend regardless of zoning. Many students commute from surrounding cities such as Waxahachie, Red Oak, Ennis, Maypearl, Midlothian, Palmer, Italy, Cedar Hill, and Desoto. In 2014, Waxahachie Global was named the "Best High School" by the U.S. News & World Report. Starting in the 2018-19 school year, the Global campus is located in the Billy R. Hancock Building.
MyMathLab is an online interactive and educational system designed by Pearson Education to accompany its published math textbooks. It covers courses from basic math through calculus and statistics, as well as math for business, engineering and future educators. Pearson designed MyMathLab to respond to the needs of instructors and students who wanted more opportunity for practice, immediate feedback, and automated grading.
Kilis 7 Aralık University is located in the city of Kilis, in southeastern Turkey. The name of the university comes from the date when the city of Kilis was liberated from occupation during the Turkish War of Independence – December 7, 1921.
3-2 engineering programs, also called combined plans or dual degree programs, provide a unique opportunity for a liberal arts and engineering education. 3-2 students get a BA from their home institution, often a liberal arts college or university, and BS in engineering from a partner school. These programs are not to be confused with similar master's degree programs. At the end of five years, the student will have two bachelor's degrees, one from each school.
