Ohio University's first-year student retention rate rose again this fall, up almost 2 percent from last year and 4 percent from 2007.
Of last year's 3,986 freshmen, about 82 percent returned this fall, with all but one college either increasing or maintaining previous retention rates. The College of Business saw a slight drop in retention this year from 89 percent to 86 percent.
OU's five-year academic plan lists boosting retention as a priority. Craig Cornell, vice provost for Enrollment Management, said he is encouraged by the data released last Thursday.
I'm excited about it
but this is just another one of those pieces of information that jives really well with where our students are at Ohio University at this time Cornell said. It's very encouraging and that's honestly
what students and parents want to see.
Cornell added he has been pleased with the support from top administrators and the Board of Trustees for retention improvement efforts and said those investments are paying off.
OU expects freshmen retention to remain the same next year, but also expect a drop-off in transfer retention, said Bill Decatur, vice president for Finance and Administration, adding that the university expects a large number of students to leave prior to the switch to semesters in 2012.
Many students will rush to leave
Decatur said, adding that enrollment and retention projections for future years are conservative.
The University College has seen the largest increase in retention during the past three years - from 63 percent to 71 percent, a trend David Descutner, the college's dean, attributes to an increased focus on learning communities and student support.
About 2,450 students are enrolled in learning communities, which group students by major to take a common set of courses and live in the same dorm, this quarter.
I think there are two things in particular
Descutner said. It's requiring learning communities for all first-year students in University College but also requiring at the same time that all first-year students in University College take 115.
UC115, the first-year experience course, seeks to engage students on campus by encouraging them to do things such as attend arts events and join organizations and then write about it, Descutner said.
He added that the university college has focused on making sure more students are taking the course with their academic advisers. This year, 70 percent of students take UC115 with their adviser.
Descutner credits those advisers and other faculty who work with first-year students with much of the effort's success.
A great deal of this has to do with the quality of teaching in the other first-year courses they take. The faculty are a big part of this
Descutner said. That's something that has made all the difference in the world.
Despite these efforts, the University College still has the lowest retention rate with the other colleges ranging from 78 percent to 98 percent.
- Caitlin Bowling contributed to this article
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Emily Grannis
