Freshman programs help raise retention
Gretchen Hollis
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: News
"I think, as students come into the university making a transition from high school to college, advising needs to be more than just course selection," he said.
Now, students don't have to worry about tracking down faculty advisers because they know they have a place to go, Butler said.
Occasionally, Scott said, the reason some students do not return to TCU is cost.
Butler said even though tuition is on the rise, TCU is still a good buy and is priced in the lower third of private universities.
TCU is also attractive with its new facilities, and popular majors like business, communication and nursing are growing, Miller said.
But compared to Southern Methodist University and Baylor, TCU's retention rates have been historically lower, Coghlan said.
The No. 1 reason for not retaining freshmen students is the lack of preparation for college level work, said Alan Seidman of Bedford, N.H., Center for the Study of College Student Retention.
"If you've never done a research paper in high school, you can't do one in college," he said.
Seidman said professors are responsible for telling students what it takes to be successful in their class, and if students don't have the skills, then the professors should teach them.
"If we accept you into our institution, we should provide you with necessary skills to be successful," he said.
Minority Retention
In most cases, minority students have lower retention and graduation rates than white students, and encouraging these students with high school mentor programs and adopt-a-school programs would help increase their retention in college, Seidman said.
He said professor interaction with potential college students and their families would help keep those students in college, especially minority students who may not have thought of attending college.
Many minority students don't attend or end up dropping out of college because of they do not connect with the university and other students, he said.
Now, students don't have to worry about tracking down faculty advisers because they know they have a place to go, Butler said.
Occasionally, Scott said, the reason some students do not return to TCU is cost.
Butler said even though tuition is on the rise, TCU is still a good buy and is priced in the lower third of private universities.
TCU is also attractive with its new facilities, and popular majors like business, communication and nursing are growing, Miller said.
But compared to Southern Methodist University and Baylor, TCU's retention rates have been historically lower, Coghlan said.
The No. 1 reason for not retaining freshmen students is the lack of preparation for college level work, said Alan Seidman of Bedford, N.H., Center for the Study of College Student Retention.
"If you've never done a research paper in high school, you can't do one in college," he said.
Seidman said professors are responsible for telling students what it takes to be successful in their class, and if students don't have the skills, then the professors should teach them.
"If we accept you into our institution, we should provide you with necessary skills to be successful," he said.
Minority Retention
In most cases, minority students have lower retention and graduation rates than white students, and encouraging these students with high school mentor programs and adopt-a-school programs would help increase their retention in college, Seidman said.
He said professor interaction with potential college students and their families would help keep those students in college, especially minority students who may not have thought of attending college.
Many minority students don't attend or end up dropping out of college because of they do not connect with the university and other students, he said.
Be the first to comment on this story