September 1, 2000

Student Success and Retention Task Force progress report

This report was presented at the May meeting of the University Planning Team by Dr. Lydia Voigt.

The Task Force on Student Success and Retention, bringing together all segments of the campus community and stakeholders, was convened on September 25, 1998. The first year (1998-1999), which was dedicated to studying the problem of retention and formulating a strategic plan, resulted in a report that identifies ten core strategies to improve the quality of student life and learning, which taken together present the opportunity for true systemic, university-wide changes that potentially affect every student as well as involve virtually every staff and faculty member. Combined, these strategic areas hold promise for qualitative, cultural change in how the entire university community views student success.

The current academic year (1999-2000), constituting the second year of activities of the Task Force, has been devoted to implementing the ten priority action strategies that are aimed at improving the quality of student life and learning. A summary of the progress made in each of the ten priority areas is available on the university home page at www.loyno.edu.

The ultimate goal of the Task Force is institutional effectiveness. Retention, as a key indicator of institutional performance, serves as a measure of student learning, of how well integrated students are in campus life, and of how effectively the campus delivers what students expect and need.

The summative evaluation criteria are comprised of the following:

A. An annual freshman to sophomore persistence rate of 83% for students entering Fall of 1999.

A gradual increase in the annual freshman to sophomore persistence rate for classes entering:
- Fall 2000 to 85%
- Fall 2001 to 87%

Fall 2002 to 89%
Fall 2003 to 90%

A cohort four-year graduation rate of 60% for students entering in Fall of 1999.
A cohort five-year graduation rate of 70% for students entering in Fall of 1999.
The mean score of each scale in the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) increased by 0.5 points by Fall 2000.

The formative evaluation criteria include outcome assessments and key indicators of success associated with the ten strategic areas.

While it is still premature to judge the success of the various retention initiatives, many signs are positive:

The entering class of 1999 is one of the largest and one of the brightest in recent history (totaling 809 freshmen, averaging a G.P.A. of 3.62, SAT combined score of 1166, and an ACT score of 26). Similar trends are predicted for the class of 2000.
Comparison of the fall to spring freshman transition rates indicates an upward trend (i.e., 87.5% in spring 2000 compared to 83.1 % in spring 1999) (See Attachment Two on the web page for details.)
The graduation rates show slight improvement (See Attachment Three on the web page for details.)
A comparison of 1999 with 1998 SSI results registers more satisfaction on most scales. (See Attachment Four on the web page for details.)

Campus receptivity and support for the Task Force and its projects continue to be high as measured by attendance at town meetings and special campus events. Implementation of the recommendations is progressing according to the timetable. In most strategic areas the accomplishments have gone beyond expectations. The emphasis on student success and retention has been widely embraced and has become an integral part of all college and departmental annual plans.

Major progress has been made in building an integrated common data warehouse to support both the formative and summative evaluation of the retention initiatives. Once built, the Data Warehouse will include student background information, academic term and career data as well as other pertinent information such as student activities that are correlated with retention and institutional effectiveness. When completed, the Data Warehouse will serve: to bring together various data sources including the results of a new university-wide senior exit interview; to track key hypothesized independent and dependent variables associated with retention; and to clarify the operational definitions of variables, particularly emphasizing common definitions developed through a team effort.

The coming academic year (2000-2001), representing the third year of activities of the Task Force, will be focused on: (1) conducting the evaluation and assessment activities necessary to measure the relative successfulness of the various retention initiatives; (2) making the Data Warehouse operational; (3) furthering the implementation of the action strategies contained in the Task Force Report; and (4) institutionalizing an ongoing commitment to student success and the continuous process of improvement.

Loyola's Task Force on Student Success and Retention, including its structure and process, is unique. Rarely do programmatic efforts in higher educational settings involve the entire campus community of students, faculty, staff, and administrators from across all divisions, departments, and colleges. Our planning effort has generated action plans in ten strategic areas with responsibility for implementation shared by stakeholders throughout the university community. Unlike other efforts where student success and persistence are the primary responsibility of one department or staff member (e.g., Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, Retention Office), our process has resulted in the entire campus community coming together and assuming responsibility and ownership for the implementation of new programs and changes identified in the Task Force Plan as well as for pursuing additional efforts as only empowered individuals and groups might feel free to do.

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