Building a Culture and Systems that Support Student Success; A Plan for Significantly Improving Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates at UMass Boston:

“Improving student success must be the university’s highest priority if we are to achieve the goal of becoming a great student-centered, urban public research university. Failure to improve undergraduate graduation rates may undermine the university’s aspirations in other areas by weakening its reputation and even its financial well-being”.

“The Graduation Rates Committee believes that campus work on improving graduation rates is at the very core of our mission and identity, and must therefore be a central focus of our strategic efforts”

Recommendations

“The Work Group’s plan for improving the university’s retention and graduation puts forward seven major recommendations aimed at building a new system and culture that places students on track and keeps them on track, integrates students’ academic and social experiences and connects them to networks from the beginning. Two themes overarch the Committee’s recommendations”

We also recommend the identification of and support for teaching and learning that promotes the
retention of freshmen and increases opportunities to extend learning and engagement (undergraduate
research, study abroad, service learning, civic engagement, co- and extra-curricular activities).

We need to develop programming that connects transfer students to the university community early
and often. We also need to develop programming aimed at increasing transfer student engagement and
success (undergraduate research, study abroad, service learning, civic engagement, co- and extra-curricular activities).

The committee should continue to be chaired by the Vice Provost for Academic Support Services and
Undergraduate Studies who would have administrative responsibility for overseeing implementation of the plan. We recommend that the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and the Dean of Science and Mathematics continue to serve as co-chairs. In addition, we recommend that the committee be comprised of 12-15 people and include deans, senior and junior faculty members who have an interest in and/or have contributed to previous retention related efforts, advising staff, enrollment staff, representatives from academic support services, the college retention programs, undergraduate studies/general education, student affairs, the library, athletics, and institutional research.

The committee believes that improving the graduation rate will demand the committed effort of the entire university, each working in its own way to keep students on-track, engaged, and more satisfied with campus life.

http://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/university/Graduation%20Rates%20Workgroup%20Report.pdf

http://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/provost/retention_presentation_2_11%281%29.pdf
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