It's About Learning

UT Grad Rates via kwout

The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) just released a report that provides a strategy for the university to increase its graduation rates from just over 50% to over 70% by 2016. The report developed by a task force comprised of faculty and students points to 60 recommendations that are based to two primary goals:

• enhancing the first-year and freshman orientation experience to better emphasize academics and integrate new students into university culture, and
• improving advising and student tracking so students can better develop a strategy to earn a degree within four years.

The report recommendations include:

• requiring orientation for all incoming first-year students;
• creating an online tool to better allow students and advisers to monitor progress to a degree;
• developing more intervention programs to identify and assist students in academic jeopardy;
• identifying “bottleneck” courses where lack of available seats can impede students’ ability to
  pursue their required paths to graduation;
• making it more difficult for students to change majors after four semesters or add a second
  major unless the requirements can be met within four years;
• creating flat-rate summer tuition to encourage students to take more courses.

Even though this report has been developed by UT Austin a Teir 1 flagship University in the US the principles it conveys can easily be transferred to institutions all across North America. The bottom line is that we need to take the time to help students become successful in University. The evidence is overwhelming that if we care enough to spend just a few hours advising students at start of their academic career their chances of successfully completing their degrees increases significantly. To view the summary or full reports visit the UT Austin Graduation Rate Report site.