Academic and Student Affairs: Weaving College-

wide Assessment to Support Retention, Graduation, and

Transfer Initiatives

2012 NASPA Annual Conference

Ignite Leadership, Influence Change

Origin of Retention, Graduation, Origin of Retention, Graduation, and Transfer Initiatives at the and Transfer Initiatives at the University System of Georgia:University System of Georgia:

Beginning largely in 2005, the issue of student Beginning largely in 2005, the issue of student

retention and graduation has been an important retention and graduation has been an important

consideration for Georgia Perimeter College since consideration for Georgia Perimeter College since

the USG requested both information and action the USG requested both information and action

regarding retention and graduation rates at each regarding retention and graduation rates at each

member institution. More specifically, the USG member institution. More specifically, the USG

requested evidence of strategic efforts regarding requested evidence of strategic efforts regarding

retention and graduation initiatives across the retention and graduation initiatives across the

university system.university system.

Georgia Perimeter College Response to Georgia Perimeter College Response to the USG Retention, Graduation, and the USG Retention, Graduation, and

Transfer InitiativeTransfer InitiativeEmbrace GPC’s Institutional Effectiveness…Embrace GPC’s Institutional Effectiveness…

Vision:Vision: To Provide oversight and assistance to all To Provide oversight and assistance to all

functional areas of the college to ensure that functional areas of the college to ensure that institutional effectiveness goals are being met.institutional effectiveness goals are being met.

Mission:Mission: To support strategic planning, assessment and To support strategic planning, assessment and

improvement of all functional areas of Georgia improvement of all functional areas of Georgia Perimeter College and to ensure that all Perimeter College and to ensure that all functional areas carry these activities out on a functional areas carry these activities out on a regular basis.regular basis.

GPC’s Response GPC’s Response Continued…Continued…

Be chaired by the VP’s for Academic Affairs Be chaired by the VP’s for Academic Affairs and Student Affairsand Student Affairs

Develop the College’s retention frameworkDevelop the College’s retention framework

Develop a three-year plan to include:Develop a three-year plan to include:

- Appropriate Goals- Appropriate Goals

- Performance Indicators and Metrics- Performance Indicators and Metrics

- Evaluation and Assessment Plans- Evaluation and Assessment Plans

- Accountability- Accountability

Establish a College-wide Retention and Establish a College-wide Retention and Graduation Council (RGC) that will:Graduation Council (RGC) that will:

Implement and Monitor Special efforts to Implement and Monitor Special efforts to

achieve college-wide RGT goals.achieve college-wide RGT goals.

Identify Internal and External Best Practices.Identify Internal and External Best Practices.

Establish Workshops for Faculty and Staff.Establish Workshops for Faculty and Staff.

Review Appropriate Policies and Review Appropriate Policies and

Programmatic Procedures.Programmatic Procedures.

Infuse Technology Tools to Support and Infuse Technology Tools to Support and

Measure Effectiveness of RGT efforts across Measure Effectiveness of RGT efforts across

the College.the College.

GPC’s Response GPC’s Response Continued…Continued…

Retention and Graduation Council Retention and Graduation Council ModelModel

InstitutionalResearch & Planning

AcademicAffairs

Student Affairs and Enrollment Services

Fiscal and Administrative Services

Executive Leadership Team

Informational Technology

Demonstrate Demonstrate data-driven data-driven researchresearch

Identify Identify Initiatives for Initiatives for ImprovementImprovement

Demonstrate Demonstrate Share Share ResponsibilityResponsibility

Retention and Graduation Council Membership

• VP Academic AffairsVP Academic Affairs

• VP Student Affairs/EnrollmentVP Student Affairs/Enrollment

• Dean of Math, EngineerDean of Math, Engineer

• Dean of ScienceDean of Science

• Dean of BusinessDean of Business

• Director for OnlineDirector for Online

• Director for SSS TRiO – CLKDirector for SSS TRiO – CLK

• Director for Student FinancialDirector for Student Financial

• Asst. VP Stud. Dev./Spec. Prog.Asst. VP Stud. Dev./Spec. Prog.

• Asst. VP Enrollment Mgmt.Asst. VP Enrollment Mgmt.

• Associate Director ACRS – OnlineAssociate Director ACRS – Online

• Director for ACRSDirector for ACRS

• Director for Gov and PolicyDirector for Gov and Policy

• Director for Learning and Director for Learning and

TutoringTutoring

• Director for SSS TRiO - DECDirector for SSS TRiO - DEC

• Library Director Library Director

Historical Perspective of GPCHistorical Perspective of GPC

GPC is not your typical two-year GPC is not your typical two-year collegecollege

GPC is the transfer engine for the USGGPC is the transfer engine for the USG

GPC is assessed by the same GPC is assessed by the same measures as four-year collegesmeasures as four-year colleges

No clear and effective national No clear and effective national standards that define and measure standards that define and measure student success at two-year transfer student success at two-year transfer collegescolleges

Georgia Perimeter College TodayGeorgia Perimeter College Today

Over 25,000 studentsOver 25,000 students

Largest associate degree-granting Largest associate degree-granting collegecollege

Third largest institution in the USGThird largest institution in the USG

Admits more students each fallAdmits more students each fall

68% of all transfer students come from 68% of all transfer students come from GPCGPC

Georgia Perimeter College TodayGeorgia Perimeter College Today

Mostly part-time studentsMostly part-time students

Mostly female studentsMostly female students

Approximately 23 years of ageApproximately 23 years of age

In need of remediation (Learning In need of remediation (Learning Support)Support)

Diverse representation of studentsDiverse representation of students

GPC Defines First Time/Full Time GPC Defines First Time/Full Time StudentsStudents

Retained Students - begin in the fall Retained Students - begin in the fall semester and are retained through the semester and are retained through the following fall semesterfollowing fall semester

Graduates - begin in the fall and Graduates - begin in the fall and graduate within three yearsgraduate within three years

Transfer Students - transfer before Transfer Students - transfer before graduating from GPCgraduating from GPC

FT/FT Students at GPCFT/FT Students at GPC

RetentionRetention

Fiscal YearFiscal Year RateRate

FY 2009-10FY 2009-10 57.6%57.6%

FY 2010-11FY 2010-11 60.3%60.3%

GraduationGraduation

FY 2006FY 2006 8.74%8.74%

FY2007FY2007 9.54%9.54%

FY2008FY2008 7.68%7.68%

FT/FT Student Retention & Graduation DataFT/FT Student Retention & Graduation Data

Source: Office of Institutional Research and Source: Office of Institutional Research and PlanningPlanning

FT/FT Transferability FT/FT Transferability DataData

Source: Office of Institutional Research and Source: Office of Institutional Research and PlanningPlanning

The majority of FT/FT students transfer The majority of FT/FT students transfer after 3-4 semesters at GPC to other after 3-4 semesters at GPC to other institutions:institutions:

FY 2006FY 2006 20.9%20.9%

FY 2007FY 2007 18.9%18.9%

FY2008FY2008 24.4%24.4%

Enrollment ServicesEnrollment Services

• Transfer Admission Guarantee Transfer Admission Guarantee ProgramProgram

• Academic AdvisementAcademic Advisement

• Enrollment Management Enrollment Management Suite/Business Intelligence ToolsSuite/Business Intelligence Tools

• Enrollment Suite – Retention Enrollment Suite – Retention ModuleModule

Retention and Graduation Initiatives Retention and Graduation Initiatives AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

Special ProgramsSpecial Programs

•DECADECA

•GPC Education Achievement GPC Education Achievement Program (GEAP)Program (GEAP)

•Student Support ServicesStudent Support Services

•Leadership AcademyLeadership Academy

Retention and Graduation AccomplishmentsRetention and Graduation Accomplishments

Academic ProgramsAcademic Programs

•Math Learning Support InitiativesMath Learning Support Initiatives

•Project DEgreeProject DEgree

•Louis Stokes Alliance Minority Louis Stokes Alliance Minority Participation (LSAMP) Participation (LSAMP)

•First Year Experience (FYE) - GPCS First Year Experience (FYE) - GPCS 10101010

•Supplemental Instruction Supplemental Instruction

Retention and Graduation AccomplishmentsRetention and Graduation Accomplishments

• Learning SupportLearning Support

• High Fail Rate Courses – W,D, and FHigh Fail Rate Courses – W,D, and F

• Financial Responsibility & Satisfactory Financial Responsibility & Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)Academic Progress (SAP)

• College-wide First Year ExperienceCollege-wide First Year Experience

• MyFoundationsLab (MFL) Pilot ProgramMyFoundationsLab (MFL) Pilot Program

• College-wide Learning Community OfferingsCollege-wide Learning Community Offerings

• Retool Academic Advising – Coordinators SSRetool Academic Advising – Coordinators SS

• SAP Policy of Understanding and Re-SAP Policy of Understanding and Re-alignmentalignment

Strategies To Improve Retention and Strategies To Improve Retention and Graduation RatesGraduation Rates

Variables Impacting Retention and Graduation Variables Impacting Retention and Graduation RatesRates

RGT Three-Year Strategic RGT Three-Year Strategic PlanPlan

FY 2011-2013FY 2011-2013

Initiatives In-Initiatives In-ProgressProgress

• WEAVEOnlineWEAVEOnline• Cognos - Business IntelligenceCognos - Business Intelligence• Operational Data Warehouse (ODS)Operational Data Warehouse (ODS)• Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW)Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW)• Academic Difficulty Communication CampaignsAcademic Difficulty Communication Campaigns• SAP Communication CampaignsSAP Communication Campaigns• Graduation and Retention Performance Graduation and Retention Performance

Management Component of EM SuiteManagement Component of EM Suite• Director for Retention and Graduation Director for Retention and Graduation

InitiativesInitiatives

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