AUSTIN – Recent efforts to improve graduation rates at The University of Texas System’s nine academic institutions already have helped produce promising results, with most campuses showing gains in graduating students within five- and six-year time frames.
A study by the UT System’s offices of Academic Affairs and Institutional Studies and Policy Analysis, which tracked student cohorts entering UT System institutions from 1998 to 1999, showed seven of the System’s nine academic campuses posted increases in six-year graduation rates by an average of 3.3 percentage points, with the highest gain reaching 11 percentage points.
Moreover, four of nine institutions increased four-year graduation rates by an average of 4.3 percentage points; and six of nine institutions posted gains in five-year graduation rates by an average of 4 percentage points. Three institutions – UT Austin, UT Dallas and UT Tyler – already exceed the national average graduation rate of 53 percent over six years.
Although some programs intended to speed up graduation rates didn’t go into effect until after the initiative began, students were able to benefit from other programs aimed at improving graduation rates developed before then. Students entering UT System institutions in fall 2006 or 2007 will have the benefit of all programs designed to enhance graduation rates.
The analysis was the first since the UT System launched its Graduation Rates Initiative in May 2006. The UT System Board of Regents earlier that year adopted a resolution that made improving graduation rates one of its highest educational priorities. Regents also directed campus leaders to adopt aggressive strategies to meet specified targets by the year 2010, and to report progress on graduation rates quarterly.
Beginning with the student cohort that enrolled in 1997, five UT institutions had a graduation rate of 37 percent or less over six years. An analysis of data from the student cohort beginning in 1999 showed each of those institutions increased graduation rates by 2 to 6 percentage points.
“We believe we have established a comprehensive approach to improving graduation rates across the board – one that will have a profound impact on how students achieve progress and graduate on time,” said Geri H. Malandra, interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and vice chancellor for strategic management. “Our system-wide initiative is unrivaled anywhere else in the country.”
Assuming an annual graduation rate increase of 2 percentage points for each academic institution – the average increase per year in graduation rates at UT campuses – almost all UT institutions should meet their target goal for 2010, Malandra said.
“We are pleased with the progress in our graduation rates, but we have even greater expectations for success as our continuing efforts to speed up graduation take root,” said UT System Chancellor
Mark G. Yudof. “We believe the recent addition of several programs to our graduation rates initiative will produce even more meaningful results in the coming years.”
Among the changes that have been implemented to help spur higher graduation rates:
- Campuses have added incentives such as tuition rebates or flat-rate, discounted or fixed tuition to encourage students to take full course loads and to graduate on time. Flat rates allow students to take additional coursework at the same price they pay for fewer classes; discounts apply to those who enroll in courses at off-peak times; and fixed tuition allows a student to lock in one rate over four or five years. In some campuses, rebates are offered to students who complete 30 semester credit hours in a school year.
- Universities have added more sophisticated retention, mentoring and advising programs to help keep students engaged and to help them meet the challenges of college coursework – among them, an “early-alert” program that identifies academically struggling freshmen and sophomores, then prescribes action plans to help them address deficiencies. Some campuses have begun to redesign courses and add supplemental instruction to improve student success.
- Institutions have adopted policies to encourage former students to re-enroll and complete their degrees and have added more work-study programs to create additional opportunities for students to remain on campus. Some studies show students who work on campus are more likely to perform better academically than those who don’t. Additionally, stronger collaborations with community colleges have been developed, some of which involve financial aid and curriculum reform.
“This demonstrates the entire UT System community’s commitment to improve performance and graduation rates at our academic institutions,” said James R. Huffines, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. “We recognize more improvement is needed, but we will continue to monitor and report our efforts – and add even more programs if necessary for boosting our graduation rates.”
Serving the educational and health care needs of Texans for more than 125 years, the UT System is one of the nation's largest higher education systems with 15 campuses – including nine academic and six health institutions – and an annual operating budget of $10 billion (FY 2007). Student enrollment exceeded 190,000 in the 2006 academic year. The UT System confers about 35 percent of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates 70 percent of Texas health care professionals. With more than 80,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in Texas.
