Abstract
This study assesses the impact of a required course designed to retain and graduate students placed on Academic Probation. We adopted a quantitative approach to this inquiry. We found that students who took the class were approximately 20% more likely to persist and graduate compared to students placed on probation who did not take the course. Further, we note the specific curriculum of the course, which focuses on helping students identify purpose and motivation for their higher education experience. We suggest the specific educational interventions that may help dramatically increase the retention and graduation of students facing academic difficulty.
Highlights
Widespread concern over college retention and graduation rates is becoming ever more urgent
As public worry over rising costs puts the spotlight on retention rates as a way to hold institutions accountable for the tax dollars and tuition they receive, decreases in state funding of public institution and rising operating costs mean that universities are facing budget shortfalls
As many as one fourth of undergraduate college students will be placed on academic probation at least one time in their college careers, and one study of a community college indicated that as few as 13% of the students placed on academic probation will eventually graduate (Tovar and Simon, 2006; Cohen and Brawer, 2002; Garnett, 1990; Miller and Sonner, 1996)
Summary
Widespread concern over college retention and graduation rates is becoming ever more urgent. Universities are facing mounting pressure to demonstrate their value and effectiveness, and more and more states are linking funding to demonstrated measures of success such as graduation and retention rates (Quinton, 2015; Stratford, 2015). Beyond these contemporary financial concerns, students who seek a higher education degree deserve a fair chance to earn that degree and partake in all of the rights and privileges pertaining therein. Once students fall into a status of Academic Probation, their chances of being retained and graduating diminish significantly, a situation that impacts institutional efficacy and income. What are institutions doing to support these students, and what works?
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