With current high school seniors receiving admissions letters this week, colleges and universities nationwide are seeking to increase the retention rates of incoming students, The Washington Post reported yesterday.
According to Dean of Students Penny Rue, the University continues to graduate students at a higher rate than its peer institutions.
The University graduates 92 percent of its students in six years, which is a greater percentage than six of the University's peer institutions, including Boston College and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, according to College Results, a company that analyzes college retention rates.
"We look for students who will come to the University and will become involved in the life of the University," Dean of Admissions John Blackburn said.
Blackburn pointed out the correlation between the increase in the selectivity of the University and an increase in student retention rates.
"We accept really bright students who can do the work," Rue said.
Once students enter the University, however, the effort to encourage them to stay begins in earnest through residential and mentoring programs, Rue said.
"The mentoring programs we have are strong," she said. "The fact that we require students to live in residents halls gets them acclimated to the culture of the University. We also have a student-to-RA ratio of 1 to 18, so everyone is known by someone, and there is no chance to get lost."
African-American students face more hardship then their white counterparts in graduating in six years, according to College Results statistics.
"The African-American student graduation rate is about 88 to 89 percent versus the overall rate of 92 percent," Blackburn said. "But I think it's important to point out that that's the highest of all public schools in the nation and higher than all the Ivies."
African-American students have access to a mentoring program conducted through the Office of African-American Affairs, Rue said.
"The peer advisor program provides very close communications between the student and the mentor," Rue said. "The mentors are excellent students and excellent role models."
Recent discussions between students and faculty have suggested that there is some desire for a University-wide mentoring program, according to Rue.
"Recently, [former Honor Committee Chair] Meghan Sullivan talked about what if every student had a mentor," Rue said. "That is a very intriguing idea and one that we'll be exploring."
Sullivan said she got the idea for a mentoring program after speaking with fellow fourth years who thought it would be beneficial to have a one-on-one relationship with an older student or faculty member.
"It will give us such an advantage over peer institutions for students to have these special relationships with important people," Sullivan said.
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