OU is working to increase student retention and graduation rates this year with a new Student Task Force, said Becky Heeney, director of OU's Graduation Office.

Student Task Force



* Other graduation and retention statistics can be found at www.ou.edu/provost/* National graduation rate: about 50 percent



* OU's graduation rate within six years for students entering in 1998: about 56 percent



* OU's one-year retention rate for students entering in 2003: about 85 percent



* OU's two-year retention rate for students entering in 2001: about 77 percent



Source: OU Factbook 2005 and www.ou.edu/provost

"Students who wish to get involved in the Graduation Office's retention efforts should consider joining our Student Task Force on Graduation," Heeney said. "The Student Task Force will meet to discuss ideas and suggestions to assist students in meeting their graduation goals."

Heeney said OU is trying to increase its retention rate above the national average.

"The national average for first-time full-time students who graduate from college is around 50 percent and has been for decades," Heeney said in an e-mail. "President Boren has set a goal of achieving a 60 percent graduation rate for each incoming freshman class at the university by 2008.'

Of the 3,148 freshman students in 1998, about 56 percent graduated within six years, according to the 2005 OU Factbook. Of the 3,746 freshman students in 2003, nearly 85 percent returned after one year, according to the OU 2005 Factbook. This retention rate is up from about 78 percent a decade earlier.

One way OU encourages a high retention standard is by putting the idea of graduation into new students' minds from their very first days on campus, Heeney said. Students arriving on campus in August received Class of 2009 Graduation Planners to encourage them to start making plans to graduate.

"Our focus this academic year is to raise awareness among students about the goal of graduation and staying on track toward graduation," Heeney said. "Our desire is for students to think about being part of a graduating class from their first day at OU. A graduating class is determined by adding four years to the year they entered college."

To help increase retention and accelerate the graduation rate, Heeney said she recommends that all students take at least 15 credit hours each semester. OU's online enrollment site includes a reminder to students: 'THINK 15! Enrollment in less than 15 hours per semester may require additional semesters or other alternatives to graduate on time.'

"We are doing our best to help students stay on track toward graduation," Heeney said.

Student organizations and events are also focusing on activities that will help encourage students to not only stay at OU, but also to remain active on campus and in the community.

Kelly Strait, adult and higher education graduate student and graduate assistant in Student Life, said she believes freshman orientation programs like Camp Crimson and New Sooner Orientation foster a sense of community between the students, faculty and staff. She said she thinks students in such programs will be more reluctant to leave because they know they are important to people at OU.

"These programs give new students the opportunity to connect with their peers and upperclassmen as well as faculty and staff," Strait said. "They are also able to learn about many of the resources available to them on campus to ensure their success over the next four years."

Sheppard McConnell, anthropology senior and New Sooner Orientation chairman, said he thinks programs that connect students to OU from the start will help OU reach its new goal.

"I feel that Camp Crimson and New Sooner Orientation increase retention rates at the university," he said. "These programs create an enduring relationship to the university for the new students...This allows them to have a social network in a strange place."

Although there are many reasons why a student would leave OU, Strait said she believes OU needs to make sure students are aware of the resources available to them in order to help increase graduation and retention rates.

McConnell said he thinks OU's strategy of reaching students early helps reach higher retention goals.

"We need to offer as many programs aimed at every possible student type before they reach the campus for school," McConnell said. "Being proactive is the best defense to having another student become a statistic."
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