• First and second year retention rates
• First semester academic standing (percentage in good standing, on academic probation, or academically suspended)
• Second semester academic standing
• Second and third year persistence
• Persistence and academic standing amongst students in accelerated courses
• Persistence and academic standing of special populations
• Six-year graduation rate
• Attainment of Dean's list in first college semester

Conclusions

In conclusion, Kentucky State University must decide that some of our practices and processes for first-year students, as they currently exist, are not the most effective. We must put forth an agenda to change to a model that values students, their input, and each student's individual journey. The success of a University College is contingent upon a great deal of sustained and wide-spread collaboration. This model would allow us to address the needs of first-year students in a comprehensive and coordinated approach incorporating the expertise and resources of various components found within KSU. It is our belief that with a focused approach and strategic planning, University College could be a tremendous aspect of KSU Forward!

References

Evenbeck, S. E. (2010). Organizing for student success: the university college model. Columbia, SC: National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, University of South Carolina.

Tinto, V. (1996). Reconstructing the first year of college. Planning for Higher Education, 25(1), 1-6.

Wenger, E., McDermott, R. A., & Snyder, W. N. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School.