The university has been implementing various programs across campus to ensure students stay here until they complete their degrees. Their success is measured in the retention rate of the university.
Retention rates are one of the most important numbers to universities, because it tells them how many students are continuing to attend and if the student programs they implement are working.
Interim Associate Vice President for Student Success Shannon Baker, Ph.D said the programs are intended to increase student engagement and support.
“One of the main themes of our retention initiatives focuses on support and the other is connection, so if students feel supported and connected we believe that they are more likely to persist and receive their college degree,” Baker said.
A new program has joined the fray in the way of peer mentors. These peer mentors are assigned to various sections of the UNIV classes to help students adjust to life in college and teach them the skills they need to succeed.
Interacting with a peer mentor is voluntary, and the Center for Student Success (CFSS) hopes this will help to create authentic relationships.
Other support programs include the tutoring center on the second floor of the library, which provides tutors for a wide range of subjects and accepts walk-ins. The University Writing Center also in the library, which is by appointment, helps students write quality papers in every subject.
These two programs have been in place for a few years, but the CFSS is looking to ensure more students and faculty are informed about them.
“We’re working to make those services better known to people across campus and to also help faculty members better understand how those work, so they know who they should be directing over to our services,” Baker said.
Another new addition is social work interns who offer students referrals based on their needs to various resources and services across campus and in the community. These referrals will seek to get students the help they need including food insecurity, clothes for jobs and even eyewear.
Baker points out that some students’ academic performance is hindered by what is going on at home.
“Often times it’s not academics that trip a student up; it’s what’s going on in their personal life,” Baker said. “We want our students to feel valued and that we care about them as individuals.”
While Baker and the CFSS have been fine-tuning these student resources, Vice President of Enrollment Management Maureen Croft has been working to get financial aid streamlined for students and getting their questions answered as quickly as possible regarding registration and financial aid.
All of these services and resources seek to improve TAMUK’s retention rate, which has been in the mid-to-high 60s during the past few years.
Their goal is to reach a retention rate of 70 percent, far above the national average of 62 percent for public four-year universities with open admissions, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Baker said the students’ wellbeing takes precedence over the statistics.
“Students need to know that if they’re feeling lost or they feel like this is too much for them, they should just come to the second floor of the library,” Baker said. “We are there to help them.”
