Last week, the National Commission of Higher Education published an calling on 鈥渆very college and university president and chancellor to make retention and completion a critical campus priority鈥� and asserting that such efforts are “an economic and moral imperative.” Six higher-ed associations assembled the Commission in 2011 at President Obama鈥檚 request. The 18 college presidents that form the Commission鈥檚 membership come from every sector, except for-profits, and were tasked with investigating strategies that individual schools can use to improve graduation rates.
The quotes Dr. E. Gordon Gee, chairman of the Commission, as saying, 鈥淲e concentrate most on the admissions side of things, getting the bodies in, and there鈥檚 no one in charge of seeing that they get through and graduate.鈥澛� Although enrollment rates are strong, nearly half of all college students nationwide fail to earn a degree within six years (79 percent of
entering freshman graduate from the 91探花within six years).
Completion efforts should take into consideration the changing face of higher ed: first-generation, mid-career, part-time, and veteran students are an ever-increasing share of the nation鈥檚 student body. The report notes that 鈥渁dult learners are far less likely than their traditional-age peers to complete their degrees鈥� and will need flexible schedules, more financial assistance, and targeted student services in order to succeed.
Other recommendations from the report include:
- Narrowing course options so that students prioritize completion;
- Putting someone in charge of overseeing completion efforts; and
- Giving credit for previous learning.
The Commission asks colleges to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions and to eschew inflating their graduation rates by admitting only the best-prepared, lowest-risk students and/or by making it easier for students to pass.
The report acknowledges, however, that colleges need assistance in these completion endeavors, saying, 鈥淒isinvestment in higher education is terribly damaging and undermines efforts to expand and enhance academic and support services for students.鈥�
The Commission believes the report will trigger a sense of urgency among leaders (academic or otherwise) and, hopefully, meaningful action.