UConn students are returning to campus yearly and graduating in record numbers, but university officials warn the momentum will be quashed if lawmakers do not protect the state\u2019s annual allocation to help hire talented faculty and provide strong student support networks.<\/p>\n
UConn\u2019s retention rates \u2013 the percentage of freshmen returning for their sophomore year \u2013 have been so high in recent years that they have been a major factor in helping UConn reach its record-high No. 18 spot among public universities in the annual U.S. News and World Report <\/em>rankings.<\/p>\n As [our] retention and graduation rates show, every dollar of [state] investment pays off immeasurably. — President Susan Herbst<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Freshmen who joined UConn in fall 2016 returned at a 94 percent rate for their second year. They are only the second cohort to reach that rate; the first was the class that entered in fall 2012.<\/p>\n In fact, that fall 2012 cohort continues to set records, reaching the highest-yet four-year graduation rate last year at 73 percent, and now hitting a new high with a five-year rate of 84 percent.<\/p>\n UConn\u2019s highest-ever six-year graduation rate is 83 percent, set by four previous cohorts. The University will know next year whether the freshmen who entered in 2012 will exceed that and set a new record for the percentage graduating in six years or less.<\/p>\n The average time for UConn Storrs graduates to earn their degree is 4.2 years, ranking it fourth out of 58 public research universities nationwide.<\/p>\n \u201cThese outstanding numbers were only achievable \u2013 and can only be maintained \u2013 with strong state support for UConn,\u201d UConn President Susan Herbst says of the graduation and retention figures, compiled by the University\u2019s Office of Institutional Research and released by its Retention & Graduation Task Force.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is that state support that allows us to hire the faculty we need in order to offer the essential courses students need, when they need them, so they can thrive at UConn and graduate on time,\u201d Herbst says. \u201cOur state appropriation also allows us to create strong support networks for students. As these retention and graduation rates show, every dollar of that investment pays off immeasurably. Losses in state support will send these numbers in the wrong direction.\u201d<\/p>\n The new state budget includes a reduction for the University totaling at least $143 million over the next two years. That is almost equal to all the reductions in state support that UConn has faced since 2010 combined.<\/p>\n Herbst has said the University is committed to protecting its academic enterprise, which includes the many programs in place across campus to help students continue their college careers each year toward graduation.<\/p>\n Some other high points in the new retention and graduation figures show:<\/p>\n Wayne Locust, UConn\u2019s vice president for enrollment planning and management, says that while the University works hard to attract excellent students during the admissions process, the work to help them adjust and thrive at UConn continues throughout their time on campus.<\/p>\n \u201cWe never make the assumption that they\u2019re going to be fine and just leave them alone,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s a strong support network and infrastructure in place that supports our desire for students to have a successful college career here.\u201d<\/p>\n A wide range of services are in place to support students at all stages, including some summer programs \u2013 such as the Engineering Bridge Program<\/a> for incoming freshmen, the First Summer<\/a> program, and the robust Orientation<\/a> offerings.<\/p>\n Once students are on campus, a variety of other offerings are available to help them adjust, including the First-Year Experience<\/a> program, Learning Communities<\/a> in the residence halls, and personalized assistance through the Academic Achievement Center<\/a> and the Student-Athlete Success Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another critical resource is the Center for Academic<\/a> Programs<\/a>, which is in its 50th year of serving first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students at UConn. Students take two courses in the summer before their freshman year, receive individualized counseling, and learn about resources on campus that will be helpful during their college careers. They remain connected with the program through graduation, including many who are able to take advantage of the chance to study abroad for a semester.<\/p>\n Making strategic plans for the use of financial aid at UConn is also another element of helping retain students and put them on the path to graduation.<\/p>\n The University tries to ensure that students\u2019 aid packages are predictable from one year to the next so they do not face unexpected shortfalls, and works with them on providing what are informally known as last-mile grants in certain cases when they are close to graduation but have exhausted other resources.<\/p>\n\n
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