Only 38% graduate?

[Spin]

This can't be right.

http://www.ohio.com/editorial/joseph-yeado...duates-1.416007

[ZachTheZip]

Depends on how they calculate that. Do they hold transfers against the university if they go somewhere else and use our course credits to get a degree? Do they count continuing education (aka job training courses) as students who don't graduate? What about the high school kids in early enrollment that go somewhere else after they get their high school diploma?

[Zipmeister]

GIGO

[ksu sucks]

GIGO

Pretty much.

For whatever reason, prospective students and their parents put a lot of weight into the graduation rates when comparing schools. The implicit assumption is that the quality of the university dictates the success of the students. In fact, the opposite is true. Apparently it never occurred to anyone that some schools have a higher success rate because they attract a more successful student.

For a while it seemed as if Proenza was sort of burying his head into the sand on this topic (perhaps the allure of attracting minority students and...ahem...the federal funds that come with certain demographics was too appealing to pass up) but he seems to have seen the light(see recent undergrad admissions requirements upgrade). I'm sure recent changes to the state funding mechanism have been an impetus to that change.

At any rate,I'm of the seemingly radical opinion (at least around here) that a higher admissions standard is the sensible thing to do. If that means UA won't see Proenza's projected 40000 student enrollment within the next decade then so be it. Quality over quantity. Although UA is a public institution so it may be hard for the suits in Buchtel hall to pass up the 'rewards' which increased quantity brings.

[ksu sucks]

That black graduation rates at the University of Akron could steadily fall to such an epic low suggests the college’s administration has been focused on things other than student success.

Yeah, I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fact that UA has accepted a large number of black students who weren't prepared for college academics in the first place.

[mbalsinger]

Depends on how they calculate that. Do they hold transfers against the university if they go somewhere else and use our course credits to get a degree? Do they count continuing education (aka job training courses) as students who don't graduate? What about the high school kids in early enrollment that go somewhere else after they get their high school diploma?

I do believe that transfers are counted against UA, while the other two are not. In the article itself it mentions "...bachelor’s degree in six years..." but really gives no other information about how it's calculated.

It's important to point out, however, that this is a special interest Editorial written by a person who works in Washington, and I would personally summize doesn't actually know the University of Akron other than by a statistical spreadsheet. This is very important because it boils my blood when special interests attempt to use science and apply it to an arguement that they are making. The writer nebulously throws in "critics of higher education spending have pointed to recreation centers with climbing walls and lazy rivers as a prime example of unnecessary investment"...then making a reference to Akron's addition of those two things; as if those were REALLY the cause.

First who are these "critics"...throwing in conjecture like that is special interest blabber. Second; The reason that boils my blood is simple...OSU, BGSU, Can't State, Toledo (on and on and on) ALSO have those ameneties and seemingly don't warrant the writer's outrage, or have higher graduation rates. CLEARLY in this case correlation has absolutely nothing to do with causation. Sorry I'm nitpicking, but special interest blabber makes me very angry. There is a point that UA should do more about it's graduation rate, but I would take what this writer portrays with a grain of salt...because it's not a scientific or academic analysis by a long shot.

[g-mann17]

The number one reason for low graduation rates is open enrollment, which was required by the State of Ohio. As we move away from that the rates will go up.

[Dave in Green]

The Education Trust also dumped on Michigan schools, and previously did the same with for-profit schools. Looks like they just take raw numbers and publicize the worst ones in an effort to create more public awareness and more public demand for high academic achievement, especially for low income minority groups. You can read about The Education Trust's mission and other information about the group here.

[GP1]

It is a huge cultural problem that has been going on for decades.

Want to listen to someone talk sense about this. Link Not the person you would think, but he makes a lot of sense.

[LZIp]

We have a pretty size-able African American Enrollment. I'd imagine if their graduation rate from a measly 9-point-whatever percent to something around 30%, our graduation rates would be pretty normal.

There is no denying that the overall rate needs to improve.

[legendofzippy]

I remember at freshman orientation ('91) they told us "look around, half of you won't graduate here". After a few months people were already dropping out.

But this writer seems to have an agenda, so I do doubt his numbers. Shockingly, I busted my butt and got my degree in 5 years (co-op program added a year), but my friends who decided to party more than study didn't make it. Funny how hard work pays off. So I put this stuff on the students more than the University, and that goes for any University.

[zipdoll]

I remember at freshman orientation ('91) they told us "look around, half of you won't graduate here". After a few months people were already dropping out.

But this writer seems to have an agenda, so I do doubt his numbers. Shockingly, I busted my butt and got my degree in 5 years (co-op program added a year), but my friends who decided to party more than study didn't make it. Funny how hard work pays off. So I put this stuff on the students more than the University, and that goes for any University.

I get the same number the writer got when I checked this out:

Graduation, Retention and Transfer Rates:

First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 72%

Transfer Out Rate: 24%

4-Year Graduation Rate: 14%

6-Year Graduation Rate: 38%

Data Sources:

National Center for Educational Statistics and the University of Akron website

His agenda is hopefully the same as ours" advancing higher education in the state and region...nothing wrong with having an agenda. Being a part of ZNO means that we have an agenda.

[LZIp]

I remember at freshman orientation ('91) they told us "look around, half of you won't graduate here". After a few months people were already dropping out.

But this writer seems to have an agenda, so I do doubt his numbers. Shockingly, I busted my butt and got my degree in 5 years (co-op program added a year), but my friends who decided to party more than study didn't make it. Funny how hard work pays off. So I put this stuff on the students more than the University, and that goes for any University.

What numbers do you doubt? The 38% is legit. Since I've came here, I've heard the rates were in the 30s. The 4 year graduation rate is a staggering 14%...yikes.

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegepro...ty-of-akron.htm

http://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/quick_facts.dot

I think the problem lies within the acceptance of many students from a City Series school. Sure there are plenty of others that do not make it, but sitting here, of the people I know that went to high school in Akron (excluding SVSM and Hoban), I can think of two that are still in school (with a sample size of over a dozen). One of those transferred to a school in Florida, and the other will certainly not complete her degree on time, as she took year off to go live it up in Miami.

[Z.I.P.]

"Since graduation rates were first collected in 2002, Akron’s overall six-year college graduation rate increased less than 2 percentage points, from 36.2 to 38 percent. "

These numbers have actually improved dramatically over time. The last stats I remember seeing, in US News and World Report, over 20 years ago, showed the overall grad rate then was on the order of 22 percent. Not sure if that was four years or the new "six-year standard".

And let me thank those of you posting "without an agenda". lol

Edit: AND...My memory serves as proof that graduation rates were NOT first collected in 2002. Or the magazine was l..l..lying. Whatever.

[Zipmeister]

It is a huge cultural problem that has been going on for decades.

Want to listen to someone talk sense about this. Link Not the person you would think, but he makes a lot of sense.

The tool man makes some good points on a topic different than the one being discussed here.

[GP1]

The tool man makes some good points on a topic different than the one being discussed here.

The topic is what some see as a low graduation rate. It is entirely too low partly because we direct high school students towards four year schools when a two year school would be a better solution. The Great GP1 and Mike Rowe see it the same way. Sorry you can't see the connection. Doesn't seem that difficult to me.

[zipdoll]

The topic is what some see as a low graduation rate. It is entirely too low partly because we direct high school students towards four year schools when a two year school would be a better solution. The Great GP1 and Mike Rowe see it the same way. Sorry you can't see the connection. Doesn't seem that difficult to me.

The question: Why is Akron's the lowest? It is not so much a collective issue as it is one for Akron to address and no, I won't put the problem on the students. The problem is with the institution and therefore the character of students it attracts. Other universities in Ohio attract better students and have much better graduation rates...why can't Akron? We are not third tier because it is someone else's fault. It is our fault.