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News

Students enroll, but don't graduate

UH is awarding more degrees, but retention rates still a problem

by KATIE HAMARICH 
The Daily Cougar

Despite a steady increase in the number of degrees awarded each year to UH students since 2000, the University's retention rate remains stagnant.

A 2003 University study showed that in terms of race, Asian students have the highest retention rate at 90.9 percent, while the racial group labeled "other" has the lowest retention rate ? 66.4 percent.

Retention rates reflect the University's ability to encourage students who are enrolled in college for the first time to return as underclassmen.

"(The University has an) Enrollment Management Task Force with deans and faculty on it and it has been looking at these issues for two years," Libby Barlow, executive director of UH Institutional Research, said.

The EMTF spent two years working to make sure students continue to enroll in the University.

But the number of students entering UH programs and the number of degrees awarded from those programs each year do not match. 

In Fall 2005, 2,181 freshmen entered the biology program, making it the most popular major that year. More than 2,000 freshmen enrolled in the pre-business program, 1,633 enrolled in psychology.

But in terms of bachelor's degrees awarded during 2005, psychology topped the list of UH programs with 389, showing a disproportion between enrollment and graduation rates.

University officials are taking steps to increase retention rates among graduate level studen.

During tuition and fee forums in March, Provost Donald Foss said keeping graduate students in school is a priority for the Univeristy, and proposed $666,514 in funding be set aside for graduate assistant tuition fellowships.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram reported in February that Texas universities overshot the mark when they planned to award more than 4,451 degrees from physical science programs. Instead, only 760 such degrees were awarded.

UH awarded 37 physical science degrees in 2005, a 27.6 percent increase from the 29 awarded in 2000. 

But Barlow said because many UH students commute to campus and work part- or full-time jobs, it is difficult to compare the University with other, more traditional campuses.

"With first time in college students, our graduation rate is not as high as we want it," Barlow said. "When compared to other schools like us, though, we are not doing so badly." 
 

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