Amid numerous discussions of recruitment and admissions, Baker University administrators and faculty focused on student retention at a town hall meeting Friday.
“We’re going to lose some students, and that’s OK,” University President Pat Long said.
However, Long said a number of students who leave Baker could have prospered on the Baldwin City campus.
“I’m not as concerned about that as much as the students who either are on the borderline of not coming back or who didn’t come back,” she said. “Those are the ones who we need to think about how in the world we can do anything to retain those students.”
Retention consultant P. Teresa Farnum returned to campus for the town hall meeting to give the results of her study that began with a visit to campus Nov. 27 and 28.
With a total of 846 students enrolled for the spring semester, retention figures have shown an 88.6 percent retention rate for freshmen from their first semester, 73.6 percent for sophomores, 73.4 percent for juniors and 52.9 percent for seniors since their initial enrollment at Baker.
“I think it is a continual focus. I do believe that given the quality of faculty here, the caring staff and the programs and services, we should have the ingredients for a first-rate retention rate,” Long said. “We have good retention, but we don’t have great retention.”
Long said the consultant gave some greater insight into retention issues at Baker.
Among the university’s strengths, Farnum listed caring faculty, increased programs, individual intervention and the quality of academic advisers.
Lisa Johnston, assistant dean for student academic services, said the SAS has increased programs and worked to assure the best academic experience possible for Baker students.
“One of the things we always try to do is be really sensitive to advising loads. We also look at the advising survey that students fill out every year,” she said.
Among weaknesses, Farnum listed the First Year Experience program, which Long said is in the process of being revised, the inactivity of the honors program, the lack of a retention committee and plan, and perceptions of the quality of students being recruited.
Academically, Long said it’s not just one group of students that needs attention.
“Both ends of the spectrum are who we’re focusing on right now,” she said. “One of the big discussions we’re having is for our honors students, … that we ensure that we do enough for those high-end students who want rigor, as well as those who are struggling.”
Associate Professor of English Tracy Floreani said she has engaged in a number of conversations among faculty about the lack of honors courses and students willing to participate in the program.
“I think people have this assumption that smart students are nerds that want to be left alone with their books,” she said. “They want a sense of community, too.”
Long said conversation continues about the standards for admission into Baker.
“Are we admitting students who are not as academically prepared as we have in the past? Is that because of our admission standards or is that because students coming out of high school just aren’t as prepared?” Long said.
Farnum indicated that ACT scores may be valued too greatly in evaluating admission decisions at Baker.