Strategic outcome
Maintaining high student retention while eliminating gaps among specific groups.
Definition for retention
Retention rates are the percentage of a fall entrance cohort who are still enrolled, have not yet graduated, in subsequent fall terms. Retention rate is updated each year by October 1 of the reporting year.
Since we do not have direct access to retention data and that a number of factors impacting retention are out of SA reach, the Assessment Committee recommend using the following intermedium outcomes instead to measure SA impact on retention. These outcomes are more process oriented and have strong research support in improving retention rates.
Intermedium Outcomes and Measures
- Number of student contacts
- Student engagement in co-curricular experiences (e.g., student organizations, professional development opportunities, and campus employment, etc.)
- Frequency of engagement
- Student capacity to engage (Knowledge and understanding about the benefits of engagement).
- Campus support network
- Student awareness of campus resources
- How familiar are you with the following program/services? (not at all, a little, somewhat, very, extremely)
- How much did [program/service] help you to know about [the following services/offices] on campus that are available to students? (not at all, a little, somewhat, a lot, a great deal)
- Student use of campus resources
- How often do you use the following services? (never, rarely, sometimes, often, very often)
- How important for you are the following services? 1 (not at all, a little, somewhat, very, extremely)
- How satisfied are you with the following services? (not at all, a little, somewhat, very, extremely, not applicable, I have never used the service)
- How often do you use the following services? (never, rarely, sometimes, often, very often)
- Supportiveness of the environment
- How easy is it for you to contact [department staff]? (not at all, a little, somewhat, very, extremely)
- How comfortable do you feel approaching [department staff]? (not at all, a little, somewhat, very, extremely)
- How willing is [department staff] to help? (not at all, a little, somewhat, very, extremely)
- How much does [department staff] make you feel that there are people here who… (not at all, a little, somewhat, a lot, a great deal)
- … you can discuss personal issues with?
- … listen to you when you have something to say?
- … really care about you?
- … you can count on?
- … believe you can be successful?
- Student awareness of campus resources
- Sense of belonging (see sense of belonging measures for more details)
- Overall sense of belonging
- How much do you feel that … (scale: not at all, a little, somewhat, quite a bit, a great deal)
- … you are valued as a person by this institution?
- … you are accepted as part of the campus community?
- … you belong on this campus?
- Program/service impact on sense of belonging
- How much dose [department staff] make you feel … (scale: not at all, a little, somewhat, quite a bit, a great deal)
- … welcome?
- … respected?
- … there are people here who really care about you?
- How much dose [department staff] make you feel … (scale: not at all, a little, somewhat, quite a bit, a great deal)
- How much do you feel that … (scale: not at all, a little, somewhat, quite a bit, a great deal)
- Overall sense of belonging
- Basic needs
- Campus climate (campus climate survey)
- Emergency fund dollars availability and usage
- Food security (USDA Economic Research Service, 2012 2; Existing data available through ACHA-NCHA)
- In the last 30 days, how often was the following statement true? (often true, sometimes true, or never true)
- The food that I bought just didn’t last, and I didn’t have money to get more.
- I couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.
- In the last 30 days, did you ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there was not enough money for food? (yes, no, prefer not to answer)
- If YES, then: In the last 30 days, how many days did this happen (you cut the size of your meals or skipped meals because there wasn’t enough money for food)?
- In the last 30 days, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn’t enough money for food? (Yes, no, prefer not to answer)
- In the last 30 days, were you ever hungry but did not eat because there was not enough money for food? (yes, no, prefer not to answer)
- In the last 30 days, how often was the following statement true? (often true, sometimes true, or never true)
- Housing security (Goldrick-Rab, Richardson, & Kinsley, 2018 3)
- In the past 12 months, did you experience any of the following situation? Please check all that apply.
- Not pay or underpay your rent or mortgage
- Receive a summons to appear in housing court
- Not pay the full amount of a gas, oil, or electricity bill
- Borrow money from friends or family to help pay bills
- Have an account default or go into collections
- Move in with other people, even for a little while, because of financial problems
- Live with others beyond the expected capacity of the house or apartment
- In the past 12 months, was there a rent or mortgage increase that made it difficult to pay? (yes, no, prefer not to answer)
- In the past 12 months, how many times have you moved?
- In the past 12 months, did you leave your household because you felt unsafe? (yes, no, prefer not to answer)
- How safe do you feel where you currently live? (not at all safe, a little bit safe, somewhat safe, very safe, extremely safe)
- In the past 12 months, did you experience any of the following situation? Please check all that apply.
- Homelessness (Crutchfield & Maguire, 2017 4)
- Since starting college, have you ever been homeless? (yes, no, prefer not to answer)
- In the past 12 months, have you slept in any of the following places? Please check all that apply.
- Campus or university housing
- Sorority or fraternity house
- In a rented or owned house, mobile home, or apartment (alone or with roommates or friends)
- In a rented or owned house, mobile home, or apartment with family (parent, guardian, or relative)
- At a shelter
- In a camper
- Temporarily staying with a relative, friend, or couch surfing until finding other housing
- Temporarily at a hotel or motel without a permanent home to return to (not on vacation or business travel)
- In transitional housing or independent living program
- At a group home such as halfway home or residential program for mental health or substance abuse
- At a treatment center (such as detox, hospital, etc.)
- Outdoor location such as street, sidewalk, or alley, bus or train stop, campground or woods, park, beach, or riverbed, under bridge or overpass
- In a closed area or space with a roof not meant for human habitation such as abandoned building, car or truck, van, RV, or camper, encampment or tent, or undercover garage, attic, or basement
- Physical and mental health (existing data available through ACHA-NCHA and Healthy Minds)
- Other needs
- How much does the following impact your ability to succeed as a student?
- Difficulty arranging transportation to or from campus
- Childcare or other caregiving responsibilities
- Access to internet for your coursework
- Access to reliable computing equipment for your coursework
- How much does the following impact your ability to succeed as a student?
Footnotes
[1] importance and satisfaction questions can be used to perform gap analysis.
[2] USDA Economic Research Service. (2012, August). Food security in the United States. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-security-in-the-united-states/food-security-in-the-united-states/#Survey%20Modules
[3] Goldrick-Rab, S., Richardson, J., & Kinsley, P. (2018). Guide to assessing basic needs insecurity in higher education. https://hope4college.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Basic-Needs-Insecurity-College-Students.pdf
[4] Crutchfield, R. M. & Maguire, J. (2017). Researching basic needs in higher education: Qualitative and quantitative instruments to explore a holistic understanding of food and housing insecurity. https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/basic-needs-initiative/Documents/researching-basic-needs.pdf