By Elizabeth ValenteStaff Writer
According to recent statistics, one out of four 1999 incoming SanDiego State University freshmen–almost 1,000 students — do notcontinue on to their sophomore year of college. Statistics alsoindicate the retention problem is worse for minority students.
Aside from not returning by choice, a student may not returnbecause they have been academically disqualified because ofinsufficient grades, or administratively disqualified for notcompleting campus requirements.
“Thank goodness, there’s finally a real sense of concern oncampus,” said Gus Chavez, Equal Opportunities Program director.
In Fall 2000, almost 32 percent of African American and 36 percentof Pacific Islander freshman students were ineligible to continueafter their first semester, while only 13.8 percent of white studentswere not eligible to continue.
Faculty and students are taking active roles in developing methodsto improve these numbers, especially for minority students.
University Senate member Isidro Ortiz said success depends on thekind of support provided by the institution. He said previously thegoal was to keep incoming student enrollment high.
Now, SDSU is aiming for long-term planning; instead of replacingthe students, working to keep them until graduation. “For minorities,college has been like a revolving door,” he said. “For a long timethe emphasis was on bringing them onto campus — the goal was to
bring the numbers up. (But) it’s not enough to just bring themhere, they have to make it through. The revolving door has to stop.”
Both Chavez and Ortiz said retention starts before the studenteven comes to college, and simply bringing in students with higherSATs or grade point averages will not solve the problem. Chavez saidthere are student organizations who work extensively with middle andhigh schools to better prepare incoming college students and parents.
Every year, 10 student organizations put on high schoolconferences to educate local high school students about college life.
Chavez said this sets a positive tone for students and guardians.
“This creates a mindset among families that their children will becollege students,” he said.
Chavez said there are many methods to initiate higher retentionrates once the student comes to college. For example, academicadvising and counseling, student-to-student mentoring,faculty-to-student mentoring, tutoring, learning labs, andinvolvement in clubs have all proven to be effective in increasingretention rates.
Another step to solve the problem recently began in the UniversitySenate. The Academic Affairs Committee has created a sub-committee tolook at retention issues. The sub-committee has been charged withputting together a set of principles to help solve the retentionproblem for future years.
Ortiz, a committee member, said an example of a principle mightbe: “Retention efforts on this campus should work to maintain thediversity of the student body.”
Ortiz said regardless of what type of data has been analyzed, it’sclear there is an overall problem. The committee will strive toimprove retention rates for all students, not just minorities. Thecommittee is trying something different by collaborating faculty andstudent service professionals to solve this complex problem.
“We’re trying to bring together two different sectors that havetraditionally worked apart,” he said. “What we’re doing isunprecedented.”
The committee is planning to look at research about retention andexamining what has worked in other schools across the country, Ortizsaid.
As of right now, they have not determined any concrete initialgoals.
“Ideally one would speak of not losing any students, but thatwould not be realistic,” Ortiz said. “Whatever goal we set will bemuch better than what we’ve had in the past.”
Associated Students President Jason Rollingson said the A.S.Council is also trying to find some solutions for retention problems.An A.S. ad-hoc committee has been created where council members willbe looking at retention numbers and policies.
Rollingson said he is also visiting other colleges such asUniversity of California, Los Angeles and University of California,Irvine to compare retention practices.
Rollingson said he and the committee will be looking at socialreasons for students not returning to campus, not just academicreasons. He said it will look at why every student did not come backto SDSU, but will concentrate on what groups are hurt the most.
“Definitely more is going to come,” he said. “This issue is notgoing to drop.”
RETENTION STATISTICS BY ETHNICITY:
FALL 1999 TO FALL 2000
American Indian
Enrolled Fall 99: 22
Enrolled Fall 00: 15
Continuation Rate: 68.2 percent
African American
Enrolled Fall 99: 183
Enrolled Fall 00: 110
Cont.: 60.1
Mexican American
Fall 99: 581
Fall 00: 372
Cont.: 64percent
Other Hispanic
Fall 99: 134
Fall 00:100
Cont.: 74.6
Asian American
Fall 99:168
Fall 00: 140
Cont.: 83.3
Southeast Asian
Fall 99: 129
Fall 00: 83
Cont.: 64.3
Pacific Islander
Fall 99: 25
Fall 00: 14
Cont.: 56
Filipino
Fall 99: 302
Fall 00: 237
Cont.: 78.5
White
Fall 99: 1779
Fall 00: 1414
Cont.: 79.5
Not Stated
Fall 99: 437
Fall 00: 318
Cont.: 72.8
International
Fall 99: 53
Fall 00: 36
Cont.: 67.9
