Record numbers of Florida State University undergraduate students are earning their degrees in four years or less thanks in part to significant investments by university leadership to enhance the academic experience. 

FSU’s four-year graduation rate reached a new high of 76%, up from 75% last year, while the university’s retention rate maintained a stellar 96%, matching last year’s record. Using the most recent publicly available data, FSU’s Office of Institutional Research projects these numbers will secure FSU in the Top 10 among all public universities nationally in both categories. 

“These record-breaking graduation and retention rates are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, and staff,” said President Richard McCullough. “We are committed to providing an outstanding educational experience that supports our students’ success from day one.” 

The six-year graduation rate also climbed to 86%, up from last year’s record of 85%, which is projected to rank FSU in the Top 20 among public universities.  

Notably, FSU’s three-year graduation rate for transfer students shot up to 78.3% from last year’s 74.4%, which led all State University System institutions. The university’s six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients is 83%. 

FSU has achieved these results through strategic investments in student success initiatives. Key among them are enhancements to academic advising and the introduction of supportive programs designed to guide students through their educational journey. 

“Our investments in comprehensive advising and student support programs are paying off in remarkable ways,” McCullough said. “We are dedicated to ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed.” 

“Our investments in comprehensive advising and student support programs are paying off in remarkable ways. We are dedicated to ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed.”                                                                                                                                                                                                  — President Richard McCullough

FSU is continuously expanding its student success teams, including Advising First, Academic Guides and Transfer Student Services, who actively engage with students and offer personalized support, including targeted financial assistance. This includes the Graduation Planning and Strategies Office, where student success teams help former students who left FSU without finishing their degree to re-enroll and graduate. Since May 2017, over 3,600 students have been supported in achieving degree completion through this initiative. 

FSU’s recent investments to expand the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, or CARE, also have been integral to improving graduation rates. Through CARE, the university provides additional support for first-generation students and others who have historically encountered extra financial barriers to education, such as Federal Pell Grant recipients. The CARE Summer Bridge program continues to grow with a record number 389 students participating in the six-week program this summer, while more than 700 additional students are supported by CARE through Quest Scholars and the Illuminate Program.  

Engage 100 supports and engages students during their first year at FSU. The initiative offers a peer community and resources to aid in students’ transition and success. Enrollment in Engage 100 is mandatory for nearly all first-year students and there are now opportunities for new transfer students.    

The Learning Assistant Program is another way FSU is maximizing student success. The LA Program enables active-learning strategies in critical courses, particularly in STEM, with embedded peer learning assistants (LAs). FSU’s LA program is among the largest of its kind in the nation.  

“I am extremely proud of our faculty and staff who work tirelessly to ensure the success of these initiatives, and I deeply appreciate our donors whose generous contributions make many of these programs possible,” said Associate Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies Joe O’Shea. “Their support empowers our students to develop as leaders who graduate ready to take on the world.” 

The post Investment reaps rewards: FSU sets new highs in graduation and retention rates appeared first on Florida State University News.

Andrew Roberts came to Florida State University in 2013 and started out strong, but a tragic turn of events thrust him into a years-long journey to complete his degree.

He credits one key university office, and the steady, devoted guidance from a hands-on graduation specialist, for encouraging him to cross the finish line and finally graduate, which he ultimately accomplished Spring 2021.

“There was somebody else out there that cared, that wanted to see me succeed,” Roberts said.

Through completion campaign programming, the Graduation Planning and Strategies Office, or GPS, works one-on-one with academically inactive seniors to help them come back to school and, ultimately, earn a diploma.

“FSU’s completion campaign has become a model for the nation in how to care for students and see them through to graduation no matter how long it takes.”

— Joe O’Shea, associate provost and dean of the Division of Undergraduate Studies

A dedicated graduation specialist approaches each case differently, with personal outreach and a plan tailored to each student’s unique situation.

The completion campaign, one of multiple initiatives run out of GPS, started five years ago, and was recently recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Advising Program Award winner by the National Academic Advising Association, NACADA.

“FSU’s completion campaign has become a model for the nation in how to care for students and see them through to graduation no matter how long it takes,” said Joe O’Shea, associate provost and dean of the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Since the Spring 2017 semester, 2,573 students of the 4,251 identified through the completion campaign have gone on to earn their bachelor’s degrees. The current active list contains 1,033 students, which includes those who have already reenrolled at the university or are participating in conversations about doing so.

The completion campaign has improved graduation efficiency at FSU, and in turn, saved millions of dollars for state taxpayers. The initiative won a Florida TaxWatch Productivity Award in 2019 for its efforts.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING

Students in good standing may find themselves discontinuing their education for a number of reasons, including academic roadblocks, career indecisiveness, financial uncertainty, family obligations, mental health or health challenges. No two cases are the same.

To support such students in reaching the graduation finish line, administrators say you must first listen to their stories.

“A transcript may introduce assumptions about why a student discontinues their enrollment, but it doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Jill Flees, the director for the GPS Office. “Contacting a student directly creates a space for them to share, on their own time and in their own terms, what factors led to their decision.”

That’s just what graduation specialist Lynn Helton did for Roberts, and what she found was a bright student who had experienced a significant trauma and was uncertain about his future.

Roberts had graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA. He had a Bright Futures Scholarship. He played tenor saxophone in the Marching Chiefs and performed at the national championship game at the Rose Bowl against Auburn University in 2014.

But everything changed one early November morning during his sophomore year.

Roberts was an innocent bystander in a public shooting. He was unharmed but sheltered with others in terror, before police escorted them to safety. In the days, weeks, and months after the traumatic incident, he was overwhelmed with fear and didn’t want to leave his apartment.

“I wasn’t able to defend myself or defend my friends,” he said. “I no longer felt safe.”

His GPA dropped; he transferred to the Panama City campus to be closer to home; he changed his major multiple times; he took on jobs in the restaurant industry and questioned whether he needed a college degree.

“I was at a weird place in my life,” Roberts said. “I was comparing myself to others because I hadn’t met certain timelines that society says I should be on.”

In the summer of 2018, his case landed on Helton’s desk. Her job is to follow up with students who have discontinued their education after completing at least 100 credit hours. Shaping a plan for degree completion may include something outside of returning to campus, such as online coursework, enrollment as a transient student at another school or taking a College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) test for those last few required hours of credit.

Helton helped Roberts get through his final requirements for his degree in recreation, tourism and events, including fieldwork at a catering company in Fall 2019.

“I probably would not have graduated if it wasn’t for Ms. Lynn,” Roberts said. “She said: ‘You’re one class away. Get the piece of paper. You’ve done all this work. Get it done.’”

Helton was “strong, motherly, nice, caring,” he said. She called him every other week for a while. His first internship – at Disney – fell through because of the pandemic, just another unexpected stumbling block for Roberts.

Helton and his professor Donna Trafford, at the Panama City campus, helped him instead arrange an internship through the Seagrove Village MarketCafé, in Seagrove Beach, where he could work as a manager while earning college credit.

“Lynn called every two weeks making sure I was turning in paperwork,” Roberts said. She was not going to let him come that far – and work that hard – without making sure he got the credit he deserved.

Helton helped him navigate both the logistical minutia of paperwork and getting where he needed to be and the bigger picture of processing what he had been through and how to accept that he was on a nontraditional path. At times, it was hard for him to see why he needed a college degree while his career in restaurants was thriving.

“After walking away from academics, Andrew was growing a great reputation in the service industry but was still on a bit of an emotional roller coaster for some time,” Helton said. “Those initial conversations were tough. He confessed, ‘I just don’t think this is for me. I don’t even think this degree is important.’ While our early conversations started out quite negative, with persistence on my part and Andrew’s ultimate willingness to overcome his resistance, we were able to reach his graduation success together.”

The GPS Office and its completion campaign can fly under the radar on campus, and that’s partly by design.

“A lot of what we do is behind the scenes,” said GPS director Flees. “That’s intentional, as students trust us with their stories, which at times can be very sensitive and personal.”

The Outstanding Advising Program Award, won in October, was a chance to recognize and celebrate all the work that gets done in the office and as a collaboration with other campus partners, including those in the registrar’s office and various academic deans’ offices.

The College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, for example, sees the work from the GPS Office as complementary to what they do internally within the college to follow up with students who are at risk of not graduating or who didn’t complete requirements during a previous semester.

“GPS’ outreach campaigns help coordinate getting students re-enrolled, meeting with advisers, and working with us to understand their requirements,” said William Hogan, assistant director of academic affairs for the college. “It’s especially helpful when students have disengaged because of some negative life circumstance, and when they get back in touch with us, we are able to work with them to address the resulting academic issues that impact degree completion.”

GRADUATION: A GREAT RELIEF

After Roberts finally crossed the stage to receive his diploma in Spring 2021, he was overcome with what he described as “relief” and “a burden lifted.”

Helton knows that burden is common among those she serves.

“Many of these students express frustration, shame, or confusion as to how to move forward,” Helton said. “Not finishing their degree weighs heavy on them and they’re so appreciative of somebody just taking the time to call, listen, ask questions, and brainstorm solutions.”

Solutions that have worked now for more than 2,500 students, with more on the way.

“I’m grateful to the incredible people across campus who contribute to the completion campaign, especially graduation specialist Lynn Helton,” O’Shea said. “Through her consistent, tailored support, she has been able to improve the lives of so many students and families, a reflection of FSU’s commitment to its community.”

For more information on the Graduation and Planning Strategies Office, visit https://gps.fsu.edu/. 

The post FSU’s award-winning degree completion program marks first 5 years of graduation assistance appeared first on Florida State University News.