About the Office of Student Success and Retention

The purpose of the Morgan State University Office of Student Success and Retention is to work in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts, the School of Engineering, the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, the School of Business and Management, the School of Education and Urban Studies, the School Community and Public Health, the School of Architecture and Planning, the School of Social Work, and the various academic support programs of the University to provide continuous, quality support for undergraduate students from matriculation to graduation. The goal of this comprehensive program is to increase student retention rates and persistence to graduation with a focus on academic success and achievement through early intervention and systematic tracking of undergraduate students. Listed below are the Campus-Wide Retention Initiatives:

• Summer Programs for Freshmen – facilitating the mandatory ACCESS Orientation Program and PACE
• Placement Testing (Accuplacer) – proctoring, scoring & disseminating 1,200–1,600 tests per academic year
• Disability Support Services (SASS) – managing reasonable accommodations with University faculty & staff
• Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) – participating in the nation-wide longitudinal cohort of institutions
• Academic Advisement for First-time Freshmen -- (Summer & Fall semesters only of the first year)
• Mid-term grades of “D” or “F” – monitoring & intervening with students to prevent final grades of “D” or “F”
• Final grades of “D” or “F” – monitoring & intervening with students to replace grades with “C” grades or better
• Academic Probation – monitoring & intervening with students to restore Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Financial Literacy – providing a financial education curriculum designed to enhance students’ financial skills
• Financial Aid Probation – working to reduce number of students ineligible to receive financial aid
• FAFSA filing campaign –working to reduce the number students with incomplete or late FAFSA applications
• Students Dropped for Failure to Make Satisfactory Financial Arrangements – reinstating as many as possible
• No Longer Enrolled Students -- tracking and follow-up of student registration, withdrawals, and stop-outs
• Early Alert & Response System--assisting faculty with intervention for students performing below expectations
• Parents’ 411 newsletter – mailing to the permanent address of all undergraduate students each semester
• University Guide – publishing an annual comprehensive campus resource manual for students and parents
• Retention Research & Student Surveys – participating in national benchmarking & campus research/surveys
• Peer Tutoring – coordinating programs in the academic schools/departments

Although the University’s retention and graduates rates have been consistently hovering around 68% (freshman-sophomore retention rate) and 35% (six-year graduation rate) over the past ten years, each specific retention initiative at the University is evaluated annually based on cohort participation. For example, student participants in the Access-Success six-week summer bridge program have significantly higher retention and graduation rates and higher GPAs than their peers who do not participate. PACE students are five times more likely to test out of developmental MATH 106 than their peers who do not participate. Specific measures are used on an annual basis to evaluate every program and initiative sponsored by the Office of Student Retention. And, the overall results show that when students participate in targeted retention programs and initiatives, they earn higher GPAs and have higher retention and graduation rates.

One of the retention initiatives for the 2010 academic year was the ACCESS Orientation Program. During the ACCESS Orientation Program, students and their parents received financial aid assistance including FAFSA information, residence life information, placement testing results, academic advisement, and career counseling. Additionally, students participated in activities, workshops, and seminars to include topics such as college transition, study skills, and test-taking strategies. It was expected that new students and their parents would leave the ACCESS Orientation Program week with all of the necessary tools and resources required for their Fall enrollment at the University, as well as for their first year of academic success. The ACCESS Orientation Program pledges to increase access to college for a diverse student population, prepare students for their college matriculation, provide a head start for students on the path to academic success, and increase the retention and graduation rates of all undergraduate students by means of “frontloading” critical resources for first-time, full-time freshmen. It is expected that the campus-wide ACCESS Orientation Program for freshmen and new students inherent in the best practices in higher education will yield outstanding results for the entire undergraduate student population.