On Campus Living Could Improve Graduation Rates

By Rick Lindfors

Carissa Kim came to the University of Oregon from Hawaii because of the environment. “It’s very natural here. Especially in Eugene there’s lots of trees. There’s a lot of scenery. Back home all I saw was just mountains,” Kim says. California was too urban and Washington was too dreary. Even though she is an ocean away from home, she’s found a niche in the biology program, the UO marching band, and in her living quarters in the UO’s Global Scholar’s Hall.

Global Scholar’s Hall may become one of the dorms freshmen will be required to live in. According to Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. Roger Thompson, the UO is giving “serious thought” into mandatory on-campus living for freshman. The idea comes as part of a plan to keep freshman from transferring or dropping out of the UO.

The University of Oregon’s four-year graduation rate is about 44 percent. The six-year graduation rate stands at 68 percent. Neither of the two rates are where the university wants them to be. According to Thompson, the economic recession in 2008 played a large factor in decreasing graduation rates with students leaving the University of Oregon for “lower cost alternatives.” Thompson hopes to bring the six-year graduation rate up to 75 percent in the next three years. According to Thompson, setting a goal too high for four-year graduation rates would be unrealistic because about one half of freshmen come to the University of Oregon undeclared. Students often take more than a year to settle on an academic path and this delays completion of their college studies.

Part of the plan for bringing up the four and six year graduation rates is raising retention rates in first and second year students. “We know that we lose most of our students at the end of the freshman year. So if we can increase our freshman retention rate, it will naturally translate to a four, five and six year graduation rate that would be higher,” Thompson says. According to Thompson, first time, full time freshman were retained at 87 percent – the highest in UO’s history. Thompson is confident this will lead to higher graduation rates.

There are several facets to the UO’s plan to improve freshman retention. One part is to admit a better freshman class. In 2013, the UO’s incoming freshman had a record high 3.60 high school GPA and average critical reading, math and writing SAT scores of 1677.

Another part of the plan is reach out to students who may be considering leaving UO. The UO uses research to determine if a student is likely to consider leaving UO. The university analyzes information such as high school performance, amount of financial aid received, distance from home, and other variables. The UO then uses this information to advise and interact with students on their decisions on whether to stay at the university or leave.

Thompson is also confident that requiring freshman to live on campus will keep students at UO. “The research tells us If you live in our residence halls, you retain at a higher rate as a freshman than if you’re off campus,” he says.

Kim has made new friends while living in the Global Scholar’s Hall. “You do get to meet a lot of people that you probably would have never talked to and notice that they’re in your class at the same time,” says Kim. While the closeness to classmates and friends can help a student fit in, Kim believes finding a place at UO is being willing to take even a small step outside of comfort zones. “I think that’s the first step you have to take to really start to get to know people.”

Kim has concerns about the cost of living in a residence hall instead of off campus. “It would be a little bit harder financially,” she says. Living in the dorms for the 2013-14 school year costs between $10,000 and 15,000 each year depending on the room.

Freshman music major Kathie Hsieh also believes the financial burden of living in the dorms could be too much for some students. But living in the dorms gives freshmen many opportunities to socialize, she says.

“You get to know more people a lot quicker and make more friends,” says Hsieh. The subject themed halls can also help students with their classwork. “There’s some music majors in my hall so we can work together on homework and that definitely helps a lot.”