Dear colleagues,
Welcome to March and, seemingly, to the onset of spring!
I am pleased to share an update on the amazing work being done across campus in support of putting students first.
Our Students First Framework launched in the fall, and since then we have initiated numerous initiatives and working groups in support of recruitment, admissions, retention, and graduation. I am excited to share that fall-to-spring persistence rates have improved significantly over the past year. New first-time, full-time student persistence rates have increased by five points to 91% this spring. New transfer rates are up two percent to 92%, while overall we have improved persistence rates for all degree-seeking undergraduates from 91% to 92%.
To celebrate and continue to improve our retention efforts, we are planning UNC’s very first Retention Summit for UNC faculty, staff, and students. Mark your calendars for:
April 12 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. (in-person)
and
April 13 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. (virtual)
More information will be shared in the coming weeks. The event is being planned under the leadership of our Graduation and Retention Taskforce and is part of our Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative.
The summit will give all of us an opportunity to learn more about UNC’s student demographics and share ideas about how to retain students across the institution. We also will be publishing a Request for Proposals for grants related to retention efforts. Registration information is coming soon!
Thank you for the hard work you are doing to retain our students and support their success at UNC!
Warmly,
Lisa
——
Lisa Vollendorf, Ph.D.
Interim Provost
University of Northern Colorado
