Retaining high-performing students

♦ W— Academic Affairs UNC CHARLOTTE Student Success at UNC Charlotte A Series of Working Papers Volume 2 November 2013 Retaining High-Performing Students Tamara M. Johnson, Ph.D., Office of Academic Affairs Contributors: Steve Coppola, Office of Institutional Research Dennis Livesay, Ph.D., Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics Malin Pereira, Ph.D., Honors College Elizabeth Rollins, Office of Student Financial Aid John Smail, Ph.D., University College Over the years, UNC Charlotte has raised its profile as North Carolina’s urban research institution, demonstrating its commitment to rigorous, cutting edge research, community engagement, academic integrity, and teaching excellence. Every year, the University attracts an increasingly talented and diverse pool of undergraduate students. While the University has implemented numerous support programs designed to assist students who struggle with the transition from high school to college, faculty and staff are also committed to supporting the success of high- performing students and ensuring that they graduate on time. The Student Success Working Group (SSWG) emphasizes that efforts to retain high-performing students must begin in their first year on campus. The first year is an excellent time to introduce students to programs and opportunities available to those achieving academic excellence. Students who are aware of these opportunities early, can be competitively positioned to take advantage of programs that are open to them later in their UNC Charlotte careers. What follows is a review of current and suggested programs designed to recruit and retain high-performing students at UNC Charlotte. This report explores merit-based Tuition Assistance Grants (TAGs); increased exposure to undergraduate research, honors, and professional development experiences; and various recognition initiatives that serve as incentives to entice high-performing students to remain at the University through graduation. Data Regarding Retention of High- Performing Students at UNC Charlotte UNC Charlotte enrolls an increasingly accomplished cohort of undergraduates each year. In Fall 2012, the average Grade Point Average (GPA) of entering first-time, fiill-time, first year students was 3.71, up .5 points from the 2011-2012 academic year (see Figure 1). Every year, however, students withdraw from the University, including many who transfer to other colleges and universities. Of 3,541 new first year students who enrolled in Fall 2012, approximately 20% of them did not return to the University the following Fall. These numbers represent an attrition rate that declined in 2013 after remaining relatively stable over the previous six years (see Figures 2 and 3). UNC