Welcome to The Report Card, a monthly newsletter containing information on various topics related to institutional effectiveness. This issue is on Student Progress and Retention, with a particular focus on degree-seeking students.

Background:

Many students attend college with the intent of earning a two-year degree, although this number tends to be less than the majority at community colleges. In fall 2002, 44% of new students at Green River said they intended to enroll long enough to complete a two-year degree.  Degree-seeking students attend on both a full-time and part-time basis, with some students varying their enrollment status over time. Other responsibilities such as work or caring for children often result in students decreasing the number of classes in which they enroll or “stopping out” altogether for a quarter or two then returning. Because of these enrollment patterns, students can take up to six years or longer to complete the requirements for a two-year degree.  

Highlights:

More than half (59%) of all first-time, degree-seeking students who enrolled at a Washington community college in fall 2001 made substantial progress toward their degree over a two-year period (meaning they attended for four quarters or more).  About 16% attended only one quarter and did not return within two years. Similarly, during this same time period, 57% of first-time, degree-seeking students at Green River made substantial progress toward their degree and an additional 28% made some progress by attending two or three quarters. Nearly 15% attended only one quarter and did not return within two years. (See Figure 1).

·        The progress rates of first-time, degree-seeking students at Green River fluctuated somewhat between academic years (AY) 99-00 and 01-02 compared to progress rates system-wide, which remained fairly consistent.  Between AY 00-01 and 01-02, the most significant changes were in the percentage of early leavers (decreasing by 4%) and the percentage making some progress (increasing by 5%). (See Figure 1).

·        More than 66% of the degree-seeking students who enrolled full-time in AY 01-02 made substantial progress compared to 26% of the part-time students.  This is slightly lower than students system-wide (68% and 32% respectively). (See Figure 2).

·        Between AY 99-00 and 01-02, the percentage of female degree-seeking students who made substantial progress increased by 3%, whereas the percentage for male students decreased by 5%. (See Figure 3).
 

The percentage of first-time, degree-seeking students retained from fall quarter through spring quarter increased by 5% between AY 99-00 and 01-02.  Sixty-seven percent of the students who enrolled in fall 2002 were retained through the following spring quarter compared to 62% who enrolled fall 2001. (See Figure 4). 

·        About 72% of degree-seeking students who enrolled full-time in fall quarter 2002 were retained through the following spring quarter compared with 44% of the part-time students. (See Figure 5). 

·        More than 68% of female degree-seeking students were retained through the following spring quarter compared to 65% of male students. (See Figure 6).  

The average number of quarters that first-time, degree-seeking students enrolled in over a three-year period remained fairly stable at four to five quarters since AY 98-99.  Approximately 40% of the first-time, degree-seeking students who enrolled beginning in fall 2000 attended six or more quarters over a three-year period. (See Figure 7).

·         More than 42% attended only one year and did not return within the remaining two years.

·         About 3% of the first-time, degree-seeking students who entered fall 2000 stopped out the second year and returned the third year.

·         Forty-one percent of the female students beginning in AY 00-01 enrolled in six or more quarters compared to 40% of male students. (See Figure 8).