Meg Murray is a full-time student from Enumclaw and has been attending Green River for the past four quarters. She plans to graduate in June 2005 with an AA degree and then transfer into an RN program.  When asked what made her stay, Meg said, "I love the campus, the location and all my teachers." Her favorite teacher is Dave Mullet who teaches Anatomy and Physiology and Patrick Navin, her photography instructor.  Meg is also employed on campus as a work study student.   "This opportunity has given me a better appreciation of the college and how it works." she said. 

Flo Icenogle

Flo Icenogle started attending Green River Community College in spring 2004. She decided to go back to school after her divorce. "I never worked during my  twenty years of marriage. Now at fifty, I have no income and a large mortgage."  The day Flo came to Green River marked a new beginning. She was immediately directed to Eileen Dunn, Director of Women's Programs, who helped her to enroll in the Legal Administration Program and secure funding through the Displaced Homemaker Grant. She also participated in the Transitions Institute, which is a 12-day seminar, facilitated by the Director of Women's Programs and the Career Center. This institute was created to help displaced homemakers gain the tools they need to go back to school and seek gainful employment.

"I am so glad there is this (Transition) program. There are a lot people out there in my situation that could really benefit from it," Flo said. "It really helped me with my self-esteem. I especially liked the self-evaluation test. This helped me to identify who I really am. It was very eye-opening."  Flo strongly believes in the power of education.  She is currently taking a full load at Green River and is also interested in pursuing a Paralitigator Certificate.

A monthly newsletter that gives you the facts...Nov. 23, 2004, Vol. III, Issue ii

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: 

In last month’s issue, various data were highlighted related to degree-seeking students and graduation. It was noted that just over half (55%) of Green River students enroll with the intent of earning a degree or certificate. The path of higher education for community college students tends to be varied, meaning students stop and start depending on various life circumstances including work, family, etc. This month we take a look at the enrollment patterns of these degree-seeking students.

Highlights:

About 60% of all first-time, degree-seeking students who enrolled at a Washington community college in fall 2002 made substantial progress toward their degree over a two-year period (meaning they attended for four quarters or more).  Only 17% attended one quarter and did not return within two years. Similarly, during this same time period, 59% of first-time, degree-seeking students at Green River made substantial progress toward their degree and an additional 24% made some progress by attending two or three quarters. About 17% attended one quarter and did not return within two years. This pattern of progress has been very consistent over the past four years for Green River students, as well as for the entire Washington community college system. (See Figure 1).

·        Students who enroll full-time (10 credits or more) tend to make more progress compared to those who enroll part-time (fewer than 10 credits). More than 69% of the degree-seeking students who enrolled full-time beginning in fall 2002 made substantial progress compared to 28% of part-time students. Only 9% of full-time students were early leavers compared to 42% of part-time students.
(See Figure 2). 

The percentage of first-time, degree-seeking students retained from fall quarter through spring quarter has increased steadily since 2000 (a 9% increase in four years). Over 71% of the students who enrolled in fall 2003 were retained through the following spring quarter compared to 62% who enrolled in fall 2000. (See Figure 3). 
 

·        About 76% of degree-seeking students who enrolled full-time in fall quarter 2003 were retained through the following spring quarter compared with 45% of the part-time students. (See Figure 4). 

·        The retention rate for female students has been higher than male students for the last four years. The retention rate for both males and females has steadily increased over this same time period. Between 2000 and 2003, the fall to spring retention rate for males increased by 9% (from 61% to 70%) as did the rate for females (from 63% to 72%). (See Figure 5).  

·        The retention rate for both students of color and white students also steadily increased over the last four years. Between 2000 and 2003, the rate increased by 7% for students of color and 11% for white students.  However, the retention rate for students of color has been consistently lower than that of white students (ranging from 9% to 15% in the last four years).  (See Figure 6).

The number of quarters that first-time, degree-seeking students enrolled in over a three-year period has fluctuated over time. (See Figure 7).
 

·         Approximately 43% of students of color in the AY 01-02 cohort enrolled for five or more quarters compared to 47% of white students in the same cohort. The median number of quarters enrolled for students of color was three quarters compared to four quarters for white students. (See Figure 8).

·        Nearly 44% of male students in the AY 01-02 cohort enrolled for five or more quarters compared to 47% of female students. The median number of quarters enrolled for male students was three and one half quarters compared to four quarters for females.