Dye addresses Oberlin's low retention rate

Studies of what brings students back to be done

President Nancy Dye has declared the low retention rate to be the College's first priority.

With an 80 percent retention rate, the College is ten points lower than other colleges of our status. Oberlin hopes to find out what prompts students to leave, and what keeps them here, according to President Dye. "We don't really understand that decision making process. Our goal is first of all to try to get a handle on it," said Dye. "It's more than simply satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the college."

The administration has already conducted a study on African-American student retention, which produced results linking retention to activity in community service and campus organizations. "We are gearing up for more studies," said Dean of the College Clayton Koppes.

According to Diana Roose, assistant to the president, there are three principal reasons why Oberlin students choose not to finish a degree, as drawn from the African American retention study. These include financial, academic and social and personal reasons.

The administration has been active in trying to solve these problems. One measure that has been taken is to add a financial counselor to the Oberlin staff to work closely with the students and help them with their problems.

They have also worked to help students by strengthening the Student Academic Advising Program and all student support services.

Koppes speculated that the problem of retention may lie in whether students are taking too many hours at one time. He also questioned, "Whether our program for first year students is sufficient enough to orient them to a successful college career."

Koppes also questioned whether some student academic preparation corresponds to Oberlin's intensity. "I've seen a number of students do poorly their first year then pull it together," Koppes said.

Social reasons seem to be the largest factor in the lack of student retention. "People come and find small communities to attach to, but they don't have a sense of attachment to the Oberlin community as a whole," said Roose.

One first-year student, who is planning to transfer next semester, said that the Oberlin community is just not enough. "I want to be able to get out of this bubble and do non-Oberlin affiliated things," she said.

"I think retention and I see support. We need to have the student see themselves here. They've got to be connected to the institution," said Deborah McNish, interim dean of student life.

Dye said that past studies, specifically the African American retention study, have shown that it is programs such as community service and other associative programs that help lead to better retention. As a result, the staff has been putting more effort into providing students with this sort of community.

Dye said that the general faculty council will serve as the "prime mover" to help solve retention problems. She has spoken to the staff, faculty, student body, board of trustees, alumni and the enrollment management team and plans to get student government and student organizations involved. I asked that the trustees establish an ad-hoc committee on student retention. The five trustees on that committee will meet with students," she said.

College trustees are on campus this weekend for their annual October work session. Five of the trustees have arranged meetings with students today and Saturday to discuss retention issues.

Dye hopes to use this year forming questions pertaining to retention. When this has been done, these issues will be "farmed out" to different parts of campus so that these issues can be discussed and recommendations can be given.