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Retention Research

Provost's Remarks

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Terrell Strayhorn, Special Assistant to the Provost, will help lead university retention efforts.

The Office of the Provost is delighted to announce the release of the inaugural issue of a new campus-wide publication, Retention Research. This publication is an important part of our efforts to study and increase student retention on the Knoxville campus.

Soon after arriving at UT Knoxville, I recognized that we needed to focus more on student retention, not only to increase our ranking among peer institutions but also because good retention rates usually mean that universities care about student learning and student well-being. Over the past four years the quality of our student body has increased dramatically. Every student who comes to UT has the potential to succeed, and it is the obligation of faculty and administrators to make certain that this potential is realized. The Retention Task Force, appointed to study issues related to student success, has recently reported its findings to me. Many of its recommendations will be implemented over the next few years.

I have also appointed Terrell Strayhorn to serve as a special assistant to the provost to assist me, as well as the campus, with understanding the multi-faceted phenomenon of student retention as well as with implementing and assessing our progress. This publication is one of the products of Terrell’s work. It will enlighten us all on a topic that has become central to our thinking about how we provide education and how we fashion an educationally friendly environment for students on our campus.

Articles

Special Points of Interest

  • In 2005, the first to second year retention rate at UT was 81.7%
  • In 2005, approximately 13% of first-year students were placed on academic review after their first term
  • Findings from the First-Year Survey suggest that, on average, UT students are “satisfied” with their college experience
  • Findings are consistent with UT responses on the NSSE 2007; however, UT students are less satisfied than students at our peer institutions