Description: Monitoring retention rates is important because students who return the second year are more likely to graduate. Student characteristics and behaviors, such as preparation for college, motivation and engagement, time spent studying, finances, work, and family obligations affect retention rates. Institutional characteristics also affect retention rates. Although institutions that enroll better-prepared students who are traditional freshmen and who live on campus have higher retention rates, institutions that make personal connections with students and have high levels of faculty involvement with students also retain students at higher rates (Source: USG).
GCSU GOAL: The goal for GCSU's one-year retention rate is improve it each year over year for a five period. Ultimately the institution would like to be in the high 80 percentiles by the end of the five-year period. The rationale for improving the one-year retention rate is tied to the strategic plan of increasing the selective nature of our students, offering student experiences to better engage the students, and provide resources to support student experiences while enrolled.
Description: Increasing graduation rates is one of GCSU's strategic goals. Factors that affect graduation rates include the student's academic preparation for college, motivation and study habits, finances, work, interaction with faculty, amount of financial aid available, and degree of fit between the student and institution. The graduation rate is the proportion of students who enter as first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students in a given summer or fall who earn a degree within 150 percent of the nominal time needed to complete the degree (Source: USG).
GCSU GOAL: The goal for GCSU's six-year graduation rate is to improve it each year over year for a five period. The institution would like to be in the higher mid 60 percentiles by the end of a five year period. The rationale for improving the six-year graduation rate is tied to the strategic plan of increasing the selective nature of our students, offering student experiences to better engage the students, and provide resources to support student experiences while enrolled.
Description: The number of degrees awarded reflects an institution's productivity. Degree production and balance among different degree levels indicate the institution's complexity and vitality, as well as the institution's mission, purposes, and objectives (Source: USG). In this interactive report, users may view information regarding degrees granted in each discipline at each degree level (bachelors, masters, specialist, doctorate) by college (Health Sciences, Business & Technology, Arts & Sciences, and Education).
GCSU GOAL: The minimum threshold of acceptability for the number of degrees conferred is the rolling three-year average of the current degrees awarded. GCSU attempts to maintain a stable population of students to uphold its mission as a public liberal arts institution. Since the population remains relatively the same year to year, the minimum threshold is also relatively stable.
Description: This interactive report contains information regarding degrees conferred by level (bachelors, masters, specialist, doctorate) with additional characteristics including classification of instructional programs (CIP) and breakdown by race/ethnicity.
Description: This interactive report contains descriptive profile information of students entering GCSU as first-time freshmen. The user can choose to view characteristics including race and ethnic origin, gender, age, high school GPA, and SAT scores.
GCSU GOAL: GOAL: For cohort fall 2020, Georgia College & State University seeks to increase enrollment of students from traditionally underserved populations by 3% over current benchmark data.
Description: This interactive report contains descriptive profile information about undergraduate students enrolled by class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and graduate students by degree level. Users can choose to view characteristics such as age, ethnic origin, gender, matriculation status, and residence status.
Description: As part of GCSU Journeys, the Office of Assessment launched a revised Core Assessment process in the Fall of 2018. Faculty from each corresponding discipline were asked to decide which AAC&U Essential Outcome was best reflected in each of their Core courses. Rubrics were then created to reflect both the Student Learning Outcome for the course's area and the AAC&U Essential Outcome chosen for the course. Faculty used these new rubrics for Core courses in Areas C2, D, and E in Fall of 2018 and Spring of 2019. In addition, courses in the Core that were already being assessed by rubrics (GC1Y, GC2Y, and ENGL 1101/1102) are included below in an overall assessment of skills gained by students in all Core courses. Data are presented aggregated across courses and for the entire year.
Moving forward, these data will be used in a variety of ways - to benchmark future data analysis, to improve learning, to ensure the efficacy of the Core, and to validate against external sources. If you have any questions regarding these data, please contact Cara Smith (cara.smith@gcsu.edu).