Working to keep students here

By: Andrea Emery
News Editor

 According to the Nov. 7 faculty senate report, President Mauri Ditzler reported on three items recently discussed at the college’s trustee meeting: past practices in reporting student enrollment, student retention and the current year operating budget.

The report stated, “In past years, the different administrative areas had different means of counting students for their purposes.” The report goes on to state that this difference has created some “inconsistencies” and “misleading information.” An example of these inconsistencies as stated in the report is if an exchange student came to Monmouth College, he or she was counted the same as the student who left Monmouth to study abroad. To clear up any confusion, a standardized approach has been created to avoid any inaccuracies.

The report also said that since 1997, the five-year graduation rate has been dropping. In 1997, the rate was 60 percent. Today, it is at 55 percent. The administrative areas are researching reasons for the drop in the retention rate.

According to Ditzler, “U.S. News and World Report” rates Monmouth College in the most prestigious category. The rate of 55 percent is actually above the national average and higher than expected, Ditzler explained. He added that, with new improvements, the college will be on its way to a much higher average.

Ditzler believes this issue will be resolved over time and does not feel discouraged. In his search to resolve the issue, Ditzler began by asking the freshman class what it thought the college could do to improve retention. He shared advice with students, stating “we can help solve it by helping each other and students are responsible, for being proactive in helping each other.”

“We are a stronger community when we help each other,” Ditzler said.

Ditzler added that because the college is bigger now than it has ever been, there are more issues to address. Issues such as registration, housing, parking and class size are all constantly being tackled. Student retention is currently one of the biggest matters to which administration is attending.

“We want to begin implementing little activities to give students a reason to stay, versus a reason to leave,” Ditzler added.

Ditzler said he felt like last year, campus was too crowded. Some students did not have a place to stay for several weeks and had to become acclimated to a new roommates(s) twice. The school has worked hard to create space and an atmosphere in which students do not feel as if they are crammed.

“We have a moral obligation to help students graduate,” said Ditzler. He added that the faculty and administration are constantly working on improving the atmosphere on campus.

Although the future seems bright for Monmouth College, Ditzler believes there is no “magic bullet” to solve the retention issue. It will take baby steps to improve the rate, but Ditzler believes that over time, the rate will be higher than ever.