New steps are being taken towards a higher graduation rate by colleges and universities around the state, with the Louisiana Board of Regents approving the LA GRAD Act on Oct. 27.
“We believe our commitment to higher admission standards, expanded use of technology to track student progress and to intervene when needed, as well as partnerships with secondary schools to better prepare college-bound students will be keys to our ability to meet the six-year goals established in conjunction with the Board of Regents,” stated President John L. Crain, in an Oct. 27 Public Information press release. “The goals in this agreement are fully consistent with existing long-term priorities at Southeastern.”
The GRAD Act will set standards for institutions to meet varying objectives, with rewards being autonomy and fiscal flexibility, including but not limited to, the ability to raise tuition up to 10 percent each year.
According to the act, institutions would only be able to raise tuition to the level of the other universities that are complying with the GRAD Act, under the Southern Region Education Board (SREB).
“Our tuition currently is among the lowest of our peer institutions in the 16 states under the SREB and actually is less than many universities at a lower institutional classification,” stated Crain. “It will take years of increased tuition rates for us to approach the average of our peers.”
Other facets of the agreement include focuses on student success, including graduation rates, transfer agreements and workforce and economic development initiatives, among other things.
The GRAD Act agreement also puts Southeastern into an attempt to improve freshman-to-sophomore retention rate, currently at 67.5 percent, to a range between 69 and 73 percent in the sixth year of the agreement.
“Southeastern admits around 3,000 new students every fall and graduates about 2,500 students a year,” stated Crain. “But, if you examine those graduates, a significant number are not included in our federally-defined graduation rate because they don’t fit the definition of the cohort.”
According to an article in The Advocate, Louisiana, among the rest of the Southern region, is second to last in graduation rates and tuition costs. Southeastern, with a graduation rate at 28.5 percent, is attempting to reach a mark of 39.5 percent, while Louisiana State University expects to see a modest increase from 60.7 percent currently, to 64 percent, while Louisiana Tech is set to gain around three percent, from 47.3 to 50 percent.