Dropouts cost taxpayers $9 billion; CMU retention leads WMU, behind other institutions

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Freshman dropout rates have cost state and federal taxpayers more than $9 billion over five years.

The amount was spurred by college students who drop out before their sophomore year from 2003 to 2009. The money is between 2 and 8 percent of the government’s total spending on higher education, depending on the state, according to a recent report by the American Institutes for Research.

Shawn Wilson, director of student retention, does not believe retention is necessarily a Central Michigan University problem, he considers it a reality at any university in the U.S.

“The first and second-year retention rate is something all institutions of higher learning pay attention to,” Wilson said. “This is because there’s a correlation between retention rate and graduation rate.”

The first- to second-year retention rate for fall 2010 at CMU is 79.6 percent — 3.5 percent above last year.

CMU has the fifth highest graduation rate in the state of Michigan’s 15 four-year public institutions, Wilson said.

According to the press release from AIR, Michigan is one of 13 states that lost more than $200 million of state funds with $239 million.

Both Wilson and Michelle Howard, director of academic advising and assistance, said the AIR report is misleading and flawed.

They pointed to how the survey does not include students who transfer to another university, attend part-time or return to finish their degrees later.
How CMU compares

Other universities in the state show similar freshman retention rates.

“These numbers are fairly typical, unfortunately,” said Patrick Riccards, AIR executive director for Communications and Public Affairs.

The $9 billion represents 20 percent of first-year students nationally who do not return for their second year, he said.

At Western Michigan University, 76 percent of last year’s freshmen returned for Fall 2010, according to WMU’s Office of University Relations. Although this is a 3.6 percent increase from the previous year, it is still 3.6 percent behind CMU.

Grand Valley State University had an 83.5 percent retention rate this year, said Philip Batty, GVSU director of institutional analysis.

For the past three years, 91 percent of freshman have returned to Michigan State University, said Kyle Sweitzer, data analyst for the MSU Office of Planning and Budgets.

Transitioning from a high school environment to a college environment is difficult for students, Wilson said.

“The academic rigor of college is different than that of high school,” Wilson said. “The level at which we engage our students can be challenging for some students.”

Wilson and Howard agree resources are the key to success at CMU.

“In my opinion, we have very strong, clear academic support systems for students who want to take advantage of them,” Wilson said.

CMU offers free services to students struggling in any subject. There is a writing center and math assistance center on campus. There is also supplemental instruction, which offers support to students who are involved in difficult courses.

“I’m not convinced that freshmen leave because they’re not successful,” Howard said. “Some are very successful academically, but want to pursue other programs we don’t have.”

Nursing is one of the most desired programs that CMU does not offer, she said.

All freshmen are asked to fill out a MAP-Works survey at the beginning of the year. The questions evaluate how the student is academically and socially adjusting to college. Residence hall resident assistants follow up with each student about their results.

The resources do not exclude junior and seniors, they usually seek assistance from career services instead of academic assistance, Wilson said.

“Upperclassmen can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Wilson said. “Freshmen students have needs that need to be met.”