{"id":107035,"date":"2019-12-02T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T18:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=107035"},"modified":"2021-03-31T12:41:24","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T22:41:24","slug":"record-high-graduation-retention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2019\/12\/02\/record-high-graduation-retention\/","title":{"rendered":"Record highs graduation, retention rates at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"U<\/p>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a> on-time graduation rate reached a record high in 2019 after a near 20 percent increase over the last nine years. Thirty-six-point-six percent of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa students who enrolled in fall 2015 graduated in four years, which is more than double the 17.5 percent of students who enrolled in fall 2006. The six-year graduation rate, the official graduation rate used by the federal government, reached a historic high at 60.5 percent, slightly higher than the national average.<\/p>\n

“This is truly a team effort as our faculty continue to develop innovative, exciting and relevant programs that attract and retain our students,” said UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Provost Michael Bruno<\/strong>. “Our nationally recognized STAR GPS<\/abbr> online registration system guides students in the courses they need to take in order to remain on target to achieve their graduation goals.”<\/p>\n

Bruno also commended the work of the academic advisors saying, “They work closely with the faculty to ensure that the students are kept fully informed about their programs, as well as opportunities to grow and learn via experiential learning such as study abroad and internships.”<\/p>\n

Record one-year retention rate<\/h2>\n

The M\u0101noa campus also set a record for one-year retention rates for first-time, full-time students at 81.1 percent. This is a good indication that the on-time graduation rate will continue to climb. Data shows that students who make it through their first year of college are more likely to earn a degree and finish in four years. It is the first time first-year retention rates exceeded 80 percent in 10 years. UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa administrators are cautiously optimistic about the ongoing efforts to make freshmen feel welcome and integrate into campus life from their first day of school.<\/p>\n

“I think it\u02bbs indicative of students feeling comfortable here and like they are part of a larger picture,” said Ronald Cambra<\/strong>, assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate education<\/a>. “They are getting to the point to where they know exactly what they need to do in pursuit of their degree.”<\/p>\n

To maintain and increase the number of students successfully continuing on their academic pathways and towards timely graduation, UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa is working on launching a number of programs:<\/p>\n