{"id":155663,"date":"2022-02-21T07:30:45","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T17:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=155663"},"modified":"2022-02-18T16:11:19","modified_gmt":"2022-02-19T02:11:19","slug":"record-uh-manoa-graduation-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2022\/02\/21\/record-uh-manoa-graduation-rate\/","title":{"rendered":"Record on-time UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa graduation rate in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"person<\/p>\n

The on-time (four-year) graduation rate at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a> hit an all-time high in 2021 with 39.7% of first-time, full-time freshmen (fall 2017 cohort) earning their degrees in four years. UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s on-time graduation rate has improved every year since 2006 and has steadily increased from 17% to nearly 40% over the past 11 years. UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa was nationally recognized<\/a> in 2017 for its significant improvement in on-time graduation.<\/p>\n

In addition, the five-year graduation rate rose from 44.6% in 2011 (cohort 2006) to 56.9% in 2021 (cohort 2016), and the six-year graduation rate (official graduation rate used by the federal government) rose from 55.7% in 2012 (cohort 2006) to 58.9% in 2021 (cohort 2015).<\/p>\n

“We are so proud of the improvements that we\u2019ve seen over the last 10 or so years in the four-year graduation rate,” UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Provost Michael Bruno<\/strong> said. “In my experience across several decades in academia, I\u2019ve come to learn that the four-year graduation rate is perhaps the most important metric, and also the most difficult to improve.”<\/p>\n

Bruno added, “Our more than doubling in the last 10 or 11 years in the four-year graduation rate is a testament to the hard work of our faculty, our academic advisors, and the system developers in Information Technology, all of whom have really contributed to our improvement.”<\/p>\n

High retention rates<\/h2>\n

Over the past three years, the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa campus has experienced its highest retention rates since 2006. UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa set a record for one-year retention rates for first-time, full-time students in 2019 at 81.1%, compared to 76.9% in 2010. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and significant disruptions to 2020 and 2021 semesters, UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa has maintained steady rates at 80% in 2020 and 79.7% in 2021.<\/p>\n

For more information on UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s graduation and retention rates, visit the M\u0101noa Institutional Research Office website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Initiatives to increase graduation rates<\/h2>\n

The Office of Student Academic Success<\/a>, formerly known as the Office of Undergraduate Education established by Professor Emeritus Ronald Cambra<\/strong> in 2006, initiated many of the efforts to increase UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s graduation and retention rates. A team of administrators and faculty from multiple units began by identifying and addressing barriers to student success. The team developed the Student Engagement, Retention and Graduation plan, which included more than 30 initiatives that focused on improving student engagement and the quality of the student experience.<\/p>\n

These initiatives included:<\/p>\n