In most conversations about higher education accountability, graduation rates are considered one of the most critical components of success for both students and institutions. Although many factors have contributed to the recent trend in declining graduation rates, policymakers, students, parents, and communities are looking to colleges and universities for answers. Can college officials be entirely responsible? President Obama said, “by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world (Cook & Pullaro, 2010, p. iv)”, and graduation rates have become increasingly important. To fix this issue in America, understanding the causes for declining graduation rates and what colleges can do to raise them is essential.
While there are many reasons for a student not to finish college, the institutions cannot be held accountable for all of them. External factors such as personal issues, post-secondary education, living situations, costs, and prior counseling all contribute to lower graduation rates. As for personal matters, institutions directly cannot be held accountable for issues such as a death in the family, drug addiction, or medical problems. Living situations can impact graduation rates, but institutions cannot afford to provide on-campus housing for all students. Post-secondary schools are leaving students ill-prepared for college-level coursework, and counseling at post-secondary schools is often inadequate.
Although college officials cannot be held fully responsible, it is in their best interest to improve factors contributing to the decline in graduation rates. Coordination with local high schools, training for counselors, student preparation, and improvement of remedial courses are actions colleges can take toward increasing graduation rates. In comparison to other advanced nations, there is far less coordination between high schools and higher education institutions in America. Colleges and Universities are usually entirely separate from high schools and not working together to prepare students for college-level coursework.
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Colleges, especially community colleges, can take steps toward working closely with local high schools. As for counseling, high school counselors are often overworked, not adequately trained, and lack information on higher education institutions. They also encourage any student to go to college, regardless of the ability to succeed. They also advise any student to go to college, regardless of their capability of success. Derek Bok suggests that colleges provide high school guidance counselors with training on academic requirements, financial aid, and costs. They can also allow high school students to enroll in college courses, an opportunity that was already taken advantage of by many colleges (Bok, 2015).
Remedial courses are also an essential factor for graduation rates. These courses are often required for students before they can even begin taking college-level courses. Many students leave college before even making it to college-level classes, and many fail out when they get there. Another option for increasing graduation rates is to improve remedial education altogether. As students enter college lacking the basic skills needed for success, remedial courses are offered as an attempt to prepare for courses worth credits.
Large classes taught by adjunct faculty with poor teaching techniques often make the remedial courses ineffective, in turn, leaving students still not ready for their entry-level courses. According to Thomas and Kane (2018), “Only 34 percent of these students ever complete any type of college degree, leading many educators to wonder if remediation — which not only increases expenses but also delays students’ likely degree completion — has become a bridge to nowhere” (Thomas & Kane, 2018, para. 1).
Although there are many ways college officials can aid in the improvement of graduation rates, other factors such as race, income, institution type, and data limits also need to be considered. As the cost of tuition is rising, colleges face greater scrutiny, and it is vital that all options for increasing student success be explored and college officials take the necessary steps toward an increase in graduation rates.
References
- Boatman, A., Kane T. J. (2018, December 16). Why we need to rethink remediation. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com
- Bok, D. (2015). Higher education in America. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
- Cook, B., Pullaro, N. (2010). College graduation rates: Behind the numbers. Washington DC: American Council on Education.
