Increase course completion and retention rates for students

One of the prime recommendations for each of the teams was to disaggregate the data.  This level of disaggregation allows institutions to determine the level of inequity in their policies and procedures.  Thus within the first year, we will examine courses completion and retention for 1st-time 1st-year students by PELL status, age, intended discipline, generational-status. 

1. Additional quantitative variables to examine are employment status, commuter/residential, chronic illness/disability, international status (ESL), and military status.
2. In addition to examining the aforementioned quantitative variables, focus groups will be constructed to assess qualitative information like care-giving status and house hold composition.  Each of these variables has been known to impact student retention, and thus complete or graduation.  The campus has funding to support students who are parents.  Thus, we will develop objectives to identify and support these students, who may be included in the target population. 
3. Increase information regarding the care giving status of students through information from the Parent Program
   • The team will begin to examine course completion for General Education and advanced courses that compliment to college/school requirement.  The first courses to be examined are foundational, 1st-year composition courses, critical-thinking courses, foundational quantitative (mathematics) courses, and advanced African diaspora / cultural courses. 
     • These courses are selected because each represents principles/framework for a liberal education, priority areas (writing/critical thinking), connections to the University’s strategic goals, and competency of “C” or better.
     • The team will also examine the relationship between HIPs integration into the General Education courses and the students’ disciplinary program

We examine the following variables within the context of the analyses:

Hypothesis –Gender and Race

1. The overall success of students in the General Education Program.  We would like to examine the gender, race, ethnic background, and experience of the instructor and the student success by race, gender, ethnicity, and status (first-time / transfer).
2. Grade distribution will be based on the gender in the class and gender of the instructor
3. Analysis should include
   • Student= gender x race x pell status

Faculty/instructor= gender x race x faculty status (e.g., contractual, tenure/t-track/length of employment x disciplinary participation​