What We Know About Undergraduate Retention at the UO Office of Resource Management Andrea LarsonAnji Duchi Research AnalystSenior Data Analyst ext ext

Fall 1998 U of O Students: n Demographics n Who are the new students? – 50.2% Freshmen – 42.4% Tranfers – 7.4% Non-Admits n Who are the continuing students? – 94.5% Continuing – 5.5% Returning

University of Oregon Retention n First-Time Freshmen – From High School – First Term and Admit Term Both Fall 1997 – Enrolled Full-Time (12 or more credit hours) – Completed Fall 1997 Term With a Grade n Enrolled and Received a Grade in the next Fall Term n 81% Return Rate for Fall 1998

Comparative Student Retention: n American Association of Universities – AAU Data Exchange n Comparative Institutions – Similar Enrollments n First Time Freshmen

1997 Freshmen Survey n Office of Academic Advising n Given to Freshmen – 1997 Summer IntroDUCKtion Sessions – New Student Week at Beginning of Fall Term n International Students Not Included – Attend Different Orientation

n 2038 took survey – 318 not usable – 174 not FTF n Final Sample: 1546 First-Time Freshmen – 69% of 1997 First-Time Freshmen Cohort Sample

Why First-Time Freshmen? n Representative Sample – Captured 69% of FTF – Only 14% of Other Freshmen – 81% Return Rate for FTF in Survey Sample n same as rate for all FTF – 52% Return Rate for Other Freshmen in Survey Sample n lower than rate for all Other Freshmen n Standard cohort n Oklahoma n AAU n National Reports

Why Choose the UO? n 86% General Education n 75% Better Job n 70% Location n 56% Improve Reading and Study Skills n 50% Cost n 47% Get Away From Home n 17% Parents n 12% Mentor

Retention n 84% Who Relied on Parents for Advice Returned Fall 1998 n 79% Who Relied on All Others for Advice Returned Fall 1998 People Relied on for Advice n Mentors 5% n Others 6% n Friends 9% n Self 39% n Parents 41%

Parents’ Education n 25% Neither Parent With A Bachelor’s Degree n 29% One Parent With A Bachelor’s Degree n 46% Both Parents With Bachelor’s Degrees Retention n 76% Returned Fall 1998 n 80% Returned Fall 1998 n 84% Returned Fall 1998

Plan to Complete Degree at the UO n 72% Yes – 82% Return n 3% No – 63% Return n 25% Undecided – 79% Return

Social Connections n Time in Organizations – 35% 4 or more hours per week n 84% Returned – 65% 3 or fewer hours per week n 79% Returned n Time with Friends – 88% 4 or more hours per week n 82% Returned – 12% 3 or fewer hours per week n 76% Returned

Finances Anxiety About Finances n 76% Not Anxious – 81% Returned Fall 1998 n 24% Anxious – 79% Returned Fall 1998 Plan To Work While Attending the UO n 19% No Plans to Work – 86% Returned n 30% Undecided – 85% Returned n 25% Hours per Week – 78% Returned n 25% 11+ Hours per Week – 74% Returned

Computer Experience Retention n 75% Returned Fall 1998 n 83% Returned Fall 1998 n 21% Had Little or No Computer Experience – 30% said they did not plan to bring a computer to campus n 79% Had Some Computer Experience – 17% said they did not plan to bring a computer to campus

Television n 30% Watched Less Than 1 Hour of Television per Week – 80% Returned Fall 1998 n 64% Watched 1 to 9 Hours of Television per Week – 81% Returned Fall 1998 n 6% Watched 10 or More Hours of Television per Week – 87% Returned Fall 1998

Summary n Students who rely on parents for advice returned at higher rates than students who relied on others n Student retention rates increased with parents’ education n The number of students who did not plan to complete their degrees at the UO was too small to significantly influence retention

Summary (continued) n Students who had less experience in social activities during high school returned to the UO at lower rates n Most students were not anxious about finances n Students who planned to work returned at lower rates than students who were undecided or who planned not to work

Summary (continued) n Students with little or no computer experience returned at lower rates than students with some experience