July 21, 2003

From the July issue of Black Issues in Higher Education (http://www.blackissues.com):

Higher education consulting firm Noel-Levitz recognizes a handful of universities with the most effective retention programs

Retaining incoming freshmen is one of the most critical issues colleges and universities face, particularly among minority, poor and first-generation students. Though university retention programs share many similarities, institutions take many different and innovative approaches to best prepare the most at-risk freshmen for the college experience, often leading to both improved grades and graduation rates.

Each year, Noel-Levitz, a higher education consulting firm that advises colleges and universities about student programs, recognizes a handful of institutions with the most effective retention programs. This year’s Noel-Levitz Retention Excellence Award winners are: Arkansas Tech University; The College of New Jersey; Lehigh Carbon Community College; Michigan State University; Mississippi State University; Slippery Rock University; Texas A&M University; University of Alaska, Anchorage; and the University of California, San Diego. A panel of higher education administrators and consultants select the awardees based on measurable results, originality and creativity of the programs, resource use and adaptability to other institutions. The schools were honored at Noel-Levitz’s annual National Conference on Student Retention held in San Diego this month.

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