The College has a set of institutional standards, thresholds below which we will not drop without investigating the reasons and taking action to improve. One of those standards is the fall- to-spring persistence of our new students. As research has shown, the first semester is the most critical time for students’ ultimate success. Further, helping more students achieve their educational goal is one of COM’s strategic plan priorities. Therefore, it is important that we monitor students’ progress from their very first semester.
As the table below shows, the percentage of students enrolling in spring following their first semester at COM has declined. The institution-set standard was barely met for the most recent group of new students. Hopefully, the activities put in place to help new students transition into college and the learning communities and other initiatives designed to support them in their first year will result in a higher persistence rate for students who first enroll at COM this fall, 2016.
