University System of Georgia Strategic Plan

Strategic Goal One:
Renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students’ 21st century educational needs.

Strategic Plan in Action

Challenge

The USG will improve graduation and retention rates by institution and sector.

Action

Develop and implement programs strategically designed to improve the retention and graduation rates in the USG.

Activities for Implementation

  1. Each academic department will have a plan for improving student retention in the majors.
  2. All 34 institutions that serve freshmen will have a first year program.
  3. All 35 institutions will ensure adequate upper-division course availability.
  4. All 35 institutions will have a student employment office.

Baseline Measure & Targets

Baseline Measure January 2008 Target January 2009 Target January 2010 Target January 2011 Target January 2012 Target

Retention rate for USG institutions by sector and overall, including institutional average and Systemwide average, from fall 2006 to fall 2007:

Sector Inst Syst
Res 89.93 92.56
Reg 75.69 85.38
St Univ 72.52 79.24
St Coll 59.30 65.40
2-yr Coll 57.94 64.82
Overall 72.85 78.81

Graduation rate for 2001 cohort for baccalaureate degree programs is 50.78% institution-specific and 57.79% Systemwide.

Graduation rate for 2004 cohort for associate degree programs is 12.41% institution-specific and 12.72% Systemwide.

 

  1. Inventory of USG first year experience programs

  2. Conduct NSSE and CSSE
    surveys

  3. Identify core courses with high failure rates

  4. Departments develop a plan for improving retention

  5. Evaluate RPG programs from five pilot institutions

  6. Participate in National Student Clearinghouse to track students

  7. Establish new retention and graduation targets for each institution

  1. All institutions will have a student employment office

  2. All institutions that serve freshmen will have a first year program in place

    

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