JACKSON, Tenn. — Sept. 24, 2020 — Union University’s student retention rates are higher than previous years amid the challenges of a global pandemic, including a shift to online learning in the spring 2020 semester.
“Quite frankly, in the midst of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we didn’t know what to expect,” said Bryan Carrier, vice president for student life and dean of students. “Based on national reports, as well as informal data we were receiving from other colleges and universities, university administration ran scenarios based on enrollment declines at 10, 20 and 30 percent.”
In actuality, Union’s retention was slightly higher than the previous year and statistically consistent with the five-year average, Carrier said. Union University’s retention rate for full-time, first-time freshmen for the cohort year of 2019-2020 was 87 percent.
Carrier said most colleges and universities measure student retention based on their freshmen-to-sophomore retention rate. However, Union focuses on both the retention and graduation rates for all students rather than just first-year students. Union tracks every student who is eligible to re-enroll from semester to semester.
“We track this through what we refer to as the Chase Report, given that we literally chase students in order to offer assistance with anything that may be impeding their re-enrollment,” he said.
Ninety-three percent of students from the spring 2020 semester who were eligible to re-enroll in the fall of 2020 did so. This is two points higher than last year, one point higher than in 2018 and consistent with 2017 numbers.
“Thankfully, retention at Union has remained stable; unfortunately, that is not the norm across the higher education landscape nationally,” Carrier said. “While it is difficult to determine the rationale for each individual student, I hope and believe that students have felt loved and cared for in the ways that the university has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Carrier said Union’s incredible students, the faculty and staff who care for students and are committed to their success, as well as the engaging campus community all aided in student retention this year.