More than 1,000 MU students did not return between their fall 2010 and spring 2011 semesters. Jim Spain, MU Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies, released a report defining the reasons why the students did not return.
The report indicated numerous reasons for leaving, such as rising costs, large class sizes and a lack of communication between students and faculty.
“Well, I think the results of the report are rather telling,” Missouri Students Association President Eric Woods said in an email. “They tend to enforce what we’ve known for quite some time, that the increased financial burden of higher education continues to take a toll on our students.”
Despite a retention rate well above the national average of 75 percent, MU will welcome input from students on how to ease the burdens of college life and improve the 95.8 percent retention rate.
MU is working diligently to ease the stress of financial burden on students.
“We are very concerned about this issue and as a result continue to increase on a yearly basis our institutionally funded student financial aid/scholarship budget,” Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Ann Korschgen said.
Korschgen addressed concerns about large class sizes by explaining she believes some students who have a decrease in motivation may cite large class sizes as a reason for leaving. She said students are able to adapt to larger class sizes and have a variety of small and large classes.
“This isn’t an ‘us and them,’” Spain said. “It’s an ‘us.’ We provide students with resources and all professors have office hours, but it is up the students to take advantage of those resources.”
Spain also said the school is considering an “Early Alert” system that would alert students who begin to have a low GPA in their classes. This could allow faculty to help them change to an easier schedule.
“You know that when you have one hard class, it’s not just one hard class,” Spain said. “It could affect their other classes and a student student may isolate themselves, which could lead to homesickness and eventually leaving the university. It snowballs.”
Korschgen said retention rates increase when students live in residence halls, join campus orientation classes, establish relationships with faculty and generally get involved on campus.
Spain agreed with these sentiments, adding that when students establish relationships on campus it lessens the feelings of homesickness and allows them to use the on-campus resources better. Students generally reach out to parents, siblings and extended family long before going to faculty when considering dropping out.
“I’m also a bit surprised at the lack of those students leaving who take advantage of the counseling and other resources we have available on campus,” Woods said. “Most cite relying on their family or friends for support. It makes me wonder if we’re doing a good enough job advertising all of the support resources that the university provides.”
Spain spoke about problems MU faces, such as males and minorities leaving certain professions more often then their female or Caucasian counterparts. These problems are not unique to MU, but MU’s approach is unique in combating them.
“You will not see another study or report like this at almost any other major university,” said Spain.