Increasing Retention And Graduation Rates Through A Stem Learning Community

Keywords

Graduation; learning community; recruitment; retention; STEM

Abstract

The EXCEL Program began as a National Science Foundation-sponsored STEM Talent Expansion Program in 2006 and, because of its significant impact on retention of STEM majors, has since become an institutionalized program at the University of Central Florida. The University of Central Florida EXCEL Program annually recruits approximately 200 first-year STEM students into a learning community with residential/social and curricular components. First-year retention, long-term retention, and graduation rates are all higher for the EXCEL cohorts than the comparison groups. Overall retention of students in a STEM major is 43% higher for the EXCEL Program than the comparison group. In particular, women, African Americans, and Hispanics in the EXCEL Program have demonstrated high retention (54%, 57%, and 67%) and graduation rates (35%, 27%, and 50%). The large cohort size and all-inclusive nature of the EXCEL Program makes it a unique model for addressing the current need for STEM graduates.

Publication Date

8-1-2016

Publication Title

Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice

Volume

18

Issue

2

Number of Pages

167-182

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115584746

Socpus ID

84977600868 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84977600868

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