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Officials Explain Dropout Causes

For some, the best way to deal with the demands of college life, whether as a result of exams or just the daily grind of the school year, is to leave UNC. Despite the negative connotation normally associated with dropping out of college, some University officials said it can be the right option for students in certain situations.

But officials said they are working to keep students in school as long as it is beneficial to them, and statistics indicate those efforts might be working.

Officials described UNC as having one of the best retention rates in the country. The freshman retention rate is 94.8 percent, and 78.9 percent of students graduate within six years, according to the Office of Institutional Records.

According to U.S. News & World Report, UNC's six-year graduation rate is almost identical to the retention rates at top-tier public universities, such as the University of Virginia and the University of California-Berkeley.

Carolyn Cannon, associate dean of academic advising, said few students withdraw from UNC, and those who do usually are motivated by personal reasons, often because an immediate family member is seriously ill.

Students who choose to leave the University often choose to pursue alternatives such as service programs or job opportunities. Other students return to UNC as part-time students or participants in programs such as distance learning.

Despite UNC's relatively high retention rate, Sue Kitchen, vice chancellor for student affairs, said she believes there are three major reasons that students drop out of college, all of which hold true nationwide. "One of the reasons students don't persist is because they don't have clear educational goals," she said.

Students also might leave a particular university because they need some time to decide what they want to do and find that the college they have chosen does not offer a relevant major.

Kitchen said UNC has a good retention rate partially because of the University's broad academic offerings and its ability to have a double major and to tailor educational plans.

Also, many students drop out of college because they are no longer able to afford tuition, Kitchen said. But she said a comparatively low tuition rate, particularly for in-state students, allows many students to better afford UNC, boosting the University's retention rate.

"The institution has been working hard not only to meet needs but also to create merit scholarships," Kitchen said.

Kitchen said another explanation for UNC's retention rate is the high quality of students at the University. "I don't know that we have at-risk students -- all the students admitted here have the academic qualities to succeed," she said.

For students who decide that conventional courses at UNC are not the path for them, many options exist to help them figure out where to go next. Risa Palm, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said advisers and peer advisers can help students who are overwhelmed academically and are considering dropping out.

But there is nothing academic advising can do for students who do not seek help, Cannon said.

"Sometimes students just sit in their rooms and don't reach out," Cannon said. "By the time their adviser finds out, it's too late."

The University also offers some specific programs, including Summer Bridge and first-year seminars, aimed at helping students adjust, she said. Summer Bridge teaches study skills to students the summer before their freshman year.

First-year seminars also put students in small classes, giving them the opportunity to interact with faculty, she said.

Provost Robert Shelton said there are other ways in which the University can prevent dropouts. Students need to connect to the University in more ways than just academics and need to get proper advising, not just on classes but on extracurricular activities as well, Shelton said.

"If you've got an array of connections, then you can get through the hard times."

But the process of preventing students from dropping out begins even before students arrive on campus. University officials said they strive to admit students who will fit in well at UNC.

Jerry Lucido, director of admissions, said that although UNC's high retention rate might be considered a recruiting tool, potential students tend not to ask about it because of UNC's excellent academic reputation. He said the University's reputation means students tend to enroll at UNC expecting to graduate on time.

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Few at-risk students are admitted, but that is not to say some students will not have problems once they arrive at the University or that UNC is necessarily the right school for everyone who applies, Lucido said. "Increasingly, we are going beyond the idea of predicting freshman (grade point average) when we make the decision of who will fit here," he said.

Cannon said it is important to keep in mind that although UNC's retention rate is high, no school can realistically hope to have a 100 percent retention rate.

"Sometimes dropping out is the best choice for the student."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.

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