Retention At Sul Ross

By Viviana Sanchez, Skyline Reporter

ALPINE - Sul Ross State University has launched a new program aimed at improving retention called Connecting Students for Success.

With a graduation rate of merely 36%, retention has been a challenge for Sul Ross. Connecting Students for Success aims to connect students with professors in a way that sets them up for success in their studies. Students have the opportunity to have personalized one-on-one meetings with professors to address individual needs and provide support.  

The Skyline had the opportunity to talk with the mastermind behind the program, Jeanne Qvarnstrom, a professor of education at SRSU. Qvarnstrom said she came up with the idea after reading the book “Relationship Rich Education: How Human Connection Drives Success in College” by Leo Lambert and Peter Felten.  

The book studied hundreds of college students and found that they are most likely to excel in an environment with high expectations and high support, especially if they are first-generation students. This inspired Qvarnstrom to apply the philosophy to Sul Ross in hopes of enhancing retention.  

The study also encourages relationship-rich education between faculty and students.  

“We surveyed students and only 40% of students stated that their professors [communicated with them],” Qvarnstrom said. “I talked with the athletic director, and she stated that some students didn’t receive grades until midterms.”  

There are 22 faculty members and over 200 students participating in the pilot program this semester.  

Professors participating in the program make the following promises to their students: 

• I will know your name.  

• I will provide user-friendly and timely feedback on your assignments. 

• I will hold high standards and support you to achieve them.  

• I will hold an individual meeting with each student during the semester.  

Qvarnstrom said that students and professors were excited about this initiative. 

“We are making students feel that we care about them,” Qvarnstrom said. 

For the rest of the semester, professors will hold individual meetings with their students. Then at the start of the Fall semester, Qvarnstrom will conduct a survey to see the differences in retention between those who participated in the program and those who did not.  

“Hopefully students feel more connected and because they feel more connected, they will be more likely to continue to achieve their degree,” Qvarnstrom said. 

With a 37.5% increase in enrollment, and an 8% increase in retention in the fall, Sul Ross is hopeful that this initiative will be a success for both the administration and SRSU students.