Our report this year summarizes our activities. Senators received a copy of this summary, as well as another at the meeting. Over the years that Retention Committee has existed we have made efforts to identify risk factors and to recognize behaviors that put students at risk. Some risk factors have not proven to be good predictors of success and non-success of students. This year the committee selected as its emphasis testing the national data on the way finances, broadly defined, impact retention.
Financing is the number one reason for attrition nationwide.
These problems have a lot to do with credit card debt and Tiger Club card debt. A continuing study of transfer student retention, exploring and testing ways that GTAs can be used to contribute to the retention of undergraduates and an ongoing review of the balance between need and provision of academic support services. Over the past four years, we've seen a rather alarming shift from colleges and departments providing academic support services to the Student Success Center doing it. And yet, most colleges and departments don't contribute any economic support to the Center at all. The Center has been using budget savings that are probably running out.