Hi Rod!  Looks like we are working on some similar ideas.   I am the
first person full time in Institutional Research at the University of
Rio Grande (in southern Ohio).  Our first two years are community
college, the last two years are private university.
 
Like you, we are doing some retention research, among other things,
with special focus on at-risk students.  We are still in the planning
stage for this, so I can't really answer this yet.
 
> We are working on a plan for research on our campus and are at the point
> of defining which student cohorts to identify and track.  Are there
> specific groups which institutions, particularly regional campuses,
> identify?  Some of the obvious ones which we have already identified are
> students who begin at the same time as first time college students,
> students who begin at the same time who are transfer students, and some
> academic majors.
 
 
I'll reply to this later.  Haven't really thought about it.
>
> Another question - how do institutions define "at risk" students, or what
> multiple definitions are used?
 
We define at risk students by ACT score, high school GPA, and when
they have a GED rather than a regular high school diploma.  There may
be other factors, so I will check with Gerry Sparkman, who did the
analysis.  You may want to contact him yourself:
[log in to unmask] >
 
 
 
> Finally - what definition is used, or generally accepted, for deliniating
> traditional and non-traditional students?  Is it a matter of age, or a
> question of not proceeding directly from high school to post-secondary
> programs?
>
Currently, I researching what definitions are in common use at
other instituions.  In the past, non-traditional students are defined
as those who graduated high school more than 5 years ago.  Thus, a
student that graduated 4 years ago is traditional this year but
becomes non- traditional next year.
 
I would appreciate hearing from you regarding your research project--
what student cohorts you decide to use, assessment techniques,
definition of non-traditional students you decide upon (or hear from
others.)
 
Perhaps I'll see you at the spring Ohio AIR meeting--I attended the
Columbus meeting on Thursday of lat week.  Wasn't able to stay for
Friday morning's CUPA presentation on student retention.
 
Hope this has been useful.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
 
Cathy
 
 
 
 
 
 > Rod Nimtz
> Assistant to the Executive Director
> Miami University Middletown Campus
> **********************************************************************
Dr. Catherine Clark         [log in to unmask]
Institutional Research      Allen Hall B-4
University of Rio Grande    (614) 245-7532/Voice  (614) 245-5035/FAX
**********************************************************************