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Dear Colleagues,
Our primary mission at WKU remains ensuring that every student we enroll thrives on our Hill and successfully graduates. We carefully track our students’ progress because the consistency with which they continue their education with us reflects the efficacy of our efforts to broaden our university’s support services and deepen meaningful connections with faculty, staff and peers.
To that end, I am pleased to share that 85.7% of our fall undergraduate students returned this spring, WKU’s highest fall-to-spring retention rate since we began tracking this data nearly 15 years ago. Additionally, more than 91% of our first-time, first-year students who began their WKU Experience in the fall returned this spring. This marks significant progress from the 2017-2018 academic year, when only 86.3% returned, and reinforces that our targeted support services for our newest Hilltoppers are making a difference.
Our strategic plan, Climbing to Greater Heights, outlines a goal of 80% fall-to-fall retention for our first-year students. This academic year, we reached 78.3%, the highest in WKU’s history. Retention of our low-income, first-year students was 73.4%, the highest among this population since the university began tracking this data in 2011, highlighting the effectiveness of our intentional interventions for some of our most vulnerable students.
Seeing our students earn their degrees in a timely manner remains one of the most rewarding and important aspects of our work. Today, I’m thrilled to share that last year’s six-year graduation rate reached 57.9%, setting yet another institutional record.
You have often heard me say that access without success is access to nothing. It is irresponsible for colleges and universities to chase first-year headcount and admit students without giving them the support they need to be successful. Our remarkable retention gains demonstrate that we are fulfilling our commitment to ensure that every student we welcome to WKU has the best opportunity to earn a degree and grow into a well-rounded, community leader. Thank you for the role that you play in meeting this objective.
Finally, as we look ahead, we will soon celebrate another milestone—the graduation of our seniors. Our spring Commencement exercises will take place on May 8, followed by our College Recognition Ceremonies the next day.
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