NASHVILLE – UA Cossatot students earning a degree or a
certificate for the December 2015 semester were once again
part of a history making class.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
(IPEDS) survey is performed nationally each semester to
compare institutions across the country. The information
contained within this survey is used to determine federal
financial aid as well as how an institution relates to its peers.
One of the important indicators of institutional retention and
success is the Graduation Rate. This rate is calculated not just
by the simple numbers but it also considers the length of time
it takes students to achieve an award (degree or certificate).
The rate indicates how many students were successful in
achieving their goal within a certain time frame.
The UA Cossatot graduating class of Fall 2015 earned a 37
percent on the Graduation Rate as compared by IPEDS. The
average of Arkansas higher education institutions is 22 percent.
Since 2002, the highest it has ever been was 26 percent.
“While we have been working a lot on our physical facilities
the past few years we have been working five times harder
on the overall student experience, especially in student services
and the classroom,” said UA Cossatot Chancellor Dr.
Steve Cole. “We are raising
the quality of our education
and our students are
responding to that by persevering
in the classroom.
UA Cossatot continues to
improve every facet of our
college and this record graduation
rate reflects that.”
Once a student makes
the decision to pursue their
higher educational goals,
many “life” obstacles can
interrupt plans.
“We make every effort,
short of compromising our
academic integrity, to accommodate
students and
their situations,” said Dr.
Maria Parker, Vice Chancellor
of Academics.
“Not every student receives
financial aid. Most of
our students work and have
family responsibilities while
pursuing their degree. We
are sincere about trying to
accommodate all students
whether it’s providing different
delivery options, such
as online courses or our flex
courses which condense the
learning in a shorter time
frame.”
The UA Cossatot Fall
Commencement was held
on Dec. 12 in Nashville.
“One reason we are so
excited about this graduation
rate is because we have
improved our methods of
making sure students are
aware of the processes needed
to graduate,” said Justin
White, Director of Student
Services. “We have implemented
an advising model
that helps students stay on
track and have a clear path
about how to accomplish
their goals.”
The next commencement
ceremony for UA Cossatot
is set for May 14, 2016.
