Preparation began in May for both a large class of freshmen and a second year of record-breaking retention rates.
Students included in the retention data are first-time, full-time students seeking a bachelor’s degree who came back to SDSU for a second year. Last year’s rate was record-breaking, with 82.9% of students returning to SDSU. This year’s rate broke yet another record with 83.8% of students returning. Director of University Marketing and Communications, Mike Lockrem, said 44% of the first-year students that enrolled at a regental institution came to SDSU.
The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Associate Professor, Teresa Seefeldt, does a lot of work with retention and concluded that there are many main factors playing roles in the number of students coming back.
“I think there’s a couple of things. One, 75% [of] all the things we are doing with student support services,” Seefeldt said. “Specifically, I would call out the Wintrode Student Success Center.”
The Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center offers a multitude of tools and resources for students in need. The Tutoring and TRIO Program Director, Linde Murray, said the center received over 40,000 student visits last year. These visits included tutoring, advising and supplemental instruction.
“Tutoring had over 8,000 visits last year, advising had just over 8,000 and supplemental instruction had just over 16,000 visits,” Murray said.
Academics also hold an important role for students coming back. New faculty and new programs help keep students interested and encouraged to stay at SDSU. Along with academics, both the financial and student engagement aspects are important.
“We have had a tuition freeze for the last couple of years, we have had increases in scholarships,” Seefeldt said. “Those are all big factors. The last piece I would mention is just the general engagement of students in all areas of campus. It really helps them make those connections and feel at home at SDSU. It really is that whole environment in the student experience.”
There are also key efforts the university has put toward keeping retention rates high, such as the university’s willingness to change and improve. One major accomplishment from the willingness to change was the wait time for counseling dropping to zero.
“We had a situation where students would have to wait days or even weeks to get a counseling appointment, and we were willing to change that,” South Dakota State President Barry Dunn said.
Wintrode recently moved into the Thompson Center, a much more mainstream location on campus. This made access to tutoring and other services much easier and amplified the importance of using the resources available to students.
“Rather than just waiting and hoping that things turn around and get better, reach out and use the resources that are available to make changes now,” Murray said. “It will be far less stressful than hoping it fixes itself.”
Along with the high retention rates, many other university successes have been accomplished. events such as the national championships, Summit League, NCAA tournaments and The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band going to the Macy’s Day Parade are just some of the examples of things to be proud of.
“When people look around and see that kind of success, they feel like they can do that too,” Dunn said. “All of that helps to lift everyone on campus.”
When asked if there was anything he would like to add, Dunn said students are succeeding during a challenging time, “I think what I’d like to express to students is how proud I am of them.”