FAMU aims for 49.7 percent six- year graduation rate by 2020.In 2008, seven of the 11 State University System of Florida institutions graduated fewer than half of their students in six years. The average six-year graduation rate for the entire system was 53.1 percent.
The University of Florida led overall with 82 percent. FAMU had 41 percent. FAU came in last with 39 percent.
Considering the scarcity of on-campus housing in the SUS it’s no surprise that UF, which has a wealthy student body, is on top of the graduation rate list. The average family income for UF students is about $105,000 and only 21 percent of its full-time, first-time students receive Pell Grants. Most FAMU students come from families that make $30,000 or less. FAMU is also the only SUS member at which most of the full-time, first-time students receive Pell Grants, with a total of 52 percent.
It’s easy for most UF students to call their parents and get extra money for rent, car gas, and food when prices go up. The majority of FAMU students can’t do that. That's why most FAMU students have to take smaller course loads whenever the cost of college increases. Smaller courses loads hurt the university's six-year graduation rate. If FAMU had more campus housing, the cost of education would be lower and students could take bigger course loads.
FAMU’s new Strategic Plan calls for the university to achieve a 49.7 percent six-year graduation rate by 2020. That year, the university aims to have a total of 15,000 students, with about 2,500 enrolled in graduate programs.
FAMU's ongoing efforts to expand its on-campus housing capacity are a big part of its strategy for improving the six-year graduation rate. FAMU currently has 2,484 beds on campus. The renovation of Sampson and Young Halls (242 beds) by Fall 2011 and opening of the new Polkinghorne Village (800 beds) in Fall 2012 will take the total number of beds up to 3,526.
The University of Florida led overall with 82 percent. FAMU had 41 percent. FAU came in last with 39 percent.
Considering the scarcity of on-campus housing in the SUS it’s no surprise that UF, which has a wealthy student body, is on top of the graduation rate list. The average family income for UF students is about $105,000 and only 21 percent of its full-time, first-time students receive Pell Grants. Most FAMU students come from families that make $30,000 or less. FAMU is also the only SUS member at which most of the full-time, first-time students receive Pell Grants, with a total of 52 percent.
It’s easy for most UF students to call their parents and get extra money for rent, car gas, and food when prices go up. The majority of FAMU students can’t do that. That's why most FAMU students have to take smaller course loads whenever the cost of college increases. Smaller courses loads hurt the university's six-year graduation rate. If FAMU had more campus housing, the cost of education would be lower and students could take bigger course loads.
FAMU’s new Strategic Plan calls for the university to achieve a 49.7 percent six-year graduation rate by 2020. That year, the university aims to have a total of 15,000 students, with about 2,500 enrolled in graduate programs.
FAMU's ongoing efforts to expand its on-campus housing capacity are a big part of its strategy for improving the six-year graduation rate. FAMU currently has 2,484 beds on campus. The renovation of Sampson and Young Halls (242 beds) by Fall 2011 and opening of the new Polkinghorne Village (800 beds) in Fall 2012 will take the total number of beds up to 3,526.
"It’s easy for most UF students to call their parents and get extra money for rent, car gas, and food when prices go up. The majority of FAMU students can’t do that. That's why most FAMU students have to take smaller course loads whenever the cost of college increases. Smaller courses loads hurt the university's six-year graduation rate. If FAMU had more campus housing, the cost of education would be lower and students could take bigger course loads."
ReplyDeleteWhat role do you think the higher average SAT test scores and higher average GPA's at UF and FSU play in their higher graduation rates. Do FAMU students with higher GPA's and SAT test scores graduate within 6 years? Just because they took higher course loads doesn't mean they will graduate faster. After all they may fail the course.
What about the students who only attend class long enough to get their federal financial aid to and have no intention of graduating from FAMU.
Maybe FAMU should do like FSU and rely more on Community College transfers who've already spent 3.5 years earning a two year degree, choose easy majors, and are ready to get on with their lives.
ReplyDeleteWould it be better to spend 2 to 3.5 years at a CC and then graduate from FAMU in two more years? It seems that you would make out better finanically, and you would have the opportunity to strengthen your academic weakness by faculty whose only purpose is to perform that function. If FAMU sets and maintains academic standards then the six year graduation rate would improve. At what point do you draw the line or do you draw a line? Lets face it not everyone will benefit from higher ed.
ReplyDeleteJust because they took higher course loads doesn't mean they will graduate faster. After all they may fail the course.
ReplyDeleteStudents who cannot afford to take full course loads will not be able to graduate on time no matter how high their SAT scores are. The cost of education is the first problem we have to tackle in order to raise the graduation rate.
Maybe FAMU should do like FSU and rely more on Community College transfers who've already spent 3.5 years earning a two year degree, choose easy majors, and are ready to get on with their lives.
ReplyDeleteFAMU is stepping up its recruitment of CC transfers. However, FAMU should not focus on getting students who take "easy majors." FAMU sends a much larger number of its black students on to earn PhDs than FSU does. We won't be able to keep on doing that if we just encourage students to take "easy majors."
We have to rely on the CC system to educate those that are unprepared. Having a mass of students showing up to any school who are unprepared will greatly reduce the grad rate. I don't care if they all are huge money.
ReplyDeleteFirst off the CC is MUCH cheaper than FAMU, so the cost won't hurt them as much. Second, all CCs do is basically remedial education, while FAMU is spreading resources by doing remedial AND higher level courses. We would remove some inefficiencies in our system.
FAMU can still have her 15,000 students, still 90% black with probably a 70% graduation rate by 2020, if we focus on bringing in higher quality students as freshmen and let the rest transfer in automatically after getting their stuff together in a CC.
Letting in students who can't afford AND are unprepared for college while taking their tuition money is immoral.
5:31 PM, Do you think FAMU needs to do like FSU and accepty students that read on a 2nd grade level? FAMU doesn't need to do sh!t like FSU. We have already left them in the mud.
ReplyDelete12:26 p.m.,
ReplyDeleteI agree FAMU should do more to nurture that relationship with CCs across the state, especially the one here in Tallahassee, to recruit those students. And just to clarify a very narrow perceptionn, CCs attract more than remedial students. Many students with Bright Scholarships often choose CCs over 4-year universities because of the small campus atmosphere, access to resources, and the course offerings. Furthermore, while they do remediate, CCs are beginning to offer 4-year degrees and/or serve as satellite schools for other colleges to that offer baccalaureate degrees.
"Do you think FAMU needs to do like FSU and accepty students that read on a 2nd grade level? FAMU doesn't need to do sh!t like FSU. We have already left them in the mud."
ReplyDeleteThe above quote is not borne out by admissions statistics of 2009 below unless the students a FSU with higher GPA's and SAT scores than FAMU are still reading of the second grade level.
FAMU
Middle Range GPA Accepted Fall 2009 3.05
Middle Range SAT Accepted Fall 2009 1350
FSU
Middle Range GPA Accepted Fall 2009 3.6-4.2
Middle Range SAT Accepted Fall 2009 1730-1960
Even though FSU's admissions standards are higher, there's no way that they are getting brighter black students than FAMU. If FSU's black students were better, then FAMU wouldn't be sending three times as many black students on to earn PhDs.
ReplyDeleteThe students admitted to FSU have a higher average SAT score and GPA than FAMU students. FAMU may send more African American students to grad school simply because there are more African American students attending the school. Does anyone have any objective data about the quality of the grad schools attended by FAMU students? How many attend the Ivy legue schools or Stanford per year? How many attend real medical schools or dental schools?
ReplyDeleteFAMU sends more blacks on to earn PhDs because it does a better job recruiting the best and brightest African Americans. Just having a large number of blacks doesn't guarantee that you'll be successful in getting them ready for grad school.
ReplyDeleteThe data FAMU's cited on its black students who earn PhDs comes from the National Science Foundation. NSF only counts PhDs earned from accredited universities.
The level of respect your PhD gets in the marketplace is based on the quality of the program from which you graduate. For example a PhD from Harvard carries more weight than one from say FSU. I would like to know if there is any data out there pertaining to the rankings of the graduate programs to which FAMU graduates are admitted compared to FSU graduates. I would really be interested in the number, type, and quality of medical schools which FAMU graduates attend. The list I saw a few years ago cited 16 graduates going to medical schools. The list included schools of Chiropractic and Osteopathic medicine, and several schools in the Caribbean . There where only 3 graduates which were going to what I would consider illegitimate medical schools. I feel all of the prelaw students go to FAMU law school.
ReplyDeleteThe NSF data doesn't list the specific doctoral-granting institutions FAMU students have attended. The FAMU Graduate School, though, tracks the students who enter masters/doctoral studies through the Graduate Feeder Program.
ReplyDelete