Undergraduate Retention Committee

Committee Membership

Members

6 faculty representatives

Liz Roberts-Kirchoff, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Engineering & Science (term expires 3/2014)

Karen Waters, Sociology and Social Work, College of Liberal Arts & Education (term expires 3/2014)

Mary-Catherine Harrison, English, College of Liberal Arts & Education (term expires 3/2015)

Gail Mitchell, Music, College of Liberal Arts & Education (term expires 3/2015)

Sandra Wilson, Reference Department, McNichols Campus Library (term expires 3/2015)

Serhiy Morozov, Mathematics & Computer Science, College of Engineering & Science (term expires 3/2014) (MFA)

3 administrative representatives

Sheryl McGriff, Chairperson, Dean, Career Education Services (term expires 8/2013)

Emilie Wetherington, Director, University Academic Services (term expires 8/2014)

Monica Williams, Dean of Students (term expires 8/2014)

1 staff representative

Jean Krystyniak, Coordinator, Language & Cultural Training (term expires 8/2013)  

2 student representatives

Brittani Binns (term expires 8/2013)

Lauren Penner (term expires 8/2013)

Invited Participants

The chairperson of a Team and/or the administrator to whom the Team reports may add guests in an “Invited Participant” category. Individuals are invited because of their expertise, potential contributions, or history with the team but have no voting rights.  The term of service for invited participants is not to exceed two years.  Invited participants are not eligible for reappointment in this category.  A team may not exceed three invited participants at any given time.

Mary Catherine Harrison, English, College of Liberal Arts & Education, Director, Academic Exploration Program (term expires 8/2014)

Omid Sabbaghi, Business Administration, College of Business Administration (term expires 8/2014)

Carmen Stokes, Nursing, McAuley School of Nursing, College of Health Professions (term expires 8/2014)

2012-2013 Charge

• Conduct SWOT analysis of student support offices working with Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management  and Student Affairs , Student Accounting, and the Dean of Students (1.3.3)
• Enhance support services for students (e.g., ISO, UAS, CEC, Libraries, and student wellness) working with Academic Affairs, Enrollment and Student Affairs, and the Dean of Students  (1.3.4)
• Institute a comprehensive student retention program that focuses on a four-year persistence model that is student centered, supports enrollment goals and increases on-time graduation rates working with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment and Admissions, Registrar, and Undergraduate Coordinators (2.4.2)
• Improve faculty and staff knowledge, understanding and implementation strategies that help students build self-efficacy working with Academic Affairs, Faculty Development Team, and Student Affairs (2.4.3)
• To assist in meeting the Action Steps outlined in the University’s Strategic Plan as noted above:
  • Develop an operational definition and vision of Student Success for UDM.
    • Determine the problem we are trying to solve – Example: Improve the retention rate of all first-time full-time students from the first to second year by 2% for the next three years for a total of 6% more students retained from the first to second year. 
  • Through carefully structured Student Success Teams, review recent Retention Committee publications & student retention data to determine and fill gaps in a comprehensive, rigorous and evidence-based institutional assessment
  • Examine best practices at “like” institutions and conduct a performance “gap analysis”
  • Establish goals for UDM, 2013-2014 through 2023-2024, framed around policy, practices, programs, personnel and performance
  • Present actionable and prioritized recommendations for radically transforming Student Success at UDM (by April 15, 2013), and
  • Include recommendations on how we most effectively engage the broader UDM community in taking ownership of Student Success.

  Note: Numbers indicate the corresponding 2012-2017 Strategic Plan action steps Click here to view
  

  Ongoing Charge

  • Complete Focus on Retention: Divergent Perspectives white paper.
  • Review annual, semi-annual, & longitudinal retention outcomes and report observations to senior administrators and university leadership.
  • Forward recommendations to appropriate administrators/areas regarding student life issues and strategies to improve student-faculty interaction and communication.
  • Provide recommendations to the Academic Vice President for key links that could be added to the AVP website pertinent to student retention that would be a resource for faculty, administrators and staff.
  • Upon request, provide input for university or college initiatives to support retention activities, i.e. centralized advising.
  • Keep the university community informed of committee activities by providing summary minutes of meetings and reports to (sharedgovernance@udmercy.edu).  Information will be posted to the shared governance website (udmercy.edu/governance).  The secretary of the committee is responsible for these postings and for informing Campus Connections of new postings. If there is no secretary identified for the committee, a member should be selected who is responsible for this task

    Initial Organizational Structure and Tasks