Dive Brief:
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At the State University of New York at Buffalo, officials say having students and staff sign a graduation pledge is boosting graduation rates.
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Students pledge to “register for classes on time, follow a structured curricular plan and talk with an academic adviser at least once a semester,” Inside Higher Ed reports. They are assessed to help find good major fits and must select an approved major by the time they earn 60 credit hours at the institution.
- If the students miss benchmarks, they are removed from the pledge cohort. But if they meet all of the targets and still require more than eight semesters, the university waives tuition and fees for the extra semester(s).
Dive Insight:
With graduation rates increasingly tied to institutional success — and with attempts to link funding to such metrics growing in popularity — institutions are scrambling to find ways to boost student graduation rates. Intrusive advising, which SUNY’s plan represents, is becoming a more common technique on campuses across the country, in hopes that proactive staff will offer more guidance and encouragement to get students to the finish line.