TO: All Georgia State University Faculty and Staff

FROM: Dr. Timothy Renick, Vice Provost and Vice President for Enrollment Management &
Student Success
DATE: 6/13/2015
SUBJECT: Student Success and Retention

Unlike many other research universities in the state, Georgia State University is home to a
drastically different student body. 87% of our students rely on some form of federal aid, 30% are
first generation, 53% of our students are Pell recipients and 60% of Georgia State students are
minority students (College Completion Plan, 2012). In 2012 we created a completion plan based
on our strategic goals. For an institution with students that consistently face barriers to
graduation it was necessary to implement a plan that helped us achieve retention and graduation
goals. Since the creation of the completion plan Georgia State has created a nationally
recognized University Advisement Center with a 300 to 1 advisor to student ration, a state of the
art student success center that creates first year programs and success academy for students in
need of additional academic and developmental assistance. We also know that money follows
mission. As state funding becomes more and more dependent on performance its crucial that we
meet our goals to provide our students with additional financial aid. (Schloss. P & Cragg. K,
2013, p. 102).
As you all know for the past three years student success, retention and graduation has been at the
forefront of Georgia States strategic plan. Each one of you has played a crucial part in meeting
the goals of our strategic plan and your hard work is the key to our overall success; however as
educators we all know that we must continue to exceed expectations.
Nationally Georgia State University is recognized as the number one institution in the US with
the highest number of degrees conferred for African American students and GSU has the second
fastest increase in graduation rates of minority students in the US (College Completion Plan,
2012). Even with all of these achievements and recognition Georgia State University is still 10
points below the national average for 6 year graduation rates. As advisors, faculty and
administrators we still have to continue working tirelessly to get our students to the finish line.
Their achievement is our achievement.

In addition to all the programs that are currently being implemented by the University
Advisement Center and Student Success Center are creating a new program this summer for our
success academy students. For those of you that are not aware of success academy, it is a
program for first year freshman students with academic need. A certain percentage of freshman
students are admitted each summer instead of fall. These students take two courses over the
summer along with a freshman orientation course. Data shows that success academic students are
increasingly more likely to have higher GPS as a result of the summer session.
PROFFESIONAL MENTORSHIP SUMMER 2015
A professional mentorship program is being implemented this summer for freshman students that
are participating in the GSU Success Academy. Each student will be paired with a professional
mentor from the advisement office, enrollment services or success center. As we see an increase
in first generation, minority students from low income socioeconomic backgrounds we find that
these students dont have the same support system that is available to other students. Students
can reach out to their mentors when they are faced with lack of motivation, academic stress, fear
of an unknown environment or just need someone to talk to. We see the mentorship program as
another avenue for students in need of support.
I am so proud and grateful of this Georgia State community that we have created and I hope to
see the mentorship program thrive just as our other initiatives have.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to higher education.
Dr. Timothy Renick
Timothy Renick

References
American Association of Colleges and State Universities. (2014). Top 10 higher education state policy
issues for 2014. Retrieved from http://www.aascu.org/policy/publications/policy- matters/
Top10StatePolicyIssues2014.pdf
Georgia State University (2012). College completion plan: A university-wide plan for student success.
Retrieved from http://enrollment.gsu.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/57/files/2013/09/
GSU_College_Completion_Plan_09-06-12.pdf
Schloss, P., Cragg, K. (2013). Organization and administration in higher education. New York:
Rutledge