State University of New York aims to boost graduation numbers by 2020 The State University of New York on Friday set a goal of producing nearly 60,000 more graduates each year by 2020 by expanding several student support initiatives through a newly created investment fund. “Higher degrees of access, completion and success require a higher degree of investment,” SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said during her annual State of the University address in Albany. “We cannot make futuristic changes on yesterday’s dollar.” The nation’s largest public university system currently graduates 93,000 students each year. To get to 150,000, Zimpher proposed putting a SUNY college adviser in each of the state’s nearly 700 school districts and giving high school students access to an online course that would explain how to apply for and finance college. Plans also include expanding online offerings, as well as the Educational Opportunity Program which provides academic support and financial aid for students who might otherwise not get into college. Each of SUNY’s 64 campus will appoint a chief diversity officer, she said. Zimpher said SUNY will work with its campuses to build state and philanthropic support for the investment fund. “The reality is that for better student outcomes, we need better and smarter investment,” she said. SUNY enrolls about 460,000 students and employs nearly 90,000 people. Other initiatives announced Friday include: Requiring an internship as a prerequisite for graduation beginning with students entering SUNY in 2015-16. Advocating for a common, statewide electronic high school transcript to make it easier for colleges to analyze and advise students. Recruiting faculty to be “master innovators,” who will attract research money and provide research opportunities for students. Extending to all enrollees “Finish in Four” programs that guarantee students are not shut out of classes they need to graduate on time. Students enroll in the program as freshmen and meet regularly with guidance counselors. University at Buffalo President Satish Tripathi said 49 percent of incoming freshmen have enrolled in UB’s Finish in Four program since it began in 2012. For its part, UB added more than 300 course sections, 10,000 new course seats, 150 instructors and 40 teaching assistants, he said. It is too early to say whether the program will improve the graduation rate, Tripathi said, because the first enrollees won’t graduate until 2016. UB’s four-year graduation rate is 52 percent. Systemwide, the SUNY four-year graduation rate is 47 percent. Source: syracuse/ newsnyork/state-university-of-new-york-aims-to-boost-graduation-numbers-by-2020/
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 02:15:15 +0000
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