WKU President Timothy Caboni shared an email with faculty and staff on Tuesday, Feb. 13, sharing numbers focused on student success.
According to the email from Caboni, “the retention of our students illustrates the effectiveness of our strategic initiatives in enhancing student engagement; expanding support services; and deepening connections with peers, faculty and staff.”
Going into the spring semester, 84% of fall undergraduate degree-seeking students returned to WKU, which is the highest percentage WKU has seen since they began tracking this data, nearly a decade and a half ago, Caboni stated. Additionally, 83.9% of the “overall underrepresented minority population” returned for the spring semester, being the highest percentage since the 2011-12 school year, Caboni said.
First-time first-year students had a retention rate going into the spring semester of 91.6%, which is up 91.1% when compared to a year ago. Additionally, first-time, first-year low-income students returned from the fall to the spring semester at a rate of 90%, which is an increase of almost 5 percentage points since 2019, Caboni stated.
First-time, first-year first generation students returned at a rate of 88.5%, which is an increase of 2 percentage points when compared to last year, and an increase of 4.2 percentage points when compared to 2019, the email stated.
Living Learning Community students who were first-time and first-year students returned at a rate of 94.8% in the spring semester when compared to non-LLC first-time, first-year students who did not participate in an LLC at 90.4%.
Caboni also expressed his thanks to the Housing and Residence Life staff, faculty, staff and community members, who assisted in the move of students from Hilltopper Hall.
“While difficult issues can and will arise on campus, one thing is clear – the WKU Family selflessly cares for one another and engages in every opportunity to meaningfully demonstrate the WKU Spirit,” Caboni said.
News Editor Molly Dobberstein can be reached at [email protected]
