UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Academic Affairs, Research and Student Life discussed increasing gaps in retention and graduation rates between underrepresented minority (URM) students and the overall student population – and opportunities and strategies for the University to address them – at its meeting on Dec. 15.
Committee members examined data highlighting trends at Penn State and nationally. University Park’s overall six-year graduation rate of 84.6% far surpasses the national rate of 68% as measured across all public four-year institutions. However, there is a 12% gap between underrepresented and white students at the University Park campus and a nearly 18% gap between these same populations across the entire University. The rates for one-year retention and four-year graduation, for which data can be found at the University’s Data Digest website, follow similar trends.
Steve Wagman, chair of the committee, opened the meeting by reiterating the commitment of Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi to both enhancing recruitment of underrepresented students and closing the four- and six-year graduation rates for students across all backgrounds and identities.
“Her (Bendapudi’s) priorities include enhancing support for underrepresented students throughout their academic careers to not only increase graduation rates, but also to set students up for lifelong success,” said Wagner. “In order to assess our progress in these areas, we first need to understand our baseline. The goal for today’s session is to illuminate the challenge before us, to identify the programs, services and resources that are having an impact and to identify the gaps we need to close.”
A panel of administrators, staff and students examined existing initiatives and resources focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at the University. They discussed opportunities to further enhance the offerings or potential new solutions to help narrow the gaps.
“How do we as an institution put barriers in students’ ways? And how can we actively identify those and work to eliminate them? So, really trying to get people to make this shift,” said Yvonne Gaudelius, vice president and dean for undergraduate education. “You can see this starting to happen in a lot of the policies and procedures that are being written to really try to change that emphasis and put the onus on us.”
The Office of Undergraduate Education continues to lead a number of collaborative initiatives – including the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), an enrollment unit for first- and second-year students who are undecided, exploratory or shifting direction; the Student Success Center, which launched in 2019 to support undergraduate students who experience barriers to persistent and timely degree completion; and the Summer Success Scholarship program, which since 2019 has awarded approximately $4.4 million to approximately 2,200 students across the institution who have fallen behind in degree progress, would benefit from a summer course to catch up, and have financial challenges in doing so; among others.
The efforts led by these initiatives aim to improve the undergraduate educational experience for all students but also represent specific, timely and targeted interventions that should help in closing opportunity gaps.
“How can we get out there and create a space where we’re giving information, but more importantly, create a culture that students feel connected to and feel invited to continue to engage in?” asked Denise Poole, director of student success initiatives in the Office of Undergraduate Education.
Student panelists shared their experiences as underrepresented minority students. They especially noted that earlier and more frequent access to information about DEIB-related resources and services would be beneficial to students who are currently struggling or are at risk of struggling.
“Coming into my senior year I’ve learned a lot more about the different resources that can help me at Penn State, and I feel as though if I knew that a little bit sooner in my freshman year, it could have better helped me and prepared me during my college career,” said Caitlin Bertrand, a senior in the Smeal College of Business. “(There is an opportunity for) advertising and putting it out there for students to know exactly the different opportunities that they do, what their outcomes could be, and what they can get from it overall.”
Re’naijah Purvis, a senior at Penn State Abington who serves as a Lion Guide peer adviser and a resident assistant in the University’s first living learning community focused on global sustainability, said that underrepresented students who are struggling may feel more comfortable turning to a fellow student than approaching a faculty or staff member, which they may find intimidating. She suggested peer-to-peer outreach as a possible solution.
“Many students who are first-gen and who are underrepresented don’t really feel like they have the voice or the space to advocate for themselves,” said Purvis.
Melissa Landrau Vega, director of the Multicultural Resource Center at University Park, which provides individual college counseling and educational services for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, agreed that engaging students one-on-one and in smaller groups, in addition to continued broader promotion at larger involvement fairs and new-student orientation activities, could be effective in reaching underrepresented minority students earlier and throughout their time at Penn State.
“We’re always working with our Student Leadership Council to devise ways in which to engage with students to make sure that the students know where we are, what services we can provide and that we can listen to their needs and see how we can connect them to the right resources and services,” said Landrau Vega.
Panelists participating in the committee meeting included:
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Jeff Adams, associate vice president and senior associate dean for undergraduate education
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Caitlin Bertrand, senior, Smeal College of Business
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Yvonne Gaudelius, vice president and dean for undergraduate education
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Kelly Griffith, director, Office for Summer Session
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Lance Kennedy-Phillips, vice provost for planning, assessment, and institutional research
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Melissa Landrau Vega, director, Multicultural Resource Center
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Denise Poole, director, Student Success Initiatives
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Re’naijah Purvis, senior, Penn State Abington
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Justin Schwartz, interim executive vice president and provost
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Troy Turner, senior, College of the Liberal Arts
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Marcus Whitehurst, vice provost for Educational Equity