Loyola students are required to complete 128 hours of course credits to graduate, while many universities require 120 hours. As a result, Loyola’s four-year graduation rate is 50.6 percent, and the official six-year rate is 67.7 percent. Graduation rates among similar colleges are in many cases 5 to 15 points higher than the Loyola, according to the Provost’s office.
Provost John Pelissero asked the Office of Institutional Research to do an analysis of graduating students to determine which factors enable a student to graduate in four years and which factors present barriers to achieving the baccalaureate degree in four years. The report, “Estimated Effect of Reduction in Loyola’s Graduation Credit Hour Requirement,” makes a compelling case for reducing the minimum graduation requirement from 128 to 120 credit hours, Pelissero said.
Loyola’s Board of Trustees will be asked this week to reduce the required hours to graduate to 120. If approved, the change would become effective for all undergraduates in Academic Year 2011-12.
Here is the full text of a memo issued Wednesday afternoon by Pelissero:
December 1, 2010
In my remarks at the annual Faculty Convocation in September, I spoke about key goals for the coming year, including new initiatives to improve student retention and persistence to graduation. I’d like you to know more about the activities that are in progress to address the graduation rates of our students. I have challenged our undergraduate leadership team to think strategically and pragmatically about ways to enhance our graduation rates. We are focused on five broad areas: (1) admission standards, (2) retention rates, (3) financial aid, (4) course scheduling and availability, and (5) graduation requirements. In this last area we are examining the required credit hours for graduation, the Core Curriculum and Values requirements, and requirements for majors—and I have asked each dean to complete a review of school and departmental degree requirements by the end of the spring 2011 semester.
Currently, Loyola’s graduation rates do not reflect the outcomes that we aspire to achieve in our strategic plan for 2009-2015. The four-year graduation rate is 50.6 percent, and the official six-year rate is 67.7 percent. In contrast, the graduation rates among most of our peer institutions are higher—in many cases 5 to 15 points higher than the Loyola outcomes.
During the summer of 2010, I asked the Office of Institutional Research to do an analysis of our graduating students to determine which factors enable a student to graduate in four years and which factors present barriers to achieving the baccalaureate degree in four years. The report, “Estimated Effect of Reduction in Loyola’s Graduation Credit Hour Requirement,” makes a compelling case for reducing the minimum graduation requirement from 128 to 120 credit hours. The national norm is 120 credit hours and most of our peer institutions, including other Jesuit colleges, are at less than 128 credit hours. Requiring students to complete two additional credit hours each year (less than one 3-credit hour course) in order to accumulate eight more credits by graduation has minimal academic benefit to our graduates. In fact, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies minimal requirements have been set at 120 credit hours for about five years now.
As you will read in the report, students who are able to graduate in four years do so by successfully completing more than five courses every semester, taking summer school courses, and bringing in AP/IB and transfer credits. Thirty-five percent of our four-year graduates take one summer session and 20 percent must enroll in two or three summer sessions to complete requirements. Most of our part-time students are seniors—students who are in a fifth year of study to complete the hours needed to graduate.
Reducing the minimum graduation requirement to 120 credit hours is just a first step among many that are being examined to enable more students to graduate in four years and improve our official six-year graduation rates. Other initiatives that would help our students graduate in four years will be studied and acted upon, some over the next few months, others over the next few years.
As summarized in the Institutional Research report, there are significant advantages to helping students graduate on time. I want to highlight just one of these benefits—a reduction in student debt. Loyola aid is not provided beyond four years. Many students must rely on loans to pay the education bills after four years and the debt load increase is significant. After four years, student borrowers have an average of $17,300 in federal loans, and an average indebtedness, including alternative loans, of $28,400. The average indebtedness of borrowers increases after four years by as much as $10,000. As an example, average debt load for federal and alternative loans increases to $38,600 in the fifth year, an increase of 36 percent.
This week we will ask the Board of Trustees to change the minimum graduation requirement to 120 credit hours. This proposal has been deliberated within our shared governance system and was recommended for approval by the Board of Undergraduate Studies and the Academic Affairs University Policy Committee. I have reviewed this change in requirements with senior University leaders. The Council of Deans and the President’s Cabinet have discussed the possible revenue decline that may result from fewer part-time students and lower summer enrollments if more of our students can graduate in four years. There is a consensus that Loyola should implement strategies that will help students graduate in four years, regardless of the potential impact on revenue.
If approved, the reduction in the minimum graduation requirement to 120 credit hours would become effective for all undergraduates in Academic Year 2011-12. A multi-departmental team will begin work on implementation issues and a communication plan immediately.
I want you to know that undertaking this change in graduation requirements is just one step in a multi-staged process of reviewing all of the factors that impact graduation rates. As these changes evolve I will keep you informed of our progress and of the impact on graduation rates.
Sincerely,
John Pelissero, PhD
Provost
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