Programs aim for high retention

UTC hopes for a continued rise in the student retention rate after the second year with the FAST, Freshman Academic Success Tracking program. According to Dr. Fran Bender, assistant provost for retention and student success, last year's average was 66.9 percent, 7 percent higher than the previous year. Bender also said the only major program made to help boost student success during that time was the FAST program.

Bender said the FAST program began in 2008 as a result of the extremely low retention rate at UTC. The retention rate is a statistic released each year two weeks after the fall semester begins. It represents the percentage of students who have returned from the previous year.

The goal of FAST is to teach freshmen good habits regarding class attendance and to help those individuals who are having trouble adjusting to college life by providing them with tutoring, advising, counseling and career planning services.

Bender said the program is meant to help freshmen balance independence with responsibility.

The program works by keeping record of the attendance of all UTC freshmen. When a professor reports that a freshman in his or her class has missed two class periods the student is contacted via e-mail and receives a visit from his or her room advisor.

Bender said the goal of FAST is to send one message to all freshmen: "Go to class. Period."

Dr. Paul Watson, head of the psychology department, said he cannot speculate on what the rate will be by this year but he does think the university is doing a great job of making retention a priority.

Some students are thankful that there is a policy in place that reminds them of the importance of going to class. "It helps students get into a good routine of going to class," Zachary Peltz, a Memphis freshman said.

Although some students like the policy, others such as Jenny Boyd, a Knoxville freshman, think the program is bad.

"We are old enough to make our own decision of whether or not to go to class," Boyd said.

Bender said the university is also offering one hour topic courses for freshmen.

"These courses are taught by faculty members on a subject they are passionate about," she said. "Engagement is a big piece of retention."

She said there are only about 18 students in each class so the students can get to know the faculty member.

A learning community program is also in the works, said Bender.

"Freshman will be with the same students in their one-hour topic courses who are in their English class," she said. "They will write about their special topic in the English class."

The university is also offering one hour courses called UTC Experience, which help students transition from high school to college. All of the one hour freshman classes count towards graduation.

She said they won't know the effects of all of the new programs until the fall census day, which is 14 days into the semester.