What would you do if you were in charge of making a decision that could impact graduation rates at a college?
If you were in charge of the budget and there was money for a new staff position, who would be the winner? Would it be a new math tutor, a financial aid staffer, a librarian or an advisor? And how would the new position impact graduation rates?
Any four of these contenders would be beneficial because there are students on every campus who struggle with math and could benefit from a tutor. Every student is impacted by financial aid in one way or another. Most students have been to the library at their college at least once to do work, and having a librarian can ensure that the library is in the best condition at all times. And lastly, all students have an advisor who helps them pick classes.
According to Inside Higher Ed, “I hear a lot about ‘data-based’ or ’evidence-based’ decision-making. But it’s not clear to me what data or evidence would settle the question. How would you know which one is the best choice?”
I know my decision is based on evidence from my personal experience being a college student.
To impact graduation rates and better improve a student’s experience at college, I would hire more advisors. Based on my own experience, I have heard multiple different things that counter one another while speaking to advisors; therefore, hiring another who could oversee all programs could be extremely beneficial.
I know people personally who are now graduating late after being steered in the wrong direction while picking classes. This could potentially be avoided by hiring a new academic advisor.
More logic behind why I would choose the academic advisor is that at Keene State and other colleges alike, there are student tutors who do an excellent job at helping students and making themselves available and accessible to students to benefit their success; therefore, I do not think a math staff tutor is needed as much as an advisor would be. Professors also offer study sessions and office hours, so if students need help, they can get it directly from their professors or teaching assistants.
Hiring an advisor beats a math tutor, librarian, and financial aid staffer because the advisor is the one who directly helps students decide on their classes and helps them plan a schedule each semester to ensure they graduate on time and take all their required classes.
I believe that all of these positions are beneficial and necessary on a college campus, but if the question is which one of these positions will help the success of graduation rates, then my answer without a doubt would be an advisor.
Ali Barretta can be contacted at
abarretta@kscequinox.com
