Graduation Rates Differ Between Oxford And Regional Campuses

BY ALEX McKEON
Miami University journalism student

When a university enrolls students, it works hard to keep them -- and help them graduate into the real world.

That is no exception at Miami University, which brags a 92 percent retention rate with 79.9 percent of students graduating in six years and 65.5 percent in four years.

Like at other universities, however, Miami's regional campuses struggle to match that success.

At Miami's Hamilton campus, the retention rate is just 62 percent, with 27.8 percent graduating either in two or four years. At Miami's Middletown campus those numbers are even lower, with a 58 percent retention rate and just a 20.8 percent graduation rate.

Perry Richardson, senior director of marketing and public information at the regional campuses, said the rates are lower on the regionals because the students are different.

“Our students are often first-generation students, adult learners, veterans, parents, English-language learners or low-income students whose life circumstances can interfere with degree achievement,” said Richardson.

Non-traditional appeal

The regional campuses -- which include ones Hamilton, Middletown and West Chester, along with Greentree Health Sciences Academy in Middletown -- are designed to appeal to non-traditional students. For that reason, they offer degrees designed for the region and don’t require standardized test scores for admission.

But they do seek higher retention and graduation rates -- and have changed the regional curriculum in order to make strides in that department, said Brennan Burks, director of public affairs at the regional campuses.

“Our goal is to provide more degrees, and better services for our current student population, because we serve the communities in which our campuses exist,” said Burks. “We have in the past six years developed what is now 16 bachelor’s degrees, and have just now added English Studies, in addition to our new online graduate degree.”

Marketing efforts at the regionals even communicate Miami's desire to graduate its students, Burks said.

"One of our major slogans is 'Degrees designed with you in mind,' ” he said. “That is designed primarily for our students and their current studies and future employment, but also is designed with our businesses, and organizations in the Southwest Ohio area that hopefully employ our graduates.”

Miami's main campus issues

At the main campus, meanwhile, administrators are also working to increase retention and graduation rates, according to Michael Kabbaz, vice president of enrollment and student success in Oxford. “We are looking to have an 85 percent graduation rate, which would put us in a handful of top university’s throughout the country,” said Kabbaz.

The challenge is that Miami is up against dozens of other institutions trying to do the same. “Oxford is a selective, competitive institution that is competing for students in the state, in the country and around the world,” Kabbaz said.

Miami Director of Communications Claire Wagner noted that the main campus and regionals work together to improve rates for both populations. “Some students start at the regional campuses and then come to Oxford to finish their degree,” she said.

Photo: Miami's regionals are pushing to retain and graduate more students. -- Contributed photo