Student Achievement at UHD

An integral part of the University of Houston-Downtown's (UHD) mission is to enhance student retention and graduation and the University closely monitors student progress. UHD is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). One condition of SACSCOC accreditation requires that UHD provide students, constituents, and the public with information about “its goals for student achievement and the success of students in achieving those goals.” (SACSCOC Interpretation of Core Requirement 8.1-Student Achievement).

 As a regional public institution with University of Houston System (UHS), state, and federal accountability responsibilities, UHD’s expectations of student success are formulated within the context of UHS, state reporting, and the Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB) state budgeting process and peer benchmarks drawn from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). UHD uses these reports and processes to identify goals and outcomes and related thresholds and targets for the institution’s student success metrics. The assessment of student achievement plays a critical role in the University’s ongoing improvement efforts, system and state reporting, and the institution’s planning and budgeting processes.

 

 

Student Success Objective 1: Increase one-year, fall-to-fall retention of First-Time-in-College (FTIC) and Transfer students

Assessment	Methodology	Threshold	Most Current Student Achievement Data	Expected Level of Achievement	Improvement Strategies
FTIC First-year Retention	IPEDS Full-time FTIC retention methodology	AY2007 Retained:  56%	2023-2024 Entering Cohort (Fall 2022): Retained: 67.41%	73%	UHD’s current Strategic Plan, A New Paradigm, includes an emphasis on student success.  The focus at this time is on evaluating and improving the current advising model and offering intentional student support  including robust and intrusive advising, coaching, academic support, and faculty & staff peer mentorship.    These strategies are designed to support both FTIC and Transfer students. Additionally, to support FTIC retention, the university appointed a full-time faculty member as the First-Year Seminar Coordinator for August 1, 2023 – August 1, 2024 to strengthen first-year programming and support the students and faculty in the seminar courses.
Transfer First-year Retention	Students who have 60+ earned hours and begin as full-time transfer students in fall semester – this cohort was created in alignment with LBB and is also used on UHS Progress card and UHD strategic plan	AY2007 Retained: 75.56%	2023-2024 Entering Cohort (Fall 2022) Retained: 82.43%	83%

 

Student Success Objective 2: Increase graduation rates for First-Time-in-College (FTIC) and Transfer students

Assessment	Methodology	Threshold	Most Current Student Achievement Data	Expected Level of Achievement	Improvement Strategies
FTIC 6-year graduation rate	IPEDS Full-time FTIC graduation rate methodology   Pell recipient status is based on first fall term.	Fall 2001 Entering Cohort: 15.42% Female: 19.96% Male: 9.79% Pell recipient: 17.54% Non Pell recipient: 13.49%	2023-2024 Entering Cohort (Fall 2017):   Graduated: 33.76%   Female: 38.91%   Male: 26.61%   Pell recipient: 35.69%   Non Pell recipient: 29.66%	30%	UHD’s current Strategic Plan, A New Paradigm, includes an emphasis on student success. As part of the strategic plan, the university is working to enhance and increase institutional financial support and literacy for all students to help them complete their degrees in a timely manner. The university is investing in resources and technology to improve the ability to see where students are towards their degree of choice as well as other degree options to assist in ensuring students are able to graduate in a timely manner. To support students in their degree attainment, the university also initiated several student success initiatives, beginning in fall 2023, that are detailed more fully on this website: Student Success Initiatives These strategies are designed to support both FTIC and Transfer students.
Transfer 4-year graduation rate	Students who have 60+ earned hours and begin as full-time transfer students in fall semester – this cohort was created in alignment with LBB and is also used on UHS Progress card	Fall 2003 Entering Cohort: 64.10% Female: 67.43% Male: 59.85%	2023-2024 Entering Cohort (Fall 2019):  Graduated: 68.18% Female: 71.79% Male: 62.36%	70%.