THE EDUCATION FRONT

DR. DAVID DANIEL, president, University of Texas at Dallas
This is a broad issue in which individual and institutional circumstances vary widely, so there's not one right answer that fits every student.

We encourage high school students considering UT Dallas to attempt as much Advanced Placement credit as they can before they come to college. Most potential freshmen who are accepted here have the academic wherewithal to attain credit through AP, which is very economical.

We also try to motivate timely completion by offering all students fixed tuition for four years. After the fourth year, the tuition moves to whatever level has been approved for that year's incoming freshmen by our board.

The fixed tuition program also offers a fixed tuition cost per semester--that is, we only charge students for up to 15 hours. Any hours a student enrolls for beyond that number are, in essence, free.

We also extend the benefit of that program to any student who attends a community college in Texas. If a prospective transfer student notifies us that they are planning to come to UT Dallas, we lock in the tuition rate as of that semester and the lock expires four years later.

DR. GRETCHEN BATAILLE, president, University of North Texas

Your editorial suggested that community colleges could be key to producing more college graduates.

Community colleges are indeed vital, as more students are using them as a stepping stone to a university. And the University of North Texas has long been a partner to community colleges to ensure that students ultimately earn their bachelor's degrees. This is why we lead Texas and rank fourth nationally among public universities for the number of transfer students we serve.

We have relied on our insight into transfer students' needs to develop strategies that ensure they graduate. Our success has translated into a 70 percent graduation rate among juniors and seniors who transfer to UNT -- but, as the editorial suggests -- these students sometimes take up to six years to graduate because of work and family obligations.

Our strategies for success include:
•Partnership: UNT has articulation agreements with 22 area community college districts to better align a student's coursework between institutions. These agreements aren't just business as usual. Our Eagle Bound program allows community college students who meet UNT admission requirements to establish a concurrent admission relationship with us. These agreements give students a clear, efficient and strategic pathway to UNT.

•Innovation: UNT's unique reverse transfer agreement with the Dallas County Community College District, which accounts for our largest group of transfer students, allows students to complete the necessary courses to earn their associate's degree while pursuing a bachelor's degree at UNT. DCCCD, which is measured in part by the number of degrees awarded, no longer has to worry about encouraging students to stay even if they are ready to transfer. This means students can earn a bachelor's degree within a timely manner and don't pay for unnecessary classes, which drives down costs. And like other universities, we have increased financial aid to transfer students.

•Leadership: Through our National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students, UNT is a leading authority on transfer student issues, shaping the national dialogue and developing retention strategies through annual conferences. The transfer institute helped to organize this summer's Texas Transfer Success Conference, the first large-scale conference of its kind centered on transfer students.

We agree on the importance of investments in community colleges, but state investments must also follow students to the four-year institutions to ensure timely transfer, smooth articulation, supportive policies and financial aid. Decisions should be based on successful partnerships between community colleges and four-year institutions because these partnerships can make the difference between a college graduate and a college dropout.

DR. ANN STUART, president, Texas Women's University

Texas Woman's University focuses upon two groups of students - the TWU students of today, and the college students of tomorrow.

At TWU we are working to address the issue of student preparedness through collaborative efforts with our K-12 partners. TWU is actively engaged in a series of curriculum alignment workshops with our K-12 and higher education neighbors. A recently expanded dual credit program allows students in the region to receive concurrent credit for high school and college courses, thus reducing the number of college hours required following graduation from high school. Both of these programs serve to decrease the need for developmental education - a known deterrent to timely graduation.

Even students who arrive at campus fully academically prepared may be at risk if they cannot easily access timely and accurate academic counseling. Both students and advisors are assisted by an on-line degree audit reporting system, which provides current information on progress toward graduation; and an on-line "Early Alert" notifies students of their danger of failing a course when there is still time for them to recover and pass the course. Students needing academic assistance have easy access to free tutoring in math, computer science, natural science and writing in three convenient tutoring centers.

TWU has established "Living Learning Communities." Under the direction of TWU faculty, students choosing this programmatic residential living option engage in curricular and co-curricular activities developed around an academic or special interest theme - such as health studies or fine arts. Evaluation of the learning communities suggests that students actively engaged in their studies are more likely to maintain academic focus and to persist toward graduation.

TWU focuses on strategic planning to increase timely graduation. The emphasis is to: 1) structure university policies and practices to support student progress; 2) inform, advise, and support students academically and financially to the extent resources will allow; 3) provide quality instruction that encourages active community engagement; and, 4) work collaboratively with K-12 partners to "Close the Gaps" in education for the college students of tomorrow.

We hope this information is helpful, and look forward to comments from our North Texas higher education neighbors.

DR. JAMES D. SPANIOLO, president, University of Texas at Arlington

Thank you for the invitation to respond to your Dec. 16 editorial, "Degrees of Difficulty." The concerns you laid out about graduation and retention rates are top priorities at The University of Texas at Arlington and are a major focus of our efforts to become a nationally recognized, Tier One institution.

This month, we are embarking on the initial phase of a major initiative to concentrate academic advising, counseling, tutoring and other support in a new Student Success Center that will open this fall in a renovated hall in the heart of our campus. We are expanding our academic advising ranks rapidly to ensure that each student who enrolls in UT Arlington has access to a professional who can help that student choose courses, degree plans and academic support services that will ensure graduation as expeditiously as possible.

We know that freshmen who live on campus often grow more connected to their university and are more likely to succeed academically. To that end, we have recently adopted a new policy that gives entering freshman preference for one of our 4,500 on-campus housing spaces. And we expect to break ground in 2010 on a new 450-bed, mixed-used residence hall and parking garage project that will enhance opportunities for students to live and study together.

Equally important, UT Arlington is doing everything it can to make a college education affordable. Total financial aid and scholarship awards this academic year are up dramatically by 38 percent, to $261 million. About 66 percent of our students will receive some form of financial assistance this year, with the average full-time, undergraduate student actually paying less than $3,000 in tuition and fees this year.

Lastly, we are seeing some promising results when we organize undergraduates in cohort groups, as we have done with our Goolsby Leadership Academy in our College of Business. Such cohorts look out for each other and provide academic and personal support on a level that administrators may not be able to reach.

This month, we also conferred our first University Studies degrees on a group of standout students, among them several single parents and older students who had returned to college to finish a degree they saw as necessary to their future success.

We applaud the work of Public Agenda, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Dallas Morning News to keep these issues at the forefront of public debate.

DR. MARJORIE HASS, president, Austin College
One of the strengths of the American higher education system is its rich variety. It is important, though, that families and students get the information they need to understand the available options and choose the form of education that matches their goals.

A selective liberal arts college, such as Austin College, offers a deeply enriched learning experience for the student interested in expanding skills such as oral and written expression, critical thinking, sophisticated numeracy, and the wide-ranging set of abilities required to master not only the professions of today but those of tomorrow.

Because our model of teaching and learning is individualized--we call it high-impact, high-touch, high-energy learning--our four-year graduation rates are strong. It is difficult to get exact figures nationally, but we estimate that Austin College students earn their degrees in four years at twice the national rate for four-year public institutions and at least a quarter higher than the national rate for other four-year private institutions. We are extremely proud of this success.

But we are certainly not invulnerable to the economic pressures you describe. Most of our students require significant financial aid and we are working hard to increase the amount of aid we can offer.

As a private institution, our financial aid program depends primarily on the generosity of our alumni and friends. One way we've responded is to create a new "NOW Scholarship Fund." This allows supporters to direct their philanthropic support directly to current students. It is extremely gratifying to see how a relatively small amount of money can immediately give a talented student the "hand-up" that lets them stay in school until graduation.

A second way we are responding is to look strategically at how we can pack as much value as possible into our educational experience. While we do have some students who complete their degrees in three years, we believe that the majority of our students are best served by the enriched opportunities--including internships, collaborative research with faculty, international study--that, along with our tough curriculum, require four years.

We are even looking into expanding our MA offerings to allow students to complete the BA and the MA within five years. A dual degree plan offers significant value and we believe that families and students will find this a compelling investment of their time and their money.

DR. R. GERALD TURNER, president, Southern Methodist University

Universities must be especially student-centered in providing services that guide students through their academic plans and help them graduate in a timely manner.

First, early and consistent academic advising helps students plot out courses and factor in such value-added activities as internships, research projects and study abroad. At an institution like SMU, in which desired courses typically are accessible when students need them, it's not uncommon for students to be able to pursue multiple majors or minors and still graduate on time.

Classes that are small and encourage faculty-student interaction enable faculty to mentor students toward staying on track with their studies. When students connect with their teachers, they are more likely to attend class, meet academic challenges and not give up when the deadlines and pressures mount.

Academic support services are critical in helping students become independent learners. Addressing both immediate course-specific problems and underlying issues, such as time management, can help a student avoid having to drop or repeat a class. More than 1,300 students utilized the tutoring and study skills resources at SMU's Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center during the fall term.

A common source of delayed college completion among students nationwide is financial need. SMU's career and financial aid counselors support students in finding paid internships, co-op positions and on-campus jobs. Students and parents need to be kept informed of all options for financial aid. One of our chief goals at SMU is to raise additional funding for scholarships. We also offer short-term intensive classes during winter and summer terms at reduced tuition rates.

Recognizing that students with financial challenges are typically under more stress than other students, institutions must be sure that students have access to counseling services. In addition, SMU's director of retention is dedicated to examining and strengthening programs that support students, particularly during the transitional first year.

Although college success is often a matter of student motivation, educational leaders must provide effective academic and personal support services and assist students in taking advantage of all sources of financial aid that can help them earn their degrees on time.