Plan for success with Purdue University Calumet

Student success is the foundation of Purdue University Calumet's strategic plan for the years 2001-06. Our ultimate measurement of student success is graduation. To that end, we plan to improve our six-year graduation rate by 10 percentage points during 2001-06.

Improved graduation rates must be prefaced by improved retention. So it also is our plan to increase our freshman retention rate by 10 percentage points during the same time period.

In an effort to learn more about what it takes to be a successful student, Purdue University Calumet, during 2002-03, undertook a study of its persistent students - those on track to graduate within six years - and compared them to those who do not stay on course. We learned that, beyond good grades in high school and good scores on achievement tests, successful students are strategic in their approach to education.

More specifically, we learned that our successful students...

• Stay enrolled every semester, even with reduced credit loads. They don't stop out.
• Attend summer sessions to remain on track,
• Limit their work responsibilities to manageable hours,
• Rely on financial aid to help support their learning,
• Work with academic advisors to minimize changes of major,
• Are goal-oriented, and
• Are committed to achieving their goals.

In short, Purdue University Calumet students who typically persist over a six-year period or less to earn a Purdue degree are those who come to our campus with a plan... a plan for success... a plan to which they remain diligent.

Based on this research, Purdue University Calumet is partnering with students by encouraging them to develop a Plan for Success, while investing more resources in programs to help students realize their plans.