Policymakers at the state and national levels have identified college completion as a key policy priority. The proportion of adults with a college credential has decreased and the equity gap in college completion is expanding. Given this policy context, there is an interest in the extent to which degree pathways are inefficient and how these inefficiencies may contribute to degree completion. Many factors influence degree efficiency. This study examines what variables affect degree efficiency for students who graduated from Weber State University (WSU) during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic years. The Graduation Efficiency Index (GEI), develop by Gillmore and Hoffman at the University of Washington, is used to measure degree efficiency. The variables studied, using multiple regression, include student demographic factors, student transfer information, degree changes, and the curriculum structure. Using problem-structuring policy analytic methodology, this study will provide information about the problems that affect the students’ pathway to graduation. This study found, among demographic and pre-college academic characteristics, that age at graduation, nonresident status (US), and dual enrollment programs affect degree efficiency. Among the demographic and pre-college academic characteristics, only dual enrollment has a positive effect on degree efficiency. Conversely, older and/or nonresident (US) student demographics have shown to decrease graduation efficiency. Additionally, transfer and academic characteristics indicated that transfer students, number of transfer institutions, number of major changes, transfer associates degree, WSU associates degree, failing a course, withdrawing from a course, and repeating course, all had a negative effect on degree efficiency. The single variable with the most positive effect on graduation and with the largest impact on the predicted GEI was the student grade point average (GPA) at the time of graduation. The most significant negative impact on the predicted GEI was the transfer associates degree. Curriculum structure investigated what impact the percentage of free electives in a program of study has on the predicted GEI. Free electives had a positive effect on the GEI. However, the efficacy is low and requires a substantial portion of the program of study, such as 25%, to have a meaningful effect on the GEI.

Submission ID:

6629

Presenter(s):

Casey Bullock Weber State University