Expanding Summer Study
The proposal for the expansion of Summer Study marketing is intended to achieve two primary objectives: to increase the four-year graduation rate and to increase the retention rate among all students. Numerous previous studies have shown that students who participate in summer coursework tend to persist and complete at higher rates. Initial data indicates that summer study is populated by two distinct student populations. One population uses summer study opportunities to complete more credit hours in an academic year than is normally possible through major term enrollment. These are the early completers, using summer study as additional class time to augment their progression through their program. The second population uses summer study to maintain or enhance their existing university experience. This often entails repeating classes they did not complete on the first attempt or engaging in experiential offerings such as study abroad. The summer semesters allow these students the time to focus on these activities without the distractions of a major semester proceeding.