Student Retention and Graduation at EWU Before and After the Pandemic
Faculty Mentor
Xiuqin Baine
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-5-2023 9:55 AM
End Date
10-5-2023 10:15 AM
Location
PUB 317
Department
Mathematics
Abstract
The aim of this research is to identify key factors that contribute to the retention and graduation of students at Eastern Washington University (EWU), and attempt to see why EWU retention and graduation rates have been falling for the past several years. This is an issue that all colleges have faced since the pandemic but EWU has suffered more in the Spokane area and has been suffering since before the pandemic. The study will examine EWU student data from Summer 2006 to Fall 2023. The main method of analysis will be logistic regression to predict if a student will be retained, however the analysis will also be supplemented with statistical methods such as multiple linear regression, model selection, and principal component analysis. Initially, research was done on the prediction of student success as determined by meeting a GPA threshold. Results were exceptionally poor but in researching it, student retention was found to be a viable predictor. The findings will be presented in the conclusion, with the goal of assisting EWU to understand which student factors have the greatest impact on student retention and graduation rates.
Recommended Citation
Costinett, Dylan, "Student Retention and Graduation at EWU Before and After the Pandemic" (2023). 2023 Symposium. 2.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/os1_2023/2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Student Retention and Graduation at EWU Before and After the Pandemic
PUB 317
The aim of this research is to identify key factors that contribute to the retention and graduation of students at Eastern Washington University (EWU), and attempt to see why EWU retention and graduation rates have been falling for the past several years. This is an issue that all colleges have faced since the pandemic but EWU has suffered more in the Spokane area and has been suffering since before the pandemic. The study will examine EWU student data from Summer 2006 to Fall 2023. The main method of analysis will be logistic regression to predict if a student will be retained, however the analysis will also be supplemented with statistical methods such as multiple linear regression, model selection, and principal component analysis. Initially, research was done on the prediction of student success as determined by meeting a GPA threshold. Results were exceptionally poor but in researching it, student retention was found to be a viable predictor. The findings will be presented in the conclusion, with the goal of assisting EWU to understand which student factors have the greatest impact on student retention and graduation rates.
