From the Charlotte Observer -
(Published June 22, 2006 in Neighbors of University City section & July 5 in Mecklenburg Neighbors section.)
APRIL BETHEA
abethea@charlotteobserver.comUNC Charlotte is reaching out to former students, offering them a chance to finish earning their degrees.
Dubbed "49er Finish," the new program targets students who reached their senior year but left the school a few courses short of graduation.
Since April, 22 students have re-enrolled at the university through the program, including one who graduated last semester.
The program is different from most colleges' student retention efforts, which typically are aimed at encouraging first-year students to stay.
"I just think it's an idea whose time has come," said Kathi Baucom, associate provost for enrollment management. "We need to work as hard with our seniors to make sure they complete their degrees as we do with any other group on campus."
In April, the university sent surveys and other materials to about 1,200 former students who had attended UNCC within the last seven years. They had earned at least a 2.0 grade-point-average and 90 credit hours and had left in good academic and disciplinary standing. Students need 120 credits to graduate.
Leaders have so far heard from 137 students expressing interest in the program. Money, work schedule conflicts and other personal issues were among the reasons they cited for leaving, said Janet Daniel, director of the Office of Adult Students and Evening Services (OASES).
As part of the "49er Finish" program, UNCC is waiving the readmission fee for students and setting them up with advisers from OASES and other school departments.
The program is modeled after "The Graduation Project" at the University of New Mexico. That school offers a shortened readmission process, priority course enrollment and tuition assistance for students who completed at least 98 credit hours.
So far, almost 2,000 students have returned to that school, and more than 1,300 have gone on to graduate since 1997, said Wynn Goering, UNM's associate provost for academic affairs.
UNCC's Baucom heard about the UNM program last spring during a conference.
Leaders from both schools said such programs are needed because college degrees are becoming more essential to land jobs and earn higher salaries.
The UNCC program is in a pilot phase this year, but leaders said they hope it will become permanent.
OASES received an extra part-time staffer last semester to help implement a program, and Baucom said she may approach university leaders for another full-time staffer and a graduate student to run the program.
In addition to the 22 students who have already re-enrolled, another 66 are working toward that, Daniel said.
"It's exciting that merely because we reached out to the students that they were excited enough and motivated enough to try again," Baucom said.
The Details
To find out more about "49er Finish" or to apply, contact the UNC Charlotte Office of Adult Students and Evening Services: 704-687-2596, or visit www.uncc.edu/oases