SACSCOC Section 8.1 requires that the institution identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students it serves, and the kinds of programs offered. The institution uses multiple measures to document student success.
Austin College uses the IPEDS “traditional” Overall Graduation Rate (150% standard time) as its Key Student Completion Indicator.
Measures and Goals
Undergraduate
KSCI: 6-year Graduation Rate
- Rationale: The IPEDS 6-year graduation rate is most closely aligned with AC’s approach to completion as embodied in the College’s 4-year degree guarantee.
- Benchmark: 65%, based on its SACSCOC peer group at the time this standard was added as a SACSCOC requirement. Peer group averages are calculated by averaging the rate for each institution.
- Calculation: the six-year graduation rate is the percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who complete their bachelor’s degree within six years.
Percentage of graduates seeking employment 6 months to 1 year following graduation
- Rationale: This outcome reflects Austin College’s effectiveness in preparing students for the workforce and post-graduate pursuits.
- Benchmark: 15%, based on the average graduate unemployment rates from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) First Destination Survey statistics for bachelor's degree recipients in our sector.
- Calculation: Data collected by the Center for Career and Professional Development identifying the percentage of graduates from each year that were seeking employment, were employed full time, were in graduate or professional school, or were pursuing post-graduate experiences (e.g., international travel, fellowships).
Percentage of students having one or more experiences in applied learning (e.g., capstone projects and courses, community-based leadership projects, cross-cultural experiences, internships, CSOCs, practicums, student research, and scholarship).
- Rationale: This outcome aligns with institutional goals of promoting holistic education and ensuring graduates are well-equipped for meaningful careers and civic engagement.
- Benchmark: 80%, based on institutional data from the graduating classes of 2013-2017 regarding the numbers of graduates who had completed these experiences.
- Calculation: Institutional data regarding the number of graduates completing these experiences.
Graduate
Pass rate on state teaching certification exams
- Rationale: Certification exam pass rates are an area of required reporting for the Texas Education Agency.
- Benchmark: 90%, to exceed the 85% pass rate accreditation requirement of the Texas Education Agency.
- Calculation: Pass rates on state certification exams for students certifying to be teachers as part of the Austin Teacher Program.
Evaluation of Goals
Austin College evaluates its goals for student achievement annually. For each of the criteria to be measured, Austin College identifies a tool for evaluation and an acceptable level of achievement, in addition to the goal described above. The evaluation tool and acceptable level of achievement are listed in the table below.
Criterion | Evaluation Tool | Acceptable Level of Achievement | Goal Level of Achievement |
---|---|---|---|
6-year graduation rate | IPEDS graduation rate | 60 – 62% | 65% |
Graduate unemployment | Graduate survey | Less than 15% | Less than 15% |
Participation in applied learning experiences | Successful completion of the requisite applied | 80% | 100% |
Teacher certifying exam pass rate | Learning reflection report of state exam pass rates | 85% | 90% |
SACSCOC guidance says that, “In order to maximize institutional effectiveness in the area of student achievement, member institutions should also disaggregate graduation rate data by appropriate gender, ethnic, socioeconomic, and/or other student population characteristics.”
For the 6-year graduation rate metric, the graduation rates for the identified subpopulations were as follows:
Disaggregation Category | Disaggregation | 6-yr Grad Rate | Goal | Acceptable Level of Achievement | Entering Cohort Size |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 58.7 | 65% | 62% | 223 |
Female | 75.5 | 65% | 62% | 212 | |
Race/Ethnicity | American Indian | 100.0 | 65% | 62% | 2 |
Asian | 89.8 | 65% | 62% | 49 | |
Black | 63.6 | 65% | 62% | 44 | |
Hispanic | 62.1 | 65% | 62% | 95 | |
Pacific Islander | 100.0 | 65% | 62% | 1 | |
White | 65.6 | 65% | 62% | 212 | |
Two or More Race | 52.2 | 65% | 62% | 23 | |
Nonresident | 57.1 | 65% | 62% | 7 | |
Unknown | 100.0 | 65% | 62% | 2 | |
Pell | Pell recipient | 60.4 | 65% | 62% | 139 |
Not Pell recipient | 69.9 | 65% | 62% | 296 |
Austin College’s students met the goal of 65% for the overall 6-year graduation rate, the goal of less than 15% of students seeking employment between 6 months and 1 year after graduation, the goal of 100% of students participating in applied learning experiences, and the goal of 90% pass rate on the teacher licensure exam.
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