Contact: Maridith Geuder
An academic support effort now in its fourth year at Mississippi State is paying off in increased class attendance and a higher number of students remaining at the university.
Called "Pathfinder," the program uses a simple, common sense approach that is moving student retention "in the right direction," said David L. McMillen of the Social Science Research Center. A recently retired psychology professor, he has directed the effort since two of his graduate students developed the concept on a limited basis in 1997.
Now a university-wide program, Pathfinder is making "significant progress" in keeping students enrolled once they get to campus, McMillen said.
"The percentage of students staying at Mississippi State after their freshman year has risen from 76.2 percent in 1997 to 80 percent in 2000," he said. During the same time, the number of freshmen with class attendance problems has dropped from 28 percent to 9 percent.
"We believe class attendance has a direct influence on academic performance as well as on student retention," McMillen observed, citing figures for 2000, the most recent year for which complete data is available.
During that year, the mean grade-point average for freshmen without absence problems was 2.74 (out of 4.0), compared with a mean of 1.83 for those reported to be having attendance problems.
McMillen said Pathfinder's success is based on personal contact with students and the cooperation of faculty members.
"Faculty have been very supportive," he said. "We've made the process as easy as possible by creating a Web site so that absences can be efficiently reported."
Focusing especially on freshmen living in residence halls, the program identifies students who miss more than two classes during their first six weeks in school.
SSRC research scientists Ty Abernathy and John Edwards--the former graduate students who launched the project--provide day-to-day direction for Pathfinder and work closely with MSU's Division of Student Affairs and the academic advising office. A team of student assistants employed by Student Affairs regularly works with first-year residence hall occupants who seem to have trouble making it to class.
"If a student shows signs of attendance problems, an academic assistant will drop by his or her room for a few minutes," McMillen said. "In a friendly, non-threatening way, the student is reminded that being in class is important. Suggestions also are offered for other campus resources that may be able to help."
The program also trains student orientation leaders to emphasize the importance of class attendance in their interactions with incoming freshmen. A letter from the president to parents reinforces the message.
"Our efforts are directed at encouraging students to be self-motivated and responsible in achieving academic goals," McMillen said.