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December 15, 2003 UNM RETAINS MORE FRESHMEN BY WORKING THEM HARDER The University of New Mexico is finding ways to keep more freshmen in school. The surprise is, freshmen who stay are working harder than ever in class. "The trend line that shows we are retaining a larger number of freshmen than ever has two driving forces," says Peter White, dean of University College. "We are moving students into small classes through the Freshmen Learning Communities, and working them harder. And the students themselves have a great economic incentive to stay in school to keep getting the free tuition from the lottery scholarships." This combination is changing the face of the student body at UNM. This story has its beginnings in 1997 when the New Mexico state legislature passed a law allowing the state to pay tuition for New Mexico students enrolled at state universities and who maintain a minimum grade point average. A great incentive to get students to enroll, but in 1997, only 70 percent of those who enrolled at UNM, stayed in school. That reality pushed the institution to change the way it handles freshmen. UNM instituted Freshman Learning Communities, Freshman Interest Groups and Living and Learning Communities. These special programs bring students with similar interests together and help them learn in a small group setting. The possibility of free tuition, combined with intense recruitment activity by UNM, good word of mouth about the new Freshmen Learning Communities, and the lagging economy has caused a nearly 30 percent increase in the number of freshman enrolling at UNM over the past five years. The Freshman Learning Communities are two classes from different disciplines taught together by faculty coordinating their courses. The interest areas include broad topics such as "Beauty, Body & Power," "Medicine and Disease," "Hands-On Democracy," "Of Mice, Mastodons, and Men," "The Biology of Toxins," "The Chicano/a Heritage," "Music and Cultures of the World," "Discovering Urban Ecology," "The Arts and the Artist," and "Native Politics and Law." Enrollment is limited to 22 students who take field trips and study together. Freshmen Interest Groups, taught by Student Affairs instructors, are less intense and bring students with a common subject area interest together in a one-hour course that includes weekly work meetings. The Living and Learning Community combines a one-credit seminar for students with a specific interest with the opportunity for students to live in the same on-campus residence. "These intensive efforts to bring students with similar interests together is having a positive effect," said White. "Students have an opportunity to find friends and interact more directly with faculty. These smaller groups thrust them directly into a more intense learning environment, and the students have to work harder. It isn't just harder work, it's a different kind of work. The students are engaged and are participating in the class. They are active learners and not just passive receivers of information." The proof is in the numbers. As the Freshman Learning Communities have expanded, the retention rate has climbed. Current figures show nearly 76 percent of the freshmen who enrolled in fall 2002 have returned. The Freshman Learning Communities make the learning experience at UNM similar to a small private liberal arts college. The combination of financial assistance, and a stronger, more nurturing environment for freshmen also affects positively on diversity at UNM. Over the past five years, the percentage of Native Americans attending UNM has risen 107.29 percent. The number of African American Students has risen eight percent. The number of Asian/Pacific Islanders has risen 32.98 percent, while the number of Hispanics has risen by 9.89 percent. Trend lines now show students are more likely to stay at UNM. In 1997, UNM was only able to retain 56.2 percent of Native American students who enrolled as freshmen. Today that retention rate is 70 percent. White credits the Freshman Learning Communities for part of the change. The story has one more twist. If you buy the notion that students today aren't interested in working hard to get a good education, think again. At UNM over the last five years, the number of freshmen entering the honors program, the most difficult academic path, has doubled. # # #

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