Students Struggle to Break Through Graduation Roadblocks

What percentage of students actually graduate in four years from  Howard University? Do students see their advisor as much as they should? Are the students or faculty to blame for Howard's relatively low retention rate?

The answers to these questions are not so easy to find.  

Some students end up staying at Howard for a longer duration of time than what is actually required for their major. Financial aid, registration problems and even the longing to extend their stay at the Mecca are all reasons some students are unable to graduate within eight semesters.

According to the ACT, 56 percent of college students in the United States obtain a degree within five years. Only The Office of Enrollment Management declined to give The Hilltop updated graduation rates for the university. However, BlackCollegeSearch.com, a site that helps prospective students choose the best historically black college or university for them, reports that Howard has a 60% graduation rate.  While this number is high, it still means that almost half of Howard University's student body will not graduate on time.

Advisors within each school and college are there to aid students in this difficult process, but do students really take advantage of the help that is offered?

"Students want to self-advise rather than let the advisors do their jobs," said Bernadette Williams, School of Communications Senior Advisor. "We send students detailed schedules in the mail during the summer that they should use to keep track of their particular scheme."

Williams continued to explain the importance of students taking responsibility to visit the advisor and get help not only when they are in a crunch, but in a more frequent manner. "I expect my students to visit me at least once per semester."

But some students think that even when they put in the hard work, some of the fault still lies with the university.

"Because I wasn't given the full knowledge that I needed to fully understand my scheme, nor was I privy to the information on how to find out, I had to drop a class and it set me back a whole year," said Adam Flores, a senior mechanical engineering major. "I think the fault lies with Howard, as well as me, for not being stressed about learning how the schedule truly works through my matriculation in CEACS."

Not only should advisors pass down information to students, but also upperclassmen that have experienced similar situations; they should advise younger students so the same mistakes will not be made. "If I had an upperclassman to impose the information on me, or a mentor in my earlier years, then I would have benefited more," said Flores.  

Jae Murphy, a senior broadcast journalism student, had an idea that could help to prevent delay of graduation.

"With me being undecided for two years, I didn't know what I wanted to do. Advisors should create an assessment test that shows students' strengths, weaknesses, and interests and they can use this to better determine a major."

Jae Murphy continued, saying that this test "would make the transition from high school to college even easier."

The state of Howard University's rate of retention is distressing, and the lack of knowledge that students have is causing that retention rate to drop rapidly. This will eventually cause degrees at Howard to be devalued and not worth as much as they were in the past when compared to other schools.

Dean Annette Davis in the College of Arts and Sciences advises students to "work with their faculty advisors and come to the optional meetings that are held throughout the school year." Students will be more informed and run into fewer "roadblocks" that will help assure their graduation in four years.