Acorn

Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Kelsi Bitgood

Drew University's retention rates suck-something the students could have told you years ago, if anyone had bothered to ask. Much like the air we breathe, gossip is everywhere at Drew. Students talk about every aspect of their lives, and transferring is no exception.

The students that Drew loses were, at one time, in our classes, on our floors and at the Commons, and their absence rarely goes unnoticed or unfelt.

With an 81 percent retention rate for the Class of 2010, Drew is looking at 91 fewer tuitions than it expected. As a tuition-based institution, Drew mainly counts on our dollars to keep the doors to Mead Hall open. It's hard to imagine this having no repercussions. After all, President Bob Weisbuch just announced to the faculty that Drew is experiencing a 3 percent revenue shortfall.

But there's more to worry about than the budget. When the retention rate drops, it takes student morale with it. It's true that for some people, Drew's just not a good fit. But you can only repeat that mantra so many times, and when student after student isn't fitting, you have to stop and think: Is there something they know that we don't?

Not to worry-the Acorn staff isn't going anywhere anytime soon-and we're happy to see the administration starting to take steps to find a concrete answer to the question that's on many students' minds: Why are students leaving?

Professor Sarah Abramowitz's study is a great step toward understanding Drew's retention problems. No more reliance on anecdotal evidence, Drew is finally going by the numbers, and figuring out exactly who is leaving. The Acorn commends the change in pace.

Armed with the Who, Admissions can finally start to work on the Why.

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