Jun 3, 2009 6:02 pm US/Eastern
Coppin, UDC Graduation Rate Among Lowest
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The report is called Diplomas or Dropouts and Coppin State University is ont the list of schools with the lowest graduation rates in the nation.
The report is called Diplomas or Dropouts and Coppin State University is ont the list of schools with the lowest graduation rates in the nation. An administrator at Coppin tells Suzanne Collins students there deal with many extra hardships.
At Baltimore's Coppin State University, many who enroll with hopes of getting a degree never accomplish that dream. A new study by the American Enterprise Institute says only one in five graduate at Coppin. It ranks in the bottom 10 in the US in a similarly competitive category.
A new graduate researched reasons students there drop out.
"Parental involvement, motivation, time management and finances," said Mary-Ann Doyo-Isonagie, a Coppin graduate.
The university says many students at Coppin are the first in their family to go to college. A senator and former Coppin dean says that's not the only hurdle.
"Coppin has a lot of students that are 18-year-olds getting out of high school but it has a large proportion of its student body are single heads of household," said Senator Delores Kelley.
Other historically black colleges and universities in maryland did a bit better but the graduation rate at those colleges is still below 40%, compared to 60% at all colleges nationwide.
The authors of the report say if colleges or universities lower graduation standards, the results could be skewed but they still believe parents and students should have access to graduation rates.
To improve the number of graduates at Coppin, a new vice president for student enrollment has a plan. It includes a new center for student success employing mentors.
"It's someone who is not that far removed from the college experience, someone very young who understands what it means and how to navigate the college environment," said Dr. Reginald Ross.
The university also plans to institute an early alarm system, getting notice when a student is failing a course before it's too late.
Johns Hopkins University has the highest graduation rate in Maryland, 80%.
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