Mercy College’s Pioneering Pact Mentorship Program Shows Gains in Student Retention Rates
November 04 2010 - 09:37AM
Business Wire
Mercy College President Kimberly R. Cline today released
information regarding encouraging retention rate increases, which
indicate that the college’s PACT (Personal Achievement Contract)
program is attaining its goals. With this, the first round of
retention rates released since its start in spring of 2009, PACT
has achieved what college leaders are calling a “significant and
encouraging” increase for students in the program versus non-PACT
students since last year.
PACT is a first-of-its-kind in the nation program that pairs
incoming freshmen with highly qualified, full-time professional
mentors to help students navigate through all aspects of college
life, from financial aid to finding internships.
“We are very pleased with the initial success PACT is having and
the direction in which it is heading,” said Dr. Cline. “The White
House recently issued a call to action to raise the number of
college graduates in America to the highest in the world by 2020.
PACT is proving to be a potential national model that may help us
all meet this national challenge.”
PACT addresses a critical concern that is national in scope—low
retention and college completion rates—especially among low-income,
minority and first-generation college students.
The issue of retention rates has significant implications for
the U.S. economy as well, noted Dr. Cline. “According to data from
CEOs For Cities, raising retention and graduate rates by even a
small percentage in the top metro areas nationwide could ultimately
result in an increase in income of $124 billion per year for the
nation,” Dr. Cline said.
Sharing the Model
The college has shared the success of its revolutionary program
with others through presentations at the AAC&U (American
Association of Colleges and Universities) Annual Meeting in
February and at the HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities) Conference in September. “We are pleased to take a
lead in the conversation about student retention and eager to share
these very promising results,” said Dr. Cline.
PACT Results
The PACT program benefits individual students by creating
realistic plans for personal and academic successes customized to
that student’s needs and goals, but on a larger scale, serves as an
example of how colleges can prepare students for their futures and
careers. In 2009, PACT was named a “Best Practice” for retention
and career services by the National Association of Colleges and
Employers (NACE), and the U.S. Department of Education funded Mercy
College $2.5 million to create a PACT program for graduate
students.
“The success Mercy College has had with PACT so far is proof
positive that retention rates for students across the board, no
matter their backgrounds, can be improved with quality programming
and effective student interaction,” said Dr. William E. Martinov,
Executive Dean for Student Services and Leadership, and the head of
PACT at Mercy College. “PACT has really proven to be an effective
way to reduce the everyday obstacles students typically face in
college, so that they can focus on their education. By assigning
professional mentors to each student in the program, PACT ensures
personalized attention that not only helps students maintain that
focus, but also creates a plan that prepares them for a career
beyond graduation.
“Separately, PACT and the quality education Mercy offers are
prime reasons why enrollment has reached record levels,” added Dr.
Martinov. The college recently announced its highest enrollment
numbers ever in its 60-year history.
About Mercy College
Mercy College is a private, nonprofit institution founded in
1950, providing motivated students with the opportunity to earn
degrees in more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs within
five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences,
Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Liberal Arts. An engaging and
personalized learning experience, that includes the college’s
revolutionary PACT (Personalized Achievement Contract) program, is
offered at the main campus in Dobbs Ferry, as well as campuses in
the Bronx, Manhattan, Yorktown Heights and White
Plains. www.mercy.edu 877-MERCY-GO.
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