A sour senior experience
Some students leave with little love for Towson, survey shows; committee trying to enhance last academic year
Brian Stelter
News | 3/8/07
Ricky Stakem's experience at Towson University didn't have a happy ending.
He had planned to graduate in August 2006 after taking one last class for his major over the summer.
But he was in for a surprise when he arrived home at the end of the spring semester.
"A 'graduation checklist' had been sent to my home basically saying I'd be ready to graduate after that semester and wouldn't have to take the summer course," he recalled. "Because they sent the notice to my house - and not my on-campus mailbox or e-mail - I didn't get the notice in time, and therefore wasn't able to go to commencement."
Stakem's diploma was mailed home by the end of the summer. But he left TU with bad feelings about the school. "A lot of my experience… was just one major headache," he said.
Adding insult to injury, last year's diplomas contained a spelling mistake in the provost's title. Alums received new diplomas in the mail.
The University would say that Staken should have met with an advisor earlier, and used PeopleSoft's degree progress report, and changed his mailing address. Still, data shows that many students have an unsatisfactory experience in their last year at Towson.
Every two years Towson participates in the National Survey of Student Engagement. The 2005 data shows that the student experience sours by the time senior year rolls around.
"There was a quite a difference between the satisfaction of first year students and seniors," Kathryn Doherty, the director of assessment for the division of academic affairs said.
At Towson, 81 percent of first-year students would probably or definitely enroll again, but by senior year, 69 percent would. Nationally, 82 percent of seniors said they would re-enroll.
While most students evaluated their "entire educational experience" in a positive light (88 percent), only 19 percent of seniors said it was excellent - compared to 41 percent nationally.
According to the data, transfer students have a worse experience than their peers who started at Towson.
He had planned to graduate in August 2006 after taking one last class for his major over the summer.
But he was in for a surprise when he arrived home at the end of the spring semester.
"A 'graduation checklist' had been sent to my home basically saying I'd be ready to graduate after that semester and wouldn't have to take the summer course," he recalled. "Because they sent the notice to my house - and not my on-campus mailbox or e-mail - I didn't get the notice in time, and therefore wasn't able to go to commencement."
Stakem's diploma was mailed home by the end of the summer. But he left TU with bad feelings about the school. "A lot of my experience… was just one major headache," he said.
Adding insult to injury, last year's diplomas contained a spelling mistake in the provost's title. Alums received new diplomas in the mail.
The University would say that Staken should have met with an advisor earlier, and used PeopleSoft's degree progress report, and changed his mailing address. Still, data shows that many students have an unsatisfactory experience in their last year at Towson.
Every two years Towson participates in the National Survey of Student Engagement. The 2005 data shows that the student experience sours by the time senior year rolls around.
"There was a quite a difference between the satisfaction of first year students and seniors," Kathryn Doherty, the director of assessment for the division of academic affairs said.
At Towson, 81 percent of first-year students would probably or definitely enroll again, but by senior year, 69 percent would. Nationally, 82 percent of seniors said they would re-enroll.
While most students evaluated their "entire educational experience" in a positive light (88 percent), only 19 percent of seniors said it was excellent - compared to 41 percent nationally.
According to the data, transfer students have a worse experience than their peers who started at Towson.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Stephen Raley
posted 3/08/07 @ 10:03 PM EST
As a former student and graduate of Towson University(Towson State College in those days) I do not recall having an advisor. If I did I chose not to utilize the individual's service very much. (Continued…)
Nick
posted 3/09/07 @ 1:35 PM EST
I agree with the Stephen's post above me. Sure there is always room for improvement, and having attended two other universities besides TU during my collegiate career, I can vouch that they ALL have room for improvement. (Continued…)
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