IT'S ELECTION DAY! MAKE SURE TO GO OUT AND VOTE. LOOK FOR RESULTS ONLINE AND IN THURSDAY'S PAPER
IT'S JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT PHOTO, PAGE A6
TTUESDAY, UESDAY, NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 33,, 22015 015 > W WESTERN ESTERN KKENTUCKY ENTUCKY UUNIVERSITY NIVERSITY > VVOLUME OLUME 990, 0, IISSUE SSUE 2200
stay in school Freshman Retention Rate (In State Public institutions)
UK 82% UL 81% WKU’s Freshman Retention Rate
from
has risen
10-year Low
in 2011
2%
of
71%
statistics provided by WKU office of institutional research and wku fact book
WKU 73% Murray 72%
NKU 69% Morehead 69% EKU 68% KSU 44%
Retention rates display trend of improvement BY ANDREW HENDERSON & SAMANTHA WRIGHT HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
I
n the last few years, retention rates have shown signs of slight improvement, according to Brian Meredith, chief enrollment and graduation officer. Meredith said while retention has hovered around 70 to 73 percent in recent years, WKU has come up percentage points slowly over the past three years. As of the fall 2013 semester, the most recent year for which data was available, 73.07 percent of students remain enrolled after their first year. For fall 2011, retention rates after
the first year were 71.34 percent, and for fall 2012, the rate for retention was 71.72 percent. Meredith said this gradual bumping up is a good sign. He said if most comprehensive institutions can move their retention percentages up a point or even a point and a half, then they’re doing quite well. “That’s not an easy task to do that,” Meredith said. Sharon Hunter, coordinator of college readiness, said that in comparison to benchmark institutions, WKU falls right in the middle. Hunter said benchmark institutions were selected by WKU and the Council on Postsecondary Education as institutions similar to WKU that
are good choices for the university to emulate. According to the 2015 WKU Fact Book, the freshman retention rate varies from 64 percent for Indiana State University up to 92 percent at James Madison University. The freshman retention rate measures the fall to fall semester rates of students. Hunter said these institutions have different admissions criteria, so they may be a little more selective in regards to admissions. In regards to in-state institutions, the freshman retention rate varies from 44 percent at Kentucky State University to 82 percent at the University of Kentucky.
SEE RETENTION PAGE A2
Tuition Incentive Program undergoes changes effective summer 2016 BY ANDREW HENDERSON HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
After roughly a decade, the Tuition Incentive Program has made changes; these will go into effect the summer of 2016. TIP allows students from certain counties outside Kentucky to attend for a nearly 50-percent reduction off the nonresident rate, according to Jace Lux, the director of recruitment and admissions. According to the tuition and fees schedule for the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters, the cost of attendance for a full-time, nonresident undergraduate student is $12,390. In contrast, for a full-time undergraduate student whose county qualifies for TIP, the cost is $6,294. Lux said it had been about a decade since anyone had looked at the effectiveness of the TIP, and after looking at current data that reflected where students were coming from, a change seemed to be in order. “We had some counties in the TIP program that we don’t have any current students [from],” Lux said. “We didn’t have any students admitted [from those counties] over the last five years, so it didn’t really make sense to continue those counties on when obviously there was not a huge draw to WKU from those counties.” Lux said looking at many sources of data to determine where there was a large draw of interest in WKU was vital to making changes in the program. He said analyzing web traffic — people’s search patterns for information about admission to WKU — helped program administrators see where interest in certain areas was coming from. He also said examining enrollment trends from the past five years affected changes made to the program.
SEE TIP PAGE A2
Centennial Mosaic undergoes repairs to become safer BY ALYSE YOUNG HERALD.NEWS@WKU.EDU
The large circle of tall black fencing that blocks easy access between the Fine Arts Center and Java City has piqued interest among staff and students. Library security coordinator Doug Wiles has gained an interest in the fountain project particularly because he passes by the site daily on his way to work. “I really don’t know what they’re doing” Wiles said. The fountain, Centennial Mosaic, displays a large red, white and yellow sundial that is positioned between FAC and Helm Library; it is currently being restored. Water and natural damage due to the elements deteriorated the state of Centennial Mosaic. Mechanical upgrades are being completed during the project too. Bryan Russell, chief facilities officer, said the update will make the fountain safer. In the past, pieces of the mosaic would become slippery to walk on and occasionally crack and chip, a safety hazard for people who often play in the fountain in warmer months. “It was an opportunity to make a better surface … to be better enjoyed by everyone,” Russell said. Wiles said he had noticed how the fountain needed some upkeep after several years of
John Silliman applies primer for the fountain renovation Monday outside Helm Library. KATIE ROBERTS/HERALD wear and tear. “I noticed that some of the tiles were missing before they started the repair,” Wiles said.
He said he is excited to see what the restored fountain will look like once renovations are completed.
“I think it’s great they are restoring it,” he said. Ben Johnson, assistant director of planning, design and construction, said the project’s main focus is to restore the fountain to its original state with the addition of an updated mechanical system. “We are essentially replacing the fountain mosaic,” said Johnson. Johnson said the project should be completed relatively quickly. “I’m hoping to have it done in the next two weeks,” said Johnson. Workers are laying down a waterproofing sealant to protect the mosaic from weather damage. The sealant cannot be laid down in cold or rainy weather, so it is possible that the exact date of completion could vary. Johnson said the sealant layers below where the mosaic will be are black but that the color is only temporary. He said the mosaic will essentially look like it did when it was initially completed. The project’s completion, however, is also dependent on other factors. “This is very weather dependent,” said Johnson. According to Johnson, the overall budget for the restoration and mechanical renovation of the fountain was $80,000.