The Journal

Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News

his chart compares the retention rates for area universities with the national average. Washington University statistics are for 2005 freshmen, Maryville University is for freshmen and sophomores who came back for the current school year, Webster University's and Fontbonne University's is for freshmen who returned for the current year as well.

Journalism major Samantha Conforti was one of 407 freshmen who entered Webster University in the fall of 2005 - and one of 94 who decided not to return to WU for sophomore year. The 76.9 percent who did return was the lowest freshman retention rate the university has had in 10 years, said Ted Hoef, associate vice president and dean of students.

"There just weren't enough student life activities at Webster," Conforti said. "I played on the tennis team, and I still had too much free time."

Conforti now attends the University of Missouri, St. Louis, where there is "much more focus on student life," she said.

She plays intramural sports and is vice president of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at UMSL, where she is a secondary education in English major. She plans to return to WU to finish her journalism degree.

Although having too much free time is not one of the more common causes for students to leave WU, there are several reasons a student might be unable to return to the university. These reasons are discovered by gathering academic and financial information from the student database, freshman seminar teachers, academic advisors and members of Residential Life.

"We collect data from just about every point around the university that a student might have had contact, trying to find out why that student left," Hoef said.

In addition, if a teacher notices that a student is struggling or frequently missing class, he or she can alert the university's Student Success Committee, a group of staff members who will confidentially examine that student's situation and try to find a resolution, Hoef said.

Elizabeth Branson entered WU in the fall of 2006 as a pre-law major. A combination of personal, academic and financial difficulties caused her to leave after her freshman year.

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