LCU Student Success Indicators
To evaluate and prioritize student success, LCU has identified the following measures of student success. These indicators are connected to the LCU mission of Christ-centered transformative education, heritage as a private, faith-based institution, and goals identified in LCU’s strategic plan, the LCU 2027 Platinum Plan.
LCU Mission: LCU is a Christ-centered academic community of learners, transforming the hearts, minds, and hands of students for lives of purpose and service.
The LCU 2027 Platinum Plan has four primary goals for the institution: Enriching Academic Excellence and Innovation; Expanding Hospitality and Cultural Diversity, Engaging Students for Success, and Equipping LCU for the Future.
Specific student success data LCU analyzes are the following:
- SSI 1: First-year retention rates for beginning, first-time-in-college, students
- SSI 2: Six-year graduation rates (as reported to IPEDS) (Identified as the primary student achievement indicator for SACSCOC accreditation standard 8.1)
- SSI 3: First Destination Outcomes within six months of graduation (knowledge and placement rates for graduates)
Data for each of the SSI is collected and evaluated annually to determine the extent to which goals are met and areas for improvement. Additionally, while overall retention and graduation rates are important, LCU is also committed to identifying areas where different groups of students might have different success rates. This is especially important as for the fall 2024 semester, over 24% of undergraduates are First-Generation, and 28% of all undergraduates and 37% of FTIC students are Hispanic. To better identify areas of success or where improvement is warranted, SSI 1 and SSI 2 are evaluated using mean data for all student groups and disaggregated data to identify differences by race/ethnicity and first-generation status and SSI 3 is evaluated using mean data for all recent graduates as well as disaggregated by academic department.
As a private, faith-based institution, with a heritage with the churches of Christ, LCU recognizes that students with faith backgrounds outside of the churches of Christ might experience campus life differently which could impact retention and successful completion of academic goals at LCU. LCU 2027 Platinum Plan goals of enriching our community and expanding hospitality prompt us to look for differences in student success for those from other faith traditions. For these reasons, data for SSI 1 and SSI 2 are also disaggregated by student church preference to better identify and seek improvement where student success may be disproportionately impacted.
SSI 1: First year (Fall to Fall) retention rates for beginning, first-time-in-college (FTIC), students
- Goal A (for overall retention rates): Year over year improvement in average first-year retention rates for all FTIC students to achieve an overall average retention rate of 75% by Fall 2025.
- Goal B (for disaggregated retention rates): Fall to fall retention rates will increase year over year for
- First-Generation students
- Hispanic, African American, and White students analyzed by race/ethnicity
- Students with a church preference other than Church of Christ
- Comparison Threshold: First-year retention rate for first-time freshman should remain above the 2018-2022 five-year average rate for each group. This is used as a starting point to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken to improve SSI 1.
Outcomes for SSI 1:
Group | Threshold (2018-2022 average) | Fall 2023 Retention | Fall 2024 Retention | Fall 2025 Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All FTIC students (Goal A) | 69.8% | 73.8% | 70.1% | 69.0% |
| First-Generation Students (Goal B) | 57.5% | 69.0% | 52.9% | 61.5% |
| Pell-Eligible Students (Goal B) | 61.5% | 64.2% | 52.2% | 61.4% |
| African American Students (Goal B) | 48.1% | 65.0% | 33.3% | 73.3% |
| Hispanic Students (Goal B) | 59.3% | 65.8% | 55.7% | 58.5% |
| White Students (Goal B) | 76.8% | 79.8% | 81.8% | 77.1% |
| Church Preference not Church of Christ (Goal B) | 62.6% | 71.2% | 68.4% | 64.5% |
Analysis:
- SSI 1 Goal A: The Fall 2025 first-year retention outcome for students who began in 2024 was 69%, which fell below the institutional goal, and actions planned for improvement are outlined below. However, because the fall 2024 freshman cohort was larger than in previous years, more students were retained than in the previous 8 years.
- SSI 1 Goal B: First-year retention rates for first-generation students, African American and White students, as well as students with church preference other than Church of Christ increased over prior years and exceeded the comparison threshold. While retention rates for Pell-eligible and Hispanic students did not exceed the comparison threshold, they did improve over the prior year.
Action Planning:
- The LCU 2027 Platinum Plan emphasizes identifying barriers to success that disproportionately impact underrepresented groups.
- In Fall 2025, student support areas implemented a new retention software tool, Stride, to collect and monitor student data, outreach efforts, and retention risk indicators.
- Inter-departmental committee, Stride, expands student connection touchpoints with faculty and staff who provide outreach and support to connect and engage with students.
- Student academic support personnel identify and respond to Stride referrals and early risk indicators.
- LCU has optimized financial aid eligibility with the West Texas Promise, ensuring incoming first time-in-college students specific renewable award amounts, up to10,000 per year, based on high school GPA upon admission. Additionally, the LCU Guarantee provides full tuition support for qualifying students.
- LCU Provost commissioned a task force on Student Belonging to examine this issue more thoroughly and propose recommendations to increase student success for students from underrepresented populations.
- Student Life implemented a Student Sense of Belonging survey in 2022 administered annually in the fall term to collect student feedback on belonging and serve as an early identifier for retention risks.
SSI 2: Six-year graduation rates (as reported to IPEDS)
- Goal A (for overall graduation rates): Year over year improvement in average six-year graduation rates for all FTIC students.
- Goal B (for disaggregated graduation rates): Six-year graduation rates will increase year over year for:
- First-Generation students
- Hispanic, African American, and White students analyzed by race/ethnicity
- Students with a church preference other than Church of Christ
- Comparison Threshold: Six-year graduation rates for first-time freshman should remain above the 2018-2022 five-year average rate for each group. This is used as a starting point to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken to improve SSI 2.
Outcomes for SSI 2:
Group | Threshold (2018-2022 averages) | Fall 2022 6-year Grad (2016 cohort) | Fall 2023 6-year Grad (2017 cohort) | Fall 2024 6-year Grad (2018 cohort) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All FTIC students (Goal A) | 47% | 48% | 47% | 51% |
| First-Generation Students (Goal B) | 35% | 33% | 32% | 36% |
| African American Students (Goal B) | 27% | 29% | 20% | 25% |
| Hispanic Students (Goal B) | 36% | 41% | 35% | 39% |
| White Students (Goal B) | 53% | 52% | 55% | 58% |
| Church Preference not Church of Christ (Goal B) | 38% | 44% | 41% | 43% |
Analysis:
- SSI 2, Goal A: Average Six-Year graduation rate for the 2018 FTIC cohort improved 4 percentage points or 8.5% over the 2023 6-year graduation rate for the 2017 FTIC cohort. The goal of year over year improvement was achieved, actions planned for continued success and improvement are outlined below.
- SSI 2, Goal B: Average Six-Year graduation rates for all groups disaggregated by student race, ethnicity, and church preference characteristics improved over prior year results. Additionally, results for all groups, except African American students, were higher than the comparison threshold rates, and results for African American students did improve 5 percentage points over prior year results.The goal of year over year improvement was achieved for all student groups, actions planned for continued success and improvement are outlined below.
Action Planning:
- Actions taken and planned to improve student retention (SSI 1) are also focused on improving student graduation rates.
- Results of the Student Sense of Belonging survey and Belonging Task Force recommendations are also being used to inform ideas for engagement opportunities and advising strategies to increase student social and academic engagement.
SSI 3: First Destination Outcomes (FDO) within 6 months of Graduation (knowledge and placement rates for graduates)
- Goal A (for overall First Destination Outcomes): LCU will achieve an overall Knowledge and Placement rate of 90% or higher
- Goal B (for disaggregated FDO by Academic Department): Each academic department will achieve FDO knowledge and placement rates of 90% or higher.
- Comparison Threshold: LCU knowledge and placement rates will exceed the rates for NACE Private Non-Profit and Carnegie Masters Small cohorts (for the most recent comparison year)
- Knowledge rate is the percentage of graduating students for whom LCU has information on job placement or continuing education status within six months of graduation.
- Placement rate is the percentage of graduates for whom FDO is known who are “placed” by being enrolled in continuing education or no longer seeking employment within six months of graduation.
Outcomes for SSI 3:
Department | Total Graduates | # Known | % Known | # Placed | % Placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Sciences (15) | 15 | 11 | 73.3% | 9 | 81.8% |
| Biblical Studies (14) | 14 | 14 | 100.0% | 13 | 92.9% |
| Business Administration (32) | 32 | 26 | 81.3% | 25 | 96.2% |
| Chemistry (8) | 8 | 8 | 100.0% | 8 | 100.0% |
| Communication and Fine Arts (10) | 10 | 10 | 100.0% | 10 | 100.0% |
| Education Undergraduate (16) | 16 | 16 | 100.0% | 16 | 100.0% |
| Exercise and Sport Science (32) | 32 | 32 | 100.0% | 31 | 96.9% |
| Humanities (13) | 13 | 13 | 100.0% | 12 | 92.3% |
| Mathematics (2) | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | 2 | 100.0% |
| Natural Sciences (17) | 17 | 16 | 94.1% | 16 | 100.0% |
| Nursing Undergraduate (14) | 14 | 14 | 100.0% | 13 | 92.9% |
| Social Work and Criminal Justice (13) | 13 | 13 | 100.0% | 13 | 100.0% |
| Grand Total (186) | 186 | 175 | 94.1% | 168 | 96.0% |
Knowledge | Placement | FT Emp. | Continuing ED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCU May 2024 Graduates | 94.1% | 96.0% | 69.8% | 25.9% |
| NACE 2023 Private Non-Profit | 72.1% | 92.0% | 57.1% | 23.4% |
| NACE 2023 Carnegie Masters Small | 65.9% | 85.6% | 56.2% | 18.6% |
Analysis:
- SSI 3, Goal A: LCU achieved an overall Knowledge Rate of 94.1% and Placement Rate of 96.0% for the May 2024 graduates within 6 months of graduation, exceeding the goal of 90% for each.
- SSI, Goal B: Almost all academic departments, with the exception of Behavioral Sciences and Business Administration, had Knowledge Rates higher than 90% for their May 2024 graduates. All academic departments had a Placement Rate higher than 90%.
- Comparison Threshold: LCU First Destination Outcomes, including Knowledge and Placement rates as well as the percentage of graduates in employed full-time or actively enrolled in continuing education programs exceeded averages for Private Non-Profit and Carnegie Masters Small institution for the 2023 NACE data.
Action Planning:
- Institutional Research is developing an interactive dashboard to make FDO trend data available to academic leadership.
- Office of Student Professional Development will continue to work with academic leadership to collect data for recent graduates.