Research has shown that during their first year 50-60% of minorities who major in STEM drop out or change their majors as undergraduates. There are many factors that contribute to this decline including lack of preparedness, efficacy, mental health, and belongingness (SCHEV 2022 Annual Report - “What Matters Most”). This is where RBC endures, 95% of the RBC student graduates earn an associates of science degree. We want to continue to improve on this data.

RBC's goals included:

1. Equitable – Create a new mobile marketing and communication unit guided pathway to reach 1st generation and non-traditional adult learners.
2. Affordable – Conduct outcome mapping to improve student persistence and completion rates to assist with reporting, and qualitative and quantitative outcomes.
3. Transformative – Enhanced outreach and engagement focused on diversity, research and inclusion. Provide industry touchpoints linked with academic offerings and careers

RBC has identified areas needing improvement as we continue to target rural communities. For project success, a task force must be implemented addressing the following:

1. Cross functional collaboration between departments is critical to student success. For this project to be successful, interventions and program evaluation must dually focus on persistence and enrollment.

2. The first ‘touchpoint’ of student persistence is during orientation. Orientation is where the connective thread begins between student and institution. Students learn what it means to be successful and what is expected of them.

3. If funding permits, hire a retention coordinator to assist in student progress, implementing any necessary interventions to support persistence.

4. Implement degree progress reports as a self-service system to help students track their progress towards degree completion.

5. Offer Special programming for first‐generation, Pell grant students, non-degree students or those considering changing majors.