Annual UNL 'Quality Indicators' show goals, progress

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made progress on a number of fronts, according to its annual "quality indicators" report card.

The university has met or exceeded goals set five years ago on six-year graduation rates, retention rates and sponsored research, according to the report. Additionally, progress has been made in increasing the proportion of undergraduate students of color and in the number of female faculty or faculty of color.

The Indicators of Institutional Quality 2006 annual report measures UNL's achievements in a number of areas. The report, compiled from internal and external data, allows UNL administrators and faculty to measure how the university is doing and how it compares to its peers. The project was launched in 2001.

Among the highlights of the 2006 report are:

UNL's six-year graduation rate exceeds 63 percent, meaning that within six years of enrolling as first-time students, 63 percent have earned their degrees. In 1999, UNL's six-year graduation rate was 47 percent.

UNL's retention rate exceeds 84 percent, again, a significant improvement since 1999.

Roughly one-third of graduating seniors report having a meaningful research or creative activity experience while at UNL.

Federal research expenditures have risen by more than 80 percent since 1999, and this past fiscal year, UNL's funded research exceeded $100 million; total grants for all university missions was nearly $166 million, more than double the funding of 10 years ago.

The proportion of students of color among UNL's undergraduate population is increasing, and the percentage of tenured/tenure-track faculty who are female or people of color continues to increase.

The average ACT composite for incoming first-year student continues to climb, with the average for the class that entered in fall 2005 posting a composite of 24.9.

The data comprising the publication are not a comprehensive list of accomplishments by UNL's faculty and students but are reflective of UNL's progress toward institutional goals, according to Barbara Couture, UNL's senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

In an introduction to the report, Couture said it's important to celebrate success, but also rewarding to identify potential areas for improvement. Couture said the quality indicators process is a helpful tool for decision-making.

The report is available online at .

CONTACT: Barbara Couture, Sr. Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, (402) 472-3751