APLU names UK 2024 Degree Completion Award finalist

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 1, 2024) — As part of its ongoing efforts to support public research universities’ efforts to increase degree completion, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) named the University of Kentucky as a finalist for its 2024 Degree Completion Award. The annual award works to identify, recognize and reward institutions that employ innovative approaches to improve degree completion while ensuring educational quality.

The Degree Completion Award is open to all APLU members. A panel of outside reviewers examined the applications to determine the finalists. The award winner will be announced at the APLU Annual Meeting, Nov. 10-12, in Orlando, Florida.

“On behalf of the Office for Student Success and countless faculty and staff collaborators across campus, I am pleased that UK’s efforts to increase graduation and retention rates are being recognized by the APLU,” said UK Vice President for Student Success Kirsten Turner. “This honor comes after nearly a decade of intentional efforts to align student needs with just-in-time resources allowing our team to respond to the student experience based on institutional data and timely feedback from student-facing partners. Our work is vital to UK’s mission to serve and advance the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

“Congratulations to this year’s Degree Completion Award finalists,” said APLU President Mark Becker. “A college education is life-changing for students and their families, and we’re thrilled to spotlight institutions that are knocking down barriers to degree completion and ensuring more students complete college.”

Looking to increase student retention and completion rates, UK launched an effort in 2015 focused on four components of student success — belonging, well-being, academic success and financial stability — to address critical moments in the student educational journey that can knock students off the course of earning their degree. In 2015, UK set the goal of increasing the six-year graduation rate from 60% to 70% and the first-to-second fall retention rate from 80% to 90%. UK launched an analytics team charged with building a predictive model for identifying students who are at risk of un-enrolling and providing tailored resources and support to those students in the four areas identified as primary drivers of student success. The university also bolstered its advising support for students for more cohesive advising, messaging and accountability along with professional career tracks and professional development opportunities. Finally, the university launched the UK LEADS (Leveraging Economic Affordability for Developing Success) program, which gives students one-time need-based grants to address unexpected financial barriers that prevent students from completing degrees. UK has exceeded its goals, achieving an 86.7% first-to-second Fall retention rate and a 71% six-year graduation rate.

About APLU 

APLU is a membership organization that fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities. The association’s membership consists of nearly 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organizations spanning across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. territories, Canada and Mexico. Annually, member campuses enroll 5.3 million undergraduates and 1.4 million graduate students, award 1.4 million degrees, employ 1.3 million faculty and staff, and conduct $61 billion in university-based research.