Introduction

Auburn University identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to its mission, to the nature of the students it serves, and to the kinds of programs it offers. Auburn University uses multiple measures to document student success.

This narrative will first discuss the measures of student achievement that Auburn selected for its current planning period (2019-2024), and, for each measure, 1) the minimal threshold of acceptability or “baseline” reference point that the university selected; 2) the target (goal) that Auburn sought to reach during the planning period; and 3) the student achievement outcome that occurred. Next, the narrative will show that the university selected these measures and goals for student achievement in keeping with its mission, its students, and its programs. Finally, the narrative will show that the university makes available to the public both its current goals for student achievement and its success in achieving those goals, using multiple measures. The narrative will be organized into three sections: Mission and Strategic Plan, Student Achievement Goals and Outcomes, Academic Assessment, and Conclusion.

Mission and Strategic Plan

Auburn University’s mission states,

As a land-grant institution, Auburn University is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Alabama, the nation, and the world through forward-thinking education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and selfless service.

At the institutional level, Auburn University prioritizes and works toward continued improvement in student achievement and success.

Auburn University has identified multiple measures of student achievement through its Strategic Planning process for the period 2019-2024. Embedding plans for student achievement within a broader Strategic Planning process was an effective means for considering the university’s mission, the nature of the student body that Auburn currently serves, and the kinds of the educational programs that Auburn offers.

A disciplined, nine-month process was followed to develop Auburn University’s Strategic Plan. In June 2018, a 12-member, faculty-led Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) was convened to formulate Auburn University’s Strategic Plan. The members of this committee represented a broad cross-section of the university, including faculty at all levels, administrators, the student government president, an extension coordinator, and a donor-alum. The SPC established a project plan consisting of four overlapping phases: situation analysis, interviews and listening sessions, strategic formulation, and strategic development. More than 650 of Auburn University’s constituents provided input through this process, which included over 70 interviews conducted with trustees, deans, staff, administrators, students, alumni, donors, and extension coordinators.

Auburn University’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan includes a mission, a vision, and goals that are woven together by strategic themes and institutional values. The mission defines the university’s purpose. The vision describes Auburn University's aspirations for 20 years from now. The six goals describe the university’s most important priorities for the next five years that best position it to attain its vision. The seven themes describe important foundational elements that are integrated in the goals and are essential to Auburn’s ability to accomplish its mission and achieve its vision. All of these elements comprise the framework for Auburn University’s Strategic Plan.

Of the six goals in Auburn University’s current Strategic Plan, two directly relate to the student achievement and success.

Goal 1: Elevated Auburn Experience

Inspire and prepare students for life and careers through delivery of an excellent and supportive experience characterized by distinctive, innovative curricula, and engaging student life programs.

Goal 5: Strategic Enrollment

Achieve a robust and diverse enrollment of students while enhancing access, affordability, and academic quality.

Both Strategic Plan goals will be discussed in relation to each student achievement measure in the next section.

Student Achievement Goals and Outcomes

Auburn University uses multiple criteria to measure student achievement and success. These include:

• 6-year graduation rates
• Retention rates
• First destination outcomes 
• Professional licensure and certification exam first-time pass rates

These criteria are currently evaluated against a growing student population. Since 2014, Auburn University’s enrollment has steadily increased, with an emphasis in graduate students. In alignment with Auburn's mission, a growing professional and graduate student enrollment supports the increase in research and scholarship on campus. Auburn received a record 46,010 applications for Fall 2022 enrollment, with a 42% acceptance rate. In addition, 3,200 tuition deposits from Alabama residents (nearly 55%) were received, representing the largest number of new first-year Alabama residents. It should also be noted that 14.5% of deposits are underrepresented minority students.

TABLE 8.1-1, Total Fall Headcount for Auburn University 

Source: Auburn University Office of Institutional Research

Graduation Rates

Graduation rates are nationally recognized as key indicators of student success and achievement. Auburn University tracks six-year graduation rates of undergraduate students, and this information is regularly published on the Office of Institutional Research website. Emphasis on undergraduate rates is appropriate because approximately 80% of the student population is at the undergraduate level.

Table 8.1-2 below shows six-year graduation rates based on National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data, which is the official metric that Auburn University reports to SACSCOC. The data are disaggregated by race and gender.

TABLE 8.1-2, Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full Time Freshman Students 

Source: National Student Clearinghouse

In the spirit of continuous improvement, Auburn University also uses Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data to measure and track student achievement. Unlike NSC, IPEDS data provides peer institution information, thus enabling the university to measure its student achievement goals and outcomes with these peer institutions. IPEDS was the primary data source for creating targets and goals in Auburn University’s current Strategic Plan (2019-2024), solely because this data allowed the university to benchmark against its peers.

Table 8.1-3 shows IPEDS six-year graduation rates since entry year of 2010 and is also disaggregated by race and gender. The rates are presented for First-Time, Full-Time Freshman Students. Target established in the latest Strategic Plan are also included. It is also worth noting that when comparing NSC and IPEDS data, overall graduation rates are nearly identical, or within two percentages away from one another.

TABLE 8.1-3, Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Freshman Students (FTIC) 

Source: IPEDS

Table 8.1-3 shows six-year graduation rates since entry year of 2010 and is disaggregated by race and gender. The rates are presented for First-Time, Full-Time Freshman Students.

Thresholds and Goals

Auburn University establishes thresholds of acceptability (baselines) and goals (targets) as they relate to the Strategic Plan, and these expectations are shaped through collaborative efforts involving faculty, administrators, the University President, and the Board of Trustees. Described as a baseline, the university’s threshold of acceptability for graduation rates is based on data from the 2008 entering full-time freshman class, which achieved a six-year graduation rate of 70.9%. The historical data in the Strategic Plan begins with the 2008 data for this reason. Auburn's targets (goals) are informed in a variety of ways, starting with a reflection on the results from Auburn’s previous plan, Strategic Plan 2013-2018. After this internal evaluation, comparisons are then made with SEC Peer Institutions and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Peer Group to finalize appropriate targets.

Auburn University’s Office of Institutional Research disaggregates graduation rate data in multiple ways. For this narrative, Auburn University chose to disaggregate the data by race and gender to address progress toward improving achievement gaps. The category of “Other URM” (underrepresented minorities) in the table above includes American Indian, Hispanic, Hawaiian Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races (excludes White-Asian).

Evaluation and Improvement Strategies

Evaluating student success is a continuous and ongoing process at Auburn University. Using IPEDS data, overall graduation rates have increased over the past several years here at Auburn. Specifically, six-year graduation rates have improved 5.6% from entry year of 2010 (75.0%) to 2015 (80.6%). Six-year graduation rates have also increased when looking at each individual student demographic.

While this success is positive, Auburn is committed to addressing graduation rate gaps among these different student populations. For example, despite upward improvement within its own category from 66.0% to 68.7%, graduation rates for African American students are consistently below the rates for all other students each year, with an average shortfall of 14% across all years presented. African American students are also achieving below Auburn’s 70.9% threshold of acceptability, with some improvement in the last two cohorts of students (69.0% and 68.7%). Other underrepresented minorities (URMs) meet the threshold of acceptability, but also lag slightly when compared to overall graduation rates (with an average of 5% below overall students).

Though these two student groups represent a small population at Auburn University, the university is committed to reducing gaps in these rates and has established several initiatives and programs to seek improvement. Most recently, the university established a Presidential Task Force for Opportunity and Equity. Created in June 2020, the Presidential Task Force for Opportunity and Equity is a representative team invested in developing an equitable and inclusive Auburn University. Membership of this committee includes a wide range of campus partners. This committee’s current priority is to examine racial inequality and to recommend strategies for addressing disparities. Within this group, there are four subcommittees which include:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education
• Black Staff Recruitment & Retention (includes faculty recruitment efforts)
• Black Student Recruitment & Retention (Undergraduate)
• Institute for African American and Black Studies

These four subcommittees of the Presidential Task Force for Opportunity and Equity have made recommendations to address disparities in recruitment and retention, as well as implementation of a campus-wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education program.

In addition to the work of the Task Force, and in some cases due to the recommendations of the Task Force (see Ever Auburn scholarship description below), the university has initiated several specific improvement efforts, many of which are discussed below in the categories of scholarships, initiatives, and access.

Scholarships. Many scholarships are awarded annually by the Office of University Scholarships. In addition, department scholarships are awarded each year to new and current students by the various colleges and schools on campus. Scholarships for underrepresented student populations has been a primary focus for Auburn University, with recent attention to key scholarship programs discussed here.

Ever Auburn. Auburn University started a new scholarship and financial aid initiative in 2021 called Ever Auburn. This scholarship will make the Auburn Experience accessible to deserving students who exhibit both merit and need. It is available to both incoming students and current students in danger of not graduating for lack of resources. Eligible students must be Alabama residents with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Priority consideration is given to students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant and who are first-generation college students. Students awarded Ever Auburn Scholarship increased by 288%.

Ever to Conquer. Ever to Conquer Scholarships are four-year, renewable scholarships awarded among eligible incoming freshmen who are Alabama residents and have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA. Priority consideration is given to students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant through completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Additional consideration is given to students who are first-generation college students.

PLUS Scholarship. To increase diversity among the undergraduate student population at Auburn University, the Provost has created, with the help of generous financial support from corporate partners and the Auburn Alumni Association, the Provost Leadership Undergraduate Scholarship (PLUS) program. The PLUS program assists participants financially by providing them a $2,000 scholarship per academic year renewable up to three years and supports them academically and socially to ensure that they succeed at the university.

Auburn Black Alumni Council Scholarships. The Auburn Black Alumni Council is a 10-member council that represents a variety of colleges/schools, graduation years and geographic locations. The primary mission is to support the goals and mission of the Auburn Alumni Association specifically on matters pertaining to African American alumni. This council offers and awards multiple scholarships to eligible students who are actively involved in the Black Student Union or the African Students Association or are members of a National Pan-Hellenic organization.

Auburn University Board of Trustees Endowed Scholarship. Auburn University’s Board of Trustees Scholarship is a $1500 award. Eligible students must be an Alabama resident and demonstrate financial need. Priority consideration is given to students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant and who are first-generation college students.

Initiatives. Auburn University has multiple initiatives to address disparities in student recruitment and retention.

Tiger Takeoff. Launched in July 2021, Tiger Takeoff is a signature collaboration between the Office of Inclusion and Diversity and the Office of Enrollment Services at Auburn University. This program is holistically designed and focuses on rising-high school senior students from underrepresented backgrounds. During the two-day event, student participants are offered meaningful social, cultural, and educational activities to engage with the full Auburn Experience and comprehensive campus resources. The Office of Inclusion and Diversity’s Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence conducted a pilot year that included 134 applicants and 85 participants in 2021. The event included interactions with peer leaders, faculty, staff, and current students.

Diversity Campus Experience (DiCE). The Diversity Campus Experience (DiCE) seeks to identify highly qualified and competitive students from underrepresented groups to encourage them to pursue graduate degrees in their academic field. In addition to engaging with current graduate students and faculty members from their program of interest, participants will attend workshops designed to strengthen their graduate school application packets (i.e., GRE prep, mock interviews, personal statement review).

Tiger Retreat. The Office of Inclusion and Diversity’s Tiger Retreat is a two-day experience designed to introduce incoming multicultural, diverse, and first-generation college students to the academic, cultural, and social community at Auburn University. Participants will have an opportunity to learn more about navigating through college while also engaging directly with student leaders from the Auburn American Indian Association, African Student Organization, Black Student Union, Latino Student Association, and Student Government Association.

War Eagle Scholars Day. War Eagle Scholars Day is a one-day program designed to enhance the diversity of the undergraduate community at Auburn University. Academically talented high school seniors who identify as African American, American Indian, Latin, Asian American, low-income or rural students, first generation students, or students from other historically underrepresented populations are invited to attend the program. This event offers students and their parents an opportunity to gain valuable first-hand knowledge from university officials and student leaders about academic programs, admissions requirements, scholarship opportunities, and financial aid.

Access. Auburn University has multiple strategies to strategically enhance access in terms of application and enrollment.

Common App. Common App is an online college application platform that serves more than 3 million applicants, teachers, counselors, and advisors throughout the nation and world. The Common App streamlines the application process and helps reduce common barriers, including making the fee waiver process more efficient for students in need. By joining the Common App in Fall 2021, Auburn University is now helping make additional tools and services available to students and those who support students through Common App, including financial aid and scholarship information, virtual mentors, online portfolios, and a vast library of counseling resources available in English and Spanish. Since its implementation, freshman applicants have increased by 51%. Minority and African American student applicants have increased by 37% and the number of students admitted by more than 35%. Over 19,500 applications were received through the Common App, and 25% are underrepresented minority applicants.

Auburn First. The Auburn First program offers high school students an accessible and affordable opportunity to take official Auburn University courses and earn both college and high school credit at the same time. This program offers numerous entirely online courses through agreements with high schools in the state. Most recently, Auburn First has partnered with 21 high schools in the Fulton County School District (in Georgia) to expand its reach beyond Alabama. To ensure affordability, Auburn First provides tuition waivers for eligible students. The Auburn First enrollment total has been 930 students since Fall 2019. Within that total, almost 10% were African American students, and approximately 5% were underrepresented minority students.

Path to the Plains. Path to the Plains is a program designed around specific degree programs for students who aspire to transfer to Auburn University after completing the requirements for an associate’s degree at Southern Union State Community College. This program offers an affordable and accessible pathway through academic programs offered by both institutions. The Path to the Plains enrollment total has been 138 students since Fall 2019.

Retention Rates

Retention rates are used nationally as student success indicators and are defined as “the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who continue at the school the next year.” Students who continue into their second fall semester in college are more likely to graduate. Auburn University regularly tracks and publishes retention rates through the Office of Institutional Research. Table 8.1-4 below shows Auburn’s retention rates for the past four years. The data are disaggregated by race.

TABLE 8.1-4, First-Year Retention Rates 

Source: Auburn University Office of Institutional Research

Thresholds and Goals. In the same manner as graduation rates, Auburn University establishes retention thresholds and goals as they relate to the Strategic Plan, which was shaped through collaborative efforts involving faculty, administrators, the University President, and the Board of Trustees. Auburn’s threshold of acceptability for retention rates is based on data from the 2013 entering full-time freshman class, which achieved a retention rate of 90.3%. The institution’s retention targets are informed in a variety of ways, including reflections on the results from Auburn’s previous Strategic Plan, Strategic Plan 2013-2018, as well comparisons with SEC Peer Institutions and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Peer Groups,,. Current targets are shown in Table 8.1-4 above.

Evaluation and Improvement Strategies. The university’s retention rates are generally strong, consistently hovering around 90% and staying slightly above the established targets of Goal 1: Elevated Auburn Experience of the institution’s current Strategic Plan (2019-2024). Even with these strong results, the institution continues to provide programming to support and improve retention, especially among student groups whose retention is lower than the student population. Auburn arrived at these published targets in its Strategic Plan through comparisons with SREB and SEC peers.

Early Alert Grades Notification 

To facilitate the adjustment of students to the rigors of Auburn University coursework, faculty teaching Core courses (general education) are required to record an early alert grade for all students enrolled in those classes one week prior to midterm. This process will allow students to seek tutoring or take other action before the drop class deadline.

Academic Support Resources

The Office of Academic Support provides numerous resources to current students to help navigate academic challenges at Auburn University. Academic Support contributes to retention and degree completion and hosts a variety of academic skill development programs that promote self-directed learning strategies and student success. Two examples of Academic Support resources are Study Partners and Academic Coaching. The Study Partners program offers free peer tutoring to undergraduate students through one-on-one appointments and drop-in sessions. Academic Coaching is a personalized partnership designed to support each student in meeting their academic goals. The coach and student work together to identify academic habits, interests, skills, concerns, and intentions to achieve better academic success.

Tiger Excellence Scholars Program (TESP) 

The Tiger Excellence Scholars Program (TESP) is a program designed to support the persistence and retention of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, low-income families, and first-generation college enrollees. The TESP model is focused on the holistic development of all scholars through intentional engagement, support resources, and community building. In addition to financial support, TESP students also are given access to academic help, mentors, success seminars, and various other university resources. This past year, over 400 students participated in TESP.

Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence 

The Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence plays a vital role in promoting diversity among the Auburn University student body. Originally founded in 1996 as the Minority Engineering Program and evolving into other forms, such as the Engineering Academic Excellence Program, the goal of the program is to strengthen the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

With a wide range of student support, the Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence supports participants from pre-college through graduation, both in and out of the classroom, by focusing on expanding academic preparation and career readiness. Through academic and professional development workshops, collaborative study groups, and one-on-one peer learning, the Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence is preparing students to confidently take the next steps on their Auburn Engineering career path.

MAKERS project. 

The MAKERS project is a collaborative research project selected by the National Science Foundation to receive funding under the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program. This project is devoted to addressing the need for a high-quality STEM workforce in STEM disciplines supported by the program, and for the increased success of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in STEM. Seven Alabama institutions participate in this project and provide scholarships to up to 158 students majoring in the biological, physical, mathematical, geological, and computer and information sciences; engineering; and associated technology areas.

First Destination Outcomes 

Auburn University strives to “inspire and prepare students for life and careers through delivery of an excellent and supportive experience characterized by distinctive, innovative curricula and engaging student life programs.” To that end, Auburn tracks and prioritizes placement for each graduate in the months immediately following graduation (i.e., first destination). At Auburn University, this is referred to as the six-month post-graduation placement rate. Placement metrics that Auburn tracks include employment, salary, and continuing education.

Data are collected in Auburn University’s First Destination Survey (FDS) embedded within Creed to Succeed, a senior graduation course aligned with national standards. All students register for Creed to Succeed in the semester they plan to graduate and then complete the FDS in the last two weeks of the semester. The FDS was implemented in Spring 2019 on a voluntary basis but became a graduation requirement in 2021. Requiring survey participation in this course has help yield a 99.6% knowledge rate for Auburn. The Office of Academic Insight then implements a follow-up process with all students who indicated they were still seeking employment or still applying to graduate school. (Graduates indicating part-time work or “Other” are also included in follow-up calls/searches) The resulting data from the FDS and the follow-up processes reflect each graduate’s placement in the months immediately following graduation (i.e., first destination), Auburn University refers to this as the six-month post-graduation placement rate. Additional details collected from graduates with a status of “Employed Full Time” or “Continuing Education” help populate the filterable charts and lists published on the website dashboard.  

Auburn University’s current Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Auburn Achieve, is centered around career outcome improvements and will be using FDS data to help inform intervention strategies on campus. Led by the Office of Academic Insight, the QEP reflects key elements of Auburn University’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan that place a considerable emphasis on student career outcomes. By using data-driven approaches designed to engage academic units, the project ensures the institution’s graduates are highly sought by industry, government, nonprofits, and academia due to their experiences while at Auburn.

Data analysis and success. When looking at FDS data, Auburn University has much to be proud of in terms of post-graduation plans. Based on data from 2019-2021, 79.1% of Auburn graduates were either employed or continuing education. More specifically, 83.4% of graduates were continuing education, with the majority of these seeking a master’s or professional degree. We have a 77.4% employment rate with an average starting salary of $54,010.

First Destination Survey data have already been used to approach challenges specifically related to achievement gaps within certain student populations. Below are some examples related to these data.

Bright Idea seed grant. Auburn’s current QEP, Auburn Achieve, includes the Bright Idea seed grant project, which is designed to provide units, from any level of the institution, with analytical support and initial funding to implement a data-informed project or intervention. A current proposal from Auburn University’s Computer Science and Software Engineering program is targeting improvements among female and African American students. One of the proposal’s main objectives is to use FDS data to better understand why women and minorities are still seeking opportunities at graduation (39% of women and 69% of African Americans responded with “still seeking employment/continuing education”). To achieve this objective, this program will create a professional development seminar sequence and a professional mentoring program to collect data and track first destination success. 

Internship participation. Many students at Auburn University participate in internships to help them prepare for full-time employment upon graduation. With internships being a crucial part of the college experience, the Office of Academic Insight investigated the relationship between internship as a high-impact practice and employment success. Based on FDS data analysis, it was determined that internships positively impact student chances of securing employment at graduation and 6-months-post graduation. Additionally, internships reduce the gap in employment success between white and non-white students. To that end, recommendations were made to create initiatives to increase participation in internships, particularly for non-white students seeking employment.

Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. Auburn University strives to make continuous improvements and progress toward better student achievement and learning across all degree programs and levels. One example of addressing this progress is through external competitive grants, specifically the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) Program. The Director of Auburn’s Honors College, who recently applied for this grant, used FDS data to help inform her grant proposal narrative. The primary goal of Auburn University’s McNair Program proposal seeks to address disparities of access and opportunity for students who fall into groups traditionally underrepresented in doctoral professions; these groups include low-income, first-generation college students and minority students.

Professional Licensure Exam performance. Performance on professional licensure exams is an important indicator of student achievement and success at Auburn University. Auburn tracks and publishes pass rates for licensing exams among numerous programs on campus. This information is benchmarked against peer institutions/programs and national trends and is then used as a key element in discussions for improvements to be made in student learning.

Auburn University has a history of excellence in pass rate percentages, particularly when compared to national standards. Below is a table of exam pass rates for the following degree programs: Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Business Accounting, Audiology, and Education. 

TABLE 8.1.5, Licensure Exam Pass Rates

Sources: National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, National Association of State Boards of Accounting, International Council for Veterinary Assessment, Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, & Equity, Educational Testing Services (ETS)

Academic Assessment

Academic assessment is a major component of evaluating student learning at Auburn University, and assessing all educational programs (undergraduate, graduate, and professional) takes place on an annual basis. Faculty within each department or program establish student learning outcomes (SLOs), directly assess those SLOs, interpret those findings, and submit a report to the Office of Academic Insight for feedback on ways for improvement. Faculty then implement improvements based on assessing student learning outcomes in programs. In addition, the Office of Academic Insight supports programmatic student learning outcomes assessment at Auburn University by hosting assessment events, reporting on academic degree program data and offering assessment resources and opportunities. A full examination of academic assessment at Auburn University can be found in Standard 8.2a.

Conclusion

Student achievement and success is Auburn University’s number one priority. Auburn regularly identifies goals (targets) and thresholds of acceptability (baselines) consistent with its mission, collects and evaluates data relevant to these goals, and uses this information to continuously improve student success. Auburn University regularly evaluates this data internally and makes comparisons with SEC Peer Institutions and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Peer Group. Student achievement measures can be found on the Auburn University website. All these processes and practices are evidence that Auburn University is compliant for this standard.