Judgment of Compliance

Narrative

Consistent with its mission [1], Sam Houston State University (SHSU) evaluates success by considering measures such as retention rates, graduation rates, degrees conferred, employment rates, and licensure and certification exam pass rates.  SHSU is considered a selective university by the Carnegie Foundation [2].  Furthermore, SHSU has historically attracted a high percentage of at-risk students as defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) [3].  The THECB oversees a statewide system of accountability measures against which all Texas public institutions of higher education are compared [4], [5].  The measures mentioned above (i.e., retention rates, graduation rates, degrees conferred, employment rates, and licensure and certification exam pass rates) are mandatory for SHSU and all other public institutions in the State of Texas, as part of the Accountability System, and are used to measure institutional success.  Within the system of accountability, universities are categorized into peer groups based on (a) number of doctoral programs offered, (b) number of doctoral degrees granted, (c) number of doctoral students enrolled, and (d) amount of research dollars generated [6].  Peer group comparisons are available within the system of accountability.  The university aspires to and does perform at or above most statewide averages and outperforms most members of its peer group for the common measures of student success.  Data in this narrative are presented for the most recently available reporting periods.

The most basic measure of success is the 1-year persistence rate at the same institution for first-time, full-time freshmen (commonly referred to in other states as a retention rate, in which SHSU has consistently outperformed the majority of its peer institutions.  Based upon institutional trend data, SHSU established a benchmark of 76% for fiscal year 2014.  SHSU exceeded this benchmark by 1.3 percentage points.  Specifically, these persistence rates for first-time, full-time freshmen students have increased from 74.9% for the fall 2008 freshmen cohort to 77.9% for the fall 2013 cohort [7].

Another key measure of student achievement concerns graduation rates.  The 6-year graduation rate for fall 2003 full-time beginning SHSU freshmen was 45.1%.  Based upon institutional trend data, SHSU established a benchmark of 52% for fiscal year 2014.  For the most recent cohort (fall 2008), this rate increased to 53.10% [8], a rate 1.3 percentage points higher than SHSU’s benchmark.  For all beginning freshmen cohorts entering between fall 2003 and fall 2008 (i.e., the six most recent years for which graduation rate data is available), SHSU performed comparably to the state average and outperformed all of its peer institutions.  In addition, the 6-year graduation rate for full-time beginning freshmen graduating from either SHSU or from another institution improved from 54.1% for the fall 2003 cohort to 60.6% for the fall 2008 cohort.  Again, SHSU met or exceeded the THECB’s expectations as it performed comparably to the state average for this measure and outperformed all of its peer institutions.   

SHSU also utilizes the number of conferred baccalaureate degrees as a key measure of student achievement and success.  SHSU conferred 3,101 baccalaureate degrees in fiscal year 2009.  The number increased to 3,255 by fiscal year 2014, representing an increase of 4.96% over this 6-year period [9].

Based upon data availability, SHSU employs several discipline- and non-discipline-specific metrics to evaluate student success.  Measures include employment rates and pass rates on state licensing or certification exams, such as teacher certification exams, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exams, and nursing licensing exams.  The THECB uses employment rates as a measure of excellence for public institutions of higher education.  The THECB monitors the percent of baccalaureate graduates either employed in Texas or enrolled in a Texas graduate or professional school within one year of graduation.  Only information on students who are employed in Texas is included.  Students who are self-employed or leave the state to work or continue their education are not included in the database.  For fiscal years 2008 through 2012, SHSU performed above the state average each year with rates ranging from 79.8% to 82.7%, which was comparable to the institutions in its peer group [10].

In terms of licensing exams, the pass rates on the teacher certification exam, the CPA exam, the nursing licensing exam, and the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) are important measures of success given the university’s degree program inventory.  The teacher certification exam is administered by the State Board of Educator Certification.  SHSU students performed at or above the state average five out of the last seven years on the teacher certification exam [11] and exceeded the pass rate performance standard as required in Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 229 for each of the seven most recent years [12].   

The CPA exam is administered by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.  The percentage of sections passed on the CPA exam for Texas educational institutions can be obtained from the board’s website.  The data indicated significant improvement for SHSU students on the CPA exam during the last five years.  SHSU has placed at or above the median level of performance within its peer group for each of the last five years and has performed at the highest or second highest pass rate within this group for the past two years [13].

SHSU has recently added a bachelor’s degree in nursing to its program inventory.  SHSU’s goal for student pass rates on the Texas Board of Nursing Licensing Exam is 80%, which aligns with the Texas Board of Nursing requirements [14].  To date, only two years of pass rate data is available from the Texas Board of Nursing.  For fiscal years 2013 and 2014, the university presented pass rates of 87.5% and 73.91%, respectively [15]. 

The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.  The EPPP passage rates for the Clinical Psychology doctoral program at SHSU for the period 2007-2012 was 100%.  SHSU ranks above the national average in EPPP pass rates [16].

Supporting Documentation