Center for Faculty Development
Pursuing a Culture of Excellence
Center for Faculty Development
Rebranded from its previous name of Faculty First Week, in its sixth year, Fall First
Week provides time for colleges and schools to meet, engage with campus resources,
and learn from one another’s expertise as we prepare for the academic year ahead.
Along with the name change, this year’s fall program will see some other updates.
First-Year Retention Rates Higher for Students of ACUE Faculty at Southern Miss
At The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), faculty began taking ACUE microcredential courses in Fall 2016. Given the phase-in of USM faculty who take ACUE courses over time, some students may take courses taught by ACUE faculty while others may not. This analysis focuses on two cohorts of first year students at USM in academic years 2017–18 and 2018–19. Over these years, first-year students took courses taught by 62 ACUE faculty and 775 non-ACUE faculty. The analysis finds evidence that first-year students who took at least one course taught by an ACUE faculty had a higher likelihood of returning to USM in the subsequent academic years.
Click for full brief and key findings