Study Abroad and Graduation A Study of The Impact of International Experience On Student Success The cover page Yan Zhou Institutional Research and Reporting The University of Oklahoma

About The University Fall 2016 Four-Year Public Research University Undergraduate 21,628 Graduate 5,696 Law 613 First Time Freshmen 4,198

A President’s Vision The International Programs Center (IPC) was founded in the fall of 1996 The College of International Studies (CIS) was officially created in January 2011. The International Programs Center (IPC) was founded in the fall of 1996 by the University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren, a former United States Senator and Governor of Oklahoma. Boren, who had been Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Intelligence and a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford, England, as he envisioned an international program at the University so that OU graduates would be prepared for the globalized world of the 21st century. In January 2011, the OU Board of Regents  approved a recommendation to establish a College of International Studies in response to growing student demand.  At that time, President David L. Boren announced a $2 million lead gift from Tulsans L. Francis and Kathleen Rooney to launch a $14 million campaign for the new College. Today CIS houses the Dean’s Staff, the academic Department of International and Area Studies, the Office of Education Abroad, the Office of International Student Services, the OU in Arezzo Study Center and a number of other international institutes and centers.  Together, these various offices, departments and centers work to provide a range of opportunities for students to learn about the global community in which they live.

The booming international programs 3 International Program Centers Journeys College sponsored programs

Enrollment trend

Questions: Who are they? 2. What is the impact of students’ international experience on retention and graduation rate? 3. Do they take longer to graduate than students who didn’t choose to study abroad?

for international experience Data collection for international experience OU Courses Transfer Courses Student Attribute OU Course data, subject, schedule type, section #, attribute To capture more international experience, we also looked at transfer credits and students who have self claimed international experience. (new since spring 16). We had a student data system migration in Fall 09.

Drill-down demographics By gender, race and student level

Question 2 Are they more likely to graduate? Graduation Rate for FTFTDS. First let’s take a look at the first terms students took their intl exp. The 1st terms spread a wide range with peaks in the 2nd and 3rd summer. International Experience happened mostly in soph. and Jr years. Notes the increase in the 1st summer in more recent cohorts.

The First Glance First-Time Full-Time Degree-Seeking(FTFTDS) Cohort with International Experience Cohort N ACT_SAT 4-Yr Grad Rate 5-Yr Grad Rate 6-Yr Grad Rate 2010 551 27.7 55.2% 91.1% 95.8% Is this a fair comparison? NO! The importance of peer group. All FTFTDS Cohort N ACT_SAT 4-Yr Grad Rate 5-Yr Grad Rate 6-Yr Grad Rate 2010 3671 26.0 39.6% 63.0% 67.3%

Set Up Peer Group For Comparison The Study Abroad Eligibility Policy at OU. Minimum combined retention GPA of 2.0 Full-time degree-seeking Have completed 2 semesters of college-level work Be in good academic standing 2. Control Factors in Setting up Peer Group College preparedness College progress Steps to construct a peer group? Control academic preparedness and other socio-economical factors: Start with ACT_SAT

FTFTDS with International Experience in the First 3 Years Peer Group Comparison FTFTDS with International Experience in the First 3 Years Cohort N ACT_SAT 4-Yr Grad Rate 5-Yr Grad Rate 6-Yr Grad Rate 2010 412 28.0 64.8% 93.4% 96.1% Cohort FTFTDS without International Experience, Continued after 3 years, ACT_SAT>24 Compare graduation rates Cohort N ACT_SAT 4-Yr Grad Rate 5-Yr Grad Rate 6-Yr Grad Rate 2010 1346 28.5 56.2% 85.2% 89.6%

Logistic Regression Results Logistic Regression result also supports the fact that education abroad experience positively contributes to the 6-year graduation. The odds ratio of graduation after 6 years for student with education abroad exp and those without is 2.34. Cohort 2010 data, valid observations in this model is 1851.

Students with Lower First Semester GPA (<3.25) FTFTDS with International Experience in the first 3 years Cohort N ACT_SAT 4-Yr Grad Rate 5-Yr Grad Rate 6-Yr Grad Rate 2010 122 26.0 54.1% 86.9% 91.0% Cohort FTFTDS without International Experience, continued after 3 years, ACT_SAT > 22 Compare grad rates for lower GPA group. Cohort N ACT_SAT 4-Yr Grad Rate 5-Yr Grad Rate 6-Yr Grad Rate 2010 764 26.1 39.7% 75.8% 83.4%

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Time to Degree Comparison First Time Freshmen Degree Year International Experience Headcount TTD (Yr) 2015-2016 Yes 748 4.61 No 2033 4.97 2014-2015 591 4.56 2079 4.87 Question 3. Time to degree

Students Whose First Semester GPA <3.25

Conclusion OU’s Education Abroad Programs had a positive impact on students’ academic outcomes. Could this be a way to improve graduation rate? IRR will continue the collaboration with College of International Studies.

References: 1. Hamir H., Go Abroad and Graduate on Time: Study Abroad Participation, Degree Completion, and Time-to-Degree http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1065&context=cehsedaddiss 2. UC San Diego Study: 2011 EAP and OAP Retention, Graduation, & Time- to-Degree Combined https://icenter.ucsd.edu/_files/icenter/20019-10/1112EAP_OAPcombined.pdf 3. The Effect of Study Abroad on College Completion in a State University System http://glossari.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/01/GLOSSARI-Grad-Rate-Logistic-Regressions-040111.pdf Q & A

Any Questions? Yan Zhou (405)325-0926 | http://www.ou.edu/irr yan.zhou@ou.edu