CHS Recruiting, Retention Numbers Rebound Strong
By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director
Just one year removed from one of the most challenging times in the history of higher education, the College of Health Sciences and our students have rebounded in such a way that we all have a lot to be thankful for.
CHS enrollment is up from Fall 2020 to Fall 2021 by 6.7 percent (from 1,276 in Fall 2020 to 1,361 in Fall 2021), while retention for the Fall 2020 cohort was up 4.6 percentage points to 92.9 percent (from Fall 2019’s 88.3 percent).
CHS has the second-highest retention rate of all undergraduate colleges at UK (the highest is the College of Design, at 93.4 percent) and the percentage is especially admirable when compared to the University’s retention of 85.7 percent.
The retention rate is the best since Fall 2012 — which is even more impressive when one remembers that the most recent classes were a hybrid mix of in-person and online.
“We are extremely proud of our faculty and staff for their efforts to recruit and retain the highest quality students,” said CHS Dean Scott Lephart. “By doing so, we continue to push our programs to new heights, and students continue to receive the greatest learning environment we can provide. But we are not standing pat. Our goal is to continually approve on these numbers as well.”
Human Health Sciences saw the biggest jump, from 350 to 448 students, while Medical Laboratory Science increased by 17, from 65 to 82. Both programs are currently at all-time highs.
These efforts fall in line with the University’s recently approved strategic plan, entitled The UK PURPOSE: Plan for Unprecedented Research, Purposeful and Optimal Service and Education.
The plan focuses on five key principles:
- Putting Students First
- Taking Care of Our People
- Inspiring Ingenuity
- Ensuring Greater Trust, Transparency and Accountability
- Bringing Together Many People, One Community
In September, UK reported an all-time high enrollment of nearly 31,800 students for Fall 2021, with a first-to-second-year retention rate in the Fall 2020 cohort of 86 percent, up more than 4 percentage points since Fall 2015.
“I have to thank our faculty and staff for everything they are doing — due to their efforts, the future of our College is bright,” Lephart said. “And because of that, I can say the future of our region is bright as well. Our mission is to help the people of the Commonwealth and beyond attain the highest level of health possible.
“I am proud to say that we are continuing to do just that.”