Institution Portland State University State Oregon Academic Level Baccalaureate Issue Area Retention Website https://www.pdx.edu/multicultural-retention-services/ganas Key Personnel Emanuel Magaña Program Focus First Year Support, Mentoring Overview The goal of the GANAS program is to help support and retain students throughout their first year at Portland State University. The program works to create a sense of community that reflects the Latino culture. By building a shared sense of community, the student can create a support network, which helps the student feel safe and comfortable on campus. Program Description The GANAS program consists of a bridge program prior to the first week of classes. Each student is required to meet with the GANAS adviser once a month where the adviser uses a holistic approach to support the student. The adviser also tracks the academic progress of the student through grade reports and grade checks each term. Students also meet with their mentors, who host events throughout each term to create community and build relationships across the program. Students also receive priority registration to ensure they can get into the classes they need. Lastly, each student is presented with a financial award in the form of tuition remission. Outcome The average retention rate for all cohorts into their second year is 87%. The institution’s overall first-year retention rate from 2010-2017 is 72%. The 4-year graduation rate for the most recent year was 41% compared to approximately 25% 4- year graduation rate with the overall university. The 6-year graduation rate average is 63% across all cohorts. PSU’s 6-year graduation rate is approximately 47% compared to the same time frame as the GANAS program. The GANAS Program saw the biggest jump in 4-year graduation rates between 2012-2013 and 2015-2016 from 3% to 45%. Data collected also showed 5-year retention numbers steadily increased from 40% with their first cohort to 62% with their 2015-2016 cohort. Learn more about Latino College Completion in Oregon Return to Growing What Works Database
