Student Achievement

The Leaders are Here

Alice Lloyd College’s longstanding mission, of nearly 100 years, is to “educate mountain people for positions of leadership and service to the Appalachian region.” When ALC was founded in the early 1920s, Mrs. Lloyd, the founder, insisted “The leaders are here.” Her goal was to provide people of the region an opportunity for an education. This would make it possible for them to serve and lead among their own people, thereby uplifting and moving forward Appalachia.

ALC collects information about its graduates in an effort to evaluate the success of the institution in respect to its mission. On an annual basis, the Academic Dean’s Office assigns a select number of faculty and staff to serve as members of an Institutional Research and Assessment Committee, which is chaired by the Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation (as shown by the 2023-2024 Standing Committee Assignments list). This committee helps to ensure that pertinent data is collected and utilized in ways that will benefit the school and the students it serves, as well as keeping ALC focused on its integral mission.

The mission of Alice Lloyd College is to educate mountain people for positions of leadership and service to the mountains by:

·        Making an Alice Lloyd College education available to qualified mountain students regardless of their financial situation.

·        Offer a high-quality academic program emphasizing the liberal arts.

·        Promoting the work ethic through a self-help student work program in which all full-time students participate.

·        Providing an atmosphere in which Christian values are maintained, encouraging high personal standards and the development of character.

·        Serving the community and region through appropriate outreach programs that utilize mountain people helping mountain people.

·        Assisting deserving students in obtaining advanced study beyond their program at Alice Lloyd.

·        Producing leaders for Appalachia who possess high moral and ethical values, an attitude of self-reliance, and a sense of service to others.

Table 8.1.1 contains benchmarks set by the college when evaluating student success as well as attainment of these benchmarks for the last three academic years for which the data is available. Following the chart is an explanation of how each of these measurements of student success is relevant to the College’s mission.

Table 8.1.1 Assessment Thresholds

Course Completion

All students at ALC must complete the College’s 54-hour general education core requirement (18 institutional hours + 12 hours in humanities, social science, and science/math). Students must complete each institutional course with a grade of C or better. Below is a list of the general education core:

General Education Requirements / 54 hours
Institutional: 18 hours:
Computer Information Systems (CIS 110), Public Speaking (Comm 126), Freshmen Composition (Eng 101 and Eng 102), Leadership Education (LE 101), Physical Education (PE 103).
Humanities: 12 hours
Social Science: 12 hours
Natural Science/Mathematics: 12 hours

Other programs offered at ALC may require students to take additional courses prior to enrolling in the program. For example, students who wish to pursue degrees in the Teacher Education Program (TEP) must complete 75% of the general education core before applying for admission to the TEP. Students wishing to major in Business Administration must complete a pre-business curriculum prior to admission to the Business Administration program. The pre-business curriculum is outlined below:

The Pre-Business/Accounting Curriculum includes the following courses: Principles of Accounting I (Acc 201), Principles of Accounting II (Acc 202), Fundamentals of Information Systems (Bus 212), Business Communications (Bus 240), Business Statistics (Bus 295), Computer Information Systems (CIS 110), Public Speaking (Comm 126), Microeconomics (Econ 209), Macroeconomics (Econ 210), Freshmen Composition I (Eng 101), Freshmen Composition II (Eng 102), and either Intermediate Algebra (Math 112), College Algebra (Math 113), Trigonometry (Math 114) or Differential Calculus (Math 125).

The requirement that all students must complete at least 12 hours in the humanities, social sciences, and science/math as part of the general education requirement helps to support the first component of the Mission Statement: that ALC will “offer a high quality academic program, emphasizing the liberal arts.”

There are two significant points at which a student’s general knowledge is assessed using a recognized test of academic proficiency. At the beginning of the freshman year all students take the Measurement of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP); then at the beginning of the junior year, all students retake the MAPP test to indicate progress during their first two years at Alice Lloyd College. The College has set benchmarks for student performance on this assessment. The goal is that juniors taking this test will achieve 50% proficiency (marginal plus proficient) at level 2 in math, reading, and writing, and 30% proficiency in critical thinking.

A summary of proficiency scores for the MAPP assessment follows:

Freshmen and Junior MAPP Proficiency Results 2019 & 2021

Freshmen and Junior MAPP Proficiency Results 2020 & 2022

(For more detailed information, see Academic Profile Comparisons).

In addition to the two designated assessments of general knowledge, students also complete course requirements which may include: daily assignments, projects, research papers, and comprehensive tests.

Students are guided toward completing their degree with the appropriate courses through supervision of the Registrar and faculty advisors. Curriculum guide sheets are used to ensure that students are taking the required courses relative to their degree.

The Retention Coordinator and Academic Dean monitor student course performance by monitoring concerns regarding a student’s class performance or class attendance. Depending upon the situation, the Retention Coordinator, Academic Dean, advisor, or other involved party may contact the student to determine the best course of action to help the student succeed. In Spring 2023, a retention software through the College’s Student Information System (SIS) was purchased to centralize the reporting system for absences, grades, and other academic, financial, and social issues. This system, known as Eagle Alerts, allows for heightened monitoring for students who may be at a retention risk. This software also allows for a data driven approach to calculating retention risk to facilitate early intervention.

Student course completion rates are also monitored by the Director of Financial Aid to ensure that students meet Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria for state and federal financial aid. A student completing less than 66.67% of courses attempted or earning less than a 2.0000 overall GPA is placed on probation and is allowed one semester to meet the 66.67% requirement and/or raise the GPA to at least a 2.0. Students not meeting these minimum requirements have their financial aid suspended. Faculty advisors work to ensure that students are aware of policies associated with receiving federal and state financial aid.

Enrollment Data

The college tracks new student enrollment data on a monthly basis using the Monthly Admissions Report. The report tracks applications and acceptances as well as GPA, ACT/SAT, and estimated financial aid information for students applying to ALC. The report compares this data with data from the previous year, and the data in this format is available for comparison back to 2005.

Each summer, the Recruiting and Retention Committee holds weekly meetings to manage enrollment for the fall semester. The committee is typically comprised of the Academic Dean/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Services, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Dean of Students, Director of Admissions, Director of Housing, Registrar, Director of Financial Aid, and the Athletics Director. In examining the student body at Alice Lloyd College, a significant concern of this committee is providing leadership for the Appalachian region, a primary focus of the College’s mission: “Producing leaders for Appalachia who possess high moral and ethical values, an attitude of self-reliance, and a sense of service to others.” On average, 98% of ALC’s student body comes from the 108-county central Appalachian service area as demonstrated by the following table, which tracks student recruitment from the College’s service area over the last 5 years:

Students at ALC from College’s 108-County Service Area

State Licensing Examinations

The Teacher Education Program has historically made up a large percentage of ALC graduates, and since education majors must receive state certification to become teachers, the results of state licensing examinations were especially relevant at ALC. Although lower than past historical data, the number of graduates in the field of education has remained steady over the last 5 years. The following chart shows the percentages of ALC graduates who completed a degree in the field of education over the previous 5 years:

In addition to other requirements for graduation, education majors must meet certain licensure requirements established by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB). Education majors must complete the CASE exam in order to gain entrance into the education program and success on specific categories of the PRAXIS II exam is required in order to receive certification by the EPSB.

Capstone Courses

Most programs at ALC require students to complete capstone courses in their field of study. Requiring a capstone course helps to ensure that ALC fulfills the second component of the Mission Statement: “offer a high-quality academic program, emphasizing the liberal arts.” Graduates in English, Sociology, Biology, Liberal Arts, Communications, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Accounting & Business Management and History must complete senior-level capstone courses in which they complete a substantial written research project under the supervision and direction of a faculty member or in some cases, a team of faculty. Students must complete the capstone course in their discipline. Students majoring in Liberal Arts may choose a capstone course from any of the disciplines. Business Administration and all of the Education programs also provide capstone experiences. In the Education programs, students must complete student teaching field experiences at the end of the program. In Business Administration, many students participate in internships. Successful completion of this course is a requirement for graduation in these majors. Pass rates for the various capstone courses in each discipline are indicated in Table 8.1.1.

Student Work Evaluations

As part of its mission, ALC strives to promote “the work ethic through a self-help student work program in which all full-time students participate.” Students sign a Student Work Contract at the beginning of each academic year. Time worked is calculated and monitored by the Student Work Office and a weekly report is sent to each line officer. Students who are behind an excessive number of hours are contacted by their supervisors, and in some instances, students receive Student Work Program Warnings based upon work performance or because of falling behind an excessive number of hours. Beginning in 2022-2023 the weekly report began being delivered to all faculty and staff as the Student Work Program is an all-encompassing campus effort.

Student Worker Evaluations are performed each semester on every student. Student Worker Evaluation data is used to assess not only the job performance of individual students within each work area, but the effectiveness of the student work program as a whole. Supervisors who oversee student workers are evaluated by the students they supervise as well. The evaluations used to evaluate student workers and supervisors are a standard set of questions, and workers and supervisors alike are evaluated using a Likert scale from Strongly Agree being the highest and Strongly Disagree being the lowest. See Student Worker Evaluation form and Supervisor Evaluation form.

Retention and Graduation Rates

Retention data is compiled and disaggregated by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, established in 2022. Previously this responsibility sat with the Retention Coordinator. The data collected included the names of students who withdrew from school, the date students withdrew, and the students’ reason for leaving. Retention data is compared year-over-year so that institutional retention goals can be evaluated.

Alice Lloyd College also maintains a variety of data for each graduating class. This data includes the number of degrees conferred, as well as the area of study for each degree. This data is used for generating both internal and external reports. Internal reports include the ALC Fact Book which details Admissions, Enrollment, Financial Aid, Retention, and Graduation data (2022-2023 ALC Fact Book), as well as 4, 5, and 6 year graduation rates. External reports include IPEDS, Degree Completion Report, The Council on Post-Secondary Education Annual Report, KPEDS, as well as various other surveys and reporting measures. Both internal and external reports are distributed and discussed as appropriate during cabinet meetings, Retention and Enrollment Committee meetings, division head retreats, faculty meetings, Academic Affairs Committee meetings and elsewhere in order assess the college’s performance in recruiting, retaining and graduating students. Data from these reports is used to direct retention directives on campus.

Job Placement Rates

The Academic Dean’s Office, the Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Services Office collect information about graduating seniors in a number of ways.

The Office of Alumni Relations asks each senior to complete a Graduate Information Sheet prior to graduation. This document provides the Alumni Office with essential contact information for each graduate. It also provides information regarding each graduate’s future plans relative to graduate school or career pursuits. The Office of Alumni Relations then contacts these graduates within ten months to confirm and update the information given. Information collected is entered into the alum database and is shared with the Career Services Office. The Career Services Office prepares an annual Graduate Employment Statistics Report which provides employment and/or graduate/professional school enrollment information for each graduating class ten months after graduation. The previous five years are detailed in Table 8.1.2.

Table 8.1.2 Graduate Statistics 2018-2022

Caney Scholars Program

As part of its mission, Alice Lloyd College is committed to assisting its students in their pursuit of advanced degrees upon completion of their studies at ALC. The sixth aspect of the ALC mission statement explains ALC’s commitment to “assisting deserving students in obtaining advanced study beyond their program at Alice Lloyd.” Table 8.1.2 detailing ALC graduate statistics reveals nearly one in four ALC graduates goes on to graduate or professional school. Each year the College awards a number of prestigious Caney Scholarships to qualifying students enrolling in graduate or professional schools. Recipients of this scholarship who attend the University of Kentucky or Eastern Kentucky University are provided housing in Alice Lloyd’s H. N. and Frances C. Berger Residence Hall (the Caney Cottage) which is located on the University of Kentucky campus. Students who attend other schools are awarded a cash stipend to help with educational expenses. During the 2023-2024 academic year, fifty-six alumni will be assisted through the Caney Scholars program. The Caney Scholar Report tracks the achievement of students designated as Caney Scholars.

One of the stipulations for receiving the Caney Cottage Scholarship requires students commit themselves to returning to the Appalachian region once they have completed their graduate program. This is relevant to the final component of ALC’s Mission Statement: the College’s commitment to “producing leaders for Appalachia who possess high moral and ethical values, an attitude of self-reliance, and a sense of service to others.” As Table 8.1.2 reveals, more than half of ALC graduates are working in Appalachia ten months after graduation each year and nearly one in four are attending graduate or professional school.

The overall focus of the institution is providing leadership for central Appalachia, especially the 108-county service area primarily recruited by the College. ALC is committed to providing a strong liberal arts education and assistance for qualified students who wish to pursue advanced degrees, and a variety of measures are used to gauge student success in these areas.

35% four-year graduation rates

45% six-year graduation rates

Graduation rates for Cohort

2016: 27.04% (4 year); 42.77% (6 year)

2017: 15.71% (4 year); 27.14% (6 year)

2018: 30.26% (4 year); 42.56% (6 year)

2019: 31.74% (4 year); 42.33% (5 year)

2020: 24.74% (4 year)