December 05, 2013

SIU recognized for its “15 to Finish” initiative

Dear Colleagues,

I'm pleased to report that SIU has been recognized by Complete College America for our work promoting the "15 to Finish" initiative, which highlights the importance of taking 15 credits per semester to support on-time completion of an undergraduate degree.

The "15 to Finish" initiative started in Hawaii and has extended to universities in 15 states; SIU is the only university in Illinois recognized for its participation. The program is designed to build student awareness of the advantages of full-time enrollment and on-time graduation.

The University of Hawaii system has experienced a significant increase in student retention due to the initiative, and we hope that our promotion of the "15 to Finish" message on our online registration portal will do the same.

Retention is among our highest priorities, and this is just one initiative that we have put in place, with more to come, in order to help us increase our retention rates and position our students for graduation and success.

Rita Cheng

Chancellor