Immaculata University is a private, four-year institution located outside of Philadelphia that serves approximately 4,300 students and offers programs in the liberal arts tradition as well as programs of professional study. It was founded in 1920 as a women’s college, and has since grown into three colleges that serve distinct populations: traditional full-time undergraduate students, non-traditional undergraduate adult learners, and graduate students. 

The traditional full-time undergraduates are served by the College of Undergraduate Studies, which remained women-only until fall of 2005.  Since becoming co-educational, enrollment has increased by 112 percent. The College enrolls 32 percent men and 68 percent women, 13 percent minority students and 46 percent first-generation students, with an average student age of 20.1 years. The faculty to student ratio is 1:11, and the University has 103 full-time faculty and 308 adjuncts serving across all three colleges.

The rapid enrollment growth that has taken place since becoming co-educational, although necessary to strengthen the University, has exceeded the capacity of existing student support structures and is compromising student success. Based on a thorough analysis of institutional strengths, weaknesses and problems, the University proposed a single, comprehensive activity with three components to resolve its key problems:

Component One: Strengthen and integrate Academic Advising, Academic Support and Academic Enrichment under a new center (“Pathways Center”).

The Pathways Center will host a centrally coordinated infrastructure that integrates academic support, academic advising and academic enrichment activities and integrates career development throughout the academic advisement process in all four years.

Component Two: Expand and strengthen career services and the co-curricular experience for commuters and residential students.

Career services and co-curricular experiences will be strengthened through electronic career portfolios, expanded First Year Experience and Sophomore Year Experience programs and the development of Special Interest Learning Communities.

Component Three: College-wide faculty/staff/administrative development to bring about culture change.

Extensive professional development activities will generate a culture change that establishes a University-wide priority to support student retention and guide students in creating individual career paths.

Key measures of success will include:

• Increasing fall-to-fall full-time freshmen to sophomore retention by seven percent
• Increasing fall-to-fall full-time freshmen to junior retention by five percent
• Increasing  fall-to-fall full-time transfer student retention by five percent
• Decreasing freshmen and sophomores on academic probation by five percent
• Increasing  student participation in one or more academically enriching activities by 100 percent
• Increasing the number of students declaring majors by the end of freshman year by 10 percent

The five-year $1,918,593 budget includes endowment support in four of the five years:

• Yr. 1, $23,000
• Yr 2, $27,500
• Yr.4, $94,000
• Yr. 5, $100,000

The increased endowment revenue will assist in meeting ongoing costs of expanded student support services.

Key Overall Goals for the Institution

The University has developed the following key goals to address the weaknesses and problems analyzed in the preceding sections:

1. Increase student retention
2. Increase and improve academic support services
3. Increase and improve academic advising
4. Integrate career development into academics and advising
5. Increase student engagement through academically enriching and co-curricular experiences outside the classroom

Measurable Objectives for the Institution

The University has developed the following five-year objectives to measure progress toward goal attainment. By September 30, 2015, Immaculata will:

1. Increase fall-to-fall full-time freshman to sophomore retention by seven percent
2. Increase fall-to-fall full-time freshman to junior retention by five percent
3. Increase fall-to-fall full-time transfer student retention by five percent
4. Decrease freshmen and sophomores on academic probation by five percent
5. Increase student participation in one or more academically enriching activities by 100 percent
6. Increase the number of students declaring majors by the end of freshman year by 10 percent