Over the past few years, the graduation rate at William Woods University has increased.
In 2016, 53 percent of undergraduates graduated in six years. In 2019, that figure was 59 percent.
Recently, the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development listed William Woods as a school that has made advances in improving graduation rates.
The department has been working since 2011 to raise the numbers of Missourians finishing college. The goal is for 60 percent of Missouri's working-age adults to hold a degree or certificate by 2025. In 2019, 52.8 percent did.
"We commend the work Missouri colleges and universities are doing to make tremendous strides toward Missouri's Big Goal," commissioner of higher education Zora Mulligan said. "There is still plenty of room for improvement so we will continue to work with our institutions to increase enrollment and completion rates throughout the state."
According to William Woods spokesperson John Fougere, the Fulton university leans on its faculty-student ratio to help get students across the graduation finish line.
"We pride ourselves on how closely our students get to know and have personal access to their professors," Fougere said.
In 2020, the student-faculty ratio was 12 to one. This close relationship is helpful when students are struggling.
"When a student does begin to struggle, we intervene and connect them promptly with our Academic Success Center, where they are provided extensive tutoring and success coaching services," Fougere said.
He said this is visible in the graduation rate.
"We have found that most students respond well to these efforts and turn things around quickly, which is reflected in our graduation rate," Fougere said.