The number of undergraduates separated from the University due to "University action" - a non-disciplinary response to students who fail to register for classes, who have a large outstanding balance of payment or who fail to complete degree requirements - reached a 10-year high of 74 in the 2006-2007 academic year, marking a 50 percent increase from the previous year, according to data from the Office of Institutional Research.
In an e-mail to The Herald, University Registrar Michael Pesta wrote that the rise in last year's figure was due primarily to an increase in students who failed to complete the requirements for their degrees.
The figure includes a number of students who, according to Pesta, "complete their studies in December and still have work to do to finish their courses, usually a thesis. Although no longer actively enrolled, they will often stay in Providence, use the library, etc. and hand in their final paper in the spring, thereby completing the degree and graduating in May."
Pesta called the separation "mostly procedural and not disciplinary" and noted that 39 of the 74 students separated by University action last year actually graduated in the spring.
Pesta wrote that University action separations are "a function of student decisions" as opposed to University initiatives. Deputy Dean of the College Stephen Lassonde described the separations as "a conjunction of a series of individual decisions by students."
"There hasn't been any change in policy by the University or in the implementation or enforcement of any policy," Lassonde said, adding that Brown's graduation rate within six years is among the best in the country.
Lassonde said the University's "fairly lenient policy ... about taking time off" might be a factor in the number of students who do not graduate in eight semesters. Nevertheless, he described leaves of absence as "really good" in the right circumstances.
"If students feel like they need a break ... I think it's a healthy thing," Lassonde said. "Of course it's always something you want to monitor and make sure this is a privilege that's available to all our students" regardless of their economic backgrounds, he added.
Lassonde said he sees a trend in students taking longer to complete their degrees in American universities, and though he expressed no immediate concern, he said universities should keep a close eye on the trend.
According to a 2004 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, "Trends in Undergraduate Persistence and Completion," the number of undergraduate students enrolled in college after five years without completing a degree has increased nationally, though overall bachelor's degree completion rates have remained largely static.
The report's conclusion, based on studies conducted over a 30-year span, says the likelihood of being enrolled after five years "increased for students at all income levels, for both men and women, and for White students" although a "similar apparent increase for other racial/ethnic groups could not be confirmed statistically."
Though the University action category also includes students who are separated for failing to meet financial obligations, "very, very few actually get to that point," Director of Business and Financial Services Elizabeth Gentry told The Herald.
The office works with parents, the Office of Financial Aid, academic deans and students themselves to collect money throughout the semester, Gentry said, adding that separations only occur if there is still an outstanding balance of $5,000 or more that cannot be met by the end of the semester.
On average, "maybe one to two (students) a semester" will be separated from the University for financial reasons, Gentry said. No significant change in the numbers occurred last year, she added, noting that some separated students do return to the University following a readmission process.
Though all separated students wishing to return must be formally readmitted to the University, Senior Associate Registrar Robert Fitzgerald told The Herald that the process varies according to the type of leave a student has taken.
The process to readmit students who have already completed eight semesters is more complicated than for those who return to the University in fewer, Fitzgerald said. Students must obtain special permission from a dean for the ninth semester and from the Committee on Academic Standing for a 10th semester or more.
"Typically ... you're expected to complete all of your degree requirements in eight semesters, and if you need to go beyond that, you need explicit permission from either the dean of the College or the Committee on Academic Standing," Fitzgerald said.
When a student is separated with incomplete coursework, Fitzgerald said, the notation "Enrollment Terminated, Degree Requirements Pending" is placed on his or her academic record. This status would be changed if the student completes coursework independently, re-enrolls at the University or is permitted to transfers credit toward his or her Brown degree from another institution.
Numbers of undergraduate separations for reasons other than University action - including leaves of absence, study abroad, early completion and academic dismissal - remained largely stagnant in the OIR data, which begins with the 1997-1998 academic year.
