University of Memphis
46%
The UofM has increased African American male six-year graduation rates over the past five years, ranging from 36% to 46%, in contrast to previous trends in the high teens to mid-twenties.
Elevating a University to the National Stage
The University of Memphis (UofM) launched several innovative programs that successfully improved retention and completion rates among vulnerable students.
SRG worked to elevate the UofM’s work before targeted influencers and policymakers in Washington, D.C., by facilitating introductions and educational meetings with congressional staff and national higher education reporters from media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, US News and World Report, and POLITICO.
“The challenges facing today’s college students are well known, with concerns about college costs, student loan debt, and return on investment representing a recurring theme nationally. The University of Memphis has an important role to play in addressing these issues.”
– Dr. M. David Rudd, former university of memphis president and current distinguished professor
Additionally, SRG successfully secured an opportunity for Dr. Rudd to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment during a hearing entitled, “The Cost of Non-Completion: Improving Student Outcomes in Higher Education.” Together, these efforts to elevate the University of Memphis before national leaders and press helped raise awareness of the university’s positive work to improve outcomes.
