Among the areas in which Appalachian State University has signed an agreement with the UNC System to prioritize in support of the UNC System strategic plan is reducing low-income achievement gaps in undergraduate degree efficiency.

This item addresses the UNC System’s goal of student success — increasing degree attainment and ensuring value and relevance for students.

Appalachian’s agreement:

By 2021–22, reduce by 50% the achievement gap in undergraduate degree efficiency among low-income students.

What constitutes “undergraduate degree efficiency”?

The UNC System strategic plan measures undergraduate degree efficiency as an institution’s number of undergraduate credentials awarded per 100 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) undergraduates.

As Appalachian’s Executive Director of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning Heather Langdon explained, this is a measure of the proportion of students who graduate from the institution as compared to the total number of students enrolled.