The first query that comes to mind of any aspiring freshman is the graduation rate of the college. It has been presumed that the reason for the low graduation rate has been due to poor service experience and treatment that has been meted out by the college onto the students. The low graduation rate has also been linked to the non-delivery of good quality education and scheduling conflicts due to which students are not able to find the right course.Today, maintaining a proper retention rate has become a prime concern for most major schools with students having many choices to opt for graduation in the country.

As per the National Center for Education Statistics, 60% of first-time, full-time students have completed their graduation in the allotted 6 years. To be more specific, it was 58% at public institutions, 65% at private non-profit institutions, and 27% at private for-profit institutions. The variations in the graduation rates were also observed according to the institutions’ selectivity level. It was observed that the institutes that had the lowest admission acceptance rate had the highest graduation rate. Those with an open admission policy had the lowest graduation rate.

The Role of the Campus

As per a recent study, certain non-academic aspects of campus can play a very influential role in a student’s life. Through participation in campus recreation programs, students have received health and social benefits. As per Astin’s (1984) theory, participation in extracurricular activities contributes to the success of students. The student learning process has been observed to have increased considerably with increased involvement of students in the extracurricular activities, and both campus recreation activities and intramural sports have played an equal role in providing students withequal opportunities for getting involved in the university. In a separate study from Astin (1993), it has also been observed that student’s overall satisfaction with the college has been related to their participation in intramural sports.

It has been observed that being an active member of the college community is directly linked to the student’s retention rate. The interactions that take place outside the formal academic areas of the college have a far better influential effect on the students to make them devote additional effortsto theirlearning activities. With high levels of integration in the social system of the college, the students would refrain from any doubts in their minds regarding pursuing their education.

Due to such campus recreation activities, students have reported to have gained various benefits such as, feelings of well-being, stress reduction, respect for others, friendships and self-confidence.

Sense of Belonging from the Faculty

A grim state of event is that, on an average, a college loses around $9 million in revenue due to student attrition. Many of the universities have not been able to graduate more than 50% of incoming freshmen. Many of the colleges have allotted a definite fund for association with external peripheries to monitor student attrition and to increase the graduation rates. These institutes have showcased their successful portfolios in the successive years. So, it is no surprise that many of the Ivy League colleges are investing heavily in the entire academic activity in a way that aids the faculties in the entire teaching process. This has actually provided the staff members with more time to engage with the students in their curriculum. The faculties get all the opportunities to be the quintessential representative of the university and a role model to their students.

With the stress of the academics off their heads, and with students responding positively to the academic curriculum, the staff members are the most eligible ones to create a positive impact on the student’s decision to pursue his/her studies. Colleges are conducting faculty training programs so that the faculty could encourage students and build their self-esteem by helping them in their needs, motivating them for the life after their studies and by actively showing their trust in the students’ performance. In the same context, colleges are also improving the working environment of the faculties, so that they could transcend the same positive vibe to their students.

The Point of Synergy

In contradiction to a popular perception, Campus Recreation Programs actually improve the market value of the College in this competitive education sector. To increase the likelihood of students’ approach towards Campus Recreation Facilities and Programs, the authorities of the college are entrusted with the crucial assignment of providing with all the facilities such as proper scheduling of the academic curriculum, proper infrastructure to conduct such activities and last but not the least, a motivation factor from the faculties.

With more involvement in such activities comes more dedication & devotion of students towards the college and its academics and this in return helps them to allot their additional focus towards studies also. With an interactive and liberal social system, students will have a sense of belonging and eventually it results in an expanded alumni network that contributes back to the university by recommending it to other studen