Op-Ed: Goodbye Rindge, Hello Civilization.

photo by http://www.dvc.edu/commoncontent/images/transfer-center.jpg

by Morgan Miller
Edited by Ashlee Medeiros

Franklin Pierce University could possibly be one of the most gorgeous college campuses in the New England area, but with such a beautiful campus and so many opportunities to embark on why is the Freshman transfer rate so high?

According to collegeboard.com only 62% of Freshman at Franklin Pierce return for sophomore year. Looking at this issue on a more national level, in 2005 the U.S Department of Education found that 31% of college students did not return for their sophomore year at the original college that they started at. It was also found that 60% of  college graduates attended two or more institutions. These high numbers makes one question what some reasons for students transfer are.

With Rindge being in such a rural area and the closest thing to a suburban area being Keene which is about a half hour away. It is possible that the reason for so many people transferring is that they are not used to a very unpopulated area.

The student to faculty ratio at Pierce is 16:1 and the average class size is 16. As opposed to a school such as Syracuse University where the ratio is 15:1 and the average class size is a significant amount higher. With all of the academic attention that students receive why would the transfer rate be so high?

Franklin Pierce is a great college to attend with all the support from faculty and staff for students to succeed there should be no reason for students to transfer. In order to keep students from transferring advisors should encourage students to look past the rural setting and look at the kind of education that they are receiving at this school.