Graduation-Rates Campaign Heads to Dallas - Reeve Hamilton, Texas Tribune

The Texas Association of Business erected a billboard for the day in Austin highlighting the failure of colleges and universities to graduate students with degrees or certifications. A new billboard that will tower over Dallas' North Central Expressway on Monday offers a startling message: "8% OF DCCCD STUDENTS GRADUATE IN 3 YRS. IS THAT FAIR TO THE STUDENTS? TX ASSN OF BUSINESS." "The general reaction was people were appalled," said Bill Hammond, the president of the association. However, several said framing the question in terms of tax dollars left them unmoved — thus the more student-centered approach in this latest effort. "It's more altruistic," Hammond said. But his message has received some pushback. In his "President's Podcast" this week, ACC President Richard Rhodes addressed the issue of graduation rates, noting that the figures don't provide a comprehensive picture because they only count first-time, full-time students. At ACC, only about 5.5 percent of the student body matched that description and were measured in the graduation rate.