Sacramento State?s record-high enrollment for the fall semester may be a hot topic on campus right now, but university administrators are focusing on an entirely different issue ? how to hold on to all those students.

Retention is a high priority for many Sac State officials this semester, with everyone from President Donald Gerth to Associated Students, Inc. President Artemio Pimentel stressing its importance. Currently, less than 50 percent of students who enroll at the university graduate within six years, according to recent university statistics.

At his annual fall address, Gerth said broadening student access at Sac State through measures such as year-round operations and distance education would make it easier for students to work around their busy schedules and complete classes.

“Retention is intimately related to access,” Gerth said. “Are we keeping the students to whom we have given access?”

Pimentel attended a national retention conference over the summer, where he was able to look at some of the programs being used at other universities to resolve similar issues and bring some ideas home.

One of Pimentel?s ideas is a Retention Center that would bring together all the services that the campus has to offer.

Pimentel?s other ideas, which he has already presented to Gerth, include making freshman orientation mandatory, even subsidizing it if necessary. Faculty orientation, so they can understand the effects of retention and how to handle it, could also help, he said.

” If you get students here to recognize the buildings, services on campus; they won’t be afraid and they won’t feel disenfranchised from their own university,” said Pimentel.

Pimentel also suggested offering an intensive program for at-risk students, by making use of an early warning system available that faculty and staff can provide to Student Affairs.

One of the main reasons that students stop attending classes is due to conflict with their work schedules, said Equilla Luke, director of psychologist services at Sac State. The Counseling Center on campus deals with such cases and provides assistance in resolving student difficulties.

“The center helps them look at their life style and situations,” Luke said.

The center has the heaviest caseload of students dealing with schedule conflicts from mid semester to up until finals week, Luke said.

There are currently over 25 programs available on campus that students can utilize in making their stay at Sac State successful.

These programs vary from Educational Opportunity Program, which is designed to improve access and retention of low income and educationally disadvantaged students, to Cooper-Woodson College, which offers scholarships for students as well as opportunities to earn a living without allowing their education to suffer.

Gerth said everybody on campus needs to be involved to ensure more students make it to graduation.

“Successful retention efforts require campus-wide support, because all faculty and staff are equal partners in this effort,” Gerth said.