Student Achievement

Hardin-Simmons University sets goals for student achievement consistent with the mission of the university: “The mission of Hardin-Simmons University is to be a community dedicated to providing excellence in education enlightened by Christian faith and values.” The university’s statement of purpose includes a commitment to academic excellence while affirming the relevance and importance of the Christian faith.

Hardin-Simmons University evaluates success with respect to student achievement using a variety of metrics that include (1) retention of first-time freshman, (2) graduation rates, (3) state licensure pass-rates, (4) certifications in selected programs, (5) satisfactory academic progress of financial aid recipients, and (6) course completion rates.

1. Retention of First-Time Freshman

Essential to improving graduation rates, an important measure of student achievement is retention. The university cannot graduate students it does not retain. The threshold of acceptability for fall-to-fall retention, chosen because the university wants to be improving over time, is Hardin-Simmons University’s own ten-year average, which is 66.8%. Its goal is 70%, the average retention reported by the eight peer institutions the university is using as its benchmark: Dallas Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University, Houston Christian University, LeTourneau University, Lubbock Christian University, Oklahoma Baptist University, Texas Lutheran University, and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

HSU’s Peer Institutions are eight private, not-for-profit institutions in Texas and Oklahoma (the two states from which HSU draws most of its students) with a Christian mission and an enrollment between 1,000 and 4,999 (an IPEDS enrollment category).

2. Graduation Rates

The 6-year graduation rate is Hardin-Simmons University’s key student completion indicator. The university’s 10-year average of 52% is higher than the ten-year average of its peers, which is 49%. It is the ten-year average of its peers that the university considers to be its minimum threshold of acceptability. (The 10-year average of 6-year graduation rates among its peer institutions range from a low of 38% to a high of 58%.) The university has been above the 49% threshold since the 2012 cohort and is trending higher. The university’s recently revised goal of 58% is 0.1% above the 6-year graduation rate of the 2016 cohort, the last cohort for which a 6-year graduation rate is available.

3. State Licensure Pass Rates

State licensure examination pass rates and certifications are another means of evaluating student achievement. The University collects data on several programs that require licensure, including (a) the Doctor of Physical Therapy, (b) Master of Physician Assistant Studies, (c) the B.S.N. Degree in Nursing, and (d) the B.B.A. in Accounting.

a. Doctor of Physical Therapy

Threshold of acceptability: A passage rate at or above the national average. The university mission of providing excellence in education requires above-average passage rates.

Goal: A passage rate for each cohort at or above the average passage rate over the previous 5-years, to demonstrate consistent improvement.

b. Master of Physician Assistant Studies

Threshold of acceptability: A passage rate at or above the national average. The university mission of providing excellence in education requires above-average passage rates.

Goal: A passage rate for each cohort at or above the average passage rate over the previous 5-years, to demonstrate consistent improvement.

c. B.S.N. in Nursing 

Threshold of acceptability: A passage rate at or above the national average. The university mission of providing excellence in education requires above-average passage rates.

Goal: A passage rate for each cohort at or above the average passage rate over the previous 5-years, to demonstrate consistent improvement.

d. B.B.A. in Accounting

Threshold of acceptability: A passage rate at or above the average of its peer institutions in Texas. The university mission of providing excellence in education requires above-average passage rates.

Goal: A passage rate for each cohort at or above the average passage rate over the previous 5-years, to demonstrate consistent improvement.

Texas CPA Exam: Percentage of Sections Passed 

†Graduates of HSU took only 7 sections of the exam in 2022, and chance may have skewed results.

4. Certifications in Selected Programs

State certifications are another means of evaluating student achievement. Teacher certifications are especially helpful, since they cover not just the field of Education, but a number of other disciplines in which teacher certifications are sought.

Threshold of acceptability: A passage rate at or above the “Accreditation Status” requirements set by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Currently, those are 85% for the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility exam (the last item in each of the tables below) and 75% for the content exams.

Goal: 100%, a goal often achieved. With 2 exceptions, pass rates have varied from 100% by no more than a single student in any of the tests over the last 5 years.

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

5. Satisfactory Academic Progress of Financial Aid Recipients

Hardin-Simmons University participates in the Title IV federal student aid programs and was approved for Recertification for Eligibility to participate in the Title IV programs on July 10, 2019. Approval was based on confirmation of Hardin-Simmons University’s academic and administrative capability, as required by 34 CFR 600 Subpart A and 34 CFR 668.16 of the Title IV regulations. As a Title IV participant, Hardin-Simmons University considers a student’s quantitative and qualitative progress when evaluating student success.

In compliance with the Title IV federal programs, the Hardin-Simmons University Office of Financial Aid monitors the academic progress of student financial aid recipients (Satisfactory Academic Progress; see table below). The 2019 Recertification of Eligibility and recent audits confirm that we are administering this Title IV requirement correctly.

Hardin-Simmons University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy for Title IV aid, described in the university catalogs, includes quantitative (course completion) and qualitative (cumulative grade point average) requirements as noted in the table below:

*Explanation: An undergraduate (UG) student with 6-32 attempted credits will need at least a 1.6 GPA and 75% completion rate to be eligible.  UG with 33-48 hours, 1.8 GPA and 75% completion.  UG with 49 and more will need a 2.0 GPA and 75% completion.  Graduate and Doctoral students need a minimum 2.0 GPA and 67% completion to remain eligible.

Each institution establishes their own SAP policy within the guidelines outlined in 34 CFR 668.34.  Institutions may have a graduated standard or fixed standard for evaluating grade point average or pace, or both.

Students are expected to complete their degree pursuits within a maximum timeframe, including transfer hours earned as well as institutional attempted hours. Students may not receive financial assistance beyond 150% of degree program requirements.

The Hardin-Simmons University Office of Financial Aid checks SAP immediately after grades are posted for each payment period (Summer, Fall, and Spring). Students in violation of the above referenced standards are notified by email of the deficiency and the student’s SAP status is coded into the student information system to prevent awarding and disbursement of Title IV funds.  Students can appeal the violation if they have mitigating circumstances as described in 34 CFR 668.34 that contributed to their academic performance.

It is important also to note that financial aid funds are not disbursed until a student’s actual enrollment status in Title IV eligible courses (full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, less-than-half-time) is confirmed at the end of the add/drop period.  Financial aid funds are also returned as described in 34 CFR 668.22 if a student withdraws from all classes prior to completing 60% of the payment period (semester).

6. Course Completion Rates

The university uses our internal data to monitor course completion rates, DFW rates, and other metrics for every course delivered in every term. The dashboards are available to academic deans, program directors, and any interested faculty.

Threshold of acceptability: A completion rate of 75% or higher as required by financial aid for satisfactory academic progress.

Goal: A completion rate of 85% or higher to minimize retention and time-to-degree issues without creating any incentives to sacrifice rigor.

Courses often taken to meet general education requirements have had the following completion rates over the last five years.