UWF earns top spot in Board of Governors’ Metric 1 that measures success of graduates one year after graduation

The University of West Florida is No. 1 in the Florida State University System for Metric 1 of the Florida Board of Governors’ 2021-22 performance-based funding model. More than 72% of UWF bachelor’s graduates are employed or furthering their education one year after graduation. This is the second consecutive year UWF leads the Florida State University System in this metric.

“UWF’s performance reflects our steadfast commitment to prepare our students for high-wage jobs in our state and position them for lifelong success,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “Our high marks in many key metrics are a testament to the dedicated work of our students, faculty and staff.”

Metric 1 is based on the percentage of a graduating class of bachelor’s degree recipients who are enrolled or employed in the U.S, earning at least $30,000. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cohort of students used in the data for the 2021-22 metrics faced an uncertain job market upon graduation. An important component of this success is that UWF continues to produce bachelor’s degree graduates in Board of Governors designated programs of strategic emphasis which include STEM, health, education, global and workforce gaps. 

“We have put a very intentional focus on these metrics by developing long-term strategies and our efforts are paying off,” said UWF Provost and Senior Vice President George Ellenberg. “These highlights show our commitment to providing our students with a quality education and ensuring their success at every step of their academic journey and entry into the dynamic work environment they encounter.” 

Another key to success on Metric 1 is UWF’s Office of Career Development and Community Engagement which  shifted events and services to virtual platforms to ensure students and alumni had access to quality career opportunities, services and preparation resources. During 2020-21, CDCE hosted seven career fairs and Argos Suit Up! virtually which connected students to greater employment opportunities and provided companies the benefit of recruiting without restraining travel budgets, staffing resources or other fiscal limitations. UWF’s CDCE has kept a hybrid model for services and career fairs.

UWF also excelled in Metric 4, which measures the graduation rates of first-time-in-college, four-year students. This metric calculates the percentage of FTIC students who started in the Summer and continued to the Fall or started in the Fall, were enrolled full-time in their first Fall semester and graduated from the same institution by the summer term of their fourth year. UWF improved by 11 percentage points from last year. This is the largest increase in percentage points from the previous year in the Florida State University System.

Under the performance funding model, the Board of Governors scores each of Florida’s 12 public universities based on 11 metrics designed to incentivize university excellence and improvement. These metrics establish a minimum acceptable level of performance on issues such as graduation and retention rates.

For more information about UWF’s ranking in the Board of Governors performance-based funding model, visit uwf.edu/bogmetrics.