FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas has significantly improved its overall six-year graduation rate over the past decade, and according to a recent report by The Education Trust, the university is one of only 52 schools nationwide that has closed the achievement gap by improving graduation rates for African American students at a rate comparable to that of white students.

“We appreciate the recognition by The Education Trust, but we believe there is much more work to be done to reach our graduation goals,” said Ashok Saxena, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “The U of A has worked very hard to increase the percentage of our students who graduate. In recent years we have put extra resources into preparing students for college and into making sure they have the academic support they need to succeed once they get here. These efforts are clearly helping our students, but they are really only a good start.”

Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for diversity and community and interim vice provost for student affairs, said, “The University of Arkansas is making progress but I don’t think we are ready to celebrate yet. Our goal is to eliminate achievement gaps between any groups of students on our campus, but this requires a constant effort by everyone involved. Graduating from college takes hard work by our students, but it also takes a great deal of support – social, academic and financial. Our ongoing goal is to provide every student with the opportunity to succeed, and that’s a goal we believe we can achieve.”

The Education Trust is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes high academic achievement for all students, with the goal of closing gaps in opportunity and achievement.