Although Loyola recently welcomed its largest freshman class since Hurricane Katrina, the incoming students may not all be here to stay. While the university is successfully recruiting large numbers of students to enter each fall, the number returning for their sophomore year is actually falling. The retention rate for the 2010 to 2011 academic year is 77 percent, a number that flounders in comparison to the 82 percent of students who returned the previous year.

While this recently released figure suggests the need for a reevaluation of university policies, it cannot be said that the university is not earnestly trying to boost retention. Loyola is employing a number of measures and programs, such as the SophoMORE Initiative, to combat low retention, and every year improvements to the policies are made. Perhaps these initiatives should be refocused or expanded, but ultimately there is only so much the university can do to ensure that students are returning.

At the end of the day, the responsibility for coming back sophomore year rests upon the individual students. Although many students end up leaving Loyola due to reasons the administration could tackle, it’s essential to realize that many students have left due to poor personal decision-making.

With its exciting range of opportunities, New Orleans can prove to be a difficult city in which to manage. When schoolwork and newfound freedom compete for a student’s time, all too often fun wins. This year’s freshman class has demonstrated this rule, garnering an unusually high number of alcohol violations and Tulane Emergency Medical Service requests. If Loyola’s retention rate is to improve next year, students must take a hard look at what they are doing to keep themselves here.

No matter how many programs the administration runs to keep us in school, it cannot reprioritize our lives. Many students who end up leaving Loyola do so because of an unstable balance between studying and partying. If we, as a community, wish to improve the percentage of freshmen returning as sophomores, and then as juniors and seniors, official policies must be coupled with individual efforts. Among these efforts must be the goal of appreciating your education and valuing schoolwork above hedonism.

Evidently, the falling retention rate commands the administration to take a second look at its policies regarding retention. The university depends on students who wish to return year after year and, ultimately, graduate, and it must ensure it is doing everything in its power to keep students returning. Placing too much focus on the university, however, ignores the definitive role individuals play in dictating their own educational fate. Students, too, must take some responsibility and ensure they are doing all they can to keep themselves at Loyola.