Ask the Expert: Building a Retention Program

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Ask the Expert Building a Retention Program
Mr. Adrian A. Schiess Director of Student Success
and Retention Xavier University
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Who is Hobsons?

• Global provider of higher education marketing and
  technology services
• More than 1500 higher education clients in the
  United States
• Provider of EMT Retain technology solution
  for retention communication and collaboration

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Todays Presenter

• Mr. Adrian A. Schiess
• Director for Student Success and Retention
• Xavier University

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About Xavier University

• Private, Catholic, Jesuit University
• 4-year private, Masters/selective
• Located in Cincinnati, OH
• Undergraduate population of 3,800
• 850 Freshmen (representing 40 states/12
  countries)
• Academically selective
• Average ACT score of 26
• Average SAT score of 1186
• Tuition 23,500 per year

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The Office of Student Success and Retention

• Where we started
• One person office
• 19 years in the making
• Employ both full-time staff and graduate students

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Strategies for Success

• Evaluate academic and social success
• Identify social, financial, and academic issues
• Enlist efforts from a campus support network
• Provide timely interventions

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Xaviers Initial Retention Goals and Objectives

• Retain 90 of full-time freshman cohort
• Increase student satisfaction
• Provide an intervention that enlists retention
  efforts from faculty, other university personnel,
  and families
• Address social, financial, and academic issues
• Evaluate academic and social success
• Improve grades
• Improve persistence
• Improve graduation rates

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The Partnership


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The Make-up of the Retention Effort

• Freshman Success Program (Week 1-2)
• High Risk at Admittance
• Faculty Feedback Program (Week 5)
• Midterm Grades (Week 8)
• Bursar Hold Initiative (Week 12)
• Sophomore Survey (Summer)
• Evaluation process (Continuous)

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The Freshman Success Program

• Identified in admissions process as high risk
• Required to take study skills course
• Mentored/monitored by graduate assistant
• No more than 13 credit hours per semester
• No major declaration
• Cannot take both math and foreign language in the
  same semester

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Faculty Feedback Program Background

• Faculty identify attendance problems in fifth
  week of semester
• Academic feedback early in semester
• Early warning for adjustment problems
• Allows time for appropriate intervention
• Faculty get to know their students early
• Follow up contacts made by the Office for Student
  Success and Retention

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Bursar Hold Initiative

• Bursar identifies students delinquent in paying
  their account and are unable to pre-register for
  upcoming semester

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Sophomore Summer Survey

• Sent to all rising sophomores in the last week of
  May
• Identify student satisfaction
• Identify students at-risk for not returning for
  the Fall semester

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Xavier Retention Program Evaluation

• Number and percentage of students retained by
  cohort (fall to fall)
• Graduation rate
• Number of students in Freshman Success Program
  who return for fall classes
• Number of mid-term grade indicators, (GPA below
  2.0, number of class withdrawals, grades of F),
  compared to final grade indicators
• Number of student visits to the Student Success
  and Retention Office
• Number of parental responses from parent survey
• Number of Faculty Feedback Forms returned
• Dollars committed for Summer Grant Program and
  Enrollment Services Grant Program
• Number of students whose academic scholarship or
  financial aid has been restored

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Results

• Ranked 1 Retention in tier of 78 similar schools
• Ranked 1 Graduation in tier of 78 similar
  schools
• US News and World Report College Bound Guide 2008

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Summary of Success

• Remarkable First Year Results
• Early and quick identification of a larger
  population of at-risk students
• Outstanding Revenue Rewards
• High Tech equals High Touch
• Increase student service and satisfaction
• Forecasted 91 retention rate for Fall 2007 2
  increase from previous year
• Forecasted 72 4-year graduation rate 72 - 2
  increase from previous year
• Increased engagement of faculty in identifying
  and mentoring at-risk students
• FERPA-Approved parental interaction

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• QUESTIONS ANSWERS

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• Stacy Ammon
• sammon_at_hobsons-us.com
• 800.927.8439 ext. 6012