Dive Brief:
- Ed Tech Magazine reports the six-year cohort entering college in 2009 graduated just 53% of its students, a number which demonstrates the need for effective retention strategies, perhaps centered around tech solutions.
- According to a recent Eduventures survey, 60% of responding institutions said technology was a part of their retention strategy, with more than 80% using an external resource. But only 38% of respondents indicated satisfaction with the technology's help in improving completion rates.
- Institutions have a responsibility to work more closely with IT in retention tech implementation, but vendors should look to partner more effectively with institutions in developing retention solutions.
Dive Insight:
Developing a retention tech strategy does rest, in part, with the ability of enrollment management to work effectively with IT in delivery. But a variety of other divisions can offer support in making students more interested in, and invested, in degree completion.
Student affairs modules can help to pinpoint activities and mentoring for students in their first-year to build an early culture of student and faculty support. Academic affairs professionals can use modules like the privately-funded Starfish program at Morgan State University, which helps faculty and staff to receive early indicators for academic struggles.
Public safety can integrate anonymous reporting technology, access to statistics and data about campus crime, and prevention strategies to make students feel safer and more responsible for the welfare of other students and the campus community at large. All of these factors play a major role in students wanting, and being able to complete a degree in four to six years.