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Retention Track

Foundations of Excellence: Building Retention Strategies for the First Year Forward

SUNY Cobleskill embarked upon a self-study process through the John Gardner Institute during the summer of 2009. Through this unique process, we were able to take an intentional look at the policies and practices affecting the first- year experiences and develop a comprehensive plan to address the needs which were identified. Learn how the process of the self-study, and the unique strategies that were developed as a result, can lead to higher retention rates for your campus.

Presented by Tara Winter, Director of Academic Planning at SUNY Cobleskill in Cobleskill, NY.

Monday, July 12—2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Student Retention through an Academic Lens

With so many convoluting variables leading to student attrition—many of which reside outside the sphere of institutional control and influence—it is difficult to know where to invest scarce resources. To yield significant retention outcomes, any institution must strike at the heart of the educational experience—the academic enterprise. How students learn, the services that support their learning, the availability of learning opportunities, and the relevance of learning experiences are all central to academic integration and ultimately, student success. In this webinar, proven models for each will be shared. Furthermore, strategies for engaging the academic community with these models will be discussed.

Presented by Dr. Jim Black, President and CEO of SEM Works in Greensboro, NC.

Tuesday, July 13—9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Leveraging Technology to Support Student Success

Tusculum College is implementing a new CRM system designed specifically for student success and retention. Leveraging this and other technology resources (including social networking sites), Tusculum College is able to implement data-driven strategy and streamline processes. Brandon Conner will share how his "department of one" is able to prioritize his schedule using EMAS Retention Pro to automate communication flow and student "risk scores", allowing him to strategically identify where to invest effort for the highest benefit to student success.

Presented by Mr. Brandon Connor, Director of Freshmen Services and Student Success at Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN, and Tej Ravindra, Senior Director, Strategy & Business Development at Education Systems, Inc. in La Jolla CA

Tuesday, July 13—10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The Critical First Semester: Retaining the New Student

Research shows that the first semester is the most critical semester for new students—particularly for under-prepared new students—if they are to persist. It is often quite difficult, however, to practice what the literature preaches. At MCC, students typically didn’t meet their advisor—their “go to” person—until one month or more into their first semester, when it was often too late for the advisor to intervene if the student was struggling. At MCC, traditional attitudes, policies, and procedures got in the way of effective advising. Transitioning a new student into a new and challenging educational environment must be a shared academic affairs/student affairs enterprise if it is to be successful. The presenters will describe how they implemented a successful first semester experience program and share their assessment plan and outcomes.

Presented by Cathy Vaughan Academic Advisor/First Semester Experience Program Coordinator at Madisonville Community College in Madisonville, KY.

Tuesday, July 13—1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Solving Your Student Retention Challenges

This session will provide traditional and creative strategies to help colleges and universities solve retention challenges. Sharing of strategies and concerns through group discussion will be an important part of the presentation.

Presented by Brad Parrish, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL.

Tuesday, July 13—2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Early Intervention for At-Risk Students

Any given number of students enter your college each semester already at-risk for attrition. They come academically, socially, or financially disadvantaged. Who are they? How can they be identified? What can we do to provide meaningful and early intervention to help them succeed? Find out in this session!

Presented by Dr. Stuart D. Jones, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Averett University in Danville, VA.

Wednesday, July 14—9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Strengths-Based Academic Advising and College Student Retention

Academic advising is an integral component of campus-wide retention efforts. In order to provide better services to support and retain students, advising needs to go beyond course registration to truly empower students to discover their strengths, envision their future, design academic and career plans, and sustain the motivation to realize their goals. In this session, we will introduce a strengths-based advising model and discuss its application in a range of advising programs. In addition, we explore the evaluation methods used to measure the impact and effectiveness of this approach on college student retention.

Presented by Bryant Hutson, Director of Educational Research at SEM Works in Greensboro, NC.

Wednesday, July 14—10:15 to 11:15 a.m.