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In a two-part best practice session at the ̽��¥ SEM Conference last week, David Kalsbeek of DePaul University and Jay Goff of Saint Louis University, shared research-based strategies for improving student persistence and completion rates.  

In part one, Kalsbeek shared the “4 Ps” for framing a retention strategy: Profile; Progress; Process; and Promise.   

“Organizations are what they are because of how we think of them,” Kalsbeek said, emphasizing that there is a need to shift how institutions frame the challenge of student retention. “Institutions struggle with mobilizing strategies because of prevailing assumptions,” he said.

That’s where “profile” is important.

“Institutions should not assume attributes are achievements,” Kalsbeek said. “Outcomes are as much a reflection of our market position as they are of the achievements of our efforts,” he said.

For example, looking at graduation rates based upon SAT scores or residential capacity is not enough. Financial wherewithal, marketplace and geographic location are also key factors, he said.  Enrollment managers, he added, need to help faculty and other leaders understand that “metrics don’t sit in isolation of the work of a retention committee …these are measures of the kind of institution we are.”

Keys to the 4Ps retention strategy

Kalsbeek shared some of his institution’s initiatives relating to the 4Ps.

PROFILE: noncognitive variables, IB programs, test-optional policies, and transfer strategies (dual admission and enrollment and reverse transfer).  

PROGRESS: Institutions should be asking not just about their freshmen-to-sophomore retention rate, but what percentage of freshmen complete their first year having made one full year of satisfactory academic progress. In other words, the number of credit hours toward a degree is what institutions should be focusing on (not just GPA). PROGRESS initiatives at DePaul include: remediation programs, advising support, gateway courses, academic progress reports, and academic probation programs.

PROCESS: “Improving retention requires a systemic perspective that focuses attention more on high risk processes rather than at-risk students,” Kalsbeek said. PROCESS initiatives include: DePaul Central (one stop center), online process improvements, and course schedule optimization.  

PROMISE: It is not enough to have students satisfied and engaged. Students should have an experience that is consistent with the overall brand promise (and then communicate that experience to others). PROMISE initiatives include: brand affinity project, experiential learning (university internships, service learning), Chicago Immersion, and transferable skills initiatives.

Roadmap to retention work

In part 2 of the session, Goff provided practical implications for such retention work based on case studies and provided a “roadmap.”  This approach, he said, is “service-driven not structure-driven.”  

Key ideas shared included: student friendly policies; systems and practices that improve general student persistence inside and outside the classroom; and involvement of all campus units that interact with students.

Examples of effective assessment enhancements, programming, and policy changes were discussed.