Student retention is one of the cornerstones of higher education. Engaging and keeping students captivated from start to finish can be difficult enough; maintaining their focus throughout classes poses even greater difficulties.
Data-driven admin decision making can help schools avoid taking blind shots when it comes to student engagement strategies.
1. Create a Learning Environment That Encourages Self-Discipline
Student retention relies heavily on creating an environment in which students take responsibility for their own success, encouraging self-discipline through various means – for instance providing them with a platform that tracks progress and sets goals, so as to increase engagement in education and ensure they achieve more.
Administrators should utilize communication tools to engage students. They could do this by offering a community feed where students can share resources or use email marketing software to send updates and reminders. Furthermore, administrators should find ways to connect students with jobs or internships both on campus and in their community.
Retaining students is of primary concern to universities and their students alike. Students benefit from remaining enrolled to earn more money and complete their degrees, while schools gain from continuing to collect tuition money. That is why investing in research and creating a comprehensive plan to improve retention is so crucial.
2. Encourage Students to Ask Questions
Students are more likely to stay engaged in their learning if they feel safe asking questions, according to journalist Warren Berger (author of A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas). He recommends teachers create an environment in which it’s safe for their pupils to pose inquiries.
Encourage students to ask questions by rewarding good question-asking behavior and rewarding class participation. You could also utilize a class question box that gives them an opportunity to write down and submit their inquiries before discussing them in class.
At-risk students can receive additional academic support by offering regular advising or setting milestones that can be monitored to track student progress and motivate them to continue pursuing their degree. By using visualization tools to make graduation seem less daunting and more attainable for these students, you may reduce attrition rates and help ensure success on this path.
3. Create a Community of Learners
Schools can make many efforts to enhance student retention by offering support services, creating a community of learners, improving education quality and communicating with their pupils. Through implementing such strategies, schools can ensure their learners remain engaged with and satisfied by their educational experience.
Identification of at-risk students can help increase retention rates. This is accomplished by assessing students’ progress and performance, identifying barriers to student success and creating an intervention plan to address those concerns. Some effective interventions include reviewing academic programs, altering payment plans or offering more flexible courses tailored specifically for these individuals.
Retention requires an effective plan that encompasses “lots of data, research and campus-wide commitment” according to Jerome Lucido of USC Rossier’s Master of Education in Enrollment Management and Policy program. Institutions should develop admission policies that take retention into consideration by selecting students who possess both academic promise and the commitment necessary for success as applicants for admission; providing financial aid or conducting an orientation/advising process designed to make students feel valued and understood – all strategies which Lucido suggests institutions use to increase retention.
4. Encourage Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities
Retention rates can often be used as an objective measure or key performance indicator, but it’s essential not to lose sight of the fact that students are real individuals behind these numbers. Engaging and satisfying their experiences helps keep retention rates at optimal levels and promote persistence toward degree completion.
Students often feel connected to their school through extracurricular activities. Extracurriculars provide them with something they enjoy doing with full concentration and focus that carries over into their academic life, improving performance. Furthermore, extracurriculars help develop endurance and stamina in students.
Leading schools use student satisfaction surveys combined with regular pulses of engagement to gain a deeper insight into their students’ experiences at school. This approach can inform the creation of personalized roadmaps for advisors that allow them to monitor progress toward stated goals, step in when needed and provide resources when needed, all while keeping students on the path toward graduation – one of the most effective strategies for increasing retention rates. Likewise, data-informed decision making allows administrators to recognize trends that could compromise retention levels early enough that administrators can address them before becoming issues.
5. Encourage Students to Volunteer
Students who volunteer have the chance to put classroom knowledge into action. This can give them a leg up when beginning their careers as they will already possess essential skills that will make a positive contribution in their new roles. Furthermore, volunteering helps university students establish connections within their community while building an invaluable sense of belonging that may otherwise be hard to come by.
Though higher education institutions play an essential role in student retention, students themselves can do much to keep themselves engaged and satisfied in their studies. By encouraging students to ask questions, take part in extracurricular activities and volunteer, schools can ensure their students get the most from their college experience. Universities can further provide their students with support by collecting feedback regularly and using data to deliver timely outreach initiatives, from payment reminders to registration outreach, providing them with connections they need to remain on track with their education and graduate on time. By emphasizing these areas of focus, they will feel more engaged with their education and likely stay until graduation day arrives.