Across higher education, student support systems are often built for institutions, not for students. As a result, many learners encounter a maze of disconnected services that feel reactive, impersonal, or inaccessible. For students already balancing work, caregiving, and financial pressures, this fragmentation can be the difference between staying enrolled and stopping out.
As Chief Academic Officer, I’ve seen how crucial it is to align support structures with academic goals and student realities. Institutions must move beyond piecemeal solutions and instead design holistic ecosystems that prioritize student experience, equity, and completion from the start. That means leveraging data, embracing design thinking, and fostering cross-campus collaboration.
Where fragmentation undermines student outcomes
Many institutions approach support through isolated units: advising, student success, IT, and academic departments each operating in silos. The result is a disjointed experience for students, where important information is delayed or missed altogether. Without a unified view of the student journey, opportunities for early intervention or personalized support fall through the cracks.
This fragmentation disproportionately affects students from historically underserved backgrounds. When support isn’t accessible or timely, those with less institutional knowledge or fewer resources are more likely to disengage.
Disconnected systems can lead to:
Missed early warning signs
Delayed or generic interventions
Frustration from navigating multiple systems
Lower retention and completion rates
It’s not enough to offer services. It’s crucial to ensure those services are connected, visible, and tailored to real student needs.
In my experience, when institutions treat student support as a set of tasks rather than a strategic function, it limits their ability to make meaningful progress on equity and completion. Students shouldn’t have to navigate a patchwork of websites, offices, and policies to get the help they need. They deserve a system that anticipates their challenges and responds in real time.
What a connected, learner-first ecosystem looks like
A modern support ecosystem begins with data. Institutions need to unify data from across the student lifecycle (from admissions to advising to classroom performance) to create a comprehensive view of each learner. With integrated platforms, faculty and staff can access timely insights to guide interventions and support decisions.
At Collegis, we’ve seen how data-powered ecosystems — supported by platforms like Connected Core® — drive measurable improvement in retention and equity. But technology alone isn’t enough. Data needs to be paired with personalization. That means using predictive analytics to identify students at risk and deliver outreach that is relevant, proactive, and human.
It’s not about automation replacing connection. It’s about enabling the right kind of connection at the right time.
I often ask, “Are support systems designed for students or around them?” A learner-first ecosystem doesn’t just meet students where they are academically. It considers their time constraints, personal responsibilities, and evolving goals. It removes barriers rather than creating new ones.
Key elements of a connected ecosystem include:
Unified, actionable student data
Proactive, personalized interventions
Support that reflects real student lives
24/7 digital services and hybrid options
Flexible course scheduling, hybrid advising models, and round-the-clock support aren’t just conveniences. They’re equity tools that recognize the unique needs of today’s student body.
Using design thinking to reimagine support systems
Design thinking offers a powerful framework for this work. It starts with empathy — understanding the lived experience of students and mapping the friction they encounter in navigating institutional systems. From there, you can co-create solutions that reflect students’ realities, prototype interventions, and iterate based on feedback and outcomes.
I’ve found this approach invaluable for aligning innovation with mission. It brings together diverse voices (students, faculty, advisors, technologists) to build support systems that are not just efficient, but equitable.
Design thinking allows us to move beyond assumptions. Instead of designing around legacy processes or internal structures, we start with real student stories. This helps us ask better questions and arrive at more inclusive answers.
It’s not just about solving problems—it’s about solving the right problems.
The role of academic leadership in cross-campus collaboration
No single office can transform student support in isolation. It requires a coalition of academic, technical, and operational leaders working in sync. Academic affairs plays a central role in this work, bridging the gap between pedagogy and operations.
In my experience, success begins with a shared vision and clear metrics:
What are we trying to improve?
How will we measure progress?
From there, we build alignment around roles, resources, and timelines. Regular communication and an openness to iteration keep the momentum going.
One of the most powerful things academic leaders can do is model cross-functional thinking. When we approach student success as a collective responsibility, we shift the culture from reactive to proactive. And when data is shared across departments, everyone can see the part they play in helping students succeed.
Turning strategy into action
At Collegis, we’ve partnered with institutions to bring student-centered strategies to life:
Our Connected Core data platform enables the kind of integration that underpins personalized support.
Our deep higher education experience ensures solutions align with academic priorities.
We believe in the power of aligning strategy with execution. We don’t just talk about transformation. We build the infrastructure, train the teams, and help institutions scale what works. From data strategy to digital learning design, we act as an extension of our partners’ teams.
This work is about more than improving services. It’s about advancing equity, accelerating completion, and fulfilling our mission to support every learner.
Designing for what matters most
If we want better outcomes, we have to start with better design. That means asking not just what services you offer, but how and why you deliver them. It means shifting from reactive support to intentional, data-informed ecosystems that center the student experience.
By embracing design thinking, unifying your systems, and working across traditional boundaries, you can build the kind of support that today’s learners deserve and tomorrow’s institutions require.
Student success shouldn’t depend on luck or persistence alone. The most impactful institutions are those that view support not as a service, but as a strategy — one that helps every student reach their full potential.
Let’s talk about how to design smarter student support together.
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Retention is not what you do. It is the outcome of what you do.
It’s that time of year when retention committees, student success professionals, and leadership teams across the country calculate the retention rate for the fall 2024 cohort and compare it with their previous years’ outcomes. Some campuses have undoubtedly stayed the same, others decreased, and some increased, but the overall conversation is usually about how “it” can be done better for the fall 2025 class.
Let’s talk about “it” for a minute. Many of you have heard the message that two of our founders, Lee Noel and Randi Levitz, and the student success professionals who have followed in their footsteps, have shared for several decades: Retention is not what you do. “It” is the outcome of what you do. “It” is the result of quality faculty, staff, programs and services. As you consider improvements to your efforts which will impact the fall 2025 entering class and beyond, keep in mind the following three student retention strategies and practices.
1. Assess college student retention outcomes completely
The first strategy RNL recommends is a comprehensive outcomes assessment. All colleges and universities compute a retention rate at this time of year because it has to be submitted via the IPEDS system as part of the federal requirements. But many schools go above and beyond what is required and compute other retention rates to inform planning purposes. For example, at what rates did you retain special populations or students enrolled in programs designed to improve student success? In order to best understand what contributed to the overall retention rate, other outcomes have to be assessed as well. For instance, how many students persisted but didn’t progress (successfully completed their courses)? Before you finalize the college student retention strategies for your fall 2025 students, be sure you know how your 2024 students persisted and progressed so that strategies can be developed for the year ahead.
2. Know what worked and what didn’t
The second strategy we recommend is to consider what worked well during the previous year and what didn’t. Many of us have been in situations where we continue to do the same thing and expect different results, which has been called insanity! (Fun fact, this quote is often attributed to Einstein, but according to Google, was not actually said by him!) A common example would be the academic advising model. RNL has many years of data which show that academic advising is one of the most important college student retention strategies. But just doing what you have always done may not still be working with today’s college students. Advising is an area which needs constant attention for appropriate improvements. Here are a few questions for you to consider: Does your academic advising model, its standards of practice, and outcomes assessment reveal that your students are academically progressing by taking the courses needed for completion? Can you identify for each of your advisees an expected graduation date (which is one of the expected outcomes of advising)? Establishing rich relationships between advisors and advisees, providing a quality academic advising experience, can ultimately manage and improve the institution’s graduation rate.
3. Don’t limit your scope of activity
Once you have assessed the 2024 class outcomes and the quality of your programs and services, RNL encourages you to think differently about how you will develop college student retention strategies that will impact the 2025 class. Each college has an attrition curve, or a distribution of students with their likelihood of being retained. The attrition curve, like any normal distribution, will show which students are least and most likely to retain and will reveal the majority of students under the curve. See the example below:
As you consider your current activities, you may find that many of your programs are designed for the students at the tail end of the curve (section A above) or to further support the students who are already likely to persist (section B). Institutions set goals to increase retention rates but then limit the scope of students they are impacting. To have the best return on retention strategies, consider how you can target support to the largest group of students in the middle (section C) who are open to influence on whether they stay or leave, based on what you do or don’t do for them, especially during their first term and their first year at your school.
Onward for the year ahead
RNL congratulates those of you who have achieved your retention goals for the 2024 cohort. You certainly must have done some things right and must have had student retention strategies that were effective. For those of you who are looking for new directions in planning, consider the three practices outlined above.
And if you aren’t currently one of the hundreds of institutions already working with RNL, you may want to implement one or more of the RNL student success tools to support your efforts: the RNL motivational survey instruments to identify those students who are most dropout prone and most receptive to assistance, the RNL student retention data analytics to identify the unique factors that contribute to persistence at your institution, and the RNL satisfaction-priorities surveys that inform decision making and resource allocation across your campus population. RNL can provide support in all of these areas along with on-going consulting services to further direct and guide retention practices that can make a difference in your enrollment numbers and the success of both your students and your institution. Contact me to learn more in any of these areas.
Note: Thanks to my former colleague Tim Culver for the original development of this content.
Ask for a complimentary consultation with our student success experts
What is your best approach to increasing student retention and completion? Our experts can help you identify roadblocks to student persistence and maximize student progression. Reach out to set up a time to talk.
Student retention remains one of the most pressing challenges in higher education. While institutions devote considerable resources to attracting new students, ensuring those students persist through to graduation is just as vital for institutional health and student success.
When students leave before completing their programs, colleges and universities lose tuition revenue and see diminished returns on their investments in recruitment and instruction. For students, the stakes are even higher: they often walk away without the credentials or skills they set out to earn, leaving personal and professional goals unfulfilled.
Retention, typically measured by the percentage of students who return to the same institution each year, is now a key performance indicator in higher education. It reflects how well a school supports and engages its students and can influence institutional rankings, funding, and public perception.
Recent data offers a mixed picture. In the United States, the national first-year retention rate for first-time students reached 69.5% in 2022, the highest level in nearly a decade and a slight increase over previous years. Still, that means nearly one in three students don’t return for a second year. In Canada, the pattern is comparable: 15–20% of university freshmen leave after their first year, with even higher attrition rates in colleges.
There is both urgency and opportunity here. This blog explores eight strategic, research-backed approaches that institutions can take to significantly improve student retention, strengthening institutional outcomes and ensuring more students reach the finish line.
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What Causes Students to Leave?
Why is student retention important in higher education? Student retention reflects institutional effectiveness and student success. High retention means students are achieving their goals and institutions are providing strong support. Low retention signals issues like academic or financial struggle. It’s both an ethical responsibility and a financial imperative, reducing dropout rates and maximizing investment in recruitment and instruction.
Student retention is a complex challenge influenced by a range of academic, social, and personal factors. While no two students leave college for exactly the same reason, research has consistently identified several common barriers to persistence. Understanding these roadblocks is essential for developing interventions that work.
Financial Barriers
For many students, the cost of education is a deciding factor. Difficulty paying tuition, fees, and living expenses remains one of the most significant drivers of attrition—particularly for those from lower-income backgrounds. Even small outstanding balances can prevent students from registering for the next semester, pushing them to stop out or drop out entirely.
Lack of Engagement and Belonging
Students who feel disconnected from campus life are far less likely to persist. A strong sense of community, whether through clubs, student organizations, residence life, or peer support networks, has been shown to significantly improve retention. When students feel isolated or out of place, their motivation to stay enrolled often wanes.
Insufficient Academic Support
Academic struggles can quickly lead to frustration and withdrawal if students don’t receive timely help. Without access to tutoring, mentoring, academic advising, or remedial coursework, those who fall behind may begin to doubt their ability to succeed.
Campus Culture and Climate
The broader institutional culture also plays a pivotal role. A welcoming, inclusive environment supported by compassionate faculty and staff can boost student morale and engagement. In contrast, campuses that feel unwelcoming or where students sense a lack of support often see higher rates of attrition.
Life Outside the Classroom
External pressures, including mental health concerns, family responsibilities, work conflicts, or physical health issues, can interfere with students’ ability to continue their studies. When schools lack the flexibility or resources to help students manage these challenges, even the most motivated learners may be forced to leave.
The First-Year Experience
The transition into higher education is a make-or-break period. Students who struggle during their first year, due to academic shock, poor orientation programs, or difficulty making friends, are at greater risk of not returning for a second year. Supporting students during this critical period can make a long-term difference.
What Is the Difference Between Persistence and Retention?
Retention refers to students returning to the same institution, while persistence tracks students continuing in higher education, even if they transfer. A student may not be retained by one college but still persist by enrolling elsewhere. Persistence offers a broader view of student progress beyond a single campus.
What Are the Factors Affecting Student Retention?
Student retention is influenced by academics, finances, social belonging, mental health, and institutional climate. Academic unpreparedness, isolation, financial strain, and life challenges are leading causes of dropout. The first-year experience is especially critical. Successful retention strategies address multiple areas, supporting students academically, socially, and personally to help them stay enrolled.
With these contributing factors in mind, it’s clear that improving student retention requires a holistic, proactive approach. Fortunately, institutions have a range of strategies at their disposal. In the next section, we’ll explore eight of the most effective ways colleges and universities are addressing these issues, complete with real-world examples from Canada, the U.S., and beyond.
1. Personalize Communication and Support for Students
Today’s students are used to receiving customized experiences in almost every aspect of their lives, from social media feeds to online shopping recommendations. They now expect the same level of personalized communication from their college or university. When schools meet students with timely, tailored support, they show that they care, and that can make all the difference in whether a student stays or leaves.
This kind of proactive outreach can take several forms. Some institutions segment their automated email campaigns by group, such as first-years, international students, or those on academic probation, to deliver more relevant content and reminders. Others implement 24/7 text messaging systems or AI-powered chatbots that answer routine questions, offer words of encouragement, and send reminders about key deadlines. More advanced platforms go a step further, using predictive analytics to monitor signs of disengagement or academic trouble, alerting advisors to intervene before it’s too late.
These tools offer a concierge-style model of support: always on, always responsive. Students can get help after hours or over the weekend, when live staff may not be available, which helps reduce frustration and drop-off.
Example: Forsyth Technical Community College in the U.S. revamped its approach to student communication by adopting a “customer service” mindset, ensuring that both staff and automated systems responded quickly, kindly, and proactively to student needs. This overhaul included faster response times, friendly messaging, and a systematic effort to check in on students rather than waiting for problems to surface. The result? A 9% increase in student retention after implementing this new communication model.
To replicate this approach, consider implementing a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) or student engagement platform that allows advisors to monitor student status and send targeted messages. This could be as simple as congratulating a student on a strong midterm, or as critical as reaching out after several missed classes.
Even small gestures like a personalized check-in from a faculty member can make students feel they belong. When institutions shift from one-size-fits-all messaging to individualized outreach, they build a sense of care and connection that reinforces students’ decisions to stay enrolled.
2. Foster a Strong Sense of Community and Belonging
A strong sense of belonging is one of the most powerful predictors of student retention. When students feel connected, through friendships, mentors, and shared campus culture, they’re more likely to persist despite academic or personal challenges. Conversely, loneliness and disconnection are key drivers of attrition.
To support student connection, institutions should create structured opportunities for involvement: orientation, residence life, clubs, intramurals, volunteer work, and student leadership. Participation in these activities increases engagement and reinforces a sense of purpose. Social media can amplify this by highlighting student life and celebrating individual voices.
Example: The University of Toronto supports student retention by building community and belonging for underrepresented students through mentorship. In particular, U of T offers programming for first-generation students that connects them with mentors and resources across campus. This First Generation Student Engagement program focuses on helping students navigate barriers to access and inclusion by linking them to academic support, career guidance, wellness services, and peer networks. The goal is to ensure first-gen and other marginalized students feel a strong sense of belonging and are supported throughout their journey.
Ultimately, when students feel they matter to peers, faculty, and the institution, they’re more likely to stay. Belonging isn’t a bonus; it’s foundational to retention.
3. Offer Robust Academic Support and Advising
Academic challenges are a leading cause of student attrition. When students feel lost, overwhelmed, or unsupported, they’re more likely to withdraw. That’s why proactive academic support is one of the most effective student retention strategies.
Effective strategies include offering accessible tutoring (in-person and 24/7 online), writing assistance, and supplemental instruction for high-failure courses. Just as crucial is structured academic advising. When advisors monitor progress and flag early signs of struggle, like low grades or unbalanced course loads, they can intervene with timely solutions.
Institutions must also normalize help-seeking by actively promoting support services. Social media, email campaigns, and website content can encourage students to use academic resources without stigma.
Example – UC Berkeley has built an ecosystem of academic support services combined with faculty mentorship to improve student success and retention. On the academic side, Berkeley provides extensive tutoring, peer advising, and dedicated study spaces in residence halls, free for students and readily accessible where they live.
Early alert systems are another retention tool. By analyzing attendance and coursework in the first weeks, schools can identify at-risk students and reach out before they disengage.
The message is simple: when students know help is available and feel encouraged to use it, they’re more likely to succeed.
4. Provide Career Development Opportunities From Day One
Career uncertainty is a major driver of student attrition. To counter this, institutions must integrate career development early, ideally from the first year.
Career workshops, alumni networking, LinkedIn training, and highlighting the career potential of different majors help students connect academics to future employment. Research confirms that uncertainty about career direction strongly correlates with dropout risk.
Example: DePaul University launched the Future Forward program, a year-long career incubator for first-year students, to bolster their sense of purpose and keep them enrolled. The idea is to help freshmen find their “why” for attending college by engaging them in self-discovery, skill-building, and career exploration starting in their first quarter. Future Forward combines online learning modules (on topics like growth mindset, design thinking, networking) with mentorship from older student peers and staff. By integrating career development into the first-year experience, DePaul addresses a major attrition risk: lack of direction. Many freshmen enter undecided about their field, which can sap motivation. Future Forward helps students clarify goals and see how their studies link to future careers, thereby increasing their commitment to persist.
Mentorship is another effective strategy. Toronto Metropolitan University’s Tri-Mentoring Program connects upper-year students with professionals to support the transition to work.
Example: Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) – formerly Ryerson University – pioneered the Tri-Mentoring Program (TMP) to support student retention through layered mentorship and inclusion. The educational priority of TMP is “to mentor each student using their individual experience to find their sense of belonging on campus.”
In practice, the “Tri” refers to three tiers of mentoring: Peer Mentoring (matching first-year students with trained upper-year mentors in the same program or with similar backgrounds), Group Mentoring (regular group sessions and community events for students from equity-deserving groups, facilitating peer networking and mutual support), and Career Mentoring (matching third-year or higher students with industry professionals, often alumni, for guidance as they prepare for careers).
Similarly, internships, job shadowing, and embedded career-planning courses give students confidence in their trajectory. Institutions can also integrate career goals into academic advising and marketing, using alumni stories to reinforce long-term value. When students see a clear path from degree to career, their motivation and likelihood of staying enrolled dramatically improve.
5. Leverage Data and Early Alerts to Identify At-Risk Students
Predictive analytics enables institutions to proactively support students showing signs of disengagement or academic risk. By monitoring GPA, class attendance, LMS activity, or even ID card swipes, colleges can detect early warning signs and act before a student drops out.
Many platforms offer dashboards and AI-driven messaging to flag risks and send targeted resources. When paired with advisor outreach, this approach becomes highly effective.
Example: Georgia State University’s Predictive Analytics: Georgia State tracks over 800 risk indicators, triggering alerts when students show signs of academic or financial distress. This system led to the Panther Retention Grant, which helps students with small outstanding balances, one of the biggest dropout triggers. Combined with advisor follow-ups, this strategy has significantly improved retention, especially for underrepresented students.
Even basic early alert systems can help. Faculty-initiated midterm warnings and proactive outreach have been shown to improve persistence by making students feel supported. Benchmarking tools like the IPEDS database can also guide institutions on where to improve.
In short, using data transforms retention from reactive to proactive. With the right tools and team, schools can identify challenges early, intervene meaningfully, and prevent students from slipping through the cracks.
6. Enhance Financial Aid Awareness and Support
Financial strain is a top reason students consider stopping out. To improve retention, institutions must ensure students are aware of, and able to access, funding options before small financial issues force them out.
Colleges should proactively promote scholarships, bursaries, emergency grants, and flexible payment plans. Hiring financial aid coaches or sending alerts to students with incomplete forms or unpaid balances can help prevent unnecessary dropouts. Georgia State University’s Panther Retention Grants exemplify this approach, offering micro-grants to students at risk of losing enrollment over modest fees. Over 10,000 students have benefited, with research showing faster graduations and lower debt loads as a result.
COVID-era aid also proved powerful: community colleges and HBCUs that used relief funds to clear student debts saw thousands stay enrolled. Additionally, financial literacy programs, like budgeting workshops or one-on-one counselling, equip students to manage limited resources wisely and reduce financial stress.
Example: Queen’s University has focused on reducing financial barriers and the misinformation around them by proactively promoting financial aid opportunities to students, using channels like social media, email, and digital signage. The goal is to ensure students know about and utilize available aid (scholarships, bursaries, grants), thereby decreasing the number who drop out due to financial strain. In practice, Queen’s Student Affairs runs ongoing Instagram awareness campaigns about bursary deadlines, loan applications, and financial wellness tips. Below we see Queen’s official Student Affairs Instagram has posts reminding students “it’s not too late to apply for the 2023–24 General Bursary for winter and summer terms” and to apply for government aid like OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program).
Bottom line: funding support and strong communication are critical tools in retaining financially vulnerable students.
7. Offer Flexible and Inclusive Learning Options
Modern college students are diverse; many are part-time, working, parenting, or have accessibility needs. Rigid policies and teaching methods can alienate these learners, making flexibility and inclusivity essential to retention.
Flexible scheduling options, like evening, weekend, online, or hybrid classes, help students balance education with life responsibilities. Allowing part-time enrollment, asynchronous learning, or summer online courses can reduce dropout risk, especially among non-traditional learners.
Credit for prior learning (e.g., PLAR in Canadian colleges) also supports older students by recognizing experience and accelerating time to completion. Inclusive learning environments ensure students of all abilities and styles thrive.
Example: Academy of Learning Career College (AOLCC) uses its proprietary Integrated Learning System (ILS) to maximize student retention by offering flexibility, personalization, and one-on-one support in the learning process. The ILS is a self-directed, multi-sensory training system that lets each student learn at their own pace on a schedule that suits them. A crucial feature since many AOLCC students are adult learners, working, or have family obligations.
Support for online students is also critical. Strong virtual infrastructure; 24/7 tech help, online tutoring, and proactive instructor check-ins help remote learners feel connected. Some schools have engagement teams dedicated to online students.
Additionally, flexible academic policies such as compassionate leaves or grading options (used during the pandemic) can prevent student loss under strain. By adapting to student realities rather than enforcing a traditional mold, colleges show they care and turn potential stop-outs into future graduates.
8. Strengthen Faculty-Student Engagement and Mentorship
Faculty play a pivotal role in student retention through their daily interactions with students. Strong faculty-student engagement, including mentorship, accessibility, and supportive instruction, helps students feel seen, guided, and motivated to persist, especially when challenges arise.
Research shows that meaningful faculty contact improves students’ sense of integration and commitment to college. Gen Z students, in particular, value professors who demonstrate authenticity and personal interest. Without that, disengagement and dropout risk increase.
Colleges can enhance engagement through mentorship programs, pairing students with faculty advisors who offer academic, career, and personal guidance. Faculty training in inclusive teaching and student outreach empowers instructors to recognize and assist struggling students early. Simple actions, like checking in on absences, can make a big difference.
Example: Faculty as Mentors at Berkeley:As noted earlier, UC Berkeley emphasizes that its faculty are among the most accessible, citing programs like the Resident Faculty Program where professors live in residence halls to interact with students outside of class. They highlight that faculty often serve as mentors and even friends to students, and note statistics such as a 19:1 student-faculty ratio and many small classes. This environment of approachability contributes to student success and retention at Berkeley; students feel supported academically and personally by instructors of that caliber, which deepens their commitment to staying.
Interactive teaching methods, such as discussions or group work, foster stronger connections. Faculty who use student names, encourage participation, and integrate feedback build rapport and community. Schools like UC Berkeley go further, housing faculty in residence halls and maintaining small class sizes to promote mentorship.
Faculty should be viewed as frontline retention agents. By celebrating teaching and providing tools for meaningful student relationships, institutions can greatly boost persistence through a caring, connected academic culture. In retention, relationships matter, and faculty are key.
Retention Starts With Intention and the Right Support
Improving student retention isn’t about a single silver bullet. As we’ve explored, it takes a coordinated, research-driven strategy, one that centers students at every point of their journey. Whether it’s delivering personalized outreach, fostering belonging, offering early career guidance, or using data to proactively intervene, the most successful institutions treat student retention as both a mission and a metric.
But knowing what works is only half the equation. Implementing these strategies at scale, consistently and effectively, requires the right tools, technology, and expertise. That’s where Higher Education Marketing can help.
At HEM, we equip colleges and universities with the CRM systems, marketing automation, and digital engagement strategies needed to nurture students from application to graduation. From crafting segmentation-based communications to building data-informed retention workflows, our solutions are built for institutions ready to prioritize persistence.
If you’re looking to boost your retention rates, build stronger student connections, and create a more responsive campus experience, explore how HEM’s services can support your goals. Together, we can help more students reach the finish line and help your institution thrive in the process.
Do you want to explore strategic and effective university student retention strategies?
Contact HEM for more information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Why is student retention important in higher education?
Answer: Student retention reflects institutional effectiveness and student success. High retention means students are achieving their goals and institutions are providing strong support. Low retention signals issues like academic or financial struggle.
Question: What is the difference between persistence and retention?
Answer: Retention refers to students returning to the same institution, while persistence tracks students continuing in higher education, even if they transfer.
Question: What are the factors affecting student retention?
Answer: Student retention is influenced by academics, finances, social belonging, mental health, and institutional climate. Academic unpreparedness, isolation, financial strain, and life challenges are leading causes of dropout.
In the race to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss, education leaders have overlooked one of the most powerful tools already at their disposal: experienced teachers.
For decades, a myth has persisted in education policy circles that after their first few years on the job, teachers stop improving. This belief has undercut efforts to retain seasoned educators, with many policymakers and administrators treating veteran teachers as replaceable cogs rather than irreplaceable assets.
But that myth doesn’t hold up. The evidence tells a different story: Teachers don’t hit a plateau after year five. While their growth may slow, it doesn’t stop. In the right environments — with collaborative colleagues, supportive administrators and stable classroom assignments — teachers can keep getting better well into their second decade in the classroom.
This insight couldn’t come at a more critical time. As schools work to accelerate post-pandemic learning recovery, especially for the most vulnerable students, they need all the instructional expertise they can muster.
That means not just recruiting new teachers but keeping their best educators in the classroom and giving them the support they need to thrive.
In a new review of 23 longitudinal studies conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, all but one of the studies showed that teachers generally improve significantly during their first five years. The research review also found continued, albeit slower, improvement well into years 6 through 15; several of the studies found improvement into later years of teaching, though at a diminished pace.
These gains translate into measurable benefits for students: higher test scores, fewer disciplinary issues, reduced absenteeism and increased postsecondary attainment. In North Carolina, for example, students with highly experienced English teachers learned more and were substantially less likely to skip school and more likely to enjoy reading. These effects were strongest for students who were most at risk of falling behind.
While experience helps all teachers improve, we’re currently failing to build that experience where it’s needed most. Schools serving large populations of low-income Black and Hispanic students are far more likely to be staffed primarily by early career teachers.
And unfortunately, they’re also more likely to see those teachers leave after just a few years. This churn makes it nearly impossible to build a stable, experienced workforce in high-need schools.
It also robs novice teachers of the veteran mentors who could help them get better faster and robs students of the opportunity to learn from seasoned educators who have refined their craft over time.
To fix this, we need to address both sides of the equation: helping teachers improve and keeping them in the classrooms that need them most.
Research points to several conditions that support continued teacher growth. Beginning teachers are more likely to stay and improve if they have had high-quality preparation and mentoring. Teaching is not a solo sport. Educators who work alongside more experienced peers improve faster, especially in the early years.
Teachers also improve more when they’re able to teach the same grade level or subject year after year. Unfortunately, those in under-resourced schools are more likely to be shuffled around, undermining their ability to build expertise.
Perhaps most importantly, schools that have strong leadership and which foster time for collaboration and a culture of professional trust see greater gains in teacher retention over time.
Teachers who feel supported by their administrators, who collaborate with a team that shares their mission and who aren’t constantly switching subjects or grade levels are far more likely to stay in the profession.
Pay matters too, especially in high-need schools where working conditions are toughest. But incentives alone aren’t enough. Short-term bonuses can attract teachers, but they won’t keep them if the work environment drives them away.
If we’re serious about improving student outcomes, especially in the wake of the pandemic, we have to stop treating teacher retention as an afterthought. That means retooling our policies to reflect what the research now clearly shows: experience matters, and it can be cultivated.
Policymakers should invest in high-quality teacher preparation and mentoring programs, particularly in high-need schools. They should create conditions that promote teacher stability and collaboration, such as protected planning time and consistent teaching assignments.
Principals must be trained not just as managers, but as instructional leaders capable of building strong school cultures. And state and district leaders must consider meaningful financial incentives and other supports to retain experienced teachers in the classrooms that need them most.
With the right support, teachers can keep getting better. In this moment of learning recovery, a key to success is keeping teachers in schools and consciously supporting their growing effectiveness.
Linda Darling-Hammond is founding president and chief knowledge officer at the Learning Policy Institute. Michael J. Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and an executive editor of Education Next.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
As an enrollment manager or a vice president of academic affairs, or even a leader in student affairs, you might think, “Why should I care about gathering data from our current student population? That’s Institutional Research’s job.” But if you care about the health of your institution, if you care about keeping your students enrolled to graduation and if you care about showing your students you care about them as individuals, then regularly assessing student motivation and student satisfaction is an activity that should be on your radar. Intentionally using that data to improve the lives of your students and to identify key challenges for the college should be a priority for every member of the institutional leadership team.
You may know that assessing student satisfaction is important, but you need to get others on board on campus.
“If the WHY is powerful, the HOW is easy.” –Jim Rohn
Student-level data: Motivational assessments
Understanding what students need to be successful as they first enter your institution is a powerful way to begin building connections and showing students you care about them. Providing them with the services that they say they want and need to be successful will put you in the best position to serve students in the way they want to be served. In the recently published 2025 National First-Year Students and Their Motivation to Complete College Report, we identified the top 10 requests for support by incoming first-year students, based on the nearly 62,000 responses to the College Student Inventory in the fall of 2024:
Among first-year students’ top ten requests for assistance, we found themes of connection and belonging, career assistance, academic support, and financial guidance. These top 10 have remained fairly consistent over the last few years.
When campuses are aware of what incoming students need in the aggregate, institutional resources can be targeted to support these services. And when campuses, specifically advisors, know what individual students have self-identified as desired areas of support, guidance can be provided directly to the students most in need of and most receptive to receiving assistance.
While campuses can see a 1% improvement in student retention within the first year of implementing a motivational assessment, we have found that campuses that are assessing student motivation on a consistent basis over multiple years are most likely to see retention levels improve.(We recognize that motivation data alone doesn’t lead to improved retention, but the student-level data is an important component of institutional retention efforts.) The impact of consistently assessing student motivation with the RNL Retention Management System (RMS):
Data based on a February 2025 RNL review of reported retention rates 2015-2024 in IPEDS for client institutions using one or more of the instruments in the RNL Retention Management System.
The bottom line on why you should care about assessing individual student motivation
Asking students as they enter your institution what they need shows that you care about their experience. Using that data to build relationships between advisors and students lays the foundation of one of the most important connections students can have with your institution. Guiding students to the specific service or support they seek puts you in the best position to engage your students in meaningful ways. Ultimately, serving your students in the ways they need will make your institution more likely to retain those students.
What are the needs, challenges, and priorities for first-year college students? Find out in the National First-Year Students and Their Motivation to Complete College Report. You will learn their attitudes on finishing college, top areas of assistance, desire for career assistance, and more.
Knowing what students value across all class levels at your institution can provide the student voice in your data-informed decision-making efforts. Assessing student satisfaction is another way to show students you care about them, their experience with you, and what matters to them. Aligning your resources with student-identified priorities will reflect a student-centered environment where individuals may be more likely to want to stay.
Student satisfaction data from across your student population can inform and guide your institutional efforts in multiple ways:
Student success and retention activities: Identifying your top priorities for response so you are working on high-importance, low-satisfaction areas from the student perspective.
Strategic planning: Incorporate the student voice into your long-term planning efforts to stay aligned with where they want to see you make investments.
Accreditation: Document your progress year over year as part of a continuous improvement process to show your regional accreditor that you are paying attention and responding to students (and not just when it is time for re-affirmation!).
Recruitment: Highlight your high-importance, high-satisfaction strengths to attract students who will care about what you can offer.
To assist institutions with building the case for student satisfaction assessment on their campuses, we have developed two brief videos (under two minutes each), one talking about why assess satisfaction and why work with RNL specifically. My colleague Shannon Cook also hosted a 30-minute webinar that is available on demand to dive deeper into the why and how of assessing student satisfaction.
Satisfaction data provides valuable perspectives for every department on campus, identifying areas to celebrate and areas to invest more time, energy, and resources. Campuses that respond to what their students care about have reported seeing satisfaction levels increase and graduation rates improve. Most institutions we work with assess student satisfaction at least once every two or three years and then use the intervening months to explore the data through demographic subpopulations and conversations on campus, take action in high-priority areas, and communicate back with students about what has been done based on the student feedback. These ongoing cycles put institutions in the best position to create a culture of institutional improvement based on the student voice.
Student motivation and satisfaction assessments are effective practices
The impact of assessing student motivation and student satisfaction on institutional graduation rates has been documented with numerous studies over the years.
It is important to be aware that just gathering the data will not magically help you retain students. It is the first step in the process, following these ABCs:
Assess the needs with student and institutional level data collection
Build a high impact completion plan to engage students from pre-enrollment to retention to graduation, taking action based on what students say
Connect students to campus resources that best match their needs and will increase their likelihood to persist and complete and Communicate about what you are doing and why as improvements are made.
Contact me if you would like to learn more about assessing student motivation and student satisfaction on your campus.
Have you ever felt the weight of being overworked and underpaid? Do you find yourself questioning your value in your workplace? Are you contemplating exploring new employment opportunities in the near future? If these thoughts resonate, knowing you are not alone in this journey is important. Many of your peers share these concerns.
The CUPA-HR 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey (ERS) is not just a study; it’s a comprehensive collection of your experiences and opinions. It gathered data from 4,783 higher education employees across 539 institutions, including administrators, professionals, and non-exempt staff from various departments. This survey is valuable for understanding the job satisfaction and retention challenges you and your peers face in higher education (Bichsel et al., 2023).
The 2023 survey asked questions in the following areas:
Likelihood of looking for other employment opportunities in the near future
Reasons for looking for other employment
Remote work policies and opportunities
Work performed beyond normal hours and duties (overwork)
Satisfaction with benefits
Well-being and satisfaction with the job environment
Retention incentives experienced in the past year
Challenges for supervisors
Demographic questions on gender, race/ethnicity, and age
Characteristics of the employee’s position (Bichsel et al., 2023)
The survey’s analyses provided critical insights into the proportion of our higher education workforce at risk of leaving, the reasons why employees are considering other job opportunities, and the underlying factors contributing to their desire to leave. These findings are crucial in addressing our shared concerns. (Bichsel et al., 2023)
The survey results are as follows: one-third (33%) of higher ed employees are very likely or likely to look for new employment opportunities in the next year, which is unchanged from last year. This indicates that retention remains a significant and urgent challenge in higher ed. The area with the most acute retention challenge is student affairs, where 39% of employees surveyed say they are likely or very likely to look for other employment opportunities within the next year (Bichsel et al., 2023)
*A graph of reasons employees are seeking new opportunities was obtained from CUPA-HR’s 2023 survey data. (Bichsel et al., 2023)
A notable aspect of dissatisfaction revolves around their institution’s support for their professional growth. Almost half of employees (44%) express disagreement when asked whether they have opportunities for advancement at their institution, and around one-third (34%) disagree that their institution invests in their career development. Moreover, more than one-fourth of respondents (28%) disagree that their institution’s leaders show they care about their mental health and well-being. (Bichsel et al., 2023)
According to CUPA-HR research and key findings for 2023-2024, across higher education, employees are still paid less in inflation-adjusted dollars than in 2019-20 (pre-pandemic). (CUPA, 2024)
*A screenshot of a graph of Annual Pay Increases by Position Type was obtained from CUPA-HR research and key findings for 2023-2024. (CUPA, 2024)
In a well-run organization, these nuts and bolts that shape compensation are routinely checked and updated to stay competitive and achieve strategic goals. However, for many colleges, compensation practices have become the ‘deferred maintenance’ of the human resources world. This term refers to the practice of postponing necessary maintenance, often due to a need for more funds or resources. In the context of compensation, these practices must be regularly reviewed and updated, leading to issues such as stagnant salaries, late paychecks, inaccurate titles, and confusion over how pay is pegged to performance. (McClure, 2024)
Despite the availability of rich data backed by years of research, institutions are still mainly lagging in implementing standard-raised pay scales, resulting in higher attrition levels.
The survey’s findings are a call to action. Senior management and leadership must approach the situation holistically and use the data to implement a solution swiftly. This is crucial to prevent the loss of trained, qualified, and high-performing employees, a loss that higher educational institutions cannot afford!
Ranjitha Rao is the Budget/Financial Analyst Manager at the College of Nursing at Texas Woman’s University. She is dedicated to supporting academic and administrative goals through financial oversight. As an active member of the TWU Staff Council, she fosters a spirit of unified community among staff members and provides opportunities for their democratic representation. Through her involvement in the Staff Council, she promotes a positive and collaborative work environment and serves as a representative advisory member, presenting recommendations to university leadership. Ranjitha is also committed to fostering healthy workspaces, ensuring faculty, staff, and students thrive in a supportive and productive environment. Ranjitha holds a background in engineering and is currently a Ph.D. student focusing on leadership in higher education. She also holds a Master’s in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting and Management. Additionally, as an adjunct, Ranjitha has taught first-year incoming classes, focusing on curriculum and strategic success, to help students transition smoothly into their academic journeys, along with accounting and healthcare administration classes for undergraduates. Ranjitha’s research interests include competency-based education, workforce development, leadership, management, and financial well-being in higher education.In her free time, Ranjitha enjoys exploring financial trends, participating in community events, and contributing to initiatives that promote financial literacy and education.
Student retention remains one of the biggest challenges in higher education, with dropout rates continuing to concern institutions worldwide. For colleges and universities today, student retention in higher education has evolved into something far more holistic than it once was.
Recent data underscore the scope of the problem: roughly one in four undergraduates will leave college without completing a degree. For example, data from the Australian Department of Education shows that nearly 25% of higher education students who began in 2017 had not completed their programs by 2022. The United States reports a comparable figure, with NCES data showing first-year retention rates for full-time undergraduates averaging around 75% to 78%, indicating an attrition rate of approximately 22–25%.
Our targeted email marketing services can help you attract and enroll more students.
Discover how we can enhance your recruitment strategy today!
Behind these statistics are myriad reasons. Financial pressures, mental health struggles, and a lingering sense of disconnection (exacerbated by post-pandemic-era remote learning) are among the top factors driving students to leave.
This early departure is not just a personal setback for students (many of whom incur debt without obtaining a credential) but also a serious concern for universities. Every student lost represents a missed opportunity to fulfill someone’s potential and a significant cost to the institution in lost tuition and wasted recruitment efforts. It’s no surprise, then, that in 2024/25 the conversation around student success has zeroed in on retention, keeping those first-year students engaged to graduation.
Amid these challenges, colleges and universities are exploring new ways to support students beyond the classroom. Interestingly, one of the most powerful tools is quite ordinary: email. While often associated with marketing departments or alumni fundraising, email communication has proven to be an unsung hero in student retention strategies. Done right, regular digital touchpoints – from welcome emails and deadline reminders to check-ins and newsletters – can nurture a sense of belonging and keep students from “falling through the cracks.” This blog post explains how.
What Is the Meaning of Student Retention?
Student retention refers to an institution’s ability to keep students enrolled continuously, usually from one academic term to the next, until they complete their program. Retention in higher education means the same as student retention, but in the context of colleges and universities. It typically refers to the percentage of students who return each year and progress toward graduation. It’s often measured as the inverse of dropout or attrition rates and serves as a key indicator of institutional effectiveness and student satisfaction.
But while the metric is important, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Retention intersects with numerous aspects of the student experience, including:
Academic preparedness and performance
Emotional and mental well-being
Financial stability and support
Social integration and sense of belonging
Clarity around future goals and career pathways
In short, high retention signals that a school is providing the tools and environment students need to thrive. Low retention often suggests systemic gaps that need attention, whether in support services, communication, or curricular alignment.
When schools understand the deeper “why” behind retention patterns, they can begin building strategies to support students in more intentional and effective ways.
Why Do Some Students Stay and Others Leave?
Understanding college student retention means examining both barriers and motivators that influence whether a student chooses to continue or withdraw. Here are some of the most common reasons students make that decision:
1. Academic Challenges
A student who feels unprepared for their coursework or overwhelmed by expectations may quickly disengage. This can be especially true for first-generation students or those entering a competitive academic environment without sufficient support.
What helps: Proactive emails that demystify academic expectations, offer success tips, and highlight tutoring resources early in the term can make a real difference.
Example:At the vocational education level, Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) in Georgia provides a good example of communication-driven retention support. OFTC employs dedicated Retention Specialists who monitor student progress and intervene when issues arise.
Using an internal early-alert system, the college flags at-risk students (such as those with irregular attendance or missing assignments) and initiates proactive outreach. Retention staff then reach out to students, often via college email or phone, to check in and connect them with help. This includes emailing a student about available tutoring when they struggle academically, or discussing solutions if a student is considering withdrawal.
2. Lack of Community or Belonging
The feeling of being “invisible” on campus can be just as impactful as academic performance. Students who don’t feel they belong are significantly more likely to leave, particularly during their first year.
What helps: Targeted emails that invite students to join clubs, attend welcome events, or connect with peers can foster a stronger sense of connection.
Example:AAPS circulates an official newsletter to share recent happenings in the pharmaceutical field and celebrate student achievements. Students consent to having their names and photos featured in these newsletters. This practice personalizes communications and recognizes student accomplishments. This targeted content helps build a sense of community and keeps current students motivated to persist in their programs.
Source: AAPS
3. Financial Stress
Tuition fees, housing costs, and daily expenses can make the college experience financially unsustainable for many students. Some may not even know what aid or resources are available.
What helps: Email reminders about scholarships, payment plans, emergency aid, or financial counseling empower students to seek help before small issues become major obstacles.
Example: In London, City, University of London runs City Cares, a dedicated support programme for vulnerable student groups – including those estranged from family, or young adult caregivers. A key element of City Cares is consistent personal communication: staff send regular check-in emails and updates to these students to see how they are doing and offer help.
Students in the program have a designated staff contact whom they can reach by email or phone for one-to-one support. City Cares also provides practical resources like bursaries, housing assistance, and priority access to opportunities, all communicated through targeted outreach.
4. Unclear Career Direction
Students who lose sight of how their studies connect to real-world opportunities often lose motivation. Without a sense of purpose, continuing can feel pointless.
What helps: Emails that highlight internship opportunities, alumni career paths, and academic-to-career connections help students stay focused and inspired.
5. Personal and Mental Health Struggles
From stress and anxiety to family emergencies or health issues, life challenges can derail even the most motivated students.
What helps: Compassionate, well-timed emails from student services that highlight wellness resources, counseling services, and peer support groups remind students they are not alone.
Example: DCC uses digital content to address student well-being, which is crucial for retention. A blog post on the college’s site, shared via email and social media, discussed how emotional well-being impacts learning, noting that a student’s mental health influences “focus, engagement, social interactions, and overall academic success.” By openly guiding mental health, DCC shows students and parents that the college cares about more than academics.
In each of these cases, the common thread is communication. When institutions deliver the right messages at the right moments, they can provide reassurance, guidance, and pathways forward, all of which contribute to stronger retention outcomes.
How Email Marketing Supports the Entire Student Journey
Email marketing is not just about promotion. In the context of higher education, it is a structured communication framework that allows institutions to be consistently present for their students, especially when automated and segmented based on academic year, behavior, or demographic indicators.
The first year is foundational. It’s where impressions are formed, habits are developed, and questions abound.
Effective first-year campaigns include:
A welcome series that introduces campus leaders, outlines what to expect, and provides a friendly tone of engagement
Resource emails such as “How to Book Time With an Academic Advisor” or “Top Study Spots on Campus”
Surveys and wellness check-ins asking students how they’re doing and connecting them to specific supports based on their responses
Invitations to student orientation events, campus fairs, and mentorship programs
This early outreach reduces anxiety and builds a relationship of trust. When students know they can expect relevant, useful information in their inbox, they are more likely to engage with their institution in meaningful ways.
Example: John Cabot University (JCU) has made student retention a priority through robust student services and outreach. The university’s communications team uses segmented email lists to target different student groups – first-year degree seekers, study-abroad students, etc.
Upon arrival, all first-year students receive a series of orientation emails with tips on navigating campus life in Rome, introductions to support offices (counseling, academic advising), and invitations to community-building events. This email nurturing continues throughout the year. JCU’s focus on student engagement reflects its ongoing commitment to retention, with email outreach playing a key role in fostering community and support.
Sophomore and Junior Years: Momentum and Direction
The second and third years of college can be challenging. Students may experience mid-degree fatigue, uncertainty about their major, or a lack of motivation.
Email campaigns that support these years often focus on:
Important academic milestones, such as major declarations, registration deadlines, or capstone requirements
Career development, including internship announcements, networking events, or resume-building resources
Personal development opportunities, like study abroad, research assistantships, or leadership training
Wellness and retention-focused campaigns that flag disengaged students and prompt follow-up from advisors.
By continuing to communicate thoughtfully during this middle phase, institutions can ensure students maintain their momentum and receive targeted interventions before problems escalate.
Example:Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) Office of Student Success & Retention created the “Don’t Ghost SMU” initiative to re-engage students who stop attending without formally taking a leave. Each term, the university identifies “ghosters” – undergraduates who are neither enrolled for the coming term nor on an official leave of absence. The retention team then reaches out to these students three times via email and text message to ask about their plans and encourage them to re-enroll. Students who respond and decide to return are provided with one-on-one support to facilitate their re-entry.
Students approaching graduation often face a new set of stressors—final projects, job applications, and the pressure of “what comes next.” At this point, communication becomes about both support and celebration.
Senior-focused email strategies may include:
Step-by-step graduation guides that include deadlines for forms, fees, and ceremonies
Invitations to career prep workshops, mock interviews, or job search bootcamps
Highlight reels of student accomplishments or alumni stories to boost morale and confidence
Communications from deans or student leaders congratulating seniors and offering final words of encouragement
Example: NeuAge’s digital content provides career advice and skill-building tips as part of the institution’s ongoing commitment to graduates’ success. NeuAge also promotes free online workshops and webinars (often via LinkedIn and email) led by industry experts, giving current students and recent grads extra opportunities to network and upskill.
Best Practices for Retention-Focused Email Campaigns
If your institution wants to maximize the impact of email on student retention, consider the following best practices:
1. Segment Thoughtfully
A one-size-fits-all email won’t resonate across a diverse student body. Tailor content based on class year, academic discipline, or unique identifiers like international status or first-generation background. The more relevant the message, the more likely it will be read and acted on.
2. Use Automation With Intention
Automated emails shouldn’t feel robotic. Use your CRM to trigger messages based on behavior (like missed assignments or low engagement), but personalize them with the student’s name and relevant links or contacts. Automation should make the student feel seen, not surveilled.
3. Focus on Value
Each email should offer something of clear value: a helpful tip, a timely reminder, a story that inspires. Avoid sending messages just to fill space in a calendar. If the email doesn’t help the student succeed, it probably shouldn’t be sent.
Example: ENSR (a Swiss international school) maintains high transparency with parents through regular digital bulletins. The school posts and emails information on upcoming events. For instance, parents receive notices about scheduled parent-teacher meetings, ski trips, and even windsurfing camp well in advance. ENSR’s online parent info page archives these communications, noting what was sent when.
Track engagement data: open rates, click-throughs, and unsubscribes, and use this to inform future messaging. If a subject line isn’t working or a campaign doesn’t drive traffic, revise your approach. Feedback and responsiveness are key to any long-term strategy.
5. Collaborate Across Departments
Retention is not the sole responsibility of academic advising or marketing. Develop integrated campaigns that align messaging across departments, including career services, financial aid, and student wellness, so students receive cohesive, coordinated communication.
Why Email Marketing Belongs in Your Retention Strategy
Email marketing offers something uniquely powerful: it meets students where they already are, with messages that can be scheduled, targeted, and personalized at scale. When done well, it brings a human touch to institutional processes, building relationships that motivate students to stay engaged.
More than a tool for reminders or promotions, email can:
Prevent students from slipping through the cracks
Foster emotional connection and institutional pride
Reinforce the idea that success is not only expected, but supported
Ultimately, when students feel informed, included, and inspired, they are more likely to persist through challenges and complete their degrees. And that’s the heart of any successful retention strategy. Would you like to work on effective strategies for greater Higher Ed Student Retention?
Our targeted email marketing services can help you attract and enroll more students.
Discover how we can enhance your recruitment strategy today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the meaning of student retention?
Answer: Student retention refers to an institution’s ability to keep students enrolled continuously, usually from one academic term to the next, until they complete their program. Retention in higher education means the same as student retention, but in the context of colleges and universities.
Question: What is retention in higher education?
Answer: Retention in higher education means the same as student retention, but in the context of colleges and universities. It typically refers to the percentage of students who return each year and progress toward graduation. High retention in higher ed indicates that students are staying enrolled and on track to finish their degrees.
Question: What are the reasons for student retention?
Answer: Students are more likely to be retained (stay in school) when key needs are met. Common reasons for strong student retention include effective academic support (so students don’t fall behind), a sense of belonging on campus (feeling connected to peers and the school), financial stability or aid (relieving tuition stress), and clear personal motivation or goals (seeing the value of their degree). Essentially, when students feel supported academically, socially, and financially – and they believe their education will benefit them – they are far more likely to stay through graduation.
“Did you hear that another team member, someone we all knew and worked with, quit today?” said a colleague. “Isn’t this the third one since last month? What is happening in that department?” was my counter question, echoing the concerns of many in the office. Have you ever experienced a similar situation at your workplace and wondered what caused this sudden voluntary attrition? Was it a competitor higher education institution stealing trained resources, or was there a sudden need for higher salaries due to the current economic factors, etc.? After a week, a LinkedIn post mentioned, “… it was time to move forward, as I had hit a breaking point. Quitting is the first step towards finding a healthy workplace!”
Research has consistently shown that women are more susceptible to workplace incivility than men. However, this trend can be mitigated when the direct supervisor demonstrates ethical leadership (Young et al., 2021). This finding offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that a change in leadership could significantly influence employee morale. Is the stress of adapting to a new management at work a contributing factor? Or is it a case of leadership failing to adjust to the existing culture? Or is it due to incivility in the workplace? These are the questions that keep on occurring.
My experience working at an institution primarily for women has sparked my curiosity and deepened my concern. I often pondered whether these departures were triggered by a sudden event or a long-standing issue that had been suppressed. This connection to the topic has driven me to delve into the reasons behind abrupt job resignations among women in public organizations and the need to understand their impact on resources, policies, etc., in higher education.
What is Workplace Incivility?
According to the research of Tolkerson, Holm, Bäckström, and Schad, numerous factors contribute to the perpetuation of workplace incivility, including the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others. Workplace incivility has been defined as “…low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others” (Torkelson et al., 2016).
In her Harvard Business Review article, Christine Porath, professor of management at Georgetown University, wrote that most leaders need to recognize tangible costs. “Through a poll of 800 managers and employees in 17 industries, we learned how people’s reactions play out.” Among workers who have been on the receiving end of incivility:
48% intentionally decreased their work effort.
47% intentionally decreased the time spent at work.
38% intentionally decreased the quality of their work.
80% lost work time worrying about the incident.
63% lost work time avoiding the offender.
66% said that their performance declined.
78% said that their commitment to the organization declined.
12% said they left their job because of the uncivil treatment.
25% admitted to taking their frustration out on customers.” (Porath & Pearson, 2013)
In a webinar on AACN, Addressing the Harmful Effects of Gaslighting in Academic Nursing, Cynthia Clark, founder of Civility Matters, Professor Emeritus at Boise State University, and award-winning professor, scholar, and author who has done extensive research on workplace incivility, discussed “Gaslighting in Academia” (Profile of Dr. Cynthia Clark). This intrigued my curiosity and inspired me to explore this topic.
What is Gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that involves making someone doubt their reality, memory, or perception. It can occur in various contexts, such as interpersonal relationships, politics, media, and workplaces. Gaslighting can have serious adverse effects on the mental health and well-being of the victims, such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, confusion, and loss of trust (Sarkis, 2018).
Gaslighting and Workplace Incivility in Higher Education
While workplace incivility is a broader term that refers to any rude, disrespectful, or aggressive behavior that violates the norms of mutual respect and professionalism, Gaslighting can be considered a specific and extreme form of workplace incivility that involves not only disrespecting or harming the target but also manipulating their sense of reality and identity (Clark, 2024). Individuals or groups can perpetrate gaslighting, which can be intentional or unintentional, depending on the motives, awareness, and power dynamics of the actors involved. Gaslighting can be manifested in various ways, such as lying, denying, withholding, trivializing, blaming, or gaslighting by proxy (Sarkis, 2018). Gaslighting can occur in multiple contexts, but it is especially harmful in the workplace, undermining employees’ trust, confidence, and performance (Clark, 2024).
In higher education, gaslighting can occur when faculty, staff, or students are subjected to subtle or overt harassment, discrimination, bullying, or abuse by their colleagues, supervisors, or peers. For example, a faculty member may be gaslighted by their administrators who constantly undermine their achievements, question their competence, or deny them opportunities for promotion or recognition. A staff member may be gaslighted by their co-workers who spread rumors, exclude them from social events, or sabotage their work. A student may be gaslighted by their instructor who belittles their contributions, ignores their requests, or grades them unfairly. These examples illustrate how gaslighting can create a hostile, toxic, and unhealthy work environment in higher education institutions (Clark, 2024).
Inefficient Workplaces
Incivility adds to faculty/administrator stress levels, erodes self-esteem, damages relationships, threatens workplace safety and quality of life, and negatively impacts faculty recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. Therefore, creating and sustaining communities of civility is imperative for all academic work environments (Clark et al., 2021). Gaslighting can have severe and lasting effects on the psychological, emotional, and physical health of the targets, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociation, chronic pain, and suicidal ideation (Stern, 2018).
Nation’s Current Workplace Landscape
According to the Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, one of the Current Priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General is “Workplace Well-Being.” The survey suggested that 76% of U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, 84% of respondents said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge, and 81% of workers reported that they would be looking for workplaces that support mental health in the future (Written Document on Workplace WellBeing.2022). To support workplace wellbeing, creating a plan with the following five essential components can help reimagine workplaces as engines of wellbeing.
The five essentials of the framework are:
Connection and Community
Opportunities for Growth (Written Document on Workplace WellBeing.2022)
Recommendations
Regular assessments are needed, and the data needs to be studied at higher educational institutions. HR, Compliance, and Ethics Policies should include examples to increase awareness of various levels of incivility. Before quitting, employees should be aware of the available options and use forums to discuss examples to be self-aware. Providing periodic surveys and reviews, updating training based on feedback and current issues for employees at higher education on HR policies, the Code of Ethics, and faculty ombudsmen can help prevent and address gaslighting and other workplace incivility.
When employees quit, it is no longer uncommon to suddenly walk out of the door without a courtesy notice period or transition report of their current responsibilities. While employers are concerned about employee performance and evaluations for merit raises, retention, etc., they should be publicly ranked based on their performance towards employees working in government and non-profit organizations. We have all heard the phrase “Treat others just as you want to be treated!”, but are we all implementing it at our workplaces?
Ranjitha Rao is the Budget/Financial Analyst Manager at the College of Nursing at Texas Woman’s University. She is dedicated to supporting academic and administrative goals through financial oversight. As an active member of the TWU Staff Council, she fosters a spirit of unified community among staff members and provides opportunities for their democratic representation. Through her involvement in the Staff Council, she promotes a positive and collaborative work environment and serves as a representative advisory member, presenting recommendations to university leadership. Ranjitha is also committed to fostering healthy workspaces, ensuring faculty, staff, and students thrive in a supportive and productive environment. Ranjitha holds a background in engineering and is currently a Ph.D. student focusing on leadership in higher education. She also holds a Master’s in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting and Management. Additionally, as an adjunct, Ranjitha has taught first-year incoming classes, focusing on curriculum and strategic success, to help students transition smoothly into their academic journeys, along with accounting and healthcare administration classes for undergraduates. Ranjitha’s research interests include competency-based education, workforce development, leadership, management, and financial well-being in higher education.In her free time, Ranjitha enjoys exploring financial trends, participating in community events, and contributing to initiatives that promote financial literacy and education.
Clark, C. M., & Fey, M. K. (2019). Fostering Civility in Learning Conversations: Introducing the PAAIL Communication Strategy.10.1097/NNE.0000000000000731
Clark, C. (2019). Combining Cognitive Rehearsal, Simulation, and Evidence-Based Scripting to Address Incivility.10.1097/NNE.0000000000000563
Clark, C. , Landis, T. & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2021). National Study on Faculty and Administrators’ Perceptions of Civility and Incivility in Nursing Education. Nurse Educator, 46 (5), 276-283. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000948
Torkelson, E., Holm, K., Bäckström, M., & Schad, E. (2016). Factors contributing to the perpetration of workplace incivility: the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others. Work & Stress, 30(2), 115-131. 10.1080/02678373.2016.1175524
Young, K. A., Hassan, S., & Hatmaker, D. M. (2021). Towards understanding workplace incivility: gender, ethical leadership and personal control. Public Management Review, 23(1), 31-52. 10.1080/14719037.2019.1665701
“Did you hear that another team member, someone we all knew and worked with, quit today?” said a colleague. “Isn’t this the third one since last month? What is happening in that department?” was my counter question, echoing the concerns of many in the office. Have you ever experienced a similar situation at your workplace and wondered what caused this sudden voluntary attrition? Was it a competitor higher education institution stealing trained resources, or was there a sudden need for higher salaries due to the current economic factors, etc.? After a week, a LinkedIn post mentioned, “… it was time to move forward, as I had hit a breaking point. Quitting is the first step towards finding a healthy workplace!”
Research has consistently shown that women are more susceptible to workplace incivility than men. However, this trend can be mitigated when the direct supervisor demonstrates ethical leadership (Young et al., 2021). This finding offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that a change in leadership could significantly influence employee morale. Is the stress of adapting to a new management at work a contributing factor? Or is it a case of leadership failing to adjust to the existing culture? Or is it due to incivility in the workplace? These are the questions that keep on occurring.
My experience working at an institution primarily for women has sparked my curiosity and deepened my concern. I often pondered whether these departures were triggered by a sudden event or a long-standing issue that had been suppressed. This connection to the topic has driven me to delve into the reasons behind abrupt job resignations among women in public organizations and the need to understand their impact on resources, policies, etc., in higher education.
What is Workplace Incivility?
According to the research of Tolkerson, Holm, Bäckström, and Schad, numerous factors contribute to the perpetuation of workplace incivility, including the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others. Workplace incivility has been defined as “…low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others” (Torkelson et al., 2016).
In her Harvard Business Review article, Christine Porath, professor of management at Georgetown University, wrote that most leaders need to recognize tangible costs. “Through a poll of 800 managers and employees in 17 industries, we learned how people’s reactions play out.” Among workers who have been on the receiving end of incivility:
48% intentionally decreased their work effort.
47% intentionally decreased the time spent at work.
38% intentionally decreased the quality of their work.
80% lost work time worrying about the incident.
63% lost work time avoiding the offender.
66% said that their performance declined.
78% said that their commitment to the organization declined.
12% said they left their job because of the uncivil treatment.
25% admitted to taking their frustration out on customers.” (Porath & Pearson, 2013)
In a webinar on AACN, Addressing the Harmful Effects of Gaslighting in Academic Nursing, Cynthia Clark, founder of Civility Matters, Professor Emeritus at Boise State University, and award-winning professor, scholar, and author who has done extensive research on workplace incivility, discussed “Gaslighting in Academia” (Profile of Dr. Cynthia Clark). This intrigued my curiosity and inspired me to explore this topic.
What is Gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that involves making someone doubt their reality, memory, or perception. It can occur in various contexts, such as interpersonal relationships, politics, media, and workplaces. Gaslighting can have serious adverse effects on the mental health and well-being of the victims, such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, confusion, and loss of trust (Sarkis, 2018).
Gaslighting and Workplace Incivility in Higher Education
While workplace incivility is a broader term that refers to any rude, disrespectful, or aggressive behavior that violates the norms of mutual respect and professionalism, Gaslighting can be considered a specific and extreme form of workplace incivility that involves not only disrespecting or harming the target but also manipulating their sense of reality and identity (Clark, 2024). Individuals or groups can perpetrate gaslighting, which can be intentional or unintentional, depending on the motives, awareness, and power dynamics of the actors involved. Gaslighting can be manifested in various ways, such as lying, denying, withholding, trivializing, blaming, or gaslighting by proxy (Sarkis, 2018). Gaslighting can occur in multiple contexts, but it is especially harmful in the workplace, undermining employees’ trust, confidence, and performance (Clark, 2024).
In higher education, gaslighting can occur when faculty, staff, or students are subjected to subtle or overt harassment, discrimination, bullying, or abuse by their colleagues, supervisors, or peers. For example, a faculty member may be gaslighted by their administrators who constantly undermine their achievements, question their competence, or deny them opportunities for promotion or recognition. A staff member may be gaslighted by their co-workers who spread rumors, exclude them from social events, or sabotage their work. A student may be gaslighted by their instructor who belittles their contributions, ignores their requests, or grades them unfairly. These examples illustrate how gaslighting can create a hostile, toxic, and unhealthy work environment in higher education institutions (Clark, 2024).
Inefficient Workplaces
Incivility adds to faculty/administrator stress levels, erodes self-esteem, damages relationships, threatens workplace safety and quality of life, and negatively impacts faculty recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. Therefore, creating and sustaining communities of civility is imperative for all academic work environments (Clark et al., 2021). Gaslighting can have severe and lasting effects on the psychological, emotional, and physical health of the targets, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociation, chronic pain, and suicidal ideation (Stern, 2018).
Nation’s Current Workplace Landscape
According to the Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, one of the Current Priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General is “Workplace Well-Being.” The survey suggested that 76% of U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, 84% of respondents said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge, and 81% of workers reported that they would be looking for workplaces that support mental health in the future (Written Document on Workplace WellBeing.2022). To support workplace wellbeing, creating a plan with the following five essential components can help reimagine workplaces as engines of wellbeing.
The five essentials of the framework are:
Connection and Community
Opportunities for Growth (Written Document on Workplace WellBeing.2022)
Recommendations
Regular assessments are needed, and the data needs to be studied at higher educational institutions. HR, Compliance, and Ethics Policies should include examples to increase awareness of various levels of incivility. Before quitting, employees should be aware of the available options and use forums to discuss examples to be self-aware. Providing periodic surveys and reviews, updating training based on feedback and current issues for employees at higher education on HR policies, the Code of Ethics, and faculty ombudsmen can help prevent and address gaslighting and other workplace incivility.
When employees quit, it is no longer uncommon to suddenly walk out of the door without a courtesy notice period or transition report of their current responsibilities. While employers are concerned about employee performance and evaluations for merit raises, retention, etc., they should be publicly ranked based on their performance towards employees working in government and non-profit organizations. We have all heard the phrase “Treat others just as you want to be treated!”, but are we all implementing it at our workplaces?
Ranjitha Rao is the Budget/Financial Analyst Manager at the College of Nursing at Texas Woman’s University. She is dedicated to supporting academic and administrative goals through financial oversight. As an active member of the TWU Staff Council, she fosters a spirit of unified community among staff members and provides opportunities for their democratic representation. Through her involvement in the Staff Council, she promotes a positive and collaborative work environment and serves as a representative advisory member, presenting recommendations to university leadership. Ranjitha is also committed to fostering healthy workspaces, ensuring faculty, staff, and students thrive in a supportive and productive environment. Ranjitha holds a background in engineering and is currently a Ph.D. student focusing on leadership in higher education. She also holds a Master’s in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting and Management. Additionally, as an adjunct, Ranjitha has taught first-year incoming classes, focusing on curriculum and strategic success, to help students transition smoothly into their academic journeys, along with accounting and healthcare administration classes for undergraduates. Ranjitha’s research interests include competency-based education, workforce development, leadership, management, and financial well-being in higher education.In her free time, Ranjitha enjoys exploring financial trends, participating in community events, and contributing to initiatives that promote financial literacy and education.
Clark, C. M., & Fey, M. K. (2019). Fostering Civility in Learning Conversations: Introducing the PAAIL Communication Strategy.10.1097/NNE.0000000000000731
Clark, C. (2019). Combining Cognitive Rehearsal, Simulation, and Evidence-Based Scripting to Address Incivility.10.1097/NNE.0000000000000563
Clark, C. , Landis, T. & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2021). National Study on Faculty and Administrators’ Perceptions of Civility and Incivility in Nursing Education. Nurse Educator, 46 (5), 276-283. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000948
Torkelson, E., Holm, K., Bäckström, M., & Schad, E. (2016). Factors contributing to the perpetration of workplace incivility: the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others. Work & Stress, 30(2), 115-131. 10.1080/02678373.2016.1175524
Young, K. A., Hassan, S., & Hatmaker, D. M. (2021). Towards understanding workplace incivility: gender, ethical leadership and personal control. Public Management Review, 23(1), 31-52. 10.1080/14719037.2019.1665701
Texas teachers may be increasingly fed up with their job, but they’re still staying in school.
State data shows Texas public school educators continue to return to the classroom at somewhat similar rates as years past, despite multiple surveys showing the large majority of them have contemplated quitting the profession.
While teacher turnover has slightly increased over the past decade, state data show there hasn’t been a large exodus of experienced teachers. In fact, the average years of experience for Texas public school teachers hasn’t notably changed since 2014-15, nor has the share of first-year teachers hired by districts.
The numbers run counter to years of warnings that Texas teachers are primed to bolt en masse out of frustration with the job. At the same time, Texas does still face widespread issues with morale, as well as big challenges in finding certified teachers and filling several types of positions, including special education educators and bilingual teachers.
Steady hands in schools
While much has changed in Texas classrooms over the decade, students continue to be educated by mostly veteran teachers. The average tenure for Texas teachers has held steady during that stretch, ranging from 10.9 to 11.2 years of experience.
The state did see a slight dip in the share of first-year teachers — who, on average, have less positive impact on student achievement than other educators — during the late 2010s, then a slight uptick over the past few years. Still, novice teachers account for fewer than 1-in-10 Texas educators.
A small rise in turnover
Teacher turnover, a measure of how many educators don’t return to teach in the same district each year, has ticked higher since the pandemic. While it once hovered near 16 percent, it’s reached roughly 20 percent over the past two years.
Ultimately, a 4 percentage point difference equates to about 15,000 more teachers who aren’t returning to a classroom in their district. However, state data shows teachers of all experience levels are leaving at similar rates.
Still stressed
Teachers might be sticking with their jobs, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy about it.
A 2024 poll of 1,100 Texas teachers by the Charles Butt Foundation, an Austin-based education advocacy nonprofit, found nearly four-fifths of educators surveyed had seriously considered quitting the profession in the past year. Pay, quality of campus leadership and a sense of feeling valued ranked among the biggest factors in whether teachers had considered quitting.
Texas education leaders also are worried about the state’s ability to retain teachers and hire tough-to-fill positions. A state panel convened by the Texas Education Agency examined the issues and made numerous recommendations in 2023, though few of its proposals have been put into action.
