SUCCESS STORY
How Harris-Stowe State
University implemented
a sustainable retention
strategy
A Commitment to Student Success
In an era of shrinking resources and growing
competition, ensuring that students remain enrolled
and ultimately graduate has become a crucial
goal for institutions of higher education. So when
Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) recognized
that its student retention metrics were falling short,
the University launched an initiative to develop a
sustainable retention strategy—one that would help
HSSU better support its commitment to student success.
Located in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, HarrisStowe State University is one of Missouri’s oldest public
institutions of higher learning. During its first 135 years,
the school specialized in the preparation of elementary
school teachers. Today the University offers bachelor
degree programs in a range of fields and proudly claims
thousands of graduates who have become leaders in
many professions, including teaching, law, business, the
military (graduates include four-star generals), medicine,
and government.
A Holistic Approach to Student Success
As the University leadership considered their options
for a stronger retention strategy, technology was
always part of the plan. HSSU had experienced minimal
success with its existing retention technology. University
leaders knew they needed an early warning system
that would consider multiple attrition factors beyond
academic performance alone. When the University
began investigating new ways of using technology in
2010, they were determined to find not just an effective
early warning system, but a reliable, holistic approach to
support student success at HSSU.
Harris-Stowe chose Jenzabar® Retention to help them
identify key indicators of student success specific to the
University—not just academic experience—and support
the implementation of a long-term retention strategy.
The Jenzabar solution includes software for retention
modeling and intervention tracking, as well as consulting
on retention best
practices. HSSU also
partnered with Jenzabar for
customized Project Management Services, both onsite
and remotely, to maximize and protect their technology
investment for the long term.
Insight into Student Persistence
“During a meeting with the Jenzabar team, it became
clear that a powerful solution was at hand in Jenzabar
Retention,” says James Fogt, Director of Information
Technology at Harris-Stowe. “Our leadership quickly
realized that not only would Jenzabar’s retention solution
give them the comprehensive insight needed to focus
their retention efforts and improve student persistence,
but that data generated from the system would also have
practical applications in the University’s assessment and
accreditation efforts.”
Jenzabar Retention was designed to help colleges and
universities identify common characteristics among
students who leave the institution, determine key
factors that help predict student attrition, identify at-risk
students, and develop effective intervention strategies.
By leveraging data from across the institution’s various
information systems, Jenzabar Retention provides a
comprehensive view of the factors that impact student
retention. Campus personnel can monitor at-risk
situations online through Jenzabar’s Internet Campus
continued on back
Solution (JICS), tracking changes in student behavior and
viewing complete audit trails of completed intervention
measures.
Implementation and Beyond
Understanding that software implementation and business
process improvements require significant time, effort, and
commitment, the University engaged Jenzabar Project
Management Services to spearhead the project. The
Jenzabar team worked with HSSU to align institutional
strategies and goals with project tasks, ensuring that the
right tasks were addressed at the right time to meet the
needs of the entire campus community. As a result, the
University has undertaken this important initiative with
confidence that every milestone will be met along the
way to a successful implementation.
“During a meeting with
the Jenzabar team, it became
clear that a powerful solution
was at hand in Jenzabar Retention.”
James Fogt
Director of IT
Harris-Stowe State University
Jenzabar, Inc.
Jenzabar is a leading provider of enterprise software, strategies, and services developed exclusively for
higher education. Our integrated, innovative solutions advance the goals of academic and administrative
offices across the campus and throughout the student lifecycle. Jenzabar’s mission is to maximize our clients’
success. Our award-winning software and experienced professionals provide our clients the tools and
resources they need to thrive. As a trusted partner on more than 1,000 campuses worldwide, Jenzabar has
over four decades of experience supporting the higher education community.
©2013 Jenzabar, Inc. All rights reserved. Jenzabar® is a registered trademarks of Jenzabar, Inc. The Jenzabar logo is a trademark of Jenzabar, Inc.
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