Partnerships with Noel-Levitz
to Improve Retention
International First-Year Experience Conference
Maui, 2004
Teresa Farnum, Vice President for Retention Services
Session activities
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Quick overview of Noel-Levitz
Average retention and graduation rates
Retention myths
An introductory service of Noel-Levitz: Retention
Opportunities Analysis
About Noel-Levitz
• Largest higher education consulting firm in North
America; our consultants have worked directly with more
than 1,700 colleges and universities
• More than 85 full-time staff and 60 associates work from
corporate offices in
– Guelph, Ontario
– Iowa City, IA
– Denver, CO
(Also remote offices in CA, MA, and OH)
• Full-time enrollment consulting staff possesses over 500
years of combined consulting and campus-based
experience
About Noel-Levitz: Retention
• Retention consultants (we have more than 20) are
change agents and work directly with faculty and the
entire community
• Most common and important service is the facilitation of
the creation and implementation of a Retention Plan
– Measurable goals
– Strategies to attain the goals
– Action plans to ensure progress (timelines,
responsibility, assessment, etc.)
• Average increase in first-to-second year retention of
client institutions, who retain our services in an ongoing
year-long relationship, is five percentage points in the
first year
Retention and Graduation
Rates
What can we expect?
Types of Preparedness (ACT)
First-to-second year retention:
Public Institutions (ACT, 2003)
First-time, full-time, degree seeking
Graduation rates: Public
Institutions (ACT, 2003)
* Three years for an AA, five years BA
First-to-second year retention:
Private Institutions (ACT, 2003)
First-time, full-time degree seeking
Graduation rates: Private
Institutions (ACT, 2003)
* Three years for an AA, Five years BA
Distribution of dropout proneness
Influence
Will drop out
no matter what
you do
Will persist no
matter what
you do
C
A
B
This is an area in which
students can be influenced.
Let’s talk about retention
myths
Retention myths that may
block efforts
• Retention will improve without changing our behavior
• Retention means lowering standards
• Finances and “personal” are sole reasons students drop
out
• Students bring a cogent map for success to campus
What students tell us they feel during
first year or after a long stopout
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anxious
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confused
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uncertain
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lost
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insecure
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easily distracted
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underprepared
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terrified
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overwhelmed
…they don’t know where or how to start activating
their expectations
Retention myths that may
block efforts
• “Quick fix” strategies are effective
Retention myths that may
block efforts
• Efforts are primarily remedial in character
• Dropouts are flunkouts
First-year college GPA earned by
nearly 1,500 dropouts at 46
institutions
GPA
<2.00
2.00 - 2.49
2.50 - 2.99
3.00 - 4.00
Dropouts
689
248
256
300
Percent %
46.1
16.6
17.1
20.1
Retention myths that may
block efforts
• Students are not customers
Are students customers?
Ways the answer is “NO!”
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They are not always right.
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They are not “buying” a diploma.
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They have a larger responsibility than just paying money
for a product or service.
An analogy: the customer who
joins a health club to get into
shape
Are Students Customers?
YES! They are paying for
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Service
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Advice
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Assistance in Learning
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Guidance
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Our Knowledge and Wisdom
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Encouragement
Retention myths frequently
believed by faculty
And last, but not least, the attitude that
retention is not my job!
Retention Services
Getting Started with Noel-Levitz
Retention Opportunities Analysis ™
Retention Opportunities
Analysis: Steps
1. Administer Student Satisfaction Inventory™
Student Satisfaction
Inventory™
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Importance scores
How important is it that this expectation is met?
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Satisfaction scores
How satisfied are you that this expectation is being met
on this campus?
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Performance gap scores
The discrepancy between the expectation (importance
score) and the reality (satisfaction score)
Surveys
• Student Satisfaction Inventory
– Two-year
– Four-year
– Adult
– Paper/pencil
– Online versions
– Canadian versions
– Opportunity to insert 10 local items
– Comparison to national results
• Institutional Priorities Survey
– Parallels the SSI
SSI Categories
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Academic Advising
Campus Climate
Academic Services
Campus Support Services
Concern for the Individual
Instructional Effectiveness
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Recruitment and Financial
Aid
Registration Effectiveness
Safety and Security
Student Centeredness
Service Excellence
SSI national data sets – April
2004
• Four-year private institutions:
– 263,026 students from 365 institutions
• Four-year public institutions:
– 95,469 students from 106 institutions
• Community, junior, and technical colleges:
– 240,204 students from 272 institutions
• Two-year career and private schools:
– 35,816 students from 65 institutions
An Exercise
What’s important to students?
Retention Opportunities
Analysis: Steps
2. Send material about your campus to your
consultant prior to campus visit to ensure
“hitting the ground running”
Examples of Requested
Materials
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Completed Retention Fact Finder (blank provided)
Enrollment data from the past three years
Academic and demographic profile of student body
Short/long-term planning goals
Enrollment projections
Faculty/staff attitude surveys and reports
Administrative organizational charts
Any other documents or reports that will provide
insights about strengths, opportunities or
controversial issues on your campus
Retention Opportunities
Analysis: Steps
3. Facilitate an on-site schedule of meetings
with faculty, administrators, and students
Day One: Morning
7:30 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
Campus Contact
President
Cabinet/Senior Staff
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Student Life Staff
Faculty Focus Group
Lunch with Retention Committee
Day One: Afternoon
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Student Focus Group
Deans and Department Chairs
Staff Focus Group
Advising Staff
Registrar, Billing, Financial Aid Offices
Day Two
9:00 a.m.
10:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
Exit Briefing with Cabinet
Partnership possibilities
Depart
Retention Opportunities
Analysis: Steps
4. Receive written executive summary and
proposal
Deliverables
• 300 Student Satisfaction Inventories
– Forty+ page report on the results
– Analysis of strengths and challenges
• PowerPoint Presentation
– Observed strengths and challenges
– Realistic retention goals
– Top five recommendations for the greatest impact on
retention and completion rates
• Written Summary/Proposal for a Retention Partnership
– Summary of recommendations
– Proposed services tailored to the findings
Some Possible Partnership
Components
• Ongoing retention consulting
– Create and implement a retention plan
– Mobilize the entire community, including faculty
• ForecastPlus for Retention™: Predictive Modeling
• Academic Advising for Student Success and Retention™
– Video-based training program
– Training workshop
• Connections ™: Quality Service Training
– Video-based training program
– Training workshop
Some Possible Partnership
Components
• Retention Management System™: Early-Alert and
Intervention Program
• Advising Audit
• Quality Service Audit
• Marketing/Recruitment Opportunities Analysis
• And…Enablearning: a service to improve success rates
in mathematics that costs the campus almost nothing
Advising and Retention
Opportunities Analysis
• Similar, but focus is on advising effectiveness, as well as
other institutional successes and challenges in a retention
initiative
Fee is $4,500 plus actual
travel expenses
International FYE Conference Special
for Participants: $3,500
What’s important to students?
Four-year US institutions
• The content of the courses in my major is valuable.
• The quality of instruction is excellent.
• I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts.
• Faculty are knowledgeable in their fields.
• My academic advisor knows the requirements in my
major.
What’s Important to Students
at Two-year Institutions?
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Classes are scheduled at times that are convenient for me.
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The quality of instruction in most of my classes is excellent.
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I am able to register for classes with few conflicts.
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Nearly all faculty are knowledgeable in their field.
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There is a good variety of courses provided on this campus.
4-year private – top five
Strengths
• Content of courses within my
major is valuable
• Instruction in the major field is
excellent
• Nearly all faculty are
knowledgeable
• Quality of instruction is
excellent
• Advisor is knowledgeable
about requirements
Challenges
• Able to register for classes
with few conflicts
• Tuition paid is a worthwhile
investment
• Adequate financial aid is
available
• Faculty fair/unbiased
• Good variety of courses
provided
4-year public – top five
Strengths
• Content of courses within my
major is valuable
• Instruction in the major field is
excellent
• Nearly all faculty are
knowledgeable
• Advisor is knowledgeable
about requirements
• Quality of instruction is
excellent
Challenges
• Able to register for classes
with few conflicts
• Tuition paid is a worthwhile
investment
• Faculty fair/unbiased
• Amount of student parking
• Adequate financial aid is
available
Community college – top five
Strengths
• Quality of instruction is
excellent
• Nearly all faculty are
knowledgeable
• Good variety of courses
• Able to experience intellectual
growth here
• Campus is safe and secure
Challenges
• Classes are scheduled at
convenient times
• Able to register for classes
with few conflicts
• Advisor knowledgeable about
program requirements
• Amount of student parking
• Adequate financial aid is
available
You are invited to a special discussion and
reception for educators concerned about
attrition resulting from "killer courses"—
specifically, Algebra and developmental
math.
Time: Wednesday, June 16,
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Place: Harpoon Room
Mezzanine, Beach Tower
Join me for wine, cheese,
5161 East Arapahoe Road
Suite 100
Littleton CO 80122-2383
P. Teresa Farnum
Vice President for Retention Services
800-628-7216 • FAX 303-741-5620
[email protected]
www.noellevitz.com