As we all know, many students start school to get a bachelor’s degree. However, as life happens, that dream can get interrupted for many students. We found that by using information gathered by our withdrawal coordinator and academic advisors, we could identify students who might be considering leaving our institution, but who are close to getting an associate's degree. Nudging them to finish their associate's degree, even though getting a bachelor's degree was their original goal, helps ensure they do not walk away from our institution empty-handed. To do this nudge, we first identified our target students. We then provided personalized outreach to these students to let them know how close they are and what needs to occur to finish up their associate's degree. During this process, academic plans should be created that are tailored to each student's unique situation, focusing on the specific courses they need to complete. Also, discovering what their current barriers are (and what can be done to remove these barriers) is critical. For example, advisors can assess the financial situation of each student and provide information about available financial aid or scholarship opportunities to ease any financial burdens that might be preventing them from graduating. Another important part is ensuring that the students have access to the necessary courses to complete their degree. The advisors need to be knowledgeable of various resources so they can connect students with relevant support services, such as tutoring, counseling, or career services, as needed.

In many regards, parents are often considered the front line of defense for the retention of college students due to their significant influence and role in a student's life, especially during the critical transition to college and as issues along the journey arise. Given this, we have found that providing information and support to parents via social media can play a significant role in increasing the retention of our college students.

‘Sophomore slump’ is a term often used to describe a decrease in excitement, engagement, and overall drive that can occur after the initial excitement of the first year has passed. We know from the literature and from many years of experience that sophomore students often face a period of academic, personal, or motivational decline during their second year of college. It is important to normalize the emotions, experiences, and realities students may face in their second year. Anecdotally, we have seen that many of our students struggle with the sophomore slump, but most don’t know what to call it or fully understand what is going on.