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.

We created a variety of unique initiatives and programming specific to our second-year students. By specifically addressing the sophomore slump and its challenges, we try to demonstrate that we understand and care about the difficulties students may encounter during their second year. This validation can create a sense of belonging and support, reducing the likelihood of students feeling overwhelmed or isolated.

Students are always looking for discounts and deals to save money. Additionally, community businesses are always looking for ways to attract more customers. Given these two realities, creating a community coupons, deals, and discount packet (or website) and giving it to all incoming and returning students can be a great way to help students save money and drive more customers to local businesses. This initiative is also a great way to build partnerships with the community and foster a greater sense of community among students.

Most institutions explore why students have left the institution, which is indeed extremely important data to have. But how often do we explore why students return to the institution? What is it that makes them come back semester after semester? We found that this data can be just as valuable as why students leave.

Aaron Basko from the University of Lynchburg joins co-hosts Jared Tippets and Eric Kirby to share his deep knowledge, wisdom, and insights on how campuses can increase their retention and student success efforts!

Aaron Basko is currently the Vice President of Enrollment and University Outreach at the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, VA. He has more than 25 years of experience serving as an enrollment growth specialist and student success strategist. He is the author of seven books, including Find Your Purpose, Manage Your Career and How to Impress U.S. Universities, and has written for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, University Business, The Times Higher Education, and The Journal of College Admissions. He is also a 2015 Fulbright grant winner.

Another nudge we have utilized, primarily to help get students registered for the next semester, is to have the university president send an email to all students who haven’t registered past a certain date to see what can be done to get the student back. An email from the university president can be a powerful tool for encouraging students to register for classes. The university president holds a position of authority and influence, and their communication can carry significant weight. In drafting this nudge, make sure you find a way to address students by their names or use a personal salutation to make the email feel more individualized. Next, craft an engaging and relevant subject line that piques students' interest and communicates the importance of the email. For example, “Important: Register for Classes Now to Secure Your Spot.” Throughout the text of the email, make sure it has a warm and welcoming tone to establish a connection with students. Expressing the president's excitement for the upcoming semester and their commitment to students' success is also important. With these types of nudges, it is vital to create a sense of urgency by mentioning registration deadlines or the limited availability of certain classes. Address common concerns students might have, such as financial issues or course availability, offer potential solutions or resources, and mention the availability of academic advisors or registration assistance if students have questions or need guidance.

As you might imagine, this nudge can generate a significant number of responses back to the president. We work closely with her team to alleviate the work that this nudge creates. We help write all the responses back to students so she doesn’t have to. And, the most common response we send is something along the lines of, “Thanks for your good questions (or comments). I’m going to connect you to my friends/colleagues in Academic Advising who will be able to directly assist you. I will make sure they reach out to you very soon. And, if you still have other questions (or comments) please don’t hesitate to reach back out to me directly and I’ll continue to help out however I can.”

We find that we get a bump in course registrations every semester after the nudge email goes out from our president. For whatever reason, these students that we have not been able to reach through our traditional outreach efforts from academic advisors, faculty, peer mentors, and others will be responsive to an email from the university president.