Challenging Aspirational Retention Strategies: Let’s Focus on the Students We Have

John W. Dysart
President
The Dysart Group, Inc.

Retention is an important topic for every college and university. It is a subject we have been actively talking about for nearly fifty years. Committees have been formed, data has been collected and surveys have been conducted. Meetings have been held, papers have been written, strategic initiatives undertaken and personnel have been hired to specifically focus on retention. Yet, for many colleges and universities, little or no progress has been made and it can be extremely frustrating.

Some administrators and leaders are now seeking retention solutions by trying to change the profile of newly enrolled students. Many enrollment managers are charged with the dictate to recruit higher ability students, students with greater ability to pay and students from families with more experience in higher education. Well, we would all like that!

It would be unfortunate, however, for institutions to lose sight of mission. It would be a shame if such an approach to retention lessened national student access to higher education. For some schools, it is time to embrace their historic student population and find better ways to enhance persistence and graduation rates for these students. It is by no means an easy task and might require brand new thinking on the topic and a willingness to try innovative approaches.

Colleges and universities who recruit and enroll at-risk students have an obligation to take extraordinary measures to help these students succeed.