Dive Brief:
- As colleges and universities spend more time and money committing to student success, five key strategies can be highlighted for their promise of results.
- University Business reports using data analytics to tailor student support, offering accelerated degree programs, and finding ways to personalize big campuses with close attention on individual students could see more widespread adoption across higher education.
- Colleges are also paying more attention to at-risk groups early, offering peer mentoring and targeted advising to keep them on track, and some are hiring bilingual support staff members or developing bilingual programs to encourage student identity and prepare students for certain careers.
Dive Insight:
A majority of all states now factor student success into allocation of education dollars. It is no longer good enough to attract a large number of students to a college or university. These institutions must prove they are helping students succeed. A forthcoming report from the Aspen Institute, Columbia University’s Teachers College, and Public Agenda points to the lack of attention on transfer students as a contributor to higher education’s equity problem. The institutions plan to push four-year colleges, especially, to better recruit transfer students and support them once they make it to campus. This focus could help colleges struggling with enrollment tap into a waiting population and boost retention rates.