This alignment is all but impossible through annual student surveys, historical enrollment trends or registrar assumptions gleaned from declared majors. When students have mobile-first tools with which to build their ideal course schedules and navigate registration requirements, the result is a more intuitive, user-centric registration experience for students—and real-time data for registrars.
That real-time resource alignment extends to academic advising as well. At Tallahassee Community College (TCC), students easily book academic advising appointments through the school’s mobile-first platform. Leaders tap the platform’s reporting and analytics tools to understand why they’re making these appointments. If data analytics reveals that students tend to reach out to advisers at a particular inflection point in their academic journey, for instance, the institution may proactively roll out question-and-answer workshops to address that need at scale and for even those students who might be hesitant to seek support.
3. Nurture a culture of belonging
Recent research makes clear that students who have a stronger sense of belonging at their institutions have higher levels of academic engagement and achievement—and are less likely to leave before completing their studies. That’s particularly true for students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds and communities of color.
With a deeper understanding of who their students are, institutions can develop an authentic culture of belonging and inclusion. A unified student information platform can indicate each student’s pronouns and name pronunciation, so that everyone on campus—students, faculty, and staff—knows the correct way to address and refer to everyone else. With this insight, institutions include and welcome students with each interaction.
Comprehensive data also enables institutions to slice and dice their student population by cohorts—a powerful tool for targeted outreach and retention initiatives. Consider, for example, that first-generation college students account for more than 40 percent of entering students but complete college at lower rates than their peers. Aware of this challenge, North Central College developed a targeted program for first-generation students that offers mentorship from first-gen faculty and staff as well as workshops on topics such as decoding campus terminology.
4. Get (even more) proactive with support
Many schools attempt to spot students at risk for dropping out using only one or two variables, such as low attendance and poor grades. But those lagging indicators may mean interventions come too late and many at-risk students get overlooked. Real-time, comprehensive student data can help identify additional segments for earlier outreach.
California College of the Arts blended student data with its learning management system data to create a risk profile for every student. Those risk profiles inform strategies developed by its student success teams. Robust data and powerful analytics also allowed Georgia State University to proactively mine its financial databases to determine which students needed financial help—a data-driven move that allowed them to ultimately make 70,000 aid payments.
Student retention isn’t determined only by the value of an institution’s educational offerings. From campus culture to the ease of enrollment, higher education institutions can improve nearly every element of the student experience—and address problems that threaten to derail students’ education—with data-driven strategies and a willingness to evolve alongside their student populations.
Michael Hofherr, General Manager, Student, Workday, joined Workday in September 2022, bringing with him more than 20 years of Higher Education experience.
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