Provide students with an opportunity to exchange phone numbers for support .

Planning your orientation content should reinforce the student's decision to attend your institution.

Building a program to ensure a smooth "hand off" from Admissions to Faculty is a critical component of student retention. We must remember that every student that enrolled, did so because they are not happy with current position in life.

Student retention involves the input of multiple entities within the organization.

Creating a positive learning environment is key to managing your classroom. Without positive reinforcement students will avoid attending class and feel like their goals are not supported. I will apply the WIFFM - what in it for me when it comes to my students. I already had this approach, but defining it in this way helps to develop an even better approach for my students. 

I really love HABE's and how it can help students create a proper approach for success in the educational journey. HABE's allows educators to connect with students by not only setting goals, but sharing our personal journey so that students can relate and connect on a different level. Educators should always understand that students are our customers, and we should always communicate clearly with a positive vision in mind.

Overall in academics it is vitally important to personally know your students and identify issues as the arise. If a student is absent from class, it takes the academic team to recognize their absence and reaching out to let the student know they have support for their academic success. Once a students know that someone cares if they are present, they will feel that they belong and will try their best to succeed which will overall increase retention.  

Be flexible. Today's students come with challenges but they also come with experience from those challenges. Do not look at these students as AT-Risk. Look at them as a diverse perspective to add to the classroom. 

Some fields like Nursing know how to take on that mentorship role from student all the way to the job. We should learn from Healthcare. 

I like the definition of retention being equal to "Perceived" Value/ Cost. 

Retention = Perceived Value/Cost. Perception is a big component of value.