Building a foundation of encouragement, trust, and a safe space helps students feel less stressed about handling personal matters alone. This makes them more likely to share their thoughts and concerns, fostering stronger bonds and reducing the likelihood of withdrawal.

Students need to feel that they can trust staff, and staff must stay attentive to any signs of doubt or emerging issues. By doing so, advisors can build meaningful relationships where students feel safe sharing their thoughts and problems, allowing support to be offered in a timely and flexible way.

As staff, it’s important to build committed one-on-one relationships with students to recognize shifts in their stressors and guide them in decision-making, while remembering why they began their journey. All students, regardless of academic standing, benefit from timely support and a safe space where they feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Retention is everyone’s responsibility, and as a team we must consistently support our students; whether they are thriving or facing challenges.