Linking Relationships to Retention | Origin: EL201
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Online Communication: Engaging and Retaining Online Learners --> Linking Relationships to Retention
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
This module has helped me better understand the importance of students feeling welcomed and understood by the staff when trying to continue their education. Only they know how difficult their journey has been. Empathy plays a very important role and we should practice it.
I’ve learned a few things, but mainly the importance of my role as a instructor in relation to student rentention.
I learned in this module how working alliances work and how to utilize them by holding students and staff accountable which builds respectful and trusting bonds.
This module reinforced the importance of maintaining a positive campus climate, fostering strong student-faculty relationships, and understanding the role that institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement play in student success. I gained a greater appreciation for how collaboration, communication, and student support contribute to both academic achievement and a positive learning environment.
I intend to apply what I learned by continuing to engage students proactively, providing timely support and feedback, and promoting open communication within the classroom. Additionally, I will remain committed to institutional policies and best practices that support student success, program quality, and a culture of continuous improvement.
I feel like keeping communication open is the most important so that students know they can reach out to me as needed and aren't afraid to let me know what is going on, when I notice an absence I reach out and make sure they know we are here to help.
One of my biggest takeaways from this module is that student retention is not solely determined by individual student characteristics or circumstances. Institutional behaviors, campus climate, and the quality of relationships between students and institutional personnel play an equally important role. I particularly appreciated Vincent Tinto's emphasis on institutional responsibility for student retention and the concept of the working alliance as a foundation for meaningful student engagement.
In my role overseeing academic support services and student success programs at a California community college, I see how relationships influence students' academic experiences and decisions to persist. Through our tutoring programs, peer academic mentoring, and specialized initiatives supporting STEM students and adult learners, we intentionally create opportunities for students to develop meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and their peers. Our program outcomes consistently demonstrate stronger course success rates among students who participate in academic support services, reinforcing the value of building supportive educational environments.
I also appreciated Carl Rogers' three conditions for establishing strong working alliances: genuineness, accurate empathy, and unconditional positive regard. These principles resonate with my approach to student success because effective support requires more than simply providing information or responding to requests. It involves understanding students' experiences, establishing trust, collaboratively identifying goals, and maintaining accountability while demonstrating care and respect.
Another important takeaway was the distinction between a customer service approach and a helping profession approach. In higher education, our responsibility is not necessarily to provide students with everything they request, but to help them develop the skills, confidence, and independence necessary to achieve their educational goals. This sometimes requires difficult conversations, setting expectations, and helping students navigate challenges rather than removing every obstacle for them.
As I continue developing my online teaching practices, I intend to apply these concepts through proactive communication, personalized outreach, timely feedback, and intentional relationship-building throughout the semester. I want students to know how to contact me, what they can expect from our interactions, and that their success matters. I also plan to incorporate regular check-ins and opportunities for students to share their experiences so I can better understand their needs before challenges become barriers to persistence.
Ultimately, this module reinforced that retention is not simply about implementing programs or interventions. It is about creating an institutional culture where students feel seen, respected, supported, and connected. Whether students engage with us in person or online, the relationships we establish can significantly influence their sense of belonging, motivation, and willingness to continue their educational journey.
Engage in conversations with students.
I can create a trusting mutual respectful relationship with the student to help them feel confident and supported.
I have learned quite a bit from this module so far! I always thought that in-person education far exceeded online education, but the students rank it as the same or even better. I also had no idea that attrition loss resulted in so much financial decline when it comes to Cosmetology schools. Creating a safe and engaging space keeps employees and students wanting to return and even finish the course!
One thing I took away is that building meaningful, professional relationships with students plays a vital role in retention. These connections foster trust, encourage engagement, and help students feel supported throughout their learning journey.
Consistent communication is a major necessity when working with students
Active communication and collaboration are critical to the learning environment.
One thing I learned is there lies a link between establishing a relationships and student retention.
Establishing professional relationships is paramount and has many benefits.
This is fascinating research that quality faculty-student alliances impact retention rates. In my own college experiences, there was hardly a moment that I encountered faculty members who had a positive or interested approach toward students. It seemed they valued being aloof and disinterested. Perhaps they even thought insulting and disparaging students would motivate them to try harder, and their view of retention responsibility seemed to rest all on the shoulders of the student. How far we have come as an academic community in researching better and evidence-based ways.
I have learned about the importance of alliances for retention. Students need to feel a sense of belonging both inside and outside of the classroom. I was surprised by the degree to which belonging factored into retention rates. I intend to work on getting better at responding to emails. Since this is one of my three jobs, I find that I often neglect my emails
I have learned that alliances with personnel are important because we can learn from our peers as well. It’s important for students to see personnel engaging and working as a team. Encouraging students to achieve their goals, mentoring, and leading by example is the key to success.
Retention and engagement are greatly impacted by campus culture and having true meaningful alliances.
This content was very relatable, and I like how it was a blueprint and gave examples of how I could achieve having a better relationship with my students
There are many factors in which may affect the student retention. Whether it's from individual, external, and or institutional factors. It is also important to create an encouraging and supportive environment for students.
