1. Finding balance between professionalism and
genuine student connections to promote retention
Walden University
Dr. Paula Porter
Foundations of Research
EDUC-6125
By: Janice Horoschak
February 20, 2013

2. Retention expectations for educational
institutions are a very serious matter
Problem Statement:
What type of training can be developed and implemented within
online and traditional higher education institutions refine their
student-centered focus that will lead to greater retention within
the university based upon offering them a quality education and
communicative support services within the university?

3. Retention expectations for educational
institutions are a very serious matter
Problem Statement:
What type of training can be developed and implemented within
online and traditional higher education institutions refine their
student-centered focus that will lead to greater retention within
the university based upon offering them a quality education and
communicative support services within the university?
 What communication strategies can be utilized to create a transparent and
student-centered experience?
 What communication tools can be used within the educational institution that
will lead to higher retention rates?

4. Retention expectations for educational
institutions are a very serious matter
Low
Retention

5. Low
Retention
 Loss of funding from government
and private sources
 Questions of credibility of
education that is being delivered
 Lower student desire to attend the
college
 Job security concerns based on
low student enrollment and
possible closing of educational
institution

6. Real World Scenario

7. Students have higher retention success when…
• They feel like they are part of a community
• Instructors desire to interact more than via email and during class
(face to face and/or phone conversations)
• They have engaging classes with quality content
(multi-faceted class experience)
• The focus is on their learning not the university
(learner-centered or student-centered not university-centered)
• More support through their total life-cycle as a student
(during recruitment, Financial Aid process, during classes, etc.)

8. Students have higher retention success when…

9. Design an online and instructor-led training for each
department on proactive communication, relationship-
building, and their contribution to student success and
retention.
•The rational for proposing this training is to make departments sensitive to the
student’s needs and concerns of their school and personal struggles that they
face.
•Employees are trained on their specific careers but never on the
communication and relationships they are building and need to build with
student interaction.

10. Initiate a round table discussion of faculty, staff, administration, various student-
employees and students to gauge the morale, mission of the high education
institution, and internal issues that the educational institution challenges.
Team up with an educational psychologist specializing in higher education and
Academic Advisors from the university to gain information about specific potential
and identifiable issues that affect student retention.
Once training is completed, administer to test group of key players from various
verticals of the educational institution and attain feedback to refine courses for the
entire educational institution.
Roll out online training and instructor-led training:
Make it mandatory for all employees.
Have department heads promote positivity of training.
Online training should be completed prior to attending instructor-led training.
Attendees have the ability to choose from various times and days within a two
week period to complete instructor-led training.

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