Second-Year Retention: Challenges, Programming & Assessment

Description  Challenge - Supporting and retaining sophomores It can be a challenge to find the time, resources and techniques to retain sophomore students as so much of our attention is spent on first-year retention initiatives. What strategies can campuses employ to increase sophomore retention by engaging students across the domains of learning, purpose, and connection? What assessment approaches yield the most robust data? Key Takeaway Increasing sophomore retention requires intentionality across three domains vital to sophomore success – learning, purpose, and connection. Webinar participants will access programs and assessment strategies applicable to their campuses that directly address each domain. Overview Retention and completion initiatives often focus on students in the first year, and rightly so. The first year is certainly a point of maximum impact for retention programming. However, enhancing retention beyond the first year also presents a significant opportunity to maximize overall student success. Sophomore students present unique opportunities for campuses interested in enhancing their approaches to supporting students across the academic lifecycle beyond retention toward completion. This webinar focuses on how retention theory applies to sophomores and on effective ways to organize and deliver effective sophomore-focused retention programs. Participants will gain insights into how to integrate a sophomore emphasis into their overall student success efforts. Objectives Learn how retention theory applies to students in the sophomore year Discover common obstacles to sophomore student success Explore ways to organize sophomore retention efforts Examine examples of sophomore retention programs Discuss assessment strategies Who Should Attend Academic Affairs Student Services/Affairs Retention Specialists Enrollment Management Advising & Counseling Institutional Research Any educator interested in learning more about retention theory & sophomore retention