Retention

Fulfilling Lives. Meaningful Work. Responsible Citizenship.

These are the hallmarks of the mission of the University of Mount Union, and everyone who works here strives to help students reach these goals by supporting their success during their time at the university. Student success, in all of its manifestations and facets, is really what we are all working toward, including persistence, retention, and graduation.

To that end, a University Retention Committee has been created to focus on the implementation of the University Retention Plan. This group works the retention plan itself, assesses progress on goals, updates the plan as necessary, and works to communicate with the UMU community about student success and retention.

To learn more about the work toward increased Student Success and Retention, visit our Student Success and Retention Hub*!

*Requires access to Mount Union's student, faculty, and staff portal

Student Success and Retention Resources

View the retention postcard here.

Student Success and Retention Postcard

Barriers of Success

There is an increasing number of students who do not purchase textbooks or other course materials because of financial strain, despite knowing that there may be (and often is) a detrimental effect in their grades. (VitalSource, 2017; Senack, 2014)

• Faculty: Find out EARLY if students have the materials needed for your class AND check back in to make sure they’ve resolved this situation.

• Check out the Student Success and Retention site for more information about the financial help students can get with books and more!

Building Relationships

Building relationships that enable students to access support and feel as though they matter can be critical to persistence. (Schlossberg, 1989; Tinto, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Kuh et al., 2005; Johnson, 2007).

• Talk to students. building relationships are key, so whether a student is struggling, thinking of leaving, needing resources, or just seems a bit “off” since you last talked to them, reach out! Reach out, offer help, invite them to your office hours, or refer them to campus resources - Even a small interaction can make all the difference!

• Faculty: Check in with your advisees, especially when you see a Starfish flag is raised for them. Make sure they are accessing the resources that can help them reach success!

Early Identification

Early identification of students who are struggling, and the interventions that should follow, have important positive impacts on student success. (Kuh et al, 2005; Cuseo)

• All of us have relationships with students - when you see them struggling, tell someone! Bring them to the Center for Student Success or Student Affairs to get them connected to resources.

• Faculty: Ensure students know how they are doing in your course, especially early in the semester, by:

• Submit the student confirmation report in the first two weeks of the semester

• Log into Starfish to raise flags or give students kudos

• Complete the four-week progress surveys

• Submit midterm grades

Resources

Schlossberg, N. K. (1989). Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community. New Directions for Student Services 1989(48), 5-15.
Tinto, V. (1993) Leaving College: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, 2nd(ed.), Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Pascarella, E.T. & Terenzini, P.T. (2005) How college affects students: A third decade of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kuh, G.D., et al. (2005). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Johnson, W.B. (2007). On being a mentor: A guide for higher education faculty. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Cuseo, J. (n.d.2.). “Red flags”: Behavioral indicators of potential student attrition. Retrieved from https://www.uwc.edu/sites/uwc.edu/files/imce-uploads/employees/academic-resources/esfy/_files/red_flags-behavioral_indicators_of_potential_student_attrition.pdf.
VitalSource. (2017). The rising cost of college: Solving the student textbook problem. Retrieved from: Vital Source https://get.vitalsource.com/hubfs/Content/2017%20Wakefield/2017/Paper_The%20Rising%20Cost%20of%20College_Solving%20the%20Student%20Textbook%20Problem%20.pdf?hsCtaTracking=3c210ebe-9d83-4e24-b88d-df4804e04099%7C427041cf-1278-4861-aefc-2e1085365667.
Senack, E. (2014). Fixing the broken textbook marker: How students respond to high textbook costs and demand alternatives. Retrieved from United State Public Interest Research Group https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/NATIONAL%20Fixing%20Broken%20Textbooks%20Report1.pdf.