Retention Strategies
Retention Strategies and Initiatives
In order for Rider to successfully implement an Enrollment Management University-wide approach, the University must address the attrition issues within the freshman class. Retention issues are addressed by Enrollment Management by defining and addressing three areas of concern that will help in charting the best course for improvements in student/community satisfaction and developing the University Retention Plan.
The three questions that continually need to be addressed are:
- Is Rider University accepting students who will enroll – or is Rider University accepting students who will graduate?
- Have we created a supportive, actively engaged academic environment?
- What have we done to create a community outside the classroom?
Throughout the Strategic Planning process, Enrollment Management considers ways in which the University needs to engage in a dialogue, pursue additional data, and create objectives and action strategies that help improve the institution’s retention by a measurable result over the next five years. The action strategies assessed on an ongoing basis by Enrollment Management. The measurable result should realize a .5% to 1% increase each year. Retention strategists state that an increase beyond 1% in a year is difficult to attain. Enrollment Management, in coordination with the Office of the Provost and Dean of Students, established a small, focused working group to overview and implement a successful retention plan as outlined by the University Strategic Agenda.
Some retention strategies and initiatives are outlined below.
Rider Achievement Program (RAP)
Enrollment Management Meetings with Department Chairs
In an effort to explore the question “Is Rider University accepting the students who have the ability to be successful in the institution?”, the Office of Undergraduate Admission, under the direction of the Dean of Enrollment, will continue to explore historical persistence rates of students according to admission criteria and develop a two-year plan that to move Rider University towards an acceptance process that accepts students who will most likely be retained to the point of graduation. The plan and strategies are continually revisited adjustments may be made based on application trends and other data as we move through the admission cycle.
The University has also partnered with Noel Levitz to build a net tuition revenue model. The model allows the University to strategically award financial aid based upon academic criteria, financial need, tuition discounting goals, and within the institutional budget constraints.
In an effort to increase freshman to sophomore year retention rates, and keep attendance at a private University affordable, Rider University has announced The Rider Advantage.
The Rider Advantage rewards academic performance and student leadership. First-time, full-time freshmen who begin their studies in the 2005-2006 academic year are eligible if they achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of the freshman year and they demonstrate leadership qualities.
The Rider Advantage is an incentive grant that helps to bridge the tuition gap between the first and second years of college, when families have the most difficult time adjusting to college expenses and tuition increases.
Eligible students will receive a grant that matches the tuition increase experienced between the freshman and sophomore years. Subject to the students’ continued performance, this grant will be renewed to help minimize the impact of future tuition increases, therefore increasing students’ merit financial aid packages and rewarding those students who may not have received a merit scholarship upon initial enrollment at Rider.
Beginning with the Fall 2005 entering class, the Rider Achievement Program will continue to undergo some revitalization in order to combat low retention rates.
A RAP Committee has been developed, consisting of members from Enrollment Management, the Dean of Students office, Tutoring Services, CCS, and other vital departments. This Committee oversees the revitalization process. The Committee continues to meet regularly to discuss the goals and objectives of the program, student events, and individual student progress. Enrollment goals will be determined each year by the Office of Enrollment Management.
The Summer Bridge Program for RAP students was offered during the week of August 28, 2005 and over 50 students participated. Prior to this, the program was held in mid-July and hosted between 18 and 25 students each summer. The Summer Bridge Program acclimates to students to life at Rider, giving them a head start on campus by meeting new friends, learning the ins and outs of campus, and picking up some important academic skills to foster success in the freshman year.
For the 2005-2006 academic year, RAP students are enrolled in a RAP-Only Freshman Seminar. Students are limited to 12 credits in the Fall semester; additionally, students will be limited to 12 or 13 credits in the Spring, which will be increased to 15-16 credits if the student successfully completes the Fall semester with a minimum GPA of 2.30.
RAP Students must meet with their Academic Advisor at least once each semester and with the Freshman Seminar leader at least twice in the Fall. Furthermore, each student must attend at least one formal tutoring session at the Tutoring Center. A tracking mechanism has been created for all Committee members to access to maintain student records of these requirements.
Monthly social events have been established for the academic year. These include a Welcome Reception in September, a Financial Aid Workshop in January, and other events that will be beneficial to the students to foster their academic and social development, as well as an overall connection to the University.
Since Rider is actively rewarding transfer students for their academic achievement as a means of increasing enrollment and serving the community college constituents, the Office of Enrollment Management will allocate funds to reward its own students in an effort to retain them. Many RAP students complete their first year at Rider very successfully and, based upon feedback from former students, they leave after the first year to attend a state or private universities where they receive merit aid (transfer scholarships) or where the tuition is lower, then we need to compete with those other colleges by offering some Rider compensation for tuition.
Students that achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the end of the freshman year are eligible for the Rider Advantage, to bridge the gap in the tuition increase between the freshman and sophomore years. However, the Office of Enrollment Management has committed funds to a RAP Completion Grant.
The RAP Completion Grant will award RAP students for academic success, with a minimum GPA of 2.75 at the end of the freshman year. Award amounts will vary between $1,000 and $2,000, depending on the GPA range.
Students will only be eligible to receive one of the grants at the completion of the freshman year. The grant that holds the higher value will prevail.
Since RAP students must take a limited course load, they may fall behind in their academic progress toward degree completion. Therefore, students will permitted to enroll in a course during a Summer session at the end of the freshman year at no cost. The cost must be a Rider course and students must register for the course in the Summer session immediately following their freshman year.
The success of the program’s revitalization will be continually assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively and changes to the program will be made accordingly.
EM Meetings with Department Chairs
Enrollment Management and the Office of the Provost continue to meet with Department Chairs to review retention data for their academic areas for the past three years. The intention of these meetings is twofold: to further the understanding of attrition in the academic area and to create a retention action strategy specific to the major.
