The University of Vermont has turned substantial attention to the first-year retention rate over the last five years and has set a first-year retention target of 90%. With the hiring of the Coordinator of Undergraduate Retention & Re-enrollment (now Coordinator of Strategic Retention) in April 2016, centralized processes for tracking details about students’ reasons for departure have been implemented. Data from the Leave of Absence/Withdrawal form supports the notion that in-state students are retained at a higher rate than out of state students, and that many students are leaving due to individual circumstances or responses to some dissatisfaction with place. We know that there is potential to increase the retention of high achieving students who earn a grade-point average of 3.0 and above in their first semester, and given the addition of the Catamount Commitment program, we should see gains in our retention of Pell-eligible, Vermont students.

The reports submitted to the Provost and President by each of the Deans in January 2017 clearly delineated the need for a software and retention tool that can facilitate consistent use of alerts and interventions by advisors.

1. RETENTION DATA

On average, we consistently lose:

• 14% of any entering first year class by the start of their second year
• An additional 9-10% of second to third year students

Comparator School Retention Data

The following list is generated by the Board of Trustees as comparison and aspirant institutions for the
University of Vermont

2. FACTORS THAT IMPACT RETENTION

Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Form Data

Just over 340 LOA/Withdrawal Forms have been collected between January and February 20, 2018, with 226 of those students noting that they either plan to or will likely return.

Students are able to self-select the reasons for their departure from a short list of possible answers (see below). The reasons for departure noted on the completed forms are as follows: (Note: Some students have listed more than one reason in their response.)

Personal:

• I got an offer from a school more fitting to my interests.
• The soccer situation here didn’t work out so I am going to another school to play.
• I have been accepted into the American Academy of Rome’s Sustainable Food Program. I will be
working 50 hours/week in a kitchen learning about how to incorporate sustainability as well as learning
how to cook. I’m joining this program because I think it will further my development within the
food system, launch me forward in my career, and allow me to take a stimulating break from school.
• My decision to leave mainly revolves around personal reasons. The social environment was not a right
fit for me and the university lost its appeal because I was in a major that was not my passion. Therefore,
my reason for going to UVM (to pursue a career in nursing) didn’t make sense to me anymore.
• Found a job offer in my dream field with no degree required

Financial:

• After much thought I have decided to leave UVM to go back to my home state of California where I
can get an education for a drastically lower tuition price and be closer to family. I have realized that
Vermont is just not the right state for me to be in, so I am choosing to go back home.
• I am leaving UVM because it is too expensive, and I can go to school in the city for free tuition. I’m
also looking for a more production-based film program with more opportunities and Brooklyn College
has that.
• I am transferring to my local community college to save money.
• Lost scholarship and unable to afford without.

Medical: Mental Health

• I have been experiencing mental health issues that have made it difficult to do well here at the University.
• My mother committed suicide in Fall 2015 and by Fall 2016 I thought I was well enough to take on a
rigorous college curriculum, but I was wrong. I have utilized the excellent supports provided to me
through ACCESS but they did not help as much as I had hoped. I think that in this leave of absence
(Spring 2018) and during the summer (2018), through weekly therapy, yoga, and more head space to
focus on myself, I will be able to learn ways of coping or dealing with my issues. My graduation from
UVM is very important to me but my ability to fully absorb the valuable education provided here is
more important. I am requesting this leave of absence to be used as a pause in my schooling, so that
I can get well in order to return and get the education I know UVM can give me.
• I’m having problems inside my own head that are creating other, more significant problems like
grades in school. Because of this, I believe I need to take a semester off and stay at home and go to
community college for a semester to pull myself together.
• I was hoping to work through some emotional trauma while still attending UVM but have recently
realized I can’t. It is consuming my life and effecting my work. I need to take time off to heal.

Academics:

• Going abroad with SEA Semester, an abroad program not affiliated with the University.
• In the beginning I really did not like UVM, so I decided to leave. After I gave it some time I met incredible
people and really started to enjoy my time here. Unfortunately I got into Boston University, and
while I started to have an incredible experience at UVM, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. I want
to thank this school so much, UVM is truly an incredible school, and I am so lucky to have gone here
even if only for a semester.
• I wish to pursue a career in the veterinary technology field at a community college near my hometown.
I was unsure of what I was going to end up doing with my major in Biology here at UVM and I
figured out what I wanted to do in the future. Thus, prompting me to look into schools that focus on
the veterinary technology program.

Campus Climate/Environment:

• I do not feel that UVM has a welcoming and inclusive social environment.
• I do not think UVM is a good fit for me. I have had the worst experience with residential life and nobody
has been able to help.

3. DEAN’S RETENTION REPORTS

In January 2017, the Deans provided updates to their college/school retention plans. The following items were
listed as obstacles to improving retention rates:

• Lack of a centralized, electronic advising system
• Lack of student data and predictive analytics
• Capacity/Resources to expand advising staff or expectation of faculty advisors
• Inconsistent use of available tools (academic alerts)
• Students coming to campus with complex personal challenges
• Cost/Solutions for students with financial needs

Based on national research, and our own findings on retention and progression, we have identified four major strategies that form the basis of our Action Plan:

1. Implement and maximize Education Advisory Board-Student Success Collaborative to best utilize predictive data and to synthesize communications efforts.
2. Coordinate intentional outreach and interventions for students based on known risk categories.
3. Expand upon and integrate First-Year Experience efforts to improve the level of engagement and integration of academic, co-curricular and social aspects of campus life.
4. Improve the quality of engagement and academic challenge for high-performing students.

The strategies in the Action Plan primarily focus on activities coordinated by the Division of Enrollment Management or the Colleges/Schools. There are numerous strategies coordinated throughout the Division of Student Affairs and other units, including the Division of Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, that are not included in this plan. These units will continue to be partners in providing a successful student experience and a larger all-encompassing plan will be provided in the future.

The following plan includes actions for continued effort or implementation during year one of execution of the Education Advisory Board-Student Success Collaborative software (SSC). We believe that we will best be able to use data and information gained from the SSC in our decision-making about additional tactics and priorities in reaching retention goals after this initial period of use. Looking forward, we will seek out places to create consistency and efficiency given the capabilities that exist within the software tool.

STRATEGY 1: IMPLEMENT AND MAXIMIZE EAB/SSC: DATA AND COMMUNICATIONS

STRATEGY 2: AT-RISK OUTREACH AND INTERVENTION

STRATEGY 3: EXPANSION AND INTEGRATION OF FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE EFFORTS

STRATEGY 4: ENGAGING AND CHALLENGING

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR RETENTION-RELATED INITIATIVES

Education Advisory Board

The Education Advisory Board (EAB) will be a valued partner to the University of Vermont as we implement
and begin to utilize the Student Success Collaborative software. Based on their experience having helped
hundreds of institutions with software implementation, we trust that they will provide clear expectations
and guidelines, comprehensive project planning and project management support. EAB also offers onsite
orientation, guided training and ongoing support sharing best practices and tips to optimize the value of the
software and analytics.

Once implementation is complete, the University of Vermont will engage with EAB through the annual
summit meant to foster networking and collaboration among cohort institutions. We’ll also have access to
a national dataset that can reveal high-level insight and allow for benchmarking. Finally, we can participate
in web-conferences and utilize publications shared by the EAB to gain student success ideas, training, best
practices and innovations.

Vice President of Enrollment Management Retention Positions

The Coordinator of Strategic Retention and the Assistant Coordinator of Undergraduate Retention and Re-enrollment
will work collaboratively with the academic colleges and schools and a variety of campus stakeholders
to implement the Student Success Collaborative software and provide best practices in student retention
strategies.

Student Retention Action Plan Committee

The Coordinator of Undergraduate Retention will work with a committee with representatives from each of
the college/schools to assist with the implementation of the Student Retention Action Plan. This group will
determine critical data needs, review the status of college/school specific initiatives, and progress against the
Student Retention Action Plan.

Colleges/Schools

The colleges/schools offer unique perspectives on the challenges and potential tactics that can be utilized to
retain and graduate students. As we look to enact the Student Retention Action Plan, the colleges/schools will
need to be on board and must consider the action items a priority. It will be critical that college/school efforts
complement and reinforce the Plan.

Comparator Institutions

As we formalize our retention strategies and consider where the greatest impact lies, we will undertake a
review of other institutions that we know have been successful. Visits to these institutions, such as Georgia
State and Stony Brook, may be planned, and we will interact with similar institutions through professional
conferences and the EAB summit.

In the Fall of 2017, the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Coordinator of Strategic Retention met with the Deans and Student Services staff from each of the seven colleges/schools. In addition to the items outlined in the Action Plan, the following are best practices in retention gleaned from the conversations:

1. Colleges/schools benefit from the use of a survey designed to prompt interventions with students who are not flagged solely based on their academic record.

2. Advisor(s) should communicate with students prior to the first day of classes in order to create early association to the college/school and university. Ideally, students will meet with or have some interaction with advisors during Orientation and again in late August.

3. Colleges/schools should be deliberate in informing students about who their advisor is, why they should visit with their advisor and what they should expect from the advising relationship.

4. First Year Seminar courses are most effective when they introduce students to college/school expectations, major offerings and career pathways and academic and co-curricular opportunities for engagement.

5. High achieving first-year students should be informed of and exposed to engagement opportunities in high impact practices, within the college/school and campus-wide, after the fall semester, if not before.

6. In addition to monitoring students of concern, faculty should track and share names of students of promise (i.e. who do well academically, who are active and involved in college/school) with Dean’s offices. This practice can lead to timely recognition and nudging, causing students to feel noticed and connected.

FYE Steering Committee

Cross-divisional (Provost, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs) leadership committee meeting monthly to provide campus-wide coordination of programs and services, as well as long-term planning, strategy and support for new initiatives. The current focus is on communication strategies, curriculum and program development, and assessment/analysis related to retention and student success.

Learning Communities with Embedded Course

A multi-year plan is underway to transform the first-year residential experience. In their first year, students will reside in themed Learning Communities. These programs marry traditional academic experiences (each includes a 1-credit course) with learning outside of the classroom, fostering community and experiential learning.

Three of these new Learning Communities launched in Fall 2017: Sustainability, Leadership and Outdoor Experience. Each is led by a team of faculty and staff, and includes robust residential programming integrated with one-credit courses sponsored and taught by faculty from related academic areas. These three new LC’s joined pre-existing residential academic programs: the Wellness Environment, the Honors College and a few smaller residential programs, such as Global Village and CAS’ Dean’s Signature Programs. In the 2017-18 academic year, 76% of our first-year students live in one of these communities and enrolled in the related course. Exemptions for enrollment in the course were available on an individual basis for students whose course load prohibited the addition of another credit.

Fall of 2018 will bring the launch of three additional Learning Communities, each with a one-credit course: Arts and Creativity, Cultural Crossroads, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Interdisciplinary teams of faculty contributors emerged in Fall 2017 for each of these new communities.

Universal Elements in First Year Seminars

Beginning in fall of 2018, each one-credit Learning Community course will contain two universal content elements: Growth Mindset and the 4 Career Success Year Plan. Some College/Schools that offer first year seminars also include these elements.