Student Services Impact on Retention Rates
So, you have worked your inquiry pool through the enrollment funnel using my articles on 7 Steps to Converting Leads, Need a Boost in Enrollment and 7 Steps to Successfully Grow Your Online Enrollment. Congratulations, but your battle is only half over at this point. 
Here is a very vital piece of information that you may have taken for granted through that entire conversion process…Your students are not dependent on you, but you are dependent on them. If you do not service your students, someone else will!!!!
A successful online or residential program must be known for its value in student satisfaction, retention and success completion rates as an indicator and measurement of academic service and integrity. Finding ways to increase retention, enhance your delivery and enrich your academic content is not only wise, but necessary if you want to stay ahead of your competition. Adult learner enrollments have increased due to economic layoffs, a large population of baby boomers and the increase of accessibility. Your institution needs to be ready to provide relevant, career engaging academic services that meet students where their life is at. Most institutions who provide online courses haves found that adult learners tend to hold higher expectations for student services than younger traditional students. They expect the same level of attention they expect from any other service provider. That implies 24 x 7 access to student services, via phone, online resources, self-service tools and other delivery modes while still providing face-to-face service when needed. Some academic services your institution may consider:
• Promoting student success
• Enhancing the educational experience
• Transition programs
• Learning communities
• Academic advising
• Career services
• Experiential learning
• Honors programs
• Disability services
• Tutorial programs
• Initiatives for underrepresented students
Equally as important to offering quality academic services, is offering self-service options and tools for your students that will provide convenience, enhance student satisfaction and allow your academic advising office to be more scalable. Some self-services items you may consider:
• Online class registration
• Flexible Payment Plan options
• Account/Class/Financial aid information
• Degree progress/Official and Unofficial transcripts
• Course Schedules and Viewing of grades
• Frequently Asked Question Section
• Online tutorials that walk students through key re-enrollment functions
Your self-service options as well as your academic service have a tremendous impact on your student retention rates. There are many factors outside of your institutions control that cause attrition, such as finances, work or personal reason. Let’s face it sometimes life just happens. Controlling the things you can control (click here read my article on this subject) provides huge retention benefits such as: increased revenue, improved image/credibility, improved morale, and an improved staff/faculty working environment just to name a few. Retention is a campus wide responsibility and at the core are two significant process…academic services and student self-service options. It doesn’t matter what your institution thinks you are delivering in the way of quality services, it is all about the preceived value your student thinks they are getting for the cost of tuition.
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