One of the most important institutional goals is promoting student persistence leading to timely graduation. Despite decades of research determining effective practices that promote retention, this problem continues to vex institutional leaders. Three presidents from very different institutional settings described effective approaches that have worked on their campuses leading to quantifiably improved retention rates.

Kenneth Garren, president of Lynchburg College (VA), described a data-informed approach that led to better student outcomes. The college established goals for enrollment growth, as well as improved retention and graduation rates. Garren said five strategies were critical to Lynchburg’s success over the past few years, raising its retention rate five percentage points:

Illinois College’s approach to improved retention rates is rooted in a comprehensive strategic planning process initiated by president Axel Steuer. Like Lynchburg, the college relied heavily on institutional data, and the college’s strategic plan placed retention front and center under the banner, “recruiting and developing graduates.” Steuer pointed to three general strategies coming out of the comprehensive plan that undergird campus retention efforts: a call to excellence for all campus programs and personnel, student advising as both teaching and learning that focuses on pathways to student success, and a commitment to fostering student learning.

Kenyon College (OH) has long enjoyed strong retention and graduation rates. President Georgia Nugent said the critical ingredients to Kenyon’s success include its strong academic program; the deep commitment of students, as well as faculty and staff, to the endeavor of learning, a quality she termed “single-heartedness”; and the abiding care and concern for the well-being of students exhibited by all campus personnel, from the president on down. This characteristic, which she termed “shepherding,” helps bind the campus community and encourages student perseverance in the midst of obstacles and trials.

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