In this article, we look how a student case management system can help institutions inform their student retention strategy and boost retention rates.
Student retention is a hugely important issue for higher education institutions. For the last number of years, student enrollment and retention rates have been falling.
In this article, we look at the factors impacting poor retention rates and how a student case management system can help institutions reverse this trend, inform their retention strategy and boost student retention rates.
The main goal for most universities is to successfully support students from enrollment through to graduation. However, the last number of years has seen falling student retention and enrollment rates across higher education. Poor student retention rates can impact institutional reputation and income, as each student drop-out can cost institutions thousands in revenue.
In addition, the quality of campus mental health services is a key enrollment factor for 30% of students. As a result, colleges and universities are looking for ways to improve student success and drive rates up.
A case management system offers a comprehensive solution for issues around student retention strategy, student attrition and student wellbeing.
Factors Impacting Student Retention
There are a number of key factors that impact student retention in universities. Some of the main reasons students drop out of higher education include:
Financial Stress
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact students, financial stress grows as a key factor in rising student attrition rates. In a recent student survey nearly 50% of students indicated that financial challenges have impacted their academics.
Lack of Student Support
Knowledge of and quality of student support and resources on campus can have a significant impact on student retention. There are concerning gaps in student’s accessing academic and wellbeing support at higher education institutions.
Personal Challenges
Many students face individual challenges throughout their time in education depending on their background and personal circumstances. For this reason, widening participation objectives are crucial to a student retention strategy.
Health Concerns
Student physical and mental health are closely linked to academic success. Nearly 3 in 4 students say their physical and mental health negatively impacts their ability to focus, learn and success academically. For students with disabilities, chronic illnesses or mental health conditions this impact can be even worse.
The Challenge for Higher Education Institutions
While the issue of student retention is a big one for higher education institutions, solving it isn’t necessarily the easiest thing. Despite many institutions investing in student services in recent years, significant concerns remain. For example:
- Half of students which mental health conditions haven’t accessed campus counseling services
- 60% of students with a need for mental health resources haven’t received any type of help within the last year.
- Nearly 50% of students haven’t received academic advising or guidance on course requirements.
- Top services requiring improvement include appointment availability and follow-up care.
This highlights significant variability in student support provision throughout higher education. The best long-term student retention strategy includes data-driven academic advising, a holistic all-in-one approach to student support, and an efficient student case management system. This will help institutions create the necessary, campus-wide ‘culture of care’ that can improve student retention.
5 Ways A Case Management System Can Help
Every point of engagement between your institution and your students is an opportunity to improve their experience and ultimately, their likelihood of completion. However, institutions are under pressure. With hundreds or thousands of students, limited resources and often overloaded staff, it can be difficult to keep an eye on all these indicators.
A student case management system can help out. A case management system is a tool to allow you to monitor student progression, keep track of their wellbeing and ensure effective, timely support. By tracking student engagement points, the system can identify struggling students, alert staff and initiate an intervention to get that student back-on-track.
The 5 key ways that a student case management system can help your institution include:
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Identify early warning signs of student attrition
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Initiate timely interventions for struggling students
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Enable more personalised, effective support for students
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Provide a holistic view of student success, institution-wide
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Inform your institutional student retention strategy with intervention success analytics
Benefits of a Case Management System
A case management system can offer multiple benefits for higher education institutions and their students. By consolidating various systems data (LMS, SIS, CRM) into a single platform, staff can easily access necessary information and students have the support they need in one place. This can improve communication, engagement, and satisfaction among students, advisors, instructors, and administrators. An added benefit of a student case management system is that it can help automate and streamline workflows and processes associated with student services, reducing administrative burdens and optimising institutional efficiency.
With case management institutions can create a more personalized support experience for students. By using student success, early alert and intervention software, colleges and universities can identify and assist at-risk students early on. This can increase the chances of student retention and graduation, as well as improve student outcomes and performance. Moreover, a case management system can ensure data security and privacy by storing files in the cloud and offering role-based access levels.
For more information on how to improve your student retention strategy with a Student Case Management System, contact SEAtS today!
