The Retention Planning Process
Every 5-7 years Sonoran University refreshes its Strategic Enrollment Management Plan. Retention planning, an integral and cyclical part of enrollment management planning for all higher education institutions, helps us proactively map out strategies to help our students feel like VIPs and facilitate their success and development as future healthcare professionals. It is also integral to Sonoran's financial wellbeing. Best practices in retention planning engage multiple university constituencies, faculty, students, and staff. Universities are measured by the success of its students, including graduation rates, student loan repayment, and alumni satisfaction. Graduation rates rise or fall gradually (over 4 to 6-year intervals) as the outcome of year-to-year retention. Retention itself depends on adopting best practices that give each student the best chance to succeed (and ultimately graduate).
The planning process is following a series of seven steps.
Step 1: Generate and analyze aggregate and disaggregate enrollment, retention, and graduation data.
Step 2: Interview leadership on the state of student retention, past retention initiatives and considerations for increasing retention at Sonoran (Academic Program Deans, President, V.P. of Academic Affairs, V.P. of Student Affairs).
Step 3: Conduct virtual focus groups with key Sonoran constituents (faculty, students, and staff) on student retention.
Step 4: Hold a cross functional retention planning meeting where retention initiatives are identified and prioritized based on the feedback/results of steps 1-3.
Step 5: Document retention goals and milestones, findings, and recommendations in the form of a Student Success and Retention Plan. Prioritize final initiatives by rating each on potential impact, resources (including budget and people), and ease of implementation.
Step 6: Implementation.
Step 7: Assessment.
2024-2028 Sonoran University Student Success and Retention Plan
Planning for the 2024-2028 Sonoran University Student Success and Retention Plan began in Fall Quarter 2023. University leadership identified eleven high impact retention initiatives to pursue.
High Impact Initiatives
These initiatives are designed to enhance our support systems and represent a significant step forward in our commitment to supporting the holistic success of our students. Each initiative is assigned a coordinator(s), tasked with developing a proposal and timeline for implementation. Ultimately, they will also outline goals and methods for assessing effectiveness and impact. The retention coordinator may also reach out to the original retention planning group for assistance or feedback.
Initiatives are designed to address one of two themes identified in the December 2023 retention planning workshop:
1. Developing an improved transition process, considering data from the current state analysis. How can we prepare students for an experience they’ve never had before, and what can we do to shape the first quarter experience to get our students on the road to success?
2. Create retention initiatives/action plans with a focus on Identifying ways we are currently providing feedback and how feedback can be enhanced to provide more engaging and successful experiences.
Initiatives to improve/enhance communications:
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Initiative Coordinator(s)
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C1.1: Document/Enhance Feedback Process to improve communication between students, faculty, and leadership.
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Executive Asst. to the VP of Student Affairs
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C1.4: Integrate classroom assessment techniques through faculty academy for frequent and effective feedback.
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VP of Academic Affairs
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C2.1: SGA Class Presidents to schedule meetings with course faculty each quarter to foster relationships and share class feedback for enhancement.
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Program Deans/DOS
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C2.2: Increase student course evaluation participation to 35% (e.g. dedicated class time for evaluation).
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Faculty Senate Pres./
Dir. Academic Assessment
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C3.4: Create an organizational chart or directory accessible for students, faculty, and staff with defined roles and responsibilities and contact information.
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Academic Services Manager/
Executive Asst. to the VP of Student Affairs
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Initiatives to improve/enhance transitions:
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Initiative Coordinator(s)
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T1.1: Enhance MS clinical transition by introducing a clinical pinning ceremony.
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Dean, College of Nutrition/Student Success and Retention Manager
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T1.3: Engage and support students who join new cohorts and create student office hours for open study groups.
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Student Success and Retention Manager
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T2.1: Implement additional Orientation sessions throughout POS (at key points of transition).
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Academic Program Deans
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T4.1: Reimagine the Student Mentor Program.
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Learning Specialist
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T4.2: Identify at-risk determinants upon matriculation and pinpoint first-year pinch-point courses.
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VP of Student Affairs/VP of Academic Affairs
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T4.3: Enhance the Student Success First Year/First Quarter Experience through the use of CARE intervention forms and early assessment in key courses.
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Faculty (TBD)
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Acknowledgement and Background
Student Participants
Sonoran University’s Executive Council, Academic Program Deans, and Dean of Students wish to acknowledge the student volunteers who participated in meetings, discussions, and planning during the December retention workshops. We are very grateful for their time, energy, and contributions to these important discussions.
- David James (ND student)
- Troy Okpagu (ND student)
- Athena Trevino (ND student)
- Tabitha Kelly (MSCN student)
- Renee Subramanian (MSCN student)
if you have any questions, you may reach out to the Vice President of Student Affairs m.winquist@sonoran.edu