Department Retention Plan for Academic Majors
Bachelor of University Studies, Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies,
and Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies
Student
Retention
Goal
Strategy
Expected Outcome
By what
date
Success
Person(s)
Responsible
Outcome
1)
Communicate
a projected
timeline for
completion of
degree plan
with each
major.
2) Provide
Adult
Learner
Academic
Counselors
1) Develop, with each
major, a semester by
semester, course by
course, degree completion
plan.
Each major will
have a degree plan
outlined by
semester to use in
enrollment
planning and goal
setting.
At the time
of
enrollment
in PRST
3010 or at
completion
of 60
hours
An increase
in the
number of
majors who
complete
their planned
baccalaureate
program.
College
Advisors with
oversight from
Associate
Dean
2) Review the degree plan
with each major to ensure
they progress through
their developed plan.
A student will be
less likely to stopout if they have a
plan and are
encouraged to
follow that plan.
Ideally this
would
occur each
semester.
An increase
in the
number of
majors who
complete
their planned
baccalaureate
program.
College
Advisors with
oversight from
Associate
Dean
3) Require students to
discuss (email, face-toface, phone) their degree
plan with their advisor
each semester prior to
registration. This would
require an additional
advisor positions.
A student will be
less likely to make
an error in course
selection.
Each
semester.
An increase
in the
number of
majors who
complete
their planned
baccalaureate
program.
College
Advisors with
oversight from
Associate
Dean
4) Assign an Adult
Learner Academic
Counselor to serve as a
consistent contact and
source of information and
The Adult Learner
Academic
Counselor will
provide additional
support needed by
Ongoing
Majors will
be more
satisfied with
their
experience
Assistant
Dean, Gotcher
for adult
LIST, PRST,
B.Unv.S.
majors.
encouragement for the
adult learner.
adults and
distance learning
students
completing their
degree
and less
likely to stopout.
3) Develop
adult learner
Learning
Communities
that occur at
a local
community
college.
5) Adult learner learning
Improved course
communities will provide performance and
peer encouragement and
retention.
increased engagement of
students through social
events,
educational/informational
workshops, etc. Students
will be encouraged to take
courses together but is
not required for
participation.
Ongoing
Improved
course
performance,
increased
retention
from term to
term, and
increased
persistence
to
graduation.
Assistant
Dean, Gotcher
4) Utilize the
PRST 3010
(Prior
Learning
Assessment)
course as a
retention
tool.
6) Students who
successfully complete the
PRST 3010 and receive
some credit for prior
learning will begin their
educational reengagement closer to
degree completion and
tend to persist to
graduation at a higher
rate.
Students who earn
credit for prior
learning will
persist at higher
levels than other
students.
Each
semester
Adult
learners will
be more
likely to
persist to
graduation.
Assistant
Dean, Gotcher
5) Students
in academic
difficulty will
receive more
intrusive
interventions
7) A registration hold will
be placed on majors with
less than a 2.1 GPA so that
advisors can discuss with
students a plan for
increasing their GPA
Students will have
increased
awareness of their
current GPA and
ways to improve
their GPA
At advising
sessions
Students GPA
will improve
College
advisors
8) Students placed on
probation (15-20) will be
required to meet with
their advisor 3 times
(Feb/March/ April or
September/Oct/Nov)
Students will have
increased
awareness of their
current probation
status and ways to
improve their GPA
At advising
sessions
beginning
Fall 2013
Students GPA
will improve
College
advisors and
Director of
Student
Success
during the semester and
will be required to
complete a probation
workshop and selfassessment/goals and
GPA worksheets at
sessions.
6) Staff will
reach out to
students
through a
series of
traditional
and social
media
formats
9) Each semester an
advising newsletter will
be sent via email to each
advisee notifying them of
important dates, raising
awareness of campus
events like Academic
Success Series, support
services oncampus and
online
Majors will have
increased
awareness and
engagement in
campus activities
and services
Each
semester
Increased
awareness
will promote
engagement
and lead
toward
retention of
majors
College
advisors
10) Majors who have not
registered for the
subsequent semester will
be contacted via phone
Majors will have a
personal touch
from a staff
member who is
able to assist them
if they are having
trouble registering
Each
semester
Students will
be more
likely to stay
enrolled from
term to term
and will have
higher
satisfaction
leading
toward
retention
Distance
Learning
Student
Services staff
11) Important deadlines,
events, news items, etc.
will be posted to social
media
Majors will stay
connected via
social media and
informed of
important dates,
services, etc.
Weekly
Students will
be more
likely to stay
enrolled from
term to term
and will have
higher
satisfaction
leading
toward
retention
Distance
Learning
Student
Services staff
7) Academic
Alerts will be
utilized to
improve
student
performance
in classes
12) Distance Learning
Student Services staff will
provide tutorials for
online learners and hold
workshops on topics
related to online learning
and adult learners
Majors will be
more prepared
and informed for
online learning
and returning to
complete a degree
Each
semester
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
coursework if
they are
prepared for
the online
environment
and have
information
related to
adult
learners
Distance
Learning
Student
Services staff
and Graduate
Tennessee
Coordinator
13) An assessment of
readiness for online
learning will be utilized
Students will be
Each
more prepared for semester
online learning
and aware of how
their learning style
and characteristics
impact their
success in an
online class
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
coursework if
they are
prepared for
the online
environment
Distance
Learning
Student
Services staff
14) Instructors teaching
PRST 3010, 4995, 3030,
4010 courses will utilize
academic alerts so that
students and advisors are
aware of their progress
Students will be
more aware of
their standing in a
class and can seek
additional
academic help and
advisors will be
more aware of
students who are
not performing
well and can
suggest ways to
improve
performance
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
coursework
Instructors
and College
Advisors
At
appointed
times each
semester
15) B.Unv.S., B.S. LIST,
and B.S. PRST Advisors
will review academic
alerts and contact
students
Advisors will be
more aware of
students who are
not performing
well and can
suggest ways to
improve
performance
At
appointed
times each
semester
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
coursework
Instructors
and College
Advisors
16) Require mid-term
grade reporting for all UC
classes
Students will be
more aware of
their standing in a
class and can seek
additional
academic help
At midterm
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
coursework
Instructors,
Chair
17) When made available
D2L analytics will be
utilized to determine
student engagement in
their online course and
contact students who are
not engaged
Administrators
and faculty will be
more aware of
student
engagement and
can reach out to
students who are
not engaged
When D2L
Analytics
becomes
available
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
coursework
Faculty and
Associate
Dean
8) Provide
additional
courses via
distance
learning and
accelerated
formats
18) Meet with
departments to recruit
additional courses for
online, evening and
accelerated delivery
Increased online,
evening and
accelerated
offerings will
provide students
with greater
flexibility in
course scheduling
allowing them to
take additional
courses and stay
enrolled yearround
Annual
Students will
be more
likely to
persist to
graduation
with more
flexibility in
course
scheduling
Manager,
Distance
Learning
Faculty
Services
9)
Incorporate
Peer Tutors
inside online
classes that
19) Identify the online
courses that have a higher
withdrawal and failure
rate and provide funding
to departments to train
Peer tutors will be
able to provide
online academic
support and
increased student
August
2013
Students will
be more
likely to
successfully
complete
Distance
Learning
Student
Services and
Director of
have a higher
withdrawal
and failure
rate
and staff peer tutors in the engagement in
online courses
online courses
where students
are at greater risk
for noncompletion
coursework
Student
Success