Retention Assessment

Are you are wondering where to start in a retention initiative? Or are you well into a campus-wide program and simply want a “check-up” to ensure that your efforts are on track?
In either case, an external look at your strengths, challenges, and opportunities is invaluable in setting and staying the course.

Here’s how it works

1. During a conversation about your campus and issues related to retention, we customize a list of materials for you to send TFA to help prepare for an effective on-site consultation. We also discuss what meetings will be most helpful in understanding the current and desired state of retention and develop an itinerary;
2. Teresa Farnum personally conducts an on-site day of meetings with faculty, staff, administrators, and students;
3. On the second morning on campus, Farnum leads a discussion through a campus-customized PowerPoint exit presentation that includes:
• Five top priority recommendations for action that will have the greatest impact on retention;
• Additional recommendations for immediate impact; and
• Suggested realistic goals.
4. Teresa Farnum spends 15 minutes talking about how your campus and TFA might work together to achieve your retention, graduation, and revenue goals;
5. You receive the slide presentation to begin work on the recommendations immediately; and
6. TFA sends you– within ten business days–a written executive summary and proposal for a customized partnership, with specific services that are right for your campus.

Next Step

Schedule a live phone conversation via e-mail tfarnum@teresafarnum.com with Teresa Farnum to start the steps above and schedule the dates!

Fee: $3,500 plus travel expenses

Retention Assessment Draft Itinerary

The following itinerary is designed as a starting point and will vary, depending on availability of participants and the circumstances that are unique to the campus

Time	Meeting
Day One
8:00 a.m.	Campus Contact
9:00 a.m.	President
9:30 a.m.	Vice President for Academic Affairs
10:15 a.m.	Vice President for Student Affairs
11:00 a.m.	Focus group with student leaders
11:45 a.m.	Retention Committee/Director of Retention
12:45 p.m.	Lunch meeting with faculty members
1:30 p.m.	Director of Advising/advising staff/advisors of freshmen
2:15 p.m.	Council of Deans or Department Chairs
3:30 p.m.	Academic support staff (learning center, career planning, tutoring, etc.)
4:00 p.m.	Financial Aid, Bursar, Registrar
4:30 p.m.	Campus contact
Day Two
10:00 a.m.	Presentation and discussion of the findings and recommendations Suggested campus attendees are president, cabinet, retention committee, and other leaders as appropriate
11:30 a.m.	Fifteen-minute presentation of a possible customized partnership with TFA to assist in increasing retention and graduation rates
11:45 a.m.	Debrief with contact
Noon	Depart campus

Materials and Institutional Data

The following institutional information, when available, will be reviewed prior to the campus visit to assist in understanding the campus culture, strengths, and challenges. Don’t worry—no campus ever has all the requested materials.

1. Retention Assessment Data Sheet that is e-mailed to you.  This is critical to ensuring an effective visit.
2. The revised/completed itinerary.  A generic form is e-mailed to you for your customization.
3. Strategic Plan
4. Catalog
5. Self-Study report if fewer than five years old
6. Enrollment data from the past three years
7. Enrollment projections
8. Results of student satisfaction surveys
9. Retention Committee minutes
10. Academic and demographic profile of student body
11. Faculty/staff attitude surveys and reports
12. Administrative organizational charts
13. Institutional Factbook
14. Any other documents or reports that will provide insights about strengths, opportunities or controversial issues on your campus.