Retention intentions; when it comes to keeping students happy and productive, constituent relationship management is shaping up into a high-tech, high-touch tag team

University Business, August, 2006 by Ann McClure

Everyone knows how to reach prospects and alumni, and the importance of doing so. But what about the students in between?

The University of Alabama is one institution that takes "a formalized view of retention," as Jennifer Benson Jones, director of academic retention, puts it. The 2005-2006 retention rate is 86 percent--a 2 percent increase over the year before. Benson Jones doesn't take the credit, but the fact that her position is new reflects the institution's focus on this area. Part of UA's plan includes using a student-facing website, full of information on UA and college life, to survey students and send up red flags that some might be struggling. During the academic year, Benson Jones, who points out that schools don't have to worry much about students who are already engaged, used the system to contact students who hadn't registered for the next semester and provided information either on how to contact their advisor or register. She e-mailed 306 freshmen and wound up talking to 160.

She was also able to do exit interviews, which provided information on areas to improve. With constituent relationship management (CRM) systems, institutions like UA are using data to develop strategies that help keep their students through graduation.

CRM Goes to School

CRM has been a hot topic in higher education in recent years. Some systems are simply used to capture and store data about students, while others are set up to generate communication opportunities. They can range from discrete programs used by one or two departments to institution-wide systems that create a 360-degree view of the student.

According to the Eduventures report "Constituent Relationship Management Makes Inroads in Higher Education," 23 percent of institutions in the 2004-2005 academic year had CRM software in place, with another 22 percent saying they planned to implement CRM solutions during 2005-2006.

CRM systems usually start in Admissions as a way to keep track of recruitment activities, but they can also be used to enhance retention efforts. Here's how a handful of institutions of higher education are using these systems to boost retention.

Retention Starts with Admissions

At the University of Oklahoma, retention starts with identifying qualified students who will succeed at OU, says Melanee Hamilton, director of communication for Recruitment Services. "We're careful about who we go after."

To that end, they are implementing Intelliworks' IRM Enterprise to replace a homegrown system. The new system allows for more automation in the recruitment process based on student behavior. Prospects receive communications in a more timely manner (instead of when a staff member can organize it), and recruiters gain more free time for personal follow-up. Eventually prospects will be able to set up an account, request campus tours, and receive personalized information based on indicated interests.

Admissions must be doing something right, since recruitment efforts, combined with a mandatory "University College" course for all freshmen, helped contribute to an 84.6 percent retention rate in 2004, which is an improvement of about a percentage point over the first three years of the decade (and the same rate as in 2003). "We pride ourselves on having a lot of personal touch with our students," Hamilton says, adding that there has been a general trend of increased retention over the past 10 years.

Striking a Balance

At Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.), the goal is to find a balance between self-service and having students talk to an advisor.

Using Jenzabar's Internet Campus Solution (JICS), advisors can pull a student's information online before arranging an appointment. Under the school's old system, all of this was up to the student, who would have to go to a student center in person to get his or her records and then use a form to request an advisor meeting.

Eventually, students will be able to see their own records and what classes they still need for their major online, leading to more meaningful meetings with their advisor. JICS also allows faculty to enter grades online so students receive them faster. Before, professors submitted sheets to a staff member who performed the data entry.

Cardinal Stritch's focus on interpersonal communication will be strengthened by the online efforts, notes Charles Collins, tire institution's web developer and content facilitator. "We're trying to get to a point that if students have questions at 11 at night, they can find answers."

Advising Aid

The Admissions and Advising departments at Ivy Tech Community College, Central Indiana, have teamed tip to use their CRM system to track at-risk students during their entire career on campus.

"CRM is allowing us to fully engage students," says Jerry Harrell, director of student support and advising. "The end goal we are after is to help students to be self-sufficient lifelong learners." The top four risk groups monitored are first-generation students, those from low-income families, students who are employed part-time, and those needing remedial courses.