Several of our leaders have attended special sessions to learn the factors that contribute to good retention. Number one on the list is excellent academic advising by faculty. So we have made a concerted effort to improve by motivating the faculty members to take this part of their service very seriously. We have also learned that conditionally admitted students will have a much better chance of succeeding if they are taught good study skills during their first year in college. So we have set up a department of First Year Studies and inaugurated a special course called Foundations for Excellence.
Students meet weekly in small groups with select faculty members to learn how to succeed in college.
We expected to see slow, but steady progress. In just the first full year of implementing the program our retention has gone from below average to above average. A recent indicator of this has been the transition from fall semester to spring semester. As a result, the Nyack campus spring enrollment is 812. Never before has spring enrollment been even 700.