ESM Offering Unique Student Retention Solutions to Help Colleges and Universities Boost Completion and Graduation Rates

ESM’s student retention programs leverage technology to reach at-risk students and provide real-time contract strategies and turn-key resources to encourage persistence

"Most students face the toughest challenges early on in their college careers and the majority of those who leave before program or degree completion do so within the first term or first year," says Murray Smith, chief marketing officer at ESM. "Our customized retention programs are designed help schools implement proactive and reactive measures to positively engage students and connect them with the appropriate resources before it’s too late."  ESM’s highly-customized retention solutions leverage real-time calling strategies based upon an individual student’s circumstances and provide the resources and/or support necessary to encourage persistence. ESM’s proprietary retention "formula" is based upon three core indicators: attitudinal, behavioral and situational triggers.

Attitudinal

Through interviews, surveys and other means of data collection, ESM compiles attitudinal data from students regarding their beliefs about success, the reasons driving their continuing education and their career goals, and based on the findings categorizes students according to their risk level, a hierarchy that is created by and is unique to each institution. Every risk level is assigned a proactive calling strategy that provides the frequency of contact necessary to connect with students.  For example, if a student is deemed to be at "high risk" for attrition, calls can be made on a weekly basis, if deemed a "moderate" risk calls can be placed every other week, if deemed "low" risk calls can be extended once a month, etc. The goal is to connect with students early on, identify any risk issues and provide them with the resources or support necessary to overcome the challenge(s) before them.

Behavioral

ESM can also closely monitor hundreds of student behavioral trends indicative of attrition, including attendance levels, course participation, variations in grades, failure to register, and the like. Institutions can select the triggers they prefer to track and once one or more of those triggers are tripped by a student, a call will be initiated. If the student has already been identified as being at risk, the call in response to a behavioral trigger overrides the proactive attitudinal calling pattern in place.

Situational

Students once considered to be a low risk or at no risk for attrition can encounter situational changes that place them at high risk. The loss of a job, financial challenges, the loss of a loved one, the birth of a child can instantly change a student’s personal circumstances and adversely impact their chances for persistence. Perhaps a student previously categorized as "low risk" misses three classes triggering a phone call and it is discovered that the student lost his or her job. Once a situational change is confirmed, the student is instantly reclassified as being at higher risk for attrition and the calling pattern adjusts accordingly.  "Despite benevolent intentions, many institutional retention programs fail because they do not make swift, meaningful contact with at-risk students to connect them with available resources that address their unique needs," continues Smith. "ESM’s retention programs offer a turn-key solution that connects students with services and resources to the school, removing the difficult and time-consuming burden of contacting students at risk of attrition from the institution and allowing student service professionals to focus on providing the support necessary to keep students enrolled through program completion."

ESM’s student retention solutions are part of a suite of services offered to help institutions effectively manage the student lifecycle from inquiry to program completion or graduation. Additionally, ESM serves as an extension of an institution’s prospecting team providing inbound and outbound services which include lead qualification and transfer, appointment setting, application completion as well as a full spectrum of enrollment management strategies. For more information, contact Murray Smith at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 800-207-1983.