This document discusses retention strategies for students throughout their academic career from recruitment to graduation. It provides an overview of a university's graduate social work program and the benefits of combining recruitment and student affairs offices. Challenges to retention include the diverse student body and varying enrollment models. Initiatives to improve retention include welcome sessions, campus visits, newsletters, organized social events, and assessing communication strategies. The goal is to engage students, address issues early, and increase the number of graduates each year.

1. Retention Strategies
Throughout the Student Life-
Cycle
Anna Johnson, MSW
College Recruitment Manager
Amber Mollhagen, PhD, LMSW
Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs

2. Fast Facts
• University of Houston
– Public Tier 1 Research Institution
– Total Student Body: 46,324
– Top National University in Campus Ethnic Diversity (U.S. News &
World Report)
• Graduate College of Social Work
– Offers two graduate degrees in Social Work: MSW and PhD
– MSW is a 63 SCH program with a 900 clock hour field component
– Total Student Body: 519 (490 Master's, 29 Doctoral)
– MSW students evenly split between full-time and part-time
– #22 out of 299 MSW programs in the U.S. (#2 in Texas) (U.S.
News & World Report)

3. Office of Admissions and Student
Affairs
• Prior to May 2016: Two
separate departments
• Responsible for:
– MSW and PhD Recruitment
– MSW and PhD Admissions
(separate committees)
– MSW Orientation and Advising
– MSW Student Life
– Financial Aid and Scholarships
– Graduation & License Prep
– Front Desk and Administrative
Support

4. Benefits of Combined Office
• Being responsive to collective input
• Getting real-time feedback from multiple
areas (front desk, recruitment
manager, advisors)
• Expanding team's capacity

5. Why Does Retention Matter?
• Enrollment tied to funding
• Goals from University & College
• Changing student profile
– Diverse backgrounds
– Non-traditional
• Responding to current needs

6. • Prospective Students
– GRE
– Length of program
– Limited resources
• Admitted Students
– Financial (competing offers from other schools, job
offers)
– Space in enrollment models
– Anticipating the “Summer Melt”
Challenges – Prospects/Admits

7. Goal-setting, formula and funnel
• Balancing expected attrition and new
retention efforts
• 3-year data trends
• Predict by enrollment model, or even cohort
• Input from all impacted offices (field,
academic affairs, online)

8. Retention Initiatives - Admitted
Students
• Welcome Calls (Student Ambassadors)
• Welcome Sessions (MSW Program)
– Presenters include representatives from admissions, Field, Advising, and a current student
– 1-2 sessions focused on Financial Aid
– Online and In-person (lessons learned)
– Benefits include: catching issues early on, answering questions before orientation, reducing
phone calls and email traffic
• Post-Admission Campus Visit (PhD Program)
– Depending on # of admits, budget for the year
– Focus on connecting with faculty in research area and current students, explaining funding
package
• BookWear
– Connection/belonging to college, something to wear to orientation, first day of class
– Insert with reminders and next steps, supplements communications

10. Challenges – Current Students
• Different enrollment models
– Face to Face (Full-Time)
– Hybrid (Part-Time)
– Online (Part-Time)
• Communication
– Email overload
• Changing student population
– 50/50
– Distance learners

11. Retention Initiatives – Current Students
• Café Hour
– Held across the week – accessible to multiple enrollment models
– Implemented during finals/midterms
• The Social Word
– Weekly Newsletter for all MSW students
– Importance of naming, organization, standardization of delivery, archiving
• Cohort Communicators
– Identifying the right people (students, faculty and staff)
– Utilizing Zoom Meetings
– Capitalize on organic communication line – address incorrect information
• Supper Clubs
– Easy to implement
– Regionally organized – diversified students' connection beyond enrollment models
– Low barriers to entry (compared to student organizations)

12. # of MSW Graduates
Degree Level 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19
Master’s 149 169 217 219

13. Next Steps/Final Thoughts
• Areas for further development
– Engaging with students who have changing priorities
– Reaching online/distance students
– Evaluating these initiatives' impact
• Recommendations for other programs
– Coordination with other departments
– Understand your population of grad students
– Feedback loop
– Conduct regular assessments of communication
strategies

14. This is the goal!

15. Presenter Info
Anna Johnson, MSW
College Recruitment Manager
anjohns8@central.uh.edu
Amber Mollhagen, PhD, LMSW
Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs
amollhagen@uh.edu