Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Data and Analytics team has been researching tactics for promoting student retention. One of the ways faculty members can help is by encouraging students in their classes to register for the fall semester. Motivated by research pursued by the previous iteration of the President’s Advisory Council for Academic Excellence and Student Success, faculty members can once again access the Who’s Registered app to know how many, and the percentage, of their current students are already registered.
For faculty members teaching spring courses, try playing around with the app to explore data. For example, try using the drop-down menus to select a college/school, subject code or course ID. Faculty members can also search for their section number. This allows everyone to get a better feel for the percentage of students who are registered for fall. Data for each course section will continue to be updated on the app through the end of the current term, so check back often to track progress.
If the percentage of students in a section is low, it may help to encourage the students to register. If students have registration holds on their accounts, additional information on next steps can be found at the Registrar’s Holds site. Data for each course section will continue to be updated on the app through the end of the current term, so check back often to track progress. There is also information on how to support student retention in CAESS’s Student Retention Guide.
In the interest of privacy, the tool displays data only for courses in which at least five degree-seeking students are enrolled, excluding students who have a pending graduation. Faculty members are frequently the closest and most personal presence in the academic lives of students, and with this information faculty members can provide more targeted assistance in terms of knowing whether their students are continuing toward their academic goals.
Let’s all help students get registered. Please reach out to Sean Petranovich for any other ideas related to promoting student retention.