Winners Announced for 2009 Noel-Levitz Retention Excellence Awards

NASFAA Constituent Member News

[The following is a news release issued by Noel-Levitz.]

Winners Announced for 2009 Noel-Levitz Retention Excellence Awards

July 14, 2009 - Noel-Levitz, the industry leading firm in higher education consulting firm, today announced the winners of the 2009 Lee Noel and Randi Levitz Retention Excellence Awards. The awards recognize innovative campus retention programs that have helped students reach their goals and persevere through graduation.

The following institutions will be formally recognized for their exemplary retention efforts at the annual National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing and Retention, taking place July 21-23 in San Antonio, TX.:

Albion College, Albion, Michigan: "Academic Success Course"
The Academic Success Course (ASC) is a demanding and comprehensive theory-based course that directly addresses a broad range of issues related to academic underperformance. The program utilizes insight, structure, and support to help students become self-regulated learners and responsible students. It is designed to integrate interventions that focus on strategy, readiness to change, and effort in an attempt to address the specific issues that Terminal Probation (TP) students experience. Since the program began, the one-semester retention rate has increased from 40 percent for non-ASC students to 76.7 percent for ASC students; the one-year retention rate is up from 31.4 percent for non-ASC students to 55.6 percent for ASC students; and the two-year retention rate has increased from 25.7 percent for non-ASC students to 50.0 percent for ASC students. The data also indicates that the ASC has helped to significantly increase the academic achievement of TP students as well.
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina: "The Student Success Contract Program"

The program aims to increase the academic success of formally suspended and dismissed students through: mentor relationship with SAS advisors; the creation of individualized academic success plans based on students’ strengths and goals, and guided by academic mentors; information on academic policies; access to UNCG support services; and relationships with professors outside the classroom. The program encourages students to take an honest look at their academic history, personal strengths, and goals for their future, and from those, develop a plan that fosters success. Since the program’s implementation, UNCG has successfully retained more students returning from academic suspension and dismissal and have also seen an increase in the number of students who subsequently return to good academic standing. Previously suspended and dismissed students that either persist on probation or return to good standing reached 85 percent in fall 2007, 50 percent in spring 2008, and 92 percent in fall 2008.

The Retention Excellence Awards Program^TM was established by Noel-Levitz in 1989 to honor outstanding achievements in student retention by colleges and universities throughout North America. Winners are selected by a national panel comprised of campus-based retention practitioners. Case studies of the winning schools are available at www.noellevitz.com/awards.

Noel-Levitz is a nationally recognized higher education consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning for enrollment and student success. Each year, campus executives from throughout the U.S. meet regularly with Noel-Levitz to accomplish their goals for student recruitment, marketing, student retention, and strategic enrollment management. Since 1973, Noel-Levitz has partnered with more than 2,000 colleges and universities throughout North America. Noel-Levitz has offices in Colorado, Iowa, and Connecticut.

Posted 07/15/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.