Are you overlooking the needs of your second-year college students?

Incoming freshmen deserve great attention. They are making a challenging transition to college, and they are highly vulnerable to attrition. But second-year student retention should not be overlooked as classes get under way this fall, especially as their attrition rates nationally range between 16-19 percent by the end of the second year.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a significant gap in campus programming across higher education between the first and second years according to data in the Noel-Levitz Student Retention and College Completion Practices Report:

In many ways, the needs of second-year students may simply be “carry over” of the unmet needs of freshmen. For example, while nearly 70 percent of incoming freshmen want help selecting an educational plan, Noel-Levitz research shows that nearly 60 percent of returning, second-year students (still) wanted help preparing a written academic plan for graduation.

But second-year students also bring needs that are different from their first-year counterparts, requiring differently targeted interventions. For example, a study of 3,870 second-year students showed:

• 55 to 62 percent of second-year students want assistance with figuring out the impact of grades on their desired major.
• 60 to 80 percent of second-year students want help with identifying work experiences or internships related to their major.
• 20 to 30 percent of second-year students currently attending a four-year institution want to discuss transfer questions and issues.

What barriers on your campus are getting in the way of second-year student persistence? And, how can you design programs and services to meet the needs of these students?

To explore these questions, I invite you to join us for two one-hour webinars this fall:

Building Student Success Strategies Based on Students’ Motivational Needs (September 23, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

Extending Your Reach: Student Success Strategies Throughout the Freshman and Sophomore Years (October 14, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

At these webinars, we’ll share examples that illustrate how to make second-year retention a central part of college completion programming for your campus. For more information, email us or call Noel-Levitz at 1-800-876-1117.