The Retention Task Force (RTF) represents a collective of administrative and academic units that work collaboratively to improve the university’s ability to retain and graduate undergraduate students in ways that are equitable and driven by the academic, personal, and professional interests of each student.
Collaborative impact via the RTF has resulted in:
- Increasing the 6-year graduation rate for undergraduate students from 81 to 84 percent and the 4-year graduation rate by 8 percent.
- Improving equitable outcomes for minoritized student populations through the leadership of the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMAD); during the pandemic, first-year students affiliated with programs in OMAD were retained at their highest rates ever.
- Streamlining reinstatement process and establishing reinstatement coach in Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA).
- Amending probation policies per national best practices by the Office of the University Registrar and approved by the Faculty Senate to allow more students to continue toward their degree.
- Creating a robust Emergency Aid program within the Office of Student Financial Aid in conjunction with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rios Partners.
- Research and implementation of technology-based solutions to improve student access to majors (Pivot Advising Tool and Prerec Map and provide staff with early identification of students in academic and personal distress, led by UW-IT and in collaboration with Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and UAA.
- Completion of the 2019 UW Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Study, a second comprehensive mixed-methods study of undergraduate student success by the Office of Educational Assessment.
Efforts and reports
- Emergency Aid Advisory Group, August 2017 Chaired by Kay Lewis, Student Financial Aid
- Technology and Data Working Group, September 2017, Co-chaired by Tom Lewis and Phil Reid
- Policies and Practices Working Group, October 2017, Chaired by Helen Garrett
- Student Interventions Working Group, November 2018, Co-chaired by Sean Gherke and Kristian Wiles
- Student Check-out and Re-enrollment Working Group, January 2019, Co-chaired by Helen Garrett and Felipe Martinez
- Financial Registration Holds Committee, March 2019, Chaired by Kay Lewis
- Data Synthesis Working Group, August 2019, Chaired by Sean Gherke
- Retention Analytics Dashboard Steering Committee, January 2021, Chaired by Henry Lyle
Current Initiatives
The Membership of the RTF are currently collectively engaged in the following efforts:
- Retention Analytics Dashboard (RAD) Steering Committee.
- Ongoing improvements to the process of student exit and re-entry to university after time off.
- Learning analytics informed interventions for OMAD affiliated, international, and pre-major students.
- Forward planning for the 2021-2022 academic year.
The Manager of Student Success serves as the sole funded position dedicated to advancing the priorities of the RTF. More information on this work can be found by visiting the Office of the Manager for Student Success website.