What Are You Doing to Reengage Your Program’s Dropouts?

Content written by Rodney Alsup and published by the MBA News Digest.

Graduate program managers and staff spend a lot of time and money recruiting and enrolling students. They generate leads in an attempt to get the lead through the pipeline and into a seat on the first-class day of a new intake. In full-time and executive programs this may be enough but, in part-time and online graduate programs this may not be enough since these programs have a much higher dropout rate. What happens after the first week, month, or semester of class to make sure they keep coming back until they graduate?

Do You Know Your Program’s Dropout Rate?

There is a tendency to monitor the number of applications, acceptances, and enrollments for a program. But, are you monitoring dropout rates? Or better yet, what about the number of students that took at least one course last semester but are not taking a course this semester? It is much easier to count the students that show up than those that do not. But, with available data analytics tools the collection and reporting of both data sets should be easy.

Why Should You Focus on Dropouts?

But, the current no shows that if managed will reduce a program’s dropout rate. Keep in mind that a part-time or online student is trying to balance family, work, and class. It is easier for these students to dropout and never return because dropping out for one semester gives them a feel for not having that added pressure, added workload, etc. They are at risk for not returning, but their contact information is still current, and it’s often said it’s less costly to keep a client or customer (student) than to recruit a new one to replace the lost one.

What Can You Do to Reduce Dropout Rates?

While many things can be do, one often neglected is tracking enrolled students from last semester but not during the current semester and then follow up with them. The following sample workflow may be helpful.

  1. Identify the students. One approach is to ask for a list (name and email) of admitted students that attended class last semester but are not attending class during the current semester. You need to resist the urge to ask for several past semesters of data. The goal is to get started and once started keep doing it each semester.
  2. Upload the list to the program’s CRM. Tagging these students by last attended semester will help with future campaigns.
  3. Have the CRM send each student a series of emails.
    • Email #1: One week after the semester starts, email them so they know you are aware they are not attending and ask them if there’s anything you can do to help.
    • Email #2: Three weeks after the semester starts, email them again asking them to complete a brief survey. One or two open ended questions is best.
    • Email #3: Three to five weeks before the next semester starts, email them with an offer to help them enroll if they have not preregistered for a course. Incentives can be as simple as an offer to help them register, giving them priority for a class, or other offer that would appeal.

When students think someone cares or is watching, they will think long and hard about not returning to complete their degree program.

Join the Conversation!

Question: Do you track your program’s dropouts? How often do you contact your dropouts?

Rodney