First Year Retention Efforts through Early Academic Alerts
Industry-driven MBA Program Goal 1: Develop clear pathways into and through the university to ensure equitable access to higher education, enhance student engagement and success, and improve retention and graduation rates. Initiative 1.1: Increase enrollment through the development and implementation of a relational recruitment model integrated with clearly branded marketing. Initiative 1.4: Working with high schools and community colleges, develop clear pathways into the university to provide equitable and inclusive enrollment practices and graduation attainment. The approved Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Central Washington University (CWU) is designed to prepare students for leadership roles across a variety of industries. Emphasizing core business competencies such as problem-solving, analytics, leadership, and communication, the program also focuses on ethical leadership and social responsibility. It offers flexible modalities to accommodate diverse learner needs; stackable, in-demand specializations like Cybersecurity Management and Business Analytics; and networking and experiential learning components. The curriculum was developed in alignment with CWU’s and the College of Business’s missions, fostering sustainability and community partnerships. The program promises a competitive, accessible, and modern MBA experience tailored for today’s workforce needs. Workforce data and student surveys support the program’s viability and demand. Labor statistics reveal growing opportunities while learner feedback shows strong interest, particularly in online or hybrid formats and customizable specializations. The program is competitively priced compared to regional offerings and is expected to be financially sustainable with projected positive net income from the first year. We are creatively creating seamless pathways with our college partners offering BAS programs to increase impact. Beyond academic value, the program addresses broader societal needs including economic development, innovation, and global competence. Through strategic partnerships, inclusive access, and a forward-looking curriculum, the MBA program aims to become a significant
Goal 1: Develop clear pathways into and through the university to ensure equitable access to higher education, enhance student engagement and success, and improve retention and graduation rates. Initiative 1.2: Increase retention rates of new freshman students, closing equity gaps. As an effort to enhance First-Year Retention, all faculty were requested to participate in an Early Academic Alert initiative, taking attendance in all 100-200 level courses and submitting any notice of academic concerns between weeks 3-4 of the term. These alerts were intended to help with early identification of academic challenges students may face that could be resolved through a variety of student success efforts, including peer mentoring, tutoring, advising, and referrals to support services. During the 2024-2025 academic year, a total of 2,157 early alerts were submitted (representing 1,546 students). Each student received a text message, email, and/or phone outreach from a team of Academic Success Coaches to connect them with campus resources, programming, and supports. Fall-to-Winter persistence data for full-time First-Time-In-College (FT-FTIC) demonstrated an increase from 91% in 2023 to 93% in 2024, and similarly, Winter- to-Spring persistence increased from 85% to 89% over the past year. While early indications are promising, we will be able to estimate the Fall-to-Fall Retention for this cohort as we approach the beginning of Fall 2025 (in advance of the SOU). Process improvements to the Early Academic Alert project are underway for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year to include updated faculty training and resources, a standard syllabus statement, Canvas integration tools, improved timelines, and coordinated outreach strategies with other campus initiatives to increase response rates. We also aim to launch a positive alert campaign, which will allow faculty & staff to submit a “high five” to celebrate students’ engagement in the learning environment and to recognize their investment in their own academic success and personal growth. Emerging evidence suggests that this positive version of academic alerts helps foster a sense of belonging through acknowledging students’ efforts, improvements, and motivations rather than focusing exclusively on academic challenges. Contributors : Tishra Beeson, Caitlin Bassett, Banu Jayamani
contributor to professional and community advancement. Contributors : Faiza Khoja, Sayantani Mukherjee, Fang Wang
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