Take an in-depth look at the difficulty in gaining traction at the institutional level in improving student retention and degree completion rates--especially at larger four year institutions where size, complexity, and multiplicity of structures and processes present particular challenges.

This volume offers a way for institutional leaders to better focus their time, energy, and resources in their retention effort by framing the way they think about it using the 4 Ps of retention strategy: profile, progress, process, and promise. This simple framework challenges long-standing, traditional assumptions about student retention that can distract and dilute institutional efforts, and helps keep those efforts sharply and singularly focused on improving retention and degree completion outcomes.

This is the 161st volume of this Jossey-Bass series. Addressed to higher education decision makers on all kinds of campuses, New Directions for Higher Education provides timely information and authoritative advice about major issues and administrative problems confronting every institution.