Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 6 of The Illinois Commitment
Retention Task Force
Eureka College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
Like many small institutions, revenues at Eureka College are largely driven by enrollment. We have pursued a
number of initiatives in recent years to strengthen our recruitment of new students. It became evident, however,
that a similar effort is needed to ensure the persistence of those whom we enroll. Although our historical
retention rates are good, they can be improved. To the extent that students succeed at Eureka, we will have
increased both our financial efficiency and our academic accountability.
Description of the effective practice:
Recognizing that retention is an issue affected by many variables, our president formed a Retention Task Force
in October of 2005 to identify strategies through which the faculty can better foster student success at Eureka
College. The Task Force met weekly to discuss the current literature, to explore best practices followed by other
schools, and to identify areas in which we might most fruitfully apply what we had learned to our own
institution. By April of 2006, we had crafted a Retention Plan for the College. The plan articulates a conceptual
framework for retention, guiding principles that link the framework to our academic mission, and practices that
we plan to implement in either the coming academic year or in subsequent years.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
The Task Force was appointed by the president and will remain active for at least one more year while the
Retention Plan is revised and formally adopted by the faculty. Implementation of the plan will then be overseen
by our existing governance structure (e.g., Admissions and Persistence Committee) and the Office of the Dean.
The work of the Retention Task Force has already led to plans for a faculty retreat on advising and engagement,
to be held in mid-August.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
Our Fall-to-Spring retention rate reached an historic high last year. Though it is difficult to credit this
improvement to any one Task Force initiative, it is clear that simply turning attention to the issue of retention
was a positive outcome. The Task Force inspired a college-wide conversation about student engagement that
has highlighted the role that every member of our community has in facilitating student success.
Contact Information
Name: Virginia McCoy
Email: vmccoy@eureka.edu
Phone: (309) 467-6382
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