Terminology

To build a campus culture of urgency around retention, it is important that everyone understands the key terminology in assessing student success.

Retention: An institutional measure of continued enrollment. Implies institutional responsibility for outcomes.
Persistence: A student measure of continued enrollment. Implies student responsibility for outcomes.
Retention rate: The percentage of first-time undergraduates who return to the same institution the following fall.
Graduation rate: The percentage of first-time undergraduates who complete their program at the same institution in a specified time period, e.g., four or six years.
Data-informed decisions: Actions that are based on available data. Using all available data to inform decision-making allows us to build, target, launch, evaluate and replicate successful programs.
Predictive analytics: The use of data to identify the likelihood of future outcomes. Allows interventions as problems arise, enhancing our ability to prevent attrition and increasing the likelihood of student success.