Social media and retention

.eduGuru has some interesting information on higher education social media penetration.  It also makes an argument that social media usage can improve student engagement which can in turn improve retention.  Makes sense to me.

How Your School’s Online Presence Impacts Retention

Millennial college students are the most plugged in group to walk through the campus gates. Colleges are already doing a great job of recognizing the digital focus of their students by developing social media presences.

A quick benchmark—in a 2010-2011 study on college social media use, 100% of colleges surveyed were using at least one type of social media. College usage data shows: 

98% used Facebook
86% posted videos on YouTube
84% tweeted
66% posted blogs
41% put out podcasts 

It may be surprising, but this social media presence only recently began to skyrocket. In the previous year, 87% of colleges were using Facebook. Twitter was at 59% and Podcasts at 22%.

All out for retention

Could it really be as simple as this?  From The Hechinger Report.

In Montana, small changes spur nation’s biggest jump in college graduates

Inside the student union at Montana State University, freshmen and sophomores dig into pizza and espresso brownies and listen to motivational speeches while the marching band belts out the fight song (“We’ve got the vim, we’re here to win!”). 

It’s just what it looks and sounds like: a pep rally. But not the conventional kind. 

The students in this room are on academic probation, have poor grades or are struggling to adjust to college. All are at risk of dropping out. They’re being exhorted to keep trying, lured here by dinner, entertainment, prizes, even $50 apiece in cash, for coaching in time management, study skills and test-taking. 

Thanks to this event, along with a relentless barrage of free tutoring, “success advising” and other support, an estimated three-quarters of these potential dropouts will buck the odds and stay in school, up from barely half who once did.