Universities Implement New Program to Help Sophomores Find Their Academic and Professional Purpose

Sept. 30, 2008 - PRLog -- Hoboken, NJ (October 1, 2008)―While much attention is paid to acclimate freshmen to college life, sophomores can largely feel ignored, become detached and even drop out. Among students who drop out of college, about two-thirds as many do so in their second year as in their first year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. To combat this volatile period, Clemson University, Lynchburg College and the University of West Georgia are among the first to implement a Web-based solution designed to increase sophomore retention and connectedness.

EducationDynamics’ latest tool, the Sophomore Year Retention Program, is based upon many of the same initiatives as its First Year Retention (FYRe™) program, but is specifically designed to meet the needs of sophomore students. The program immerses sophomores in engaging content, such as interactive self-tests, digital video narratives, career development activities and social networking tools, to help students clarify their academic, career and personal life goals.

“First-year experience programming has been widely implemented and is reaching maturity on many college campuses. However, when sophomores return to campus most no longer experience the same level of support they received as freshmen," says Peter Kraft, president of the Enrollment and Retention Services Division of EducationDynamics. "It is critical that sophomores feel plugged in with their peers and to campus resources. The Sophomore Year Retention Program effectively creates a virtual center for the sophomore year experience to increase student connectedness and retention.”

The Sophomore Year Retention Program is believed to be the only comprehensive Web-based service to offer both an array of custom content and e-community activities, as well as a reporting dashboard that provides early warning alerts to help administrators identify sophomores at risk of attrition. Features include:
•   Ph.D.-approved, interactive self-tests and exploratory games, known as Heuristics™. Students who are undecided about their majors might opt to take a quiz that poses the question―"Are You In the Wrong Major?"
•   A series of personality tests designed to explore careers and majors typically associated with their unique personality types.
•   UPeers™, an academic-focused purpose community comprised of other students considering the same disciplines, as well as upperclassmen and advisors who serve as "e-mentors" within the community.

Implementation of the Sophomore Year Retention Program ranges from eight to 12 weeks. For more information, please contact Tracy Howe at 201.377.3318.

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About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is the leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping higher education institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.