Drake University maintains a consistently high one-year retention rate for entering first-year students. Over the past four years, the one-year retention rate averaged 88 percent. While the overall one-year retention rate is high, there are several student groups that experience lower retention rates. The faculty proactive advising project will implement and assess the practice of proactive advising to support success for identified populations of students at Drake in order to improve retention rates for those populations.

The proactive advising project is now in its third year and served close to 100 students in Fall 2015. The project has demonstrated significant impact on student success. For the 2014 cohort of students who participated in the project, 80 percent returned for their second year compared to 88.8 percent for all other first-year students. Given the high level of retention risk represented in the proactive advising group, this is an excellent outcome. Faculty participants have also reported positive results from participation, most notably a change in approach to advising for all of their students.

Students will be identified for participation in the project based on analysis of several combined risk factors:  high school GPA and ACT score, failure to attend summer orientation, commuter status, and scores on the non-cognitive factors section of the Foundations of Learning assessment that will be administered at summer orientation.

Faculty advisers who participate in this project will have a one-semester commitment that will include:

• Attend two half-day workshops for all participants in the program: Thursday, May 19, and Friday, May 20, 1–4 p.m.
• Work with project coordinator Wade Leuwerke, associate professor of education, to develop an advising plan for assigned advisees.
• Advise 3–5 students identified to participate in the project for Fall 2016 semester; assigned students may be outside of faculty adviser’s discipline.
• Submit a final report.
• Optional group meeting and individual consultation and support will be available throughout the project.

After the first two workshops, participants will receive a stipend of $500. After completing the project and submitting a final report, participants will receive an additional $500.

Participation will be limited to 10 individuals.

If you are interested in participating, please respond to Sandra Harris (sandra.harris@drake.edu) by Monday, April 11, at 4:30.

If you have questions about the project, contact either Melissa Sturm-Smith (melissa.sturm-smith@drake.edu) or Wade Leuwerke (
wade.leuwerke@drake.edu).

—Melissa Sturm-Smith, Associate Provost for Academic Excellence and Student Success