S2 - E10 - Triggers for those withdrawing (Data)

ASCEND Podcast

At our institution we began to see higher levels of withdrawals after certain messages from the institution went out to students. While it is true that Institutions of higher education typically aim to retain students rather than encourage them to withdraw, we found that there may be instances where a message or communication from the institution inadvertently triggers a student to consider withdrawal. To better understand what it was about some of our particular messages that triggered a higher number of withdrawals (and to see if we could change the messaging to minimize withdrawals), we contacted the students who withdrew after each particular message. By using the data we gleaned from these conversations, we were able to better understand what was it about the messaging that triggered the withdrawal and then explored ways to better craft the messaging to minimize its negative impacts. We found that these situations were usually the result of poor communication practices or insensitivity.