Peer connections: building retention efforts at UW-Stout

Abstract

Retention of first-year students, at UW-Stout, has declined over the past two years with a significant drop from 73% in 2015 to 68.5% in 2016 (UW-Stout, 2018). As of Fall, 2018, enrollment at the University is also down by 7.6% from 2017 (UW-Stout, 2018). Astin (1993) said, "the student's peer group is the single most potent source of influence on growth and development during the undergraduate years (p.398)." Students choose to leave the university for many reasons, one of which is their inability to fit-in. Fitting in is an important factor in student success. To fit in, students need to be engaged with the university, their classes, and feel comfortable in their environment. This paper looks at the ways in which students at UW-Stout make or do not make connections to their peers in the first six weeks on campus. The data collected was used to provide recommendations for how the University can engage with students prior to arrival and during orientation programs offered in the summer and fall.