Improving student retention requires more than implementing isolated initiatives or assigning responsibility to a single office. Lasting improvement happens when institutions intentionally examine the systems, practices, and experiences that shape how students engage, persist, and succeed. Building a coordinated, institution-wide approach creates the conditions for meaningful and sustainable change.
The Retention Academy helps institutional teams build the capacity to lead this work. Through evidence-informed learning, cross-functional collaboration, and practical application, participants develop a shared vision for student success, explore strategies that strengthen persistence and belonging, and identify opportunities to improve institutional policies, practices, and processes.
Whether your institution is beginning its retention efforts or looking to strengthen existing initiatives, the Retention Academy provides the knowledge, tools, and collaborative learning experience needed to move from ideas to intentional action and create a stronger foundation for student success.
Designed for cross-functional institutional teams, including professionals in:
Registration ends September 28, 2026
Help your institutional team develop a common understanding of student success and retention as a shared responsibility. Through guided discussion and reflection, participants establish a vision that aligns stakeholders and creates a foundation for meaningful, institution-wide improvement.
Explore how institutional policies, practices, and student experiences influence persistence and success. Participants use evidence and institutional context to better understand the factors affecting retention and identify opportunities for improvement.
Learn from research, promising practices, and peer institutions while considering what is most feasible and impactful within your own institutional context. The Academy emphasizes relationship-rich, student-centered approaches that support sustainable improvement.
Translate learning into action by developing a preliminary institutional plan that identifies priorities, stakeholders, and next steps. Participants leave prepared to begin implementing meaningful changes while building momentum for long-term student success.
Develop a shared vision for the student experience your institution wants to create while identifying a key retention challenge to address.
Examine how institutional systems, policies, practices, and student experiences shape persistence and student success.
Learn from research and evidence-informed practices while considering what is most feasible within your institutional context.
Use quantitative and qualitative evidence to better understand where students encounter barriers and where opportunities for improvement exist.
Identify priorities, stakeholders, and next steps to begin implementing meaningful changes that strengthen student retention and success.
The Retention Academy is more than a professional learning experience. It is a collaborative opportunity for institutional teams to build the capacity needed to create meaningful, sustainable improvements in student retention and success.
What sets the Gardner Institute apart is our focus on helping institutions strengthen the systems, relationships, and practices that shape the student experience. Through research, evidence-informed practice, and cross-functional collaboration, the Academy helps participants move beyond isolated initiatives toward a coordinated approach to student success.
Participants leave with more than new ideas. They leave with a shared vision, practical strategies, and a preliminary action plan that can guide meaningful institutional improvement long after the Academy concludes.
The Retention Academy is designed for cross-functional institutional teams because lasting improvements in student retention require shared understanding, collaboration, and coordinated action across the institution.
Your Academy investment includes:
Fees are based on your undergraduate enrollment as determined by College Navigator:
| Enrollment |
| Up to 2,000 – $6,750 |
| 2,001-5,000 – $8,300 |
| 5,001-10,000 – $10,500 |
| 10,000-15,000 – $13,000 |
| Over 15,000 – $15,500 |
Need help determining the best fit for your institution? Join an upcoming information session or contact us to discuss your goals and team participation.
The Retention Academy is a professional learning experience from the John N. Gardner Institute that helps colleges and universities strengthen student retention and student success by building institutional capacity for sustainable improvement. Designed for cross-functional institutional teams, the Academy combines evidence-informed practices, collaborative learning, and practical planning to help institutions examine the systems, policies, and practices that influence student persistence.
Participants leave with a shared vision for student success, practical strategies for improving retention, and a preliminary action plan to guide meaningful institutional change.
The Retention Academy is designed for cross-functional institutional teams committed to improving student retention and student success. Because retention is influenced by many aspects of the student experience, meaningful improvement requires collaboration among professionals from student success, academic affairs, advising, enrollment management, financial aid, institutional research, faculty, and other areas across the institution. By learning and planning together, teams develop a shared vision, strengthen collaboration, and build the capacity to create lasting improvements in student success.
The Retention Academy helps colleges and universities build the institutional capacity needed to improve student retention and student success. Rather than focusing on isolated initiatives, the Academy equips cross-functional teams to examine the systems, policies, and practices that influence student persistence, strengthen collaboration across the institution, and develop evidence-informed strategies for meaningful improvement. Participants leave with a shared vision, practical tools, and a preliminary action plan that supports both immediate progress and long-term success.
For nearly 30 years, the Gardner Institute has partnered with colleges and universities to strengthen student success through research, collaboration, and evidence-informed practice. We understand that lasting improvements in student retention come from building institutional capacity, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and designing systems that support student success.
The Retention Academy reflects this approach by helping institutional teams develop the knowledge, shared vision, and practical strategies needed to create meaningful, sustainable change. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, the Gardner Institute works alongside institutions to build the foundation for long-term student success.
Yes. The Retention Academy is designed for colleges and universities at different stages of their student success journey. Whether your institution is beginning to strengthen its approach to student retention or building on existing efforts, the Academy provides an evidence-informed framework for developing institutional capacity, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and identifying meaningful opportunities for improvement. Institutional teams leave with practical strategies and a preliminary action plan that can be adapted to their unique context and goals.
Join an upcoming Retention Academy Information Session to learn more about the Academy, explore the experience, and determine whether it’s the right fit for your institution. When you’re ready, submit your application by September 28 to join the next Academy cohort, which runs October 7 through December 2. If you have questions along the way, the Gardner Institute team is here to help.
. Please contact info@gardnerinstitute.org
This process will help your team work through data. You will be able to to compare your student retention with other similar institutions and discover inequitable patterns at your institution.
