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Learn how ConexED’s innovative tools are helping California community colleges improve student retention rates. Discover strategies to enhance student success and engagement.
California community colleges play a critical role in supporting diverse and underserved students, particularly categorical students enrolled in programs like Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) and Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). These students often face significant challenges—balancing coursework with full-time jobs, caregiving responsibilities, financial insecurity, or learning disabilities. These obstacles not only affect academic progress but also directly impact student retention rates.
To address these challenges and retain more students, innovative platforms like ConexED have emerged as transformative tools for higher education. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Research in the Community College (Spring 2024) highlights how the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) successfully leveraged ConexED to enhance outcomes for categorical students and improve student retention.
Students enrolled in categorical programs often struggle to navigate bureaucratic processes like admissions, financial aid, and advising. Many find it difficult to access timely academic support, especially when balancing personal commitments or financial stress. For these students, delays in obtaining critical services or guidance can lead to frustration, disengagement, and ultimately higher dropout rates. This underscores the importance of comprehensive student support systems that simplify processes and provide accessible, flexible services tailored to their needs.
ConexED addresses these barriers by offering a suite of tools designed to make student services more efficient, personalized, and accessible. At the heart of ConexED’s platform is its Virtual Lobby, which enables students to connect with advisors in real-time through video calls, chat, or screen sharing. By eliminating the need for physical campus visits, this feature ensures students receive the help they need—when they need it.
Other features, such as customized intake forms, streamline the onboarding process for new students, reducing confusion and helping them navigate their academic journey more effectively. Proactive alerts identify at-risk students, allowing advisors to intervene early and provide timely support to prevent disengagement. Additionally, e-signature tools make it easier to submit documents remotely, ensuring administrative requirements don’t become roadblocks to success.
These tools collectively align with best practices in academic advising—setting clear goals, offering personalized guidance, and addressing individual challenges. By creating a seamless and proactive support system, ConexED helps improve student retention by keeping students engaged, supported, and on track to graduation.
For institutions seeking proven strategies and tools to support students, ConexED's Student Retention Solutions offer a comprehensive approach to improving engagement and academic success.
The LACCD study, which examined ConexED’s implementation from 2019 to 2023, revealed encouraging insights into its impact on student retention rates. Over time, students demonstrated greater comfort and increased usage of ConexED’s tools, with engagement levels rising steadily each year.
Advising sessions conducted online proved to be significantly more efficient than in-person meetings, averaging just 18 minutes compared to 34. This allowed advisors to serve more students during critical times in the semester, such as at the beginning and end, when demand for support peaks.
Furthermore, categorical students relied on ConexED throughout their academic journeys—from orientation to mid-term check-ins and graduation planning. Sustained engagement over time is a clear indicator of the platform’s role in keeping students connected and focused on their educational goals, contributing directly to improved student retention rates.
For colleges looking to enhance student retention, the LACCD study offers valuable lessons. Success begins with a clear implementation plan that defines measurable goals, such as increasing advising efficiency or reducing dropouts. Institutions must also actively engage students, advisors, and faculty during the adoption process to ensure the platform meets their unique needs.
Leveraging analytics from tools like ConexED can offer powerful insights into student behavior, resource demand, and areas where additional support may be required. For example, understanding peak advising times can help institutions allocate resources effectively, ensuring students receive timely interventions when they are most needed.
Ongoing training for advisors and staff is also critical. Digital tools are only as effective as the people using them, so ensuring staff are equipped with the knowledge to maximize these platforms is essential to improving student retention.
As higher education continues to evolve, platforms like ConexED are redefining how institutions support their students. The need for flexible, data-driven student services has never been more urgent, and investing in tools that improve advising efficiency, simplify processes, and provide personalized support is essential.
The findings from the LACCD study affirm that ConexED plays a critical role in boosting student retention rates. By addressing barriers that often lead to student dropouts, this platform creates a more inclusive, efficient, and supportive learning environment where students are empowered to succeed.
ConexED has proven to be a game-changer for California community colleges, particularly for categorical students who face unique challenges. By streamlining access to academic support, enabling real-time communication, and facilitating proactive interventions, the platform effectively improves student retention rates and enhances student outcomes.
For colleges and universities looking to strengthen their student retention strategies, ConexED offers a scalable, evidence-based solution that ensures every student has the tools and support needed to complete their academic journey successfully.
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