It is time colleges and universities take action to help retain students through academic and social goal completion. Naturally the way a college defines retention will affect its retention/attrition results. But according to recent *ACT and *CSRDE data, retention rates have not improved over time regardless of the programs and services colleges have implemented.
It is time to apply common sense. For retention programs and services to be effective they must be powerful enough to effect change. My retention formula is based on an analysis of what colleges routinely fail to do. Hence, my retention formula, RET = E ID + (E + In +C) IV.
That is, Retention = Early Identification + (Early + Intensive + Continuous) Intervention.
You can read a detailed description of the Seidman Formula in his book. More Information.