4 Reasons Online Scheduling Helps Academic Advisors Increase Student Retention

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - April 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Academic advisors are crucial to increasing student retention at campuses nationwide. They help college students decide on what subjects to take.

As reported in The New York Times, 80 percent of freshmen at Penn State University are uncertain about their major. Half of those will change their minds after declaring a major, sometimes more than once.

The article goes on to say that colleges and universities have vested interests in students declaring their major, as it improves retention rates.

“We want to remind them that they have an active role” in their academic choices, said Mary Beth Collier, the dean of academic advising at the State University of New York at New Paltz, in The New York Times piece.

Here are four reasons why an online scheduling solution can help academic advisors improve retention rates:

1.    Save 3 hours per day.

Case studies of colleges throughout the nation show academic advising offices save significant time by allowing students to book appointments online.

2.    Automatic student notifications.

These help students remember their advising appointments and can reduce the “no-show” rate by 70 percent. They can be in the form of e-mail or text message.

3.    Better records of student appointments.

Online scheduling eliminates manual record-keeping in paper appointment books and spreadsheets. All appointment data is instantly accessible from your scheduling dashboard.    

4.     Student satisfaction.

Scheduling advising appointments online instead of by phone or in-person is more convenient for students. They also have access to their appointment history and meeting notes within their accounts.

Learn how Appointment-Plus academic advising software can boost your student retention. Call 800-988-0061 or visit http://www.appointment-plus.com