‘Sophomore slump’ is a term often used to describe a decrease in excitement, engagement, and overall drive that can occur after the initial excitement of the first year has passed. We know from the literature and from many years of experience that sophomore students often face a period of academic, personal, or motivational decline during their second year of college. It is important to normalize the emotions, experiences, and realities students may face in their second year. Anecdotally, we have seen that many of our students struggle with the sophomore slump, but most don’t know what to call it or fully understand what is going on.

We created a variety of unique initiatives and programming specific to our second-year students. By specifically addressing the sophomore slump and its challenges, we try to demonstrate that we understand and care about the difficulties students may encounter during their second year. This validation can create a sense of belonging and support, reducing the likelihood of students feeling overwhelmed or isolated.

Students are always looking for discounts and deals to save money. Additionally, community businesses are always looking for ways to attract more customers. Given these two realities, creating a community coupons, deals, and discount packet (or website) and giving it to all incoming and returning students can be a great way to help students save money and drive more customers to local businesses. This initiative is also a great way to build partnerships with the community and foster a greater sense of community among students.

Most institutions explore why students have left the institution, which is indeed extremely important data to have. But how often do we explore why students return to the institution? What is it that makes them come back semester after semester? We found that this data can be just as valuable as why students leave.

Aaron Basko from the University of Lynchburg joins co-hosts Jared Tippets and Eric Kirby to share his deep knowledge, wisdom, and insights on how campuses can increase their retention and student success efforts!

Aaron Basko is currently the Vice President of Enrollment and University Outreach at the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, VA. He has more than 25 years of experience serving as an enrollment growth specialist and student success strategist. He is the author of seven books, including Find Your Purpose, Manage Your Career and How to Impress U.S. Universities, and has written for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, University Business, The Times Higher Education, and The Journal of College Admissions. He is also a 2015 Fulbright grant winner.

Another nudge we have utilized, primarily to help get students registered for the next semester, is to have the university president send an email to all students who haven’t registered past a certain date to see what can be done to get the student back. An email from the university president can be a powerful tool for encouraging students to register for classes. The university president holds a position of authority and influence, and their communication can carry significant weight. In drafting this nudge, make sure you find a way to address students by their names or use a personal salutation to make the email feel more individualized. Next, craft an engaging and relevant subject line that piques students' interest and communicates the importance of the email. For example, “Important: Register for Classes Now to Secure Your Spot.” Throughout the text of the email, make sure it has a warm and welcoming tone to establish a connection with students. Expressing the president's excitement for the upcoming semester and their commitment to students' success is also important. With these types of nudges, it is vital to create a sense of urgency by mentioning registration deadlines or the limited availability of certain classes. Address common concerns students might have, such as financial issues or course availability, offer potential solutions or resources, and mention the availability of academic advisors or registration assistance if students have questions or need guidance.

As you might imagine, this nudge can generate a significant number of responses back to the president. We work closely with her team to alleviate the work that this nudge creates. We help write all the responses back to students so she doesn’t have to. And, the most common response we send is something along the lines of, “Thanks for your good questions (or comments). I’m going to connect you to my friends/colleagues in Academic Advising who will be able to directly assist you. I will make sure they reach out to you very soon. And, if you still have other questions (or comments) please don’t hesitate to reach back out to me directly and I’ll continue to help out however I can.”

We find that we get a bump in course registrations every semester after the nudge email goes out from our president. For whatever reason, these students that we have not been able to reach through our traditional outreach efforts from academic advisors, faculty, peer mentors, and others will be responsive to an email from the university president.

We have found in many instances that many students often struggle to go to an event, activity, or program on their own. If they have to go on their own, they often will choose not to go at all. Struggling with attending big events or going somewhere on one's own can be attributed to a variety of factors, including social anxiety, fear of the unknown, lack of confidence, introversion, or previous negative experiences. It's important to recognize that each person is unique, and their struggles may stem from a combination of these factors. To increase the chances of students attending (or feeling more comfortable attending) events and activities, thereby hopefully increasing their sense of belonging and connection to place, we created smaller niche events that were held a few times a week that would allow smaller gatherings based around a particular hobby (i.e. Dungeons and Dragons; painting night, telling ghost stories, etc.)

We have discovered that small group events at college can provide valuable opportunities for introverts and shy students to connect and engage with others in a more comfortable and manageable setting. Here are some ways we have found in which small group events can be designed to cater to the needs of introverts and shy students.

Dr. Glenn Davis from Bowling Green State University joins co-hosts Jared Tippets and Eric Kirby to share his deep knowledge, wisdom, and insights on how campuses can increase their retention and student success efforts!

Glenn Davis is Vice President for Student Engagement and Success at Bowling Green State University. In this role, Glenn collaborates with staff and faculty from across the university to ensure that all students graduate with the knowledge, skills, experience, and confidence they need to be successful on their chosen path. With Jillian Kinzie, Glenn co-edited Radical Reimagining for Student Success in Higher Education (Routledge, 2023), which seeks to answer one key question: What would college look like if students really mattered?

Glenn has a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from Harvard College, a master’s degree in Medieval Studies from the University of York, and a PhD in English from the University of Texas at Austin.