Guiding Colleges to Higher College Graduation Rates
We consult with colleges that desire a more focused continual improvement approach to college student retention, especially for the STEM majors. Most colleges have a strategy for improving their graduation rates. We help colleges develop a more complete strategy. We consult on first-year programs that successfully engage STEM major students. Our consulting services include assessment services, independent research, strategy planning and training.
Check out our latest publication, "The Diversity of STEM Majors and a Strategy for Improved STEM Retention." We show that interest in STEM majors among college freshmen is increasing but it is very selective. The need for recruitment efforts for women and minority students in engineering and the physical sciences continues.
We will work with you to meet your needs for improved STEM graduation rates. Our services include assessments, research analysis and consulting, and training of your faculty. See Our Services for more information.
Are you looking for customized help with freshman college retention?
We will work with you to provide a customized strategy for helping freshmen transition successfully to your college. Our research shows that an expectation of a high graduation rate in 4-6 years starts with a freshman retention rate of 90% or more.
Continuous Improvement Strategy for College Student RetentionWe take a long term process-oriented approach to continuous improvement. There are no shortcuts. Involvement of the faculty and staff in student retention efforts is essential! We are a supporter of the Baldrige framework for continuous improvement.
The Veenstra Retention Model - Nine Pillars for Student Success
We use the Veenstra Model as an assessment framework to identify student backgrounds and experiences critical to student success for your college and to consult with you on a freshman college retention plan. It is based on research that showed that the pre-college characteristics that predict freshman engineering retention are different from those that predict general college student retention.
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Meet Cindy Veenstra
Cindy P. Veenstra, Ph.D. is the director for Veenstra and Associates. She has gained national recognition from her STEM student retention research through her ASEE and ASQ publications. Dr. Veenstra has extensive experience with consulting, education assessment and research studies. She is the chair of the ASQ Education Division and was elected a Fellow of ASQ in 2004. She is a member of ASEE, ASQ, and ASHE and on LinkedIn.
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