Communication key to boosting retention rates

As an English major from Cornell College, Julie Bryant did not see enrollment services in higher education as an obvious career path. However, when Bryant was hired at Ruffalo Noel Levitz in 1993, a firm that contracts with colleges and universities to offer enrollment management solutions, she realized that the communication skills she'd garnered in college would prove key to helping colleges and universities retain students. “Communication is a powerful way to demonstrate that tuition is a worthwhile investment,” Bryant said. Keeping the focus on clear communication between enrollment services administrators and students helped Bryant develop strategies for colleges and universities to boost retention and completion numbers.