July 01, 2010 07:00 ET

Winthrop University Selects EducationDynamics Early Alert, Intervention and First-Year Engagement Services

Leading Education Services Company to Implement Student Success and Retention Programs at South Carolina Institution

HOBOKEN, NJ--(Marketwire - July 1, 2010) -   EducationDynamics, the leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping higher education institutions find, enroll and retain students, announced today that Winthrop University has signed on to implement its early alert, intervention and student engagement programs with the goal of increasing undergraduate student retention and success.

Winthrop will utilize EarlyIQ - Early Alert and Intervention(SM) system, a web-based tool that helps identify at-risk students by capturing data from a multifaceted range of sources, including feedback from faculty, staff and data from student information and learning management systems. Armed with this information, administrators can quickly intervene to help students in need. In addition, Winthrop will deploy EducationDynamics' FYRE^™ (First-Year Retention & Engagement) program, which immerses new students in timely, success-centric content and purpose-oriented, peer-to-peer networking designed to help them better navigate the social and academic transition to college. Both programs will roll out to students and staff this fall.

"Winthrop sought a comprehensive platform to identify at-risk students and provide immediate outreach to get students on track from their first day on campus," said Dr. Frank P. Ardaiolo, Vice President for Student Life at Winthrop University. "We have been extraordinarily impressed with the comprehensiveness of EducationDynamics' approach, from its engaging student-facing content library to its methodology for making implementation as painless as possible, particularly when campus support resources may be scarce. The implementation of these tools is consistent with our long-term plan to increase efficiencies, particularly regarding prioritization and management of follow-up and intervention. We expect to see a positive impact on our retention as well."

Developed over the course of 10 years working with college retention practitioners, EarlyIQ offers the first truly "holistic" approach to early alert and intervention:

Data Collection -- Data (and a proven predictive model) is critical to early alert; EarlyIQ draws its data from any SIS (student information system) capable of exporting data as well as learning management systems. Other key data sources include student inventories (customized for new students, upperclassmen and transfer students), periodic faculty surveys and a faculty dashboard as well as anonymous data from concerned community members (parents, roommates, etc.).

At-a-Glance Comprehension -- Administrative users command a powerful, easy-to-navigate central dashboard in which they can review incoming RFIs (requests for intervention) and recently flagged students, assign tasks to responders or deploy self-management content, initiate and review progress against action plans and assess program engagement and outcomes.

Collaboration -- Enables multiple responders -- residence life, student health, disciplinary services, etc. -- to come together according to suggested action plans based on existing campus workflows.

Communication -- Connect with individual students directly, yet efficiently, to address their unique needs. Students may receive help from one or more sources -- e.g., online tutoring, counseling center, academic skills center, etc. Simultaneously, students may begin receiving web-based content from EducationDynamics' expert-written Virtual Success Center. EarlyIQ then tracks engagement and efficacy of this content and promotes problem-solving while minimizing staff intervention in many cases.

Features of the FYRE program include:

Dynamic and segmented content -- Automated e-messaging (segmented by student characteristics such as course of study, out-of-state, etc.) that drives students to the most relevant content within the web portal and leverages best practices to increase responses to "calls to action" such as sign-up for tutoring, visit the health counseling center or see your advisor.

Interactive online orientation -- Web portal that delivers engaging articles, self-assessment tests, surveys and videos designed to drive students toward resources shown to influence student success, helping solve the problem of static Web resources that students do not utilize enough.

Data tracking and assessment -- Real-time data helps administrators manage students who are not engaging or have difficulty adjusting, and client service includes access to experts with experience in using technology to optimize student retention and program success, helping to prevent data overload and focus on the data that matters.

"Early alert tools come in many forms," said John Mathew, President of Enrollment and Retention Services at EducationDynamics. "What we have done is take early alert software to the next level by developing effective action plans that can be used from 'day one,' providing a more efficient solution to help schools mitigate student attrition and help at-risk students. Feedback from schools about current early alert systems in the market was that they simply send staff hundreds of alerts without the tools or recommendations for follow up. EarlyIQ provides an intervention workflow that delivers success-oriented content to students and facilitates the case management process to a successful outcome. We all know that school administrators have been tasked with doing more with fewer resources -- EarlyIQ helps administrators increase efficiencies so staff can focus on helping students instead of sifting through data."

"Winthrop did not have a unified early alert system that could address all our students' emerging needs," added Dr. Ardaiolo. "We were especially concerned with the numbers of students who could not maintain the required GPA to keep their scholarships. My research into other institutions' systems convinced us we should proceed with an early alert software solution because the results nationally have been impressive. The EarlyIQ tool and the FYRE program will be instant deliverables for our new Student Academic Success Center opening in August, helping students from their first day of enrollment engage with their new academic environment sooner rather than later."

For more information about the EarlyIQ - Early Alert and Intervention(SM) system, or to request a demo, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com/earlyalert or contact Ingrid Ramos at partnerships@educationdynamics.com or 201.377.3329.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics is higher education's leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, EducationConnection.com, TestDriveCollegeOnline.com and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. Through its Market Research and Advisory Services, the company brings a decade of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence, and best practice insights to its clients. For more information, visit www.educationdynamics.com. 

About Winthrop University
Nationally recognized for its quality and value, Winthrop University is a learning community that embodies the characteristics essential to being one of the best universities of its kind: a carefully selected student body of high academic achievement and cultural diversity; a national caliber curriculum of the arts, sciences, and professions; a residential educational experience emphasizing personal identity and close relationships; and values that emphasize deep learning, quality teaching and engaged public service. Winthrop students have the opportunity to develop their individual capacities to become leaders in their professions and communities through a variety of highly personalized, engaging and progressively developmental academic and co-curricular programs predicated on national standards of excellence. The Winthrop Experience is one that prepares students to live, learn and lead for a lifetime.