An engaging partnership to improve student retention and success in higher education

Improving the retention and success of students in higher education (HE) is an internationally recognised challenge. This paper draws on international literature, and an on-going programme in England to argue that institutions need to focus on enhancing students’ engagement in HE to improve retention and success. The emerging model indicates that institutions should develop and promote opportunities for engagement to all students, throughout the student lifecycle, across the institution’s academic, social and professional service domains. However, the embedding of opportunities for engagement with peers and professional services into the academic sphere is important for students with limited opportunities for other forms of engagement. Institutions also need to work with students and staff to develop their capacity to engage with each other. It is important that opportunities that HEIs offer to facilitate student engagement are informed by key principles and aim to achieve common outcomes, rather than the choice of specific activity.