New EducationDynamics Webinar, "Empowering Students: A Key to Retention Success," to Feature Student Success Expert Dr. Skip Downing

HOBOKEN, NJ--(Marketwire - October 28, 2009) - As colleges and universities scramble to implement programs designed to stem student attrition, institutions often overlook a critical partner in any effective institutional retention initiative: the student. EducationDynamics (http://www.educationdynamics.com) today announced it will address active student participation in retention initiatives during its next webinar installment, featuring preeminent student success thought leader Dr. Skip Downing.

To be held on November 19th from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (Eastern), the complimentary webinar "Empowering Students: A Key to Retention Success" will offer insight into Dr. Downing's On Course approach to student success, which empowers students to serve as active, accountable partners in achieving greater academic success, subsequently boosting institutional retention rates. The webinar will also include perspectives from postsecondary partners detailing compelling outcomes of the On Course principles in action, including:

-- Andrea Spratt, director of the Learning Resource Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who reports a 72 percent retention rate among at-risk students who participated in the school's On Course-based "Learning Resource Center 101" -- resulting in an additional $5 million in institutional revenue during the five years since implementing the program.

-- Mark McBride, coordinator of the College Success Program at Brevard Community College, who reports that participants of the school's "Success Strategies for College and Life" class, which is rooted in On Course principles, were 20 percent more likely to re-enroll in the following fall semester and nearly six percent more likely to graduate in four years than non-participants.

"As student retention rates hover at unprecedented lows, institutions of higher education must consider increasingly collaborative approaches to combating attrition," explains Steve Isaac, CEO of EducationDynamics. "The foundational concepts of student empowerment in Skip Downing's body of work are critical to any modern retention program, as the onus of increasing retention lies in teaching students how to apply proven strategies of success to achieve their full potential in college and in life."

"Empowering Students: A Key to Retention Success" is designed for student retention administrators who have an interest in strengthening student engagement and retention initiatives. Online registration is now available and space is limited. To secure your spot and engage with leading minds in higher education, register now for the complimentary webinar at http://www.educationdynamics.com/ndsrwebinar-dr-downing/.

This is the latest in the ongoing series of the National Dialog on Student Retention Webinars. Recent installments have featured noted speakers including Dr. George Kuh, director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, former deputy secretary of education at the U.S. Department of Education William Hansen and Scott Fleming, formerly the lead higher education policy staff member for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Future events will feature esteemed experts who will address retention dynamics specific to the varying facets of higher education, including for-profit and not-for-profit institutions interested in retaining undergraduate or graduate students to on-campus or online programs.

About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is higher education's leading marketing 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, 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 division, the company brings a decade of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence, and best practice insights to its clients. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.