Promotional Determinants of Business School Retention: A Case Study Approach

Intense competition has made student attrition a concern for colleges and universities. Attrition is costly and generates considerable concerns for educational institutions (Tinto, 1993). This is especially true for small schools that do not have huge endowments, and must depend on tuition and fees to support programming. The loss of students has a detrimental impact upon budgeting as the costs involved in recruiting new students is higher than the cost to retain existing students (Braunstein, Lesser, & Pescatrice, 2006). Many universities are looking for ways to differentiate from the competition by offering creative programs that meet the needs and wants of students. Business schools must recognize and furnish what is important to college students (Elliott & Shin, 2002). Research indicates that schools must identify determinants that will provide higher levels of satisfaction in course programming, curriculum components, and interaction with professors. According to Letcher and Neves (2010), a high level of emphasis on achieving student satisfaction implies that universities, as other service providers, place an increasing emphasis on satisfying student needs and wants to remain competitive. The purpose of the study is to identify promotional determinants which may result in higher levels of student satisfaction leading to improved retention. A case study approach is used to examine closely the relationship between determining factors of business school retention. The study is aimed to evaluate intangible factors that are likely to impact student satisfaction, recruiting and fundraising, and student retention that may positively affect student outcomes at business schools. The study was conducted at the School of Business of a Midwest University. One of the unique options at the school is the Entrepreneurial Program with Integrative Cooperatives (EPIC). This program places high achieving students directly into a co-op program starting the sophomore summer and through graduation. The following business program offerings were evaluated in the study: Bachelor of Business Administration (traditional), Bachelor of Administration (EPIC), Bachelor of Science in Accounting