Strategies for mitigating summer melt: Editorial

In an interview with The evoLLLution, Jamie Hansard (Texas Tech University) discusses some strategies and best practices for mitigating summer melt and improving retention. Hansard notes that there are a number of reasons why students may unenroll from an institution over the summer, including concerns about affordability and the value of a postsecondary education and/or the draw of other opportunities that become available to them. To combat this, Hansard encourages institutions to devote resources to cross-departmental collaborations that will better familiarize incoming students with their prospective institution. Hansard also touches on Texas Tech’s communication efforts with both the students and their families to ensure students are excited and informed about what they can expect in the Fall.