EducationDynamics' Peter Tomassi will be a featured speaker at the Career College Association Convention in Las Vegas, June 25-27, 2008. Mr. Tomassi and University of Alabama's Dr. Jennifer Jones will offer attendees valuable tools for mapping their own Student Retention (http://www.educationdynamics.com/services/retention/) 2.0 blueprints, based on industry best practices and key research into how and where to reach students.
In a presentation titled Giving Students What They Want (To Get The Results You Want), Mr. Tomassi and Dr. Jones will take a comprehensive look at how students use the Web and share ways
to incorporate that information into retention efforts for on-campus and online degree programs. Attendees will learn how to create their own retention programs (http://www.educationdynamics.com/services/retention/) using available data, incorporating metrics and specific action plans
designed to deliver successful outcomes for degree-seeking students.
The presentation will include current data on students' online and school work habits, as well as insight into making those habits part of any retention plan, including such topics as:
• Students and the online culture, including the value of social networks;
• Online study and research habits;
• Online learning characteristics, challenges and initiatives; and
• Characteristics of successful students.
Attendees will also learn how to gather and analyze the student retention data available to them and to create a retention plan, checklist and system of audits to ensure peak program
performance.
As senior vice president of product development for EducationDynamics' Enrollment & Retention Services (http://www.educationdynamics.com) Division, Mr. Tomassi has deep roots in both consumer and scholarly media. Earlier in his career, he led the
global development of interactive media products at the Reader's Digest Association, working with such partners as Microsoft, AOL and Apple. Mr. Tomassi is also the founder of the Journal
of Politics and Society, a national policy research publication published by Columbia University.
Dr. Jones is director of academic retention at the University of Alabama, a role that includes examining data related to student retention and developing, implementing and overseeing
appropriate student support programs. She manages insideua, a successful online retention program designed to engage first-year students in an online community and connect them with the
resources they need to successfully transition to college.
The Career College Association is a voluntary membership organization of accredited, private, postsecondary schools, institutes, colleges and universities that provides career-specific
educational programs. Additional information about the CCA 2008 Convention, its programs or registration can be found at http://www.cca2008convention.org/.
About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is the leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping higher education 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. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.