No Clear Right or Wrong Way: How Colleges and Universities React Today Will Impact Tomorrow’s Student Retention

Over the past few decades, we have seen college students express their beliefs on many occasions – anti-war protests during the Vietnam War, Black Lives Matter rallies, and the current pro-Palestinian encampments and occupations. As many higher educational institutions near the end of their school year, we see a great deal of uncertainty about how today’s current events will impact enrollment for the next academic year.

Institutions are aware that there is no clear right or wrong way to maintain student retention when free speech and academic freedom are in question. With harassment, vandalism, and violence erupting on campuses over the past few weeks, staff in institutional effectiveness and research are undoubtedly scrambling behind the scenes to strategically plan for the unknown: Will we see a decline in student retention in the Fall? If so, how much of a difference will this be?

The value and perception of a higher education degree have been on a steady decline over the past decade, and freshman enrollment remains around 5.3% lower than it was back in 2019. While surveys report that it’s not clear whether our future generations will value and complete a traditional 4-year undergraduate degree, one thing remains clear: institutional reactions make short- and long-term impacts on student retention.

A 2024 survey on campus safety reports that nearly one in three students have felt discriminated against on their campus. Another study, from the University of Chicago, found that since October 7, 2023, 56% of Jewish and 52% of Muslim college students felt they were in personal danger.

A recent Gallup poll found emotional stress to be a major reason that current college students have considered dropping out of school.

Although some students are actively expressing themselves, there are many, many more students who feel unprotected by their universities and are finding safety by hiding or remaining silent.

How can we ask students to return to school in the Fall if their opinions and identities are being threatened by the school that is supposed to provide safety and security? By the school which requires them to express their opinions in assignments and class discussions?

It’s troubling to hear that students are self-censoring their views and feeling physically unsafe. It is even more troubling to know that no matter what happens today – in an effort to protect the institution and its students – schools will lose students. How are we reinforcing the value of a degree if we won’t be able to get students to return to campus to finish it?

How an institution reacts to today’s events will undoubtedly impact immediate student retention in the Fall, long-term enrollment, and graduation rates.

As colleges and universities navigate how to protect academic freedom amidst the current protests, safety should be a top priority. Not just the safety of the institution, its facilities, administrators, staff, and faculty, but the safety and academic freedom of its students.

Institutions are challenged with protecting academic freedom, First Amendment rights, and the safety of students. In order to do so, they must create a space for peaceful protests/demonstrations, weed through misinformation, and shut down violent riots.

To help retain students, colleges and universities need to meet students where they are, and provide them with safe outlets to express themselves. Most importantly, institutions need to listen and meet with their students. And it is the responsibility of the school to provide this in an informative learning environment, free from judgment, while acknowledging that opposition exists, and will continue to exist.

All students should feel safe exploring themselves and their beliefs while in college, and the Jewish Learning Experience program at American Jewish University (AJU) has designed a course to do just that. This curriculum thoughtfully examines the multi-faceted history of Israel and considers the lived experiences of Israelis and Palestinians. It is through courses like this that students are given the chance to understand the nuances of complex subjects.

In addition to creating courses and curriculum that dive into diverse, complex, and nuanced topics and perspectives, by providing students with a safe space for dialogue and free speech, processes to deploy demonstrations, and clear policies on academic freedom and non-violent protests, institutions can build safer campuses for learning that limits polarized narratives, misinformation, and most importantly, decreases the chances for harassment, violence, and vandalism to occur on campus.

At this crucial moment, institutions are shaping the future of higher education and its value for younger generations. For students to feel safe to come back in the Fall, it’s time for institutions to evaluate their campus climate and create an educational environment that promotes learning and growth.

Danielle Sassman serves as Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and University Registrar at American Jewish University.