Comprehensive Performance Analysis of Student Retention Outcomes in a Higher Education Institution

Undergraduate student retention is considered a critical issue in higher education, due to its impact on student success, degree completion, and the financial health of universities (Cataldi et al., 2018; Cornelius & Cavanaugh, 2016; Hermes, Community College Journal, 82(4), 26, 2012; Tinto, NACADA Journal, 19(2), 5-9, 1999). Higher education leaders have recognized the impact of this issue on student success, which warrants an analysis of the factors that influence student retention, and rationale for possible solutions. The purpose of this article is to present the application of the Human Performance Technology (HPT) model to address these institutional concerns in a higher education setting. This article focuses specifically on the performance analysis phase of the model, including the organizational analysis, environmental analysis, gap analysis, and cause analysis stages, and its implications for intervention design, evaluation, and change management in this organizational setting. We discuss the practical application of the HPT model as a valuable process of analysis and solution exploration.