At the heart of studentretention.org is the EFFECTIVE PRACTICE DATABASE, which allows retention stakeholders to search for proven practices in a variety of campus areas. Information about good practices will be collected from and disseminated to college and university officials and faculty in the areas of student services, academic services, teaching and learning, financial aid, and recruitment and admissions, institutional research, and effective leadership. The database incorporates promising practices at public and private institutions, two- and four-year institutions, and proprietary institutions. In the near future, the database will be searchable depending on the users needs, by institution type, sector, area of interest, target populations, and strategies. It is expected that strategies/practices will be collected among all 50 US states and 10 Canadian provinces, and other submissions from around the world.

Important to the usefulness of this database is that all entries will go through a multi-stage peer review process, modeled in part after the Baldrige Award criteria. Individuals interested in having a program or strategy entered into the database must first apply for consideration using a standard online application process. The application requires that individuals complete data fields which provide a detailed description of the program, information about the program/strategies overall effectiveness, and contact information.

Once received by our staff, the application will go to a team of peer reviewers, who will evaluate the application. The application will then be sent back to the applicants with either of three conclusions: (a) accepted; (b) additional clarification required; or (c) not accepted. If additional clarification is required, applicants will have a chance to provide additional information and resubmit. The application must then go back through a peer review panel. This process will ensure a high level of quality in the database.