1. Welcome AMCSUS New Leaders

2. VWIL Update Record enrollment at MBU MBU Goal to reach 2500 by 2025
VWIL’s 25th Anniversary in 2020
Fall Largest VWIL Corps in 7 years
Spring Largest Commissioning Class

3. VWIL Update 2019 Goals 2020 Goals
Recruit 50 cadets  70 deposits from 994 applications
Retain 65% nULLs into second year  66%
Retain 70% upperclass  92%
Recommit 70% to Leadership Certificate  80%
2020 Goals
Recruit 60 cadets  213 applications
Retain 70% nULLs into second year 

4. Retention Recommendations Source: Inside Higher Ed Articles
Track student success through financial wellness, career development, degree progress
Give timely performance feedback
Focus metrics on the "at-risk" middle 50 percent
Daily informal interactions to reassure students

5. VWIL Retention Objectives
We will improve VWIL’s freshmen to sophomore retention by …
Establishing sustainable mentorships
Relying first on the platoon chain of command, then academic peer advisors, then calics to mentor nULLs
Demonstrating we value the leadership of our freshmen and sophomore cadets by assigning them meaningful corps duties
Addressing key stressors by allowing more time for academics, athletics, clubs, and jobs
Reintegrating nULLs into one freshman dorm
Emphasizing citizen leader development seminars
Emphasizing individual academic & fitness improvement plans
Celebrating VWIL and Band team successes
Rewarding behavior for all cadets to model
Ensuring purposeful penalties for rules violations

6. VWIL Recruiting and Retention Data
Class
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Incoming Cadets 29 32 47 51 19
2d Year Retention
68%
56%
55%
45%
50%
74%
57%
66%

7. VWIL Attrition Reasons

8. Top Reasons Cadets Leave
10% - Transfer to another College/University
10% - Poor Academic Performance
25% - Health/Family/Personal Reasons
25% - Financial Needs/Military Leave of Absence
30% - Disconnected with VWIL

9. Transferring to another College/University -- 10%
To be Close to Home
MBU Doesn’t Offer Major
Scholarship

10. Poor Academics or Suspension – 10%
Academic Suspension from MBU/VWIL
Suspension from MBU/VWIL
Can’t meet standards
Resigned to Focus on Grades

11. Health/Family/Personal – 25%
Physical
Emotional
Family needs Help
Closer to Significant Other
Personal Issues to Work on

12. Financial Needs – 25% Military Leave of Absence
Out-of-State cadets can’t apply for State Tuition Assistance Grant or VWIL Grant
Tuition Costs
Residential Price vs. live at home

13. Disconnected from VWIL – 30%
Don’t Fit In
Not Happy
Explore Other Options
Got Everything out of VWIL
Not Entering as a Freshmen

14. Retention Recommendations
Retention Discussion Groups with Cadets
Phase 1: BOT
Phase 2: Cadets
Group Discussion Debriefs & Recommendations

15. BOV Recommendations
VWIL RA – implemented Fall 2017 for nULLs and sophomores
Organize local sponsor families for cadets
Training for Calics – implemented May 2017
Training and new survey for nULLs
Resiliency checklist, what to do and who to call if someone needs help in a certain area
Organize study groups based on major, not just for those with UNSAT grades
Add challenge to VWIL curriculum – implemented Fall 2017 for nULLs
Add nULL apprentice jobs, increase work-benefit balance each year, Giving back should be learned/taught – implemented Fall 2017
Recruiting: Define what VWIL is, cadets want to leave when it’s not what they expected, what is so compelling-what do we learn?
Improve accountability by the cadets and among cadets, add rigor in the system
Time management
Need mentorship: Academics, Social obligation (from “it’s funny to not do” to “I need to do”)

16. Cadet Recommendations
Transfer to another college
Stress Sister nULLs more (Big Support System)
Academic / Suspension
Get involved with Campus
Tutoring before you fall below a 2.0
Sponsor family / faculty
Reward system
Merit opportunity
Health/Family / Personal
Increase fitness
Disconnected with VWIL
Focus on all 3 components during PT
Train squad leaders, different topic each week that is universal throughout each platoon
Make nC better / efficient
Positive Rewards, Incentives
Communication: Ask questions
Platoon Bonding, fun & address key problems
Respect: Earned not given
Health Center / Psychiatric Help
Confidentiality / trust: Eliminate rumors
Upperclass mentorship for sophomores-seniors
Professionalism
Reach out to families about health
Listening
University Standards
Build a strong relationship between cadre and nULLs; MBU and VWIL
Have more family events
Have support groups (VWIL or MBU)
MBU events
Open Forum. Suggestion Box
Talk with non-cadets
Join a club
Invite non-cadets to our VWIL events
Financial / MLOA
Know your resources
Find a job on/off campus
Internships (paid or unpaid)
Don’t live off campus