The Management of Retention: A Case Study Examining Retention Strategy in a Private Lebanese University Business School

The retention of students in higher education has received great attention from scholars. Understanding the determinants of students’ decision to continue their studies would be essential for university managers and professors as well as future students. The aim of the present thesis is to investigate the factors that might affect student retention behaviour in the Lebanese International University. A survey was conducted to explore the characteristics of first-year and third-year students. The data collected is based on an extensive questionnaire that covers students’ background information, peer-group and faculty interactions, academic performance, and their perception of the University. Overall, the findings support the Tinto’s model of student integration. Furthermore, the results strongly suggest that students’ proficiency in English may affect their retention decision directly.
The main findings of the study are on the role of academic and social integration in the students’ decision to continue their education. Grade performance and intellectual development are observed to affect students’ goal and institutional commitment. Similarly, commitment is found to be influenced by social interactions with peers and faculty members. The results agree with the Tinto’s theory of student integration and suggest that background factors might have a direct impact on retention. This reflects the thesis’s contribution to the existing theoretical literature which can be important in identifying the key factors behind student retention more accurately in the future research.
The study may also be useful in improving management practices in Lebanese universities as it is based on the analysis of the current state of the Lebanese International University. In particular, it supports the role of academic and social integration in the retention of students. This could be useful for developing practices that improve the experience of first-year students. Most notably, the findings indicate that Lebanese universities should focus on developing appropriate English courses.