Dr. Jim Breslin, Bellarmine University's dean of student success, talks about a new tool to help first-year students stay on path for graduation on this week's Bellarmine Magazine podcast, The Pineapple.

The "first-year predictive model" is a tool that Breslin and his staff use to make sure students stay on track, so they can offer the right programs and services to students when they encounter challenges. Read more about this award-winning tool.

According to Breslin, if first year students don't go to their first few class meetings in the beginning of the semester or if they didn’t attend orientation activities, they might be at risk of transferring -- not because of their academic skills, but because they don’t feel connected to the campus. The predictive model tracks dozens of variables to identify risk factors.

“We know that, from the research, most students – and this is not just for Bellarmine, but for higher education in the U.S. – make a decision within the first four or five weeks if they are truly committed and will persist with that university long term, or if it still feels unsure to them and they are keeping their options open,” said Breslin.

The Pineapple is a podcast produced by Bellarmine Magazine that provides listeners with exclusive content from the Bellarmine community.

Listen to this podcast episode online, or search for "The Pineapple" on Apple Podcasts and Google Play.

Article by Logan R. Viens, intern in Bellarmine's Office of Communications & Public Affairs.