Student Success & Retention

Inspire. Educate. Connect

Our Mission
The Office of Student Success and Retention is designed as the primary retention center at Trine University. The Director for Student Success and Retention offers a unique service as advocate to all undergraduate students, especially freshmen. The goal of Trine is that every student will develop a sense of belonging and feel welcome on and off the Trine campus.

The Office of Student Success and Retention maintains an open-door policy with students and acts as a liaison for students who might need assistance. The office continues to assist students as they evolve from year-to-year.

Our Goals
Our office is dedicated to making the student experience successful. Whether the concern is academic, personal, or financial, this resource is for all students. The freshman year is the most challenging time for any college student. Making friends and adjusting to academic life is not always easy. The first year of college can be a significant adjustment period for students away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings. However, this adjustment period is also a time of excitement, of endless possibilities, and of independent achievement.

Our office focuses on the freshman student and their social, personal, and academic adjustment to college. Problems may arise in a number of different areas, and it is important that these problems are handled in a direct, expeditious, and friendly manner. Students come to the office with a range of concerns: a need for academic services; family financial problems; course load difficulties; faculty testing issues; roommate problems; or commuter parking issues. Many come just to talk to someone.

The director and student advocates are available to help all students, whatever their inquiry or problem. With years of experience working with young men and women between the ages of 18 and 27, the director can assist, guide, advise, or steer students to the right person or place on campus to achieve a resolution to their problem. Our focus is to retain and graduate the maximum number of students from each year.

Parents Can Expect:

• A friendly, immediate response to inquiries
• A supportive environment, working closely to follow-up and solve problems
• Monthly written contacts during the fall semester
• Mid-term grades estimates mailed to the student’s home address for fall and spring semester
• Academic support

Communication is important. Parents should not hesitate to contact the director. The office has developed several methods to strengthen the lines of communication. Please see the choices listed.

1. Call toll-free, 800.347.4878, to be connected with the director.
2. Use the parent card that provides the main numbers for all Trine entities, if you are the parent of a new student.
3. Act upon informational letters sent from the office.
4. E-mail the director at mchenryd@trine.edu.
5. Sign up for the online newsletter.

Authorization Forms
After a student signs an authorization form, a parent can contact the director and request a student progress report. The authorization form must be renewed each academic year. You may download this form in either Word or PDF format below.

Download Form as PDF 
Download Form as Word 

Please mail the completed form to:

Deborah E. McHenry
Trine University
1 University Avenue
Angola, IN 46703-1764