Case Study: California Baptist University achieves a 5% retention increase (250% of goal) with Jenzabar Retention

California Baptist University Achieves 250% of Retention Goal

California Baptist University faced rapidly exploding enrollment—growing from about 4,800 students in 2011 to nearly 8,000—and needed to scale student support without adding resources. To meet that challenge CBU launched a Comprehensive Retention Plan and partnered with Jenzabar, implementing Jenzabar Retention to give faculty and staff a common early-alert and case-management platform.

Jenzabar Retention, combined with campus-wide training, the cross-functional Lancer Loyalty Team, and targeted programs like the Academic Course on Excellence (ACE), enabled CBU to scale high-touch interventions. In year one CBU increased retention by over 5% (versus a 2% goal—250% of the target), and ACE participants’ average GPA rose from 0.9 to 2.7 with 50% becoming academically eligible to continue, demonstrating measurable impact without increasing staffing.

California Baptist University

Steve Neilsen

Director of Student Retention