GW’s first director of retention joined the University this month, officials confirmed Friday.

Oliver Street started at GW on Aug. 8 after serving as associate university registrar for academic services at West Virginia University. He will lead GW’s retention efforts, nearly a year after University President Steven Knapp said the University would prioritize ways to keep students at GW. Provost Forrest Maltzman first announced the new role in May.

Laurie Koehler, the vice provost for enrollment management and retention, said Street joins previous hires focused on keeping students enrolled, including a retention officer and a retention coordinator.

“His role will be to collaborate with partners across campus to develop a strategic approach to strengthen retention and graduation rates for undergraduate students while leading a team of dedicated enrollment retention professionals in advancing these efforts,” Koehler said in an email.

The hire comes after GW’s enrollment division was expanded earlier this year to include a focus on retention efforts. Koehler said in an email that the goal of the retention office is “bringing academic and administrative units, as well as administrators, faculty, staff, and students together to ensure that those who matriculate succeed.”