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Could a Student Council Contribute to Retention?

After reading some of the posts I see a common theme of student peer groups coming together to help one another. I wonder if a student council could contribute in some way to retention. Maybe through organized mentoring, peer support, outings etc. Seems like there is some opportunity here, any thoughts?

Jim Wagnon

Hi Jim,
You suggestion is a good one. The formal organization part would depend on the type of student government that exists within your college. Some colleges have organizations that could help with your proposed peer support. Where these types of helps do not exist it would be easy for the instructors to put together groups that could be of assistance to each other. I do this all the time in my classes. I use learning groups (4-6) members to help each other out.
Gary

TO me Retention is the building block of learning.

Hi Luther,
You make an interesting point. What are some other building blocks of learning as you see and use them in your classes?
Gary

we have tried the student council technique at my school, never with any luck. Our average student sees it as a hassle and ignores what comes out of it. Peer groups only work for them if they are involved in it personally.

Hi Matthew,
You hit upon a key point. The students have to feel invested in what they are spending their time on before they will see it as being worthwhile. Cohort and peer groups are two ways to help them to become more invested in the college and career area.
Gary

The tricky part is making sure that a student council or advisory board is not allowed to morph into a place where students gather to complain. In the past when students have suggested forming such groups I have been positive but said that they would have to create bylaws and that there would be requirements for participation. For some reason, this has always put them off.

Hi Valerie,
Sometimes students think they want something but don't want to put forth the effort to organize and conduct such an activity. This is the case many times with student advisory boards or councils. The key point is that this option is offered to them. This is often sufficient enough due to the fact that they know the school is listening to them.
Gary

In response to the observation that students may not put the effort required to make a student council effective, an alternate approach may work. We have 7 classes running at our school most of the time. A few weeks after a new class starts, we have that class elect a class representative. The representative gathers complaints, requests and observations from the class and meets with the head instructor and someone from admin. It definitely gives the students a sense that there concerns are being listened to without the effort required by the students in having a student council. The danger is in a lack of response to their concerns. If they feel the response is inadequate, it may be worse than not having this mechanism at all.

We have a student council as well as a number of other student clubs, and we find that all of the people who are active in the clubs are more likely to stay in school. We occasionally have times when club membership is down, but generally as new students come in, activity picks up. We also have a club day and an extended lunch where we serve a free lunch to the students and give all of the clubs an opportunity to tell the student body about themselves.

These things actually seem to be great retention tools.

Hi Heather,
Thanks for sharing what your college does to involve students. Anything that can be done to help students to identify with the college and their classes will help with retention. They need to see that they need to be invested in what is going on around them. Plus, they get to develop and use their leadership skills which will really help them when they are out working.
Gary

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