Retention of Students
Retention of students is as important as enrolling them. To be a successful admissions rep. one needs to act in the best interest of the student, not in the best interest of the admissions rep. The programs, policies and procedures of the school need to be verbalized so the prospective student has an understanding of what is required to be a student in good standing.
Karen:
You make some excellent points about the importance of retention.
How do admissions reps at your school assist with retention programs?
Unfortunately, I don't think it is a priority. I've often thought if there was some sort of organized plan or procedure, it could make all the difference. Being in the re-entry department we have students that don't make it past the first week, sometimes even the first day.I wonder what possibly could have happened that they left so quickly. I believe it has to be a concerted effort from every department to make sure they are a fit, possibly appointing mentors to all new students at orientation or 2nd or 3rd month students to a task force to survey 1st mo students the first few days of school to gage their experience.
I also believe my institution needs work on retention. Too often do we enroll students without fully getting to understand what makes them tick. I work at an online college, so we lack the face to face communications most ground campus' have, so already there may be some lack of commitment and or trust in the school. Therefore, we must work extra hard getting to know the student, gaining their trust, and basically trying to understand if they are a good fit for our school and what we have to offer.
I think assigning a mentor is a great idea. We have continuing student service advisers, but they act more as a tool for students to use when they have questions about testing out of classes, email problems, confusion of class set-up etc... I think it would be a great idea to have a mentor that regularly checks in with the student and analyzes their progress, and basically encourages them to stick it out and continue with school
At my school we do consistent follow-ups with students to see how thigns are going that way if something does come up to prevent the student from continuing to further there education you are able to overcome their objections and help them succeed.
I am new here at the school and have only been here for a week, however, in the short time that I have been here, I have seen the committment from the admissions reps in regard to retention. It is so good to see the students come into the admissions office and tell their rep how well they are doing, or any problems or concerns they have. The reps genuinely want their students to succeed. It is a great environment here.
There is a fine line between when comes to this type of relationship with a student. As a representative, it is easy to become too involved in the student, simply because we have built repore with them, they trust us, we want to see them succeed so often it is difficult to not overstep boundaries in order to assist a student, especially if this means that they would remain a student. However, as a representative, you have to remember that student affairs has a role in their lifes also and that the student must learn to build a relationship with those individuals also. I have found that in the beginning it is an adjustment for the student to talk to someone other than the representative, but with encouragement and coaching from the representative, the student can trust that the teacher, the dean, the department chair, etc., too only have their best interests at heart.
I agree. I work on building a rapport so the student feels comfortable approaching me with issues or concerns that could lead them to withdrawing from school. When it comes to issues outside of admissions I use that trust to refer them to the appropriate department or person as to not discredit that department by trying to handle the issue myself. We let the other departments handle their own issues.
I believe it is important to know what classes your students are taking and to be in constant contact with the instructors and your dean as to where your students stand as far as their grades. In many cases students are not aware of the tutors that are availble to them or are sometimes too emabarrased to ask. Many times if you set up these sessions for them they are more willing to attend.
I agree that admissions reps play an important role in student retention by constantly communicating with them.
We keep in contact with them before they start and we touch base with them throughout the program.
I believe the school that I am working at does a very good job with the retention program. We are always making sure that we do follow-ups with every student in any circumstances. We also do phone blitzes as well to keep up with no shows and cancellations.
At my school representatives are held accountable for student retention through the first academic quarter as well as enrollment figures.
I believe this is an excellent idea. Having worked in Admissions prior to my current institution, I quickly noticed the value of not only establish rapport with the students you are enrolling, but also maintaining a relationship with them. Students need to know they have a support system not only outside of school but within the school as well. with this they are more likely to succeed knowing they can venture right down the hall and seek the support/encouragement/resource they may need.
I couldn't agree more. The practices of the admissions team sets the expectation in the mind of the student as to how they will be treated while in school. Essentially, the admissions function is the first line of a college's retention efforts. The policies and practices of a school are there to protect the student and the integrity of the school. Without that, you will eventually lose the trust of the student. If they do not believe in the school, they will not believe in the education and therefore not complete what they intended to do when they first came to the college seeking assistance.
I whole heartedly agree with you, Karen. If you can't keep your students in school and help them be successful by graduating, what is the point in enrolling them in the first place?
I agree with this. I think that there is a lot of power behind the admissions representative. We have the power to encourage and support the student, much like a mentor encouraging an individual in the right direction. I think if there is more sincerity with the passion behind the enrollment and even more the suggestion for success for an individual, we will be able to help the retention rates for each individual student. I think that this comes with being in this position because you are passionate about it and you genuinly care about the welfare and success of your students. -Brittany
