Each student is assigned an advisor; each advisor is committed to having contact with their advisee to insure they are always on tract. We have lunch with them, we email them to see how things are, and they can contact us if they are having academic issue, so they know that we truly care about their education and that everyone matters.
Sounds like a very aggressive advisement program. Have you seen results from this approach?
How are advisors assigned and how do you monitor their performance? I can imagine that human nature may impact who is chosen for luncheon meetings and who may be overlooked.
We make a point of keeping in constant contact with our students. If a day is missed the instructor calls the student to make sure that everything is all right and that they will have what they need to be successful.
Our school meets three times a week to evaluate every student who populates a consecutive absence report. All of the involved administrators make decisions and are accountable fro activity on the student.
Stephanie, it's unclear who participates in these meetings. Faculty, department heads, support staff, administrators, admissions reps?
What results have you gotten?
Everyone of our instructors at our school is required to contact each student when they are absent. First, we are expected to call the student, and then we are to contact the absent student through email. We have just recently inacted this policy and have experienced a dramatic decrease in absent students.
Well, I know that our school hosts Student Appreciation Days. Recently they were giving out donuts, cookies and packs of crackers to all the students to acknowledge appreciation for their presence. I like the idea of the bulletin boards. I think I have seen a Dean's List type of board posted, but I will need to look for it and pay attention now to its significance.
when hiring a new instructor, they have a well thought out plan to make sure that the instructor has all of the companys values instilled before they are introduced to the classsroom.
Our school builds interpersonal relationships with the students. We keep in touch with these students even after graduation. We try to build a sense of community and belonging and help each other along the way.
We have several instructors and students who go out of their way to help other students be successful and overcome or at least deal with the stressors they encounter.
What is the process that you went through when you were hired? Is there some aspect that is strikingly different? What are the values that the company screens for?
What are the elements of the plan that are most effective in screening applicants? What values are they looking for and how do they measure for them?
Building tighter relations with students is a hot topic. What does your school do to foster better relationships? Are you successful with all students? If so, how do you manage to accomplish that?
Do you think the simple act of calling is enough to change behavior or have you uncovered and addressed some root causes of absences?
Are you referring to a physical bulletin board or an electronic one? An electronic format may be more effective with this generation of students.
We implement several. One of which is the Wall of Success. Students who have graduated and have been successfully placed in their field have their pictures displayed in our main hallway. We also have Dean's List and Club Zero ceremonies. Club Zero is for students with perfect attendance. Those that post perfect attendance for three consecutive terms receive a very nice clock with their name on it. Our peer mentoring program is also an example of our committment to new students as well as re-entry or students who just may need a little extra guidance from someone who has 'been there, done that."
We have some very similar practices in our institution. It's not "fool-proof" but it seems to motivate most prospective students.
Continuous student focus activities such as something fun to represent each holiday, then other events in between those dates.
We contact every student who misses a class. We are in constant communication with our students to minimize problems.
We have just started a mentor program for new students. Through the program, we introduce them to resources throughout the school such as student tutors, career services, student ambassadors, and the counselor. We encourage the students by addressing concerns whether about classes, instructors, assigments, or outside sources. During this quarter, we are planning to help students create bonds with students who have been here longer to create the feeling of community and caring.
the entire facility needs to demonstrate to each individual that we genuinely want them to succeed
