Student Support Service
Where I work, we do not have a real Support Service that can assist the Intructor in Retention of students.The Instructors work in conjunction with the DOE and the Administrative Director.In some cases it is not enough, especially with students whose problems can not be solve easily. What do you suggest?
Miriam, it is always surprising to me that schools will invest heavily in recruiting students but then don't budget money to keep them. Perhaps you can help your DOE and Administrative Director understand the impact of drop outs on the revenue budget. Usually a small investment in prevention produces very significant results in dollars and lives.
I agree. There are some schools that have wonderful strategies for attracting students to their programs, but fail to retain them due to improper budgeting and priopritizing. Tutoring is an important factor as well as counseling. Sometimes even providing a daycare for their student's would not be a bad idea, since this generation has reached a peak in single parenting.
We have a typed list of agencies that the staff can refer students to. These are all outside agencies that are either free services or fees are based on income. Many times we can refer students and make the appointment for them.
Therese, who has access to this list? Does faculty make direct referrals or do they send the student through student services or financial aid?
We used to have an awesome DOE (not to say the one we have now is bad because she is wonderful too) who compiled a list of agencies in this area who could help in any type of issue; housing, food, etc. We even had food and toy drives around the holiday times to help the students.
Having a thorough list of agencies is just the first step, Stephanie. Students have to know about the list and how to get help from the organizations. The food and toy drives are a great way to get the whole campus engaged in a positive way.
Stehanie, locally we have a Directory of Community and Agency Services. It has information on where to go for help including free assistance with food, shelter, clothing, financial, medical, etc. It is very helpful. Your city might have it under Helpline or the United Way.
I think this is a wonderful idea. I have a phone book in my office and all of these pages are flagged and the appropriate services and numbers are highlighted. I re-do it each time a new book comes out so it is readily accessible when a student walks in my door. Many of these same numbers are posted on our Student Services Bulletin Board, which is also covered in motivational messages and daily quotes to keep their spirits up. I also agree with statements made about keeping faculty informed via a list so numbers are readily available to them, but it also scares me. With access to the lists directly, it may promote the ability for them to act on the issue instead of referring the student to the Student Service Office. I'm all for help, but time for the help and the right and trained help is always the best
Aren't most of the names and numbers of your list already a matter of public record [ex. the local phone book], Tammy? Usually the objective is to get students to act independently using the resources at hand. Schools that are using Campus ToolKit actually customize a list of resources to include campus and community resources so that students can directly contact the services that they need. Training to students to be self reliant stretches the limited resources of the Student Services office.
I am in agreement also. We have been successful in our tutoring program, the students get a real sense of involvement as well as the satisfaction of helping a fellow classmate reach their goals. In addition, we are fortunate enough to have a trained counselor on-site for our students to speak. The greatest challenge that I have come across is the childcare issue. It not only is not a bad idea to provide daycare, but in my opinion a necessary response to a very real issue facing our students. The biggest problem I have found thus far is finding childcare providers with availability and drop in care.
No question, Katheryn; child care can be a big problem. Maslow's hierarchy tells us that the basic needs must be met before a student can pursue self actualization. Has your school investigated an on-site facility or perhaps a contractual relationship with a nearby center?
We are faced with a greater challenge in the childcare arena in the aftermath of Katrina. Several of the state sponsored programs have not re-opened and facilities in this area are booked full with waiting lists. We have tried to develope contractual relationships with centers, however, they can not secure spots for our students for minimal hours and deny individuals needing full time care. I am still searching and exploring options for our campus to address the issue.
We also have a database of agencies that our studnets can call free or no cost. We have access to a telephone for them to make the calls. We follow-up with students regularly to see how they are doing and the reward is noticible. The student can't belive that we care enough to listen.
Do you ever have agencies visit the school?
Some institutions invite social service organizations to set up a booth during their orientation so students can learn about their services and make contact on the spot.
No we don't but it is a wonderful idea.
