Between Quarter drops
We haven't had much luck with drop surveys. Most students do not even attempt to respond. What other methods could we use to reach the students that drop of the face of the earth and never return?
I think the key is to establish a close relationship before the student makes the decision to drop, Diane. When they finally decide to go they don't want to be found again. Just ask the folks who do loan collection. Establishing an environment where student complaints are heard and responded to is one step. Creating an active advisement or peer mentor system is another way to develop close connections.
Both Diane question and your response are interesting topic to me....How close is close, what is the student's intention by befriending an instructor or other staff member. Examples: I had a close relationship with a bright student, enrolled him in RSES for more advance education etc. When he obtained his certification for EPA which was his main focus he quit and no one can find him. Another staff member paid some tuition for a student who claimed she was having financial problems. This student also quit and no one can fine her. There are similar incidents.
My inquiry is this: Where is that fine line that distinguishes a close relationship from exploitation?
That fine line is drawn when they enter the classroom. It is imperative for class morale that there is no favoritism shown. Whether you do it openly or not ALL students know what is happening and can, at times, resent it. It is great that you want to help your students but we need to show them how to get to where they want to go on their own. It is ultimately up to them. If you take on too much or invest to much in what is not yours then you can become resentful. That fine line is allowing the student to grow, show them the way, be supportive but let THEM do it. Nothing personal should be involved. As far as the students disappearing, do any of the other students have any idea as to where they may be or how to contact them? They usually know more than you think and let them know that you are concerned about this student.
I am interested in this topic too. Students aren't always truthful about their reason for leaving an institution on a survey, if you can get them to fill it out. Syracuse University has a 5-year plan consisting of:
Establishing procedures to document the loss of every student leaving the institution. They plan on training faculty and staff to be more aware of the reasons for students leaving.
I can't find any more details.
Our institution has found that we get a small return on surveys both mailed and online. Students who request withdrawals either after a term or during the term, need to speak with me as Student Affairs Advisor rather than the registrar and I submit the withdrawal paperwork. I ask students to provide me with reasons and through probing questions, get to the heart of why they are withdrawing. For issues that are beyond our control (such as illness, family problems, job issues and other non-academic reasons), my next question to the student is when can they return. I assist students with the re-entry process and help them return as soon as possible. For academic issues, I ask the student for as much information as possible to see if we can correct the issues and bring them back. I report what I have learned to the academic dean. This process has helped bring students back and improved our retention percentages.
What percentage of your drops actually goes through this process, Gail? The conventional wisdom suggests that dissatisfied students simply want to end the experience and are not likely to participate in such a detailed exit interview. Is there some incentive for them to do this?
Thanks for your reply. I don't have an exact percentage but I speak with over half of students who drop because we require them to speak with me first. I also call students who have not participated and are dropped from enrollment to find out more about their situation. I take a very proactive approach with withdrawals so we know as much about their reasons as possible.
But what about the student who drops between quarters? How do you talk with them to access their reason for dropping?
My experience has been that those students that drop between quarters are more apt to drop off the face of the earth as we say.
One thing I found interesting when I conducted an analysis of our DNR (Did not Return) students was; 70% has less than 40% absenteeism and 75% had a 2.0 or higher GPA. In looking for a trend to identify potential DNRs I would have guess those percentages would have been lower.
Frequently, students who drop between quarters can be reached by phone. Technically, they are expected to provide current contact information if they are receiving financial aid. More realistically, their friends usually know how to reach them or can give you a candid assessment of why the student dropped.
Your analysis of the DNR students indicates that it isn't just the 'worst' students who drop out. However, I found it disturbing that students could be absent 40% of the time and still be enrolled. If it is possible to miss that much time and still maintain satisfactory progress, you may be driving away more serious students because the curriculum isn't challenging enough. What is your attendance policy, Michael?
Technically, they are expected to provide current contact information is correct, but quite frequently those numbers have been disconnected. Contacting friends and family members is something we also attempt but those student those that don't want to be contacted we've had very little success in contacting them.
Students who exceed 20% absent or placed on attendance probation the following quarter, if they exceed 20% in that quarter they are dropped from school. In the state of Texas you can't dropped a student if not on attendance probation until they have been absent for ten consecutive days. The majority of the students did not exceed 40%; the range was 40% or less.
Often, instructors are the ones who discover that a student is considering leaving. If the instructors have a central site (computer) where they can pass on that information to a specialist, perhaps the student can be saved.
Tony Offret
Many schools do have an alert system that is based on faculty response when they notice a student who is having a problem. Many of these systems are paper based, where a multiple part form is completed and circulated to the appropriate parties. I'm not familiar with many computer based systems.
Does your institution have a computer based alert system, Tony? If so, how does it work?
