Intervention Strategies
Describe an intervention practice at your institution that addresses either Academic Erosion or Academic Stagnation.
Any student that wishes to leave school (who does more than simply stops attending without notifying us) must meet with the Director of Education to discuss details and options for returning to complete their education. We allow students to return as many times as they wish without financial penalties to encourage them to resolve issues and complete their program. A student pays their tuition only one time, and if they return up to a year later, the only additional cost would be for books and materials that may have changed since they were in attendance.
How do you handle financial aid refunds?
Good question. More explanation is in order. If a student drops, we do the refunds in the normal way, but if they re-enter, they only owe the balance from the original tuition price without additional fees, processing charges, etcetera. By the time a student has completed approximately 80% of their program, we have 'earned' all of the tuition, and no refunds are due. If they drop after that, they may return without any additional costs except for books that may have changed since they were there.
Encouraging students to form and become members of the honor societies related to their degree programs can lessen the effects of Academic Erosion. Other practices include the ambassador program, the formation of a college choir, and the "Bring a Friend to School" day. This variety of acitivities allows students to maintain their roles as highly regarded individuals. Another strategy used by some instructors is the formation of "support groups" within a class. Students are given an activity which introduces them to others in the class and encourages them to exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses in order to have someone to call on should they need to be absent or want to form a study group, etc. This simple activity immediately allows students to feel that they "belong" and are important to others.
Laura, it's nice to see activities that involve students of varying achievement levels. The support groups allow students to participate in an environment where there is a give and take, based on the immediate need. Certainly, the “Bring a Friend to School†program could work for every student.
As part of our teacher orientation/training we stress the importance of relating to each and every student as an individual. This means getting to know their names as soon as possible, treating each as the unique individual they are and looking for signs of that they may be at risk. Only by first knowing our students and developing professional relationships are we then able to identify subtle attitude/mood shifts that might indicate an early intervention is necessary.
For example noticing that Tommy is not himself and asking is everything allright often times is sufficient to Tommy opening up and our discovering early on a problem or potential problem that we can head off.
Les, would you please share more information about your teacher orientation/training? How long is it? Is done in a group? Who facilitates the training? Also, do you have a written system of follow-up/reporting when a faculty member talks with a student who is having a problem?
While competition is natural, necessary and motivating, for some students it can be frustrating to think that the entire world is Win/Lose, and that they always seem to be at the bottom of the totem pole. As an instructor, I like to share with students the philosphy of Win/Win, living more abundantly, and the belief that there is more than enough success to go around.
We have a fabulous Registrar who really goes beyond what you would picture a Registrar doing. Because we are small and did not have a Director of Education she and I have developed a process that catches the student's erosion or stagnation early. We start with attendance and use that as our gague for the future. Tardiness, leaving early and absences are key signs. As she posts attendance daily she gets used to the names and patterns and immediately issues advising forms, Individual Education Plans (IEP), and probations to the Program Directors who sit with the student and instructor and talk about the issues. This immediate action has really helped us catch many who in the past fell in the crack that seems to catch students. We have also instituted a zero tolerance for tardies. No employer wants someone who is late all the time. Of course we have all heard the "If this was a real job I wouldn't be late, this is only school what's the big deal" comment. And as Donald Trump would say "You're FIRED." Talking to the student and asking them if they were the employer would you keep yourself as an employee gives some a reality check and others take a while to get it.
A good philosophy, Lily. Students need encouragement. How do they receive your counsel? Do you find that some students are harder to reach than others?
Joanne, your Registrar certainly does seem to be doing a good job and providing a valuable service to your students. Helping students understand the importance of being on time can be a major challenge.
As an advisor, myself, I have some concerns about using attendance as the primary gauge in determining whether a student is potentially at risk. Often, if we wait until they start missing class, it is too late--the student has already convinced herself the situation is hopeless and has already started enacting her perceived solution, which is to stop attending school.
We have developed a system whereby instructors notify us if the students are exhibiting any of the warning signs (tardiness, attendance problems, drop in performace, poor grades, attitude changes, etc.). Of course, we have had to really emphasize to our faculty that they are vital in helping us identify these potentially at-risk students, and it is sometimes challenging for them, but since they are on the "front lines" with students, they usually have the best sense of what is going on.
Just my two cents,
Teri
Obviously, as mentioned here, it is imperative that academic erosion be avoided, and this is something all members of the faculty and staff have a hand in. I once heard that there are two reasons students become dissatsified with their experience: 1. They didn't get the answer they wanted from someone, and more significantly, 2. They didn't get an answer at all.
With that philosophy in mind, we have tried to ensure that everyone in our institution (and I mean everyone!) at least knows how to find out the answers to a student's questions, so that someone is always actively involved in helping. Students sincerely feel valued if you tell them something like, "Look, I am not an expert in the area of financial aid, but let me get in touch with your financial aid advisor and have her give you a call." Although I am not able to answer their question directly, I am showing them that I care and that they are important by helping them to get the help they need.
Teri
I love the idea of having the students supporting each other! I suspect that our ability to nurture these kinds of relationships among them may be even more powerful than the relationships they form with faculty/staff.
I work primarily in the online area, so it is a goal of ours to make sure that these community-building activities are really built into the courses. In many classes, students are required to work in teams and share IM names, so that whenever they are online working on their assignments, they always can see who else is working and share resources. We work especially hard to make sure this is happening in the very first orientation class they take. It is wonderful to see them five terms later referring to one of their classmates as their "friend," (especially when they have never even met face to face).
Good going, Teri. Students are entitled to answers.
I agree, Teri, it’s wonderful to see students develop strong relationship with classmates. Do you do any sort of communication style or temperament indicator assessments to help students understand different approaches to problem solving and communication?
Yes, this is something that is addressed in the college orientation all students are required to take in their very first term. As they go through their courses, other classes do re-visit this with them, as well.
Teri
At my former school, students were supposed to call the school if they were not going to be in class that day or if they were going to be late. When they called they were transferred to the Director of Student Affairs. If she was not available to speak with them, they left her voice mail. She would record the reason for their absence and it would be used to track attendance. If a student did not call in, the DSA would call that student. The DSA circulated among the student body daily talking to the students, asking them how things were going, and just generally getting to know them. She also was in close contact with the instructors asking how students were doing in class. This intervention seemed to help with retention.
That like seems quite a load for one person, Paula. How many students did the DSA serve? Can you think of any other ways to accomplish the same thing?
