I will implement a suggestion box outside my office for those students too shy to talk to me directly, and I will make a greater effort to learn all of my students names the first or second day.I will also remember to be patient and stay positive.
I will talk to each student and ask probing life questions. I will schedule a field trip to a local courthose to generate interest in court oriented careers. I will make myself more available to students before and after each class.
As a member of the retention committee at our school, I can utilize several of the strategies outlined. While we currently utilize most of the ideas outlined, I would like to add the following (3):
1. Create posters with pictures and job descriptions of the persons responsible for financial aid, registration, student services, director of education, etc.(point of service)
2. Place a suggestion box in the student lounge.
3. Create newsletter with key dates, upcoming events, etc.
James, good luck with the suggestion box.
Loren Kroh
Jeff, I like your poster idea. Although the students probably were introduced to important staff personnel at their orientation, they probably didn't retain much of the information.
Loren Kroh
1. welcome message to students coming to class
2. office hours for students in need.
3. open door policy
The 3 specific steps to improve retention in our institution are as follows, to provide a positive environment, to provide open communication and to avoid stress.
Each of those are very ambitious. How does the institution hope to achieve these goals? What's your role?
Loren Kroh
1. Welcome students the first week of class with a warm email and phone call.
2. Encourage students to introduce themselves to one another and provide 5 interesting facts about them.
3. Monitor student participation and performance to make timely intervention if necessary.
I will implement a suggestion box outside my office for the students who do have concerns, questions but do not want to talk to me directly. I will inform each student(s) to be honest about complaint or concerns. It will work because I had one in my class when I was an instructor for the students.
I see students in the hallway - students who once had misbehavior issues and instructors had to bring them to my office for my feedback. They have to see me at the end of every week to complete paperwork on what they did for the week - like absences and the reasons; grades for tests and quizzies and what he/her has done to improve.
I establish a professional relationship with my students in orientation and they will know that I am there for them and I will be coming to classrooms for observations from instructors as well as them and be a positive role model by expressing to them they came to school for a reason so succeed to reach the goal of accomplishments.
My instructors perform all of your steps (Qadar Ahmed)because I verify with a checklist on the first day that each instructor who is teaching for the module has to turn the form in to me at the end of his/her class. And of course, if a student is absent from class it is the instructor's repsonsibility to ensure that notes are written in the portal - I verify this also with my LDA report. IT WORKS.
Continue to work the daily Last Day of Attendance (LDA) Report and call students if the instructor did not call them from being absent from class and see what I can do to assist them in any way.
I think the suggestion box is a great idea. Also would like to see how possible it will be to integrate a portion of our web-based portal with an advice column so to speak where students can ask a question or explain a troublesome situation anonymously. I will discuss with our student success coordinator and portal admins. Additionally, I would like to see more student activities on campus...maybe institute a few dress down days that are fun and give the students a break from the day to day...crazy hat day or something to that effect. I also liked the idea of the student satisfaction surveys that differ from the typical end-of-term faculty evals.
Christella, how many students are on weekly reporting? That sounds like a major commitment. How do they get off?
Loren Kroh
Christella, how many times do you have to make the call to the student instead of the instructor making it? At what point do you talk with the instructor about their failure to follow up with the student?
Loren Kroh
Tara, the advice column sounds like a good idea, but it will require commitment. If you don't respond quickly when a student makes an entry or don't change generic postings it will quickly loss credibility.
Loren Kroh
Spend more time tutoring with the students.
Work to build a stronger student instructor relationship that lets the student that they welcome in the class.
Make sure that the students know that their education is important to me and the school.
There are not too many students (Maybe 15-20)when I first became Program Director in 2010; but now only 3 - 5(if that many) that I have to advise on a weekly basis. ANd the one that not on SAP report is doue to classroom behavior. Our retention has really improve and that is great.
