Public
Activity Feed Discussions Blogs Bookmarks Files

Improving Retention

Identify 3 specific steps you will take within the next 30 days to improve retention at your institution.

1. Meet with Administrative staff to restate the goals and directions of the school in the area of retention and each person's part in the overall effort.

2. Meet with Directors of Education in each school to develop a series of short iformational sessions with the instructor staff to obtain feedback as to what they need to better respond to student needs in the areas of AS and AE.

3. Add several questions to the student surveys that we give to students at the end of each 'module' which will ask them how we are doing in the area of helping them develop confidence and motivating them to achieve 'success' in their career training.

1.Develop and use a web based system to ask students what has happened in their lives on a periodic basis.
2. Cover with instructors/staff the Survey Method and the Vertical Probe.
3. Cover with intervenors the 8 stage process to go through when working on an issue with students.

1. Recommend that all instructors be given more training on retention. (Perhaps the online course "Student Retention Methods for Career College Instructors")

2. Discuss with the Career Focus Coordinator the idea of the possiblity of setting up a student mentor program.

3. Talk with lead instructors about more directly relating course objectives to career objectives.

Good choices, Les. Training is always an important part of implementing new procedures. Please let me know how your staff and faculty react. Do you have web technology in place to communicate with your students?

I particularly like your third action item, Laura. Students are always asking “why do I have to know this stuff”? Instructors don't hear that question nearly as much when the objectives and skills are clearly related to career objectives.

1. Post e-mail addresses for Student Services staff in the computer room and in the orientation packet and encourage their use as a means of communtication between staff, students and instructors.
2. Recommend retention training for instructors, stressing early communication to staff members of potential student issues.
3. Review current orientation procedures to determine if we can make them more welcoming and less "instituitional".

1. Set up online access to Student Services staff on our school home page. Post notices in the computer room and on bulletin boards and web site letting students know emailing requests or questions is an option for them.

2. Update our resource materials so that people and/or organizations where we refer students in need is accurate and helpful.

3. Speak with Faculty Supervisor about ways in which to further educate and emphasize retention to instructors.

Heather, these are good ideas. It seems that many students are more comfortable “talking” to a computer than a stranger so facilitating initial contact with support staff via computer may indeed improve communication. That makes your second action item important. When they get the information they must know what to do with it.

Great minds have like thoughts, Carol. Please refer to Heather's entry.

Having a structured faculty education program should be a great step. I would encourage you to schedule periodic sessions to keep the subject fresh in their minds. One school in my area has quarterly presentations, usually by someone from outside the organization, and then follows up with internal discussion.

1. Provide a student survey, to be given at the end of each term, that would allow students the opportunity to rate the faculty and administration on issues like support. The survey could also be instrumental in requesting feedback from the students, with regard to the types of services they would like to see implemented and ways in which they feel the administration could foster more support.

2. Training for instructors to identify at risk students and how to effectively guide/counsel students with problems.

3. Implement a web-based program for students who do not feel comfortable sharing their problems with an administrator, "face-toface."

Anie, student surveys can be very useful, but they also can be a source of frustration and discontent for the students. If they don't see some reaction to “problems” they identify, they will question the sincerity of the administration. On some occasions the issues are legitimate; other times you will have to do some “educating” to help them understand why things haven't changed the way they would like. But you can't ignore the issue and hope to have their continued support.

For many students, instructors are the face of the institution. On-going training to keep them involved with at risk students is important.

You have gone through the modules very quickly. I would like to invite you to continue to participate in the Forums through the rest of your enrollment period.

1) look out for signs of student stress earlier on
2) schedule "office hours" open blocks of time for students to make appointments to talk with our instructors individually
3) personal letters of congratulations upon reaching a students proposed goals.

At our All Hands Meeting this month I have prepared a list of all employees and their specific responsibilities for each employee to have. We will also discuss in more specific detail the Student Services and Registrar function so everyone understands who can help the student and how we determine those at risk. Since we are in a new year we have renewed our commitment to the Mission Statement and have reissued it to remind all employees that it's about the student not us. We are here to empower them to improve their lives! Our Third item will be to plan our annual Valentines Day card exchange with a real emphasis on our LOVE for what we do educate students who want a better life.

1. meet with staff and establish a retention program
2. Student Surveys
3. Contact absent students

Lily, how do you plan to “look out for signs of student stress earlier on”? Don't you have office hours now? What do students do if they need to talk with you or another instructor? Personal letters of congratulations are always appreciated, particularly by our students have rarely been recognized for success. But be careful not to overdo them. Too many, too often, for minor achievements will diminish their impact.

Often times we think that our staff and faculty understand what everyone else does. Joanne, the idea of distributing a list of responsibilities probably opened a few eyes. Sounds like February 14 will be a special day at your school.

Multiple strategies might include combining
1. orientation programs,
2. mentoring programs,
3. and faculty training.

1. Attend additional training on retention strategies.

2. Develop tracking tools to identify where new programs,or fixing old ones, would make the greatest difference.

3. Reevaluate faculty perception of their role in the retention process. Take steps to reenforce retention as a group and not an individual responsibility.

Each of these programs, and every other initiative within your school, should work together, Moszetta. Good luck in tying these together.

Sign In to comment