Model, Mentor and Monitor
The 3 M's is what we call a TSI = Total School Involvement plan.
This is a very important strategy. I believe if the entire organization has this single minded goal retention will improve. If the entire organization does not, it will fail. One person that does not care, does not return a call, or waits for someone else to make the call will adversely impact the student and can hurt retention. Everyone must be on board.
Modeling, mentoring and monitoring must be the responsibility of the entire institution. The instructors are not the only responsible parties when it comes to retention. Although instructors play a huge role in assisting students, the cashier's office, financial aid, admissions, counseling and advising and on up to the President's office all should have a vested interest in students completing courses and, ultimately, graduating.
Increasing enrollment and retention are extremely important in our institution and strategies are constantly being implemented. We have had campus-wide meetings to discuss how to improve these areas.
Excellent response!!!
Joe
I believe, you can not succeed in a school,other institutes or any type of business, without everyone working to the same goals. I do not know anyway better to do this than Model, Mentor and Monitor.
You should show others that you care about your student and work mates by setting the best example that you can. This should inspire others to want to do the same.
I had an employer once, that never let anyone enter into our doors, without greeting them as if they were the most important person in the world. She made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. She was quite a Model, Mentor and Monitor for me. Examples like this make you look at yourself twice.
M. Morris
Excellent response Mary!!!
We are fortunate when we have mentors like your example.
I really appreciated this section. Having worked in the online environment as well as grounded campuses have shown this triology to be the most effective in retention. For our population, being a model and mentor is one of the best resources we have! Its easy to do and we set that example and expectation without even realizing it. Its remembering to check back in and monitor the student that we as faculty or staff need to focus on.
Shana,
You are right on about the 3 M's...Monitoring is the hardest and the one done the least. Any ideas on how we can do a better job of Monitoring?
Joe
I agree that Modeling, Mentoring and Monitoring need to be embraced by the institution as a whole. From the highlest levels of administration, the tone and culture must be infused with this mindset.
Each employee needs to have an "Intelligent Heart" as well. We are also in the mental health business...would you agree?
Joe
You've got it Lilia. In order to affect the students, we need to create a culture where everyone practices the 3 M's.
We have an online environment where I can see the 3 Ms can do a lot. We haven't had the admissions folks doing follow up on the "at risk" students and that is something I plan to change as they have the first relationship with them. Instructors can also do more with getting to know their students through our online forums.
We also have a face to face program overseas where many of these things can be applied. The challenge for many of our instructors is how to do these things without enabling the student to be dependent on them, which often leads them to allowing for every kind of excuse imaginable when it comes to accountability.
Educators do indeed become counselors as well. I wonder, is the "intelligent heart" inherent or can it be taught?
I believe the Intelligent Heart can be taught.
I work with over 400 Career Colleges across the country where we have trained hundreds of employees and most will become better Models, Mentors, Monitors and Intelligent Hearts. If not, they find out they are on the "wrong bus" and get off once this type of culture is understood by all.
Along with employee training, we have an online student retention course for students. When both are used together, the results are great.
Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
That's true but it is hard to do today on our campus. It seems like there are so many deadlines and problems to deal with that we are just putting out fires everyday. That is really tiring and you can't be sure you aren't missing something.
It's not easy...but when all of your faculty and staff are Models and Mentors it makes it easier.
There needs to be a campus-wide culture with everyone operating as "Intelligent Hearts."
This sounds like a really good idea. I'll have to present this to the DOE and see if we can do a small faculty workshop on just that.
Thanks,
Wanda
Our school also has a problem with some of the students we are admitting. Some have a criminal past and some employers don't want to look past that. That makes it very challenging, if not impossible to place them with a company. So, the question becomes, do we not put them in school or do we have lower placement rates that hurt our school in that way??
This becomes one of those case-by-case "Edupreneurial" decisions. I believe we need to consider your question, one student at a time, and make the best decision through a administrative/faculty consensus.
We have a program for this at The Pacific Institute. You can check it out through your MaxKnowledge course. Let me know if you are interested.
Joe
Yes, Dr. Pace, I am interested.
Thanks, Wanda Frazier
