I think your points are well taken, Bill and Viorel.
While it is true that retention rates are a reflection of a team effort, one of the inherent dangers of the "team" approach is to absolve everyone of personal responsibility. It is very important that there be a way to recognize performance at both ends of the spectrum.
Do you have any thoughts on how to do this?
I totaly agree with "team" concept in a company dealing with education. But on the other hand, I think every one in the "team" has to be resonsible for their action.
We have this "team" concept, which I believe only keeps individual employees free from being accountable for their actions. In the team, if we lose students, it's the team's fault. But, what company is going to replace the whole team? They don't, they just blame the instructors, because that is what all the studies show.
I turely care about my students' future in the IT business. My retention numbers are some of the best because I take personal interest in each students' success. Some of my "team" members don't.
I hope everyone else is concerned about retention as well. What does it mean to you personally to do your part in caring for students' needs?
Overall management must concern themselves with retention, and everyone in the organization must do their parts in caring for the student's needs.
Bill Adriance
The caring process begins with hiring decisions. Hopefully, going forward you will be able to select people who will have a positive attitude and become engaged with students.
You can't "make" someone care, but you can reward positive behavior and punish negative actions. This can be done formally in the performance evaluation process or informally by actively recognizing - and re-inforcing - behavior. A reward program, supported by all levels of management, that recognizes those who got the extra mile can have dramatic impact on the culture.
Saying you don't have enough time to do something is making a strong value statement about priorities. I don't have time to do this because I choose to do that. To change behavior you will have to change the person's hierarchy of values. If they are unwilling to change, you may have to end the relationship and find someone whose values more closely align with the institution's.
