Diane, having been in the same situation is a powerful statement. Your testimony should be an inspiration for your students and provide valuable insight for your colleagues.
Each institution should have an answer for this question. I personally believe that the student should the answer before they start class. Each student should have a personal financial plan that clearly identifies the costs and the source of payment – grants, loans, scholarships, personal payments, etc. If circumstances change, hopefully the financial aid department can offer guidance.
Hi Devra,
I totally agree with you! There are no easy answers.
It is hard for some students on the financial end.
Welfare and umemployment is helpful.
I'm sure that it is the main factor for most retention problems. Money! How can we as staff members help prevent a student dropping out due to financial difficulties? How much the student wants this career is not always the answer. It takes money to make it into school every day. What about child care issues? $$$ every which way they turn. I am glad Unemployment can help some of these students financially but what about the ones that are not on unemployment? There are no easy answers.
I hear that Devra!
I believe there are two major problems.
1. Funds ( how do they live, pay bills, buy food)
This is such a great responsibilty.
Then the studetns that do work and attend school are so tired that their focus span is short lived..............
2. MOM's!!!!!!!! Schoolwork, partime work, housework, wife/partner work and.... MOM/parent WORK!
Suggestions please!
Its' really hard for them!I know I was in the same situation. Somewhere, something or someone is going to be distressed for the time it takes to complete the education. The only thing that I can draw on from my experience is to ask for help from family, friends, teachers, clergy or even neighbors. I also think about this question: "How bad do you want this career you are training for... and what sacrifices are you willing to make in order to grow personally and professionally
I believe some rentention is also due to a lack of funds. While the student is attending school, the money is not there like when working a full time job. What do you do if you have $$$ issues and it interfears with your ability to make it into school? How can we help the students then?
Louisa, do you have any suggestions about to make this point with students?
Great point Josette!!! It is so important to get them to realize the habits they are forming now in school will stay with them in thier employment.
Good points, Josette. What do you do to help your students understand these principles and still maintain their focus on their dream?
Attendance policies plays an important part in rention and in preparing our participants for the real world. It is also important the our students realize that in the real world time waits for no one, you do not get to repeat life; "THEY ONLY PASS THIS WAY ONCE AND FIRST IMPRESSION ARE LASTING". Their attendance will follow them in the work place whether they realize it or not. it is one of the first questions a propective employer askes "what was the student attendance like".
All of our students have had meetings with our Dean of Students. She carefully goes over that attendance policies at every SAP point and all instructors review attendance on more than one occasion.
I relate school attendance with work, carefully explaining that the "real" world does not accept excuses and that all businesses have attendance policies that everyone is expected to adhere to. In the business world you could be fired from a position for not being there.
Attendance policies actually prepare students for work, makes them responsible for their actions and great pride should they achieve 100% attendance.
Thank you, Nancy. You make an important distinction. I also like your observation about finding the real reasons for not coming to class.
Monitoring attendance is just the beginning. Once potential attendance problems are identified, they must be analyzed and the students must receive individual counseling based on the past performance of that student.
Those students who are in their first/second quarters must be counseled about the importance of daily attendance, how it will affect their future, and how much they miss and are missed by failing to attend. They should be encouraged to get active within the college community. Their real reasons for failing to attend need to be addressed.
Students who have already established an attendance problem for several consecutive quarters need to be counseled differently. They need to be reminded that their attendance will affect their future employability, that their classroom grade will be affected, that they need to find the motivation to become excited about the learning process and the committment they made to their education and future on the day of their enrollment.
Loren,
I agree with your statement 100%. Classroom observations, results of student critiques, instructor success rates, etc. are all tools that should be evaluated on a regular basis to identify trends and remedy problems.
There are many reasons why students stop attending classes, and institutions need to make sure that the actual instruction being provided is not the root.
Students are aware that they pay quite a bit for a quality education, and if they are not getting that sense from a particular course/instructor, stagnation will follow pretty quickly.
Teri
Do the students understand why you have this policy? What actions are taken before they are hit with probation?
I have always felt that attendance was an indicator of an instructor's effectiveness in the classroom. Although a gross overstatement, there are 2 basic reasons students don't attend class: they don't care – they've lost the dream - and the instructor hasn't created a compelling reason for them to be there or they have some overriding reason that makes it difficult for them to be there.
I encourage a response from other participants
