Attention Equals Retention
What does your school do to unequivocally demonstrate you are paying attention to your students?
Thanks for this post, Mala. You describe the attitude every "non-academic" staff person must have to positively impact student performance and comfort.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Although not an instructor, I feel my role as Bursar gives me plenty of opportunities to impact student retention. One of my main roles is to collect tuition payments from the students, but I let them know at the orientation that I'm not a "heavy." That they can come to me with any problems they may have. Even if they don't have the tuition money on time, they should see me so we can try to find a solution to their financial difficulty. I'm as happy to see them graduate as anyone else, and they know I care about them.
Naomi,
These are very nice ways to show you are paying attention. Even more important are the ways we pay attention in class.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Our school has multiple student appreciation days in a year. During the appreciations we had out awards, achievement certificates and have food and games for the students. The students always enjoy these days. We definitely need to give our students adequate attention to let them know we are concerned and supportive of their educational growth!
David,
Surveys are a good tool, but they tend to let us know what happended rather than help us influence what will happen. What are specific things you do during the term to show you pay attention that ultimately are reflected in the end-of-term surveys?
Jeffrey Schillinger
We demonstrate that we are paying attention to our students through our end of course surveys. We review this information on a course by course basis as well as though quarterly compilations. We also monitor course completion and persistence metrics on the same above basis. I would like to see more interaction with our end of course surveys and provide the results and feedback to our students so that they feel that their voice is being heard and that changes and improvements are made based upon their input.
Joel,
This is a simple, but effective system. Some colleges post pictures of thesestudents and leave them up for a few terms. Public recognition is a good thing.
Jeffrey Schillinger
We have a monitor in our student lobby that displays perfect attendance, president's list(4.0 Gpa). I often see students standing there waiting to see there name and take pictures of it to send to family and friends.
Keith,
These are all "best practices" shared by career colleges that are successful. Ultimately, success comes not so much from what a college does but rather by the attitude employes bring to the tasks.
Jeffrey Schillinger
We do a lot to give our students attention: We welcome our students at the beginning of each class, learn their names, involve them during lecture and lab, and thank them at the end of the day. If a student is absent, we follow-up with a phone call. We award students with pins and certificates for achievement. Students are frequently reminded of and are invited to tutoring, no matter what their grades reflect. We have frequent student appreciation days with food and soft drinks. And the list goes on ...
Nicole,
These are simple, effective ways to make the campus special. Thanks for sharing them.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Our students love the Perferct attendance pin and certificate as well as the certificates and pins for President's list and Dean's List. After each term we also provide a Student Luncheon for perfect attendance and President List students. Our students can earn a perfect attendance T-shirt in the first term and wear it each month on perfect attendance jeans day.
Amber,
This is fun stuff that really can make a difference. Thanks for sharing this.
Jeffrey Schillinger
We try to plan things during school like allowing them to wear a holiday shirt to school when there is a holiday upcoming. We also have coloring contests and movie Tuesdays, where we play a movie and have popcorn for the students once a month on their lunch breaks.
Gamaliel,
These are common bur effective strategies. Short-term rewards can really pay off. How do students earn pins and certificates?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Amber,
What are the most effective way your team makes the campus "inviting?" Fun?
Jeffrey Schillinger
We pay attention to their daily needs in class, identify barriers that negatively interact with learning, personally guide, mentor and solve issues and as much as possible, involve other school departments as situations arise. Also, lots of recognition in the form of pins, certificates, field trips, etc.
We let students know we miss them when they do not attend class. They always get a phone call if they miss so they know we noticed. If a student is struggling we try to help them in every way we can to get them here. We also try to make the campus a fun, safe, and loving environment where they would want to be.
Thanks, Chrissy. Theses are effective proactive strategies.
Jeffrey Schillinger
