My College telephones student who are absent on a daily basis
Lisa,
Thank you for this post. Are there some things you do in your class to demonstrate that you are paying attention?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Tracey,
Thank you for this post. The "provisional student" concept is interesting. What are some things that you consider when evaluating if a student is a good fit?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Our instructors call our students- we talk to them- we get to know them - we send them emails - we pay attention to our students
For first term students, they are considered a provisional student; therefore, they have to meet with their Program Director once a week for the first month. If they decide school is not for them, they can leave with no strings attached, or we can also tell them that we feel they are not fit for school at this time. We also contact absent students if they have not contacted us to make sure everything is alright. We use academic advising to ensure the term is running smoothly and meet with our advisees once per term or moreso if needed.
We also do many things for retention.We do parties for perfect attendance,pins,prizes,also we have intervention early on to help with retention.
Brian,
The "rocks in the road" you described in your post are tough, real-life things we have to address with students. There are no strategies that can eliminate these challenges. However, each campus needs to develop a specific strategy that they will use to mitigate the impact of these things on students. They need to make reentry to the program as easy as possible. They need to have defined resources that can call upon, or send a student to, when the students tells us they are facing that specific "rock."
The best thing is to have the kind of school that students do not weant to leave. If this is the case, students will often find creative ways to stay or to get back in school quickly after they leave.
Jeffrey Schillinger
we check on students daily.....I, personally, show an interest in student's daily lives and ask how they are doing in school as well as outside of the school environment
Our faculty is committed to paying attention to all of our students on a daily basis. From greeting them at the classroom door, to engaging them in the classroom, calling them when they are absent and showing a general interest in their daily lives, we are doing what we can to retain. However, sometimes this is not enough so definitely looking for ideas on how to retain the students that have severe financial hardships, deep family issues and even medical conditions that inhibit their learning.
David,
How does your college select and assign mentors? Many schools have tried to set up this type of program with little luck.
Student Mentors talk one on one with the student and try to help the student prioritize and come up with solutions
Tim,
Calling students is a standard practice at career colleges. What makes it work is what goes on during the call. If we are calling to help, the call is worthwhile. If the call is just to say we called, we may be better off not doing it at all.
Keeping the students engaged in the class and interested is the most important to keeping the retention up. If you can let the students know that you are interested in the class and let them see how important it is. you have to be excited about the class as much as you want them to be to keep intrest levels up. This I belive will help to keep the seat filled.
here at our school we call the students that miss class. I will meet with the student the next day or when he/she comes back into class and make sure everything is ok and this gives me a chance to get the student caught up on the missed work from class. I feel this makes the student feel like they mean something and not just a number or pay check for the school.
Thanks for sharing this, Nicole. This is great example of a school coming together to position students for success.
Our Students are warm transferred from one department to the next as they process through their journey. After enrolled, their enrollment advisor calls to congratulate them and then transfers them directly to their Student Support Specialist. The Student Support Specialist also congratulates them and welcomes them to the student community. This allows Student Services to have a conversation and begin learning about the student. We complete a “success interview†along with a one-on-one orientation covering the skills the student will need for success, and reviewing the student’s plan to work this program into their lives. We address possible obstacles, and motivations, attendance plans, study skills, and any other topic that might pertain to that student.
We continue our attention with monthly well-check calls to all students. Increased contact occurs when students are out of attendance for three or more days, grades decrease, or if academic struggles arise.
The level of attention students receive directly impacts their feeling of belonging and support, especially in an on-line environment.
I believe that "attention equals retention" because students' view a teacher's personal attention outside of the classroom more as a matter of respect. And for me, "respect equals confidence". I remember often being intimidated by my teachers and professors, especially outside the classroom. But those that took the time to say hello - even if they just smiled and acknowledged my presence - made me that I could succeed and want to come to class. Sometimes, a simple act like this can inspire a student's confidence in themselves.
Thanks, William.
As a the "founders" of a new school, your team has the chance to really establish an student-centered attitude that can become the permanent culture. Activities like what you described are a great start.
Many schools have had success integrating study and life skills lessons into every course.
The school is new and we feel that it's vital to build a faculty that are not only excel in their field but enjoy teaching and guiding this unique and varied collection of students. We had a class the other eveing in which half of it was a discussion on what they (the students) do to help them learn the material. In the beginning, the comments were quite superficial until one 'dyslexic-ocd' student really opened up - then everyone did. The result - students learned they weren't alone, they learned a few tips from other students, and I learned new ways to vary my approach to teaching them.
We call students that miss class...I personally speak to students everyday & encourage them to stay in school & that attendance is of the most importance.
